14 Budget Dinners to Get You Through Until Payday

As grocery bills keep climbing, finding satisfying meals that don’t strain your wallet can be a real challenge.

These budget-friendly dinners prove you don’t need expensive ingredients to create delicious, filling meals your family will request again. Each recipe focuses on affordable staples like cheaper cuts of meat, potatoes, and pantry basics.

You’ll discover new weeknight solutions that stretch ingredients further while delivering the comfort food satisfaction everyone craves.

1. Sloppy Joe Casserole

Sloppy joe flavors get a comforting twist in this easy casserole, topped with a fluffy cornbread crust. The brown sugar and ketchup create the perfect sauce base that soaks into the cornbread.

Get the Recipe: Sloppy Joe Casserole

2. Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks

Affordable drumsticks roast alongside baby potatoes and fresh green beans with a smoky paprika seasoning that makes everything golden and crispy. This complete one-pan meal requires just 10 minutes of prep.

Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks

3. Tuna Mac and Cheese

This budget-friendly dinner is ready in just 25 minutes.  Canned tuna makes this recipe both filling and kid-approved, while the creamy cheese sauce keeps even picky eaters happy.

Get the Recipe: Tuna Mac and Cheese

4. Potato Soup

This incredibly simple 6-ingredient potato soup will be a new family favorite. Ready in just 35 minutes, it delivers pure comfort food satisfaction for pennies per serving. To add some protein, you can toss in some crumbled bacon.

Get the Recipe: Potato Soup

5. Baked Chicken Thighs

A simple spice rub of paprika, brown sugar, and garlic salt transforms affordable bone-in chicken thighs into something delicious. This recipe delivers juicy meat with caramelized flavors every time.

Get the Recipe: Baked Chicken Thighs

6. Spam Fried Rice

Day-old rice gets a flavorful makeover with crispy golden Spam cubes, scrambled eggs, and frozen vegetables. The touch of brown sugar balances the soy sauce perfectly, creating a satisfying meal ready in 30 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Spam Fried Rice

7. Loaded Sweet Potatoes

Roasted sweet potatoes are stuffed with seasoned ground beef and melted cheddar cheese for a satisfying weeknight dinner. This meal transforms affordable ingredients like potatoes and ground beef into something hearty and filling.

Get the Recipe: Loaded Sweet Potatoes

8. Chili Cheese Dogs

A quick homemade chili made with ground beef, canned crushed tomatoes, and taco seasoning creates the perfect topping for hot dogs in just 40 minutes. The shortcut seasoning delivers bold flavor without the long simmer time, making this a weeknight winner.

Get the Recipe: Chili Cheese Dogs

9. Taco Lasagna

Flour tortillas replace lasagna noodles in this clever dish that layers seasoned ground beef, black beans, and Mexican cheese. With only 10 minutes of prep time, it assembles like traditional lasagna but delivers taco flavors the whole family will love.

Get the Recipe: Taco Lasagna

10. Slow Cooker Madras Lentils

This recipe combines lentils and kidney beans in a rich tomato sauce with warm Indian spices. The slow cooker does all the work while you’re away, creating a protein-packed meatless meal everyone will love.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Madras Lentils

11. Hamburger Potato Casserole

Ground beef, diced potatoes, and carrots cook together in one pot to create this casserole that serves up to eight people for around $12. Not only is this dinner dirt cheap to make, but it’s on the table in just 30 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Hamburger Potato Casserole

12. Meatball Sandwiches

This four-ingredient recipe transforms frozen meatballs and canned Manwich sauce into hearty sandwiches that taste like you spent hours in the kitchen.

Served on rolls with melted cheese, these hearty subs are ready in 10 minutes and perfect for busy families.

Get the Recipe: Meatball Sandwiches

13. Chickpeas and Chorizo Stew

This Spanish-inspired stew combines spicy chorizo, chickpeas, and diced tomatoes for a satisfying dinner. Baby spinach wilts right into the rich sauce, sneaking extra nutrition into this hearty one-pan meal that tastes like it simmered for hours.

Get the Recipe: Chickpeas and Chorizo Stew

14. Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Frozen meatballs transform into a restaurant-style dish with pineapple chunks, bell peppers, and a tangy-sweet sauce made from pantry staples. This dinner recipe can easily feed a family when money is tight.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs