30 Cheap Casseroles to Make When You’re Broke
When money’s tight, you can still feed your family well without spending a fortune. These cheap casseroles are so easy to make and will stretch your grocery budget further.
Many of these casseroles feature budget-friendly proteins, fewer ingredients than traditional recipes, or rely on pantry staples.
These budget casserole recipes prove great taste doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. Many of them are big enough to feed a big family, and if you’re feeding fewer people, the leftovers make for stress-free meals later in the week.
1. Beef Noodle Casserole
This hearty beef noodle casserole is made with creamy noodles, seasoned ground beef, and melted cheese. This dish makes it easy to feed everyone without overspending.
Get the Recipe: Beef Noodle Casserole
2. Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
This casserole is a clever way to make one rotisserie chicken feed the whole family with leftovers to spare. The poppy seeds add a unique flavor twist to this creamy, old-fashioned casserole, which is topped with buttery crackers for the perfect crunch.
Get the Recipe: Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
3. Cool Ranch Turkey Taco Casserole
This cool ranch taco casserole uses ground turkey, which is one of the cheapest protein options. The cool ranch Doritos soak up the creamy ranch and Greek yogurt mixture for a budget-friendly dinner that’s anything but boring.
Get the Recipe: Cool Ranch Turkey Taco Casserole
4. Pizza Pasta Casserole
Feed your entire family this pizza pasta casserole that’s cheaper than delivery. The best part is you can customize it with whatever pizza toppings your family actually likes.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Casserole
5. Chicken and Potato Casserole
This inexpensive chicken and potato casserole layers creamy sauce, tender chunks of chicken, and cheesy potatoes. This hearty casserole will give you around six servings and only comes out to about $2.53 per serving.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Potato Casserole
6. Eggplant Parmesan Casserole
This cheesy eggplant casserole is proof that you don’t need meat for a satisfying dinner. It’s much cheaper to make than many meat-based casseroles and tastes delicious, too.
Get the Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan Casserole
7. Tuna Casserole
This classic casserole transforms canned tuna into a comforting family meal that costs hardly anything to make. The creamy noodle base is topped with potato chips that add the perfect crunch.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Casserole
8. Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Get all the cozy comfort of chicken pot pie in this casserole that uses pantry staples. This genius recipe lets fluffy biscuits do the heavy lifting while tender chicken and vegetables simmer in a creamy sauce below, creating pure homestyle magic.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
9. Meatball Sub Casserole
Grab an inexpensive bag of frozen meatballs and make this casserole that tastes like your favorite Italian sub. This casserole is made with only five ingredients, including canned biscuits that get perfectly fluffy as they bake.
Get the Recipe: Meatball Sub Casserole
10. Chili Cheese Dog Casserole
This casserole is cheap thanks to inexpensive ingredients like canned chili and hot dogs. It’ll be a new family favorite that the kids will want you to make all the time.
Get the Recipe: Chili Cheese Dog Casserole
11. Chicken Noodle Casserole
Think chicken noodle soup, but way more filling since it has a delicious crispy topping. It’s made with inexpensive pantry ingredients and frozen veggies.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Noodle Casserole
12. Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is a classic comfort food with ground beef and lots of veggies cooked together in a delicious gravy, then topped with mashed potatoes and baked. It’s a complete meal in one, so you can save money by not buying any sides.
Get the Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie
13. Broccoli Tater Tot Casserole
This cheesy casserole turns simple ingredients like ground beef, rice, and broccoli into a filling dinner even the pickiest eaters will love. Frozen tater tots and rice are budget-friendly ingredients that bulk up the dish.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Tater Tot Casserole
14. Enchilada Casserole
Skip the tedious rolling and make this delicious deconstructed enchilada casserole. You can use ground beef, or for an even cheaper option, use ground turkey or just beans.
Get the Recipe: Enchilada Casserole
15. Baked Ziti with Sausage
This restaurant-quality Italian casserole feeds a crowd without the restaurant price tag. The combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmigiano creates those gorgeous golden, bubbly layers that make this dish feel special enough for company.
Get the Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage
16. Pierogi Casserole
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most brilliant. This five-ingredient casserole transforms frozen pierogis into a filling family meal, proving that delicious dinners don’t have to be complicated.
