Dirt Cheap meals for a family
For the longest time my grocery bill took up most of my income, once you start meal planning that will change!
Finding or creating broke meals isn’t too difficult especially if you know which specific foods are the cheapest to buy.
However, if you have trouble coming up with your own meals here are 16 normal dirt cheap meals to make.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What to cook for under $10?
Most of the meal ideas below you can cook for under $10. The best way to save even more per meal is to shop at dollar stores when possible and grow your own food as well when possible. Here are some quick easy meals for under $10:
- Scrambled eggs with rice
- Tuna melts
- Beef stroganoff
- Chick pea pasta
- Texas hash
- Tuna pasta
Read below for the recipes and even more cheap family meals under $10.
What should I make for dinner with no money?
This can be difficult without knowing what is in your pantry, however even if you have no money for dinner you can make a meal with what you have.
If you barely have any food consider checking out your local food bank, churches or food stamps.
Most of the meals below you can easily whip up with common pantry items, even if you have to substitute one or two ingredients that is ok!
Delicious Dirt Cheap Meals
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1. Scrambled Eggs with Rice
Eggs are very good for you and fairly cheap, add the rice and even some vegetables if you have any. This is where my spices would come in also, I usually add garlic powder to most meals and it actually goes well with eggs.
To make the rice tastier you can cook it in chicken or beef broth!
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Butter
- Rice
2. Tuna Melts
For this you can use bread, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, or even biscuits < which I have done once because I had nothing else and biscuits are easy to make