Get the Recipe: Pierogi Casserole
17. Frito Pie Casserole
When you’re really counting every penny, this three-ingredient dish comes to the rescue. The corn chips on the bottom soften while the top layer stays perfectly crunchy, creating the ultimate comfort food experience for almost nothing.
Get the Recipe: Frito Pie Casserole
18. Forgotten Chicken
With this tasty casserole, all you need is 10 minutes of hands-on time, and the oven takes care of the rest. The chicken stays incredibly juicy as it cooks with the rice and cream soups, creating a complete one-dish meal that practically makes itself.
Get the Recipe: Forgotten Chicken
19. Southwestern Quinoa Casserole
This protein-packed powerhouse proves healthy eating doesn’t have to break the bank. The quinoa and ground beef soak up all those Southwestern spices while the bell peppers and corn add flavor that’ll keep you satisfied for hours.
Get the Recipe: Southwestern Quinoa Casserole
20. Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole
This cozy casserole is a fun mash-up of spaghetti and lasagna. After cooking the pasta, toss it in a herby ricotta egg mixture, then add the meatballs and smother with sauce before baking.
You get 12 servings just from one casserole, so it’s an inexpensive dinner. Plus, it’s more fun than traditional spaghetti but much easier than arranging layers of lasagna.
Get the Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole
21. King Ranch Chicken Casserole
If nachos could become a casserole, they’d taste something like this. King Ranch chicken casserole is a Texas classic made with shredded chicken, roasted tomatoes, chili seasoning, tortilla chips, and more.
Serve with sour cream, green onions, and extra tortilla chips for a new (and inexpensive) family favorite.
Get the Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Casserole
22. Pork Chop Rice Casserole
This four-ingredient casserole makes the most of pork chops, one of the cheapest cuts of meat.
Serve this hearty casserole with an inexpensive side, and you might even get away with using just half a pork chop per person to stretch your budget even further.
Get the Recipe: Pork Chop Rice Casserole
23. Chili Relleno Casserole
Get all the flavors of traditional chiles rellenos without any of the frying or fuss. The fluffy egg batter puffs up beautifully in the oven while the green chiles add just the right amount of heat to make this feel like a restaurant meal at home.
Get the Recipe: Chili Relleno Casserole
24. Sausage Breakfast Casserole
We included another breakfast casserole on this list for dinner because eggs and breakfast sausage are some of the most economical proteins you can buy. Plus, it’s fun to have a breakfast-for-dinner night once a month (or more), and the kids always love it!
Get the Recipe: Sausage Breakfast Casserole
25. Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Cheese is the secret to serving more veggies to picky eaters, and this broccoli cauliflower casserole understands this idea very well.
Meat can get expensive, so having even one meatless dinner a week can cut down on your grocery bill.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
26. Pizza Casserole
This pizza casserole is made with premade biscuits and pepperoni, which are pretty inexpensive, especially if you can find them on sale. This casserole can be made with just five ingredients, but if your budget allows, you can add a few extra toppings if you want.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Casserole
27. Taco Casserole
This layered casserole starts with tortilla chips as the foundation, then builds up with seasoned meat, beans, and all your favorite taco fixings. The result tastes like taco night but feeds the whole family from a single casserole dish.
Get the Recipe: Taco Casserole
28. Grits and Sausage Casserole
Throwing a breakfast casserole into the rotation for dinner can get you out of your boring meal rotation. Cheesy grits and maple sausage come together for a hearty Southern-style meal that stretches your grocery budget.
Get the Recipe: Grits and Sausage Casserole
29. Lemon Chickpea Rice Casserole
This dump-and-bake casserole shows how a few pantry staples can create something truly special. The bright lemon flavor cuts through the creamy coconut milk base, while the chickpeas provide plenty of protein to keep everyone satisfied.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Chickpea Rice Casserole
30. Chicken Taquito Casserole
Frozen taquitos do all the heavy lifting here, so it’s incredibly low-effort. The creamy sauce soaks into the taquitos while they bake, making them soft and flavorful.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Taquito Casserole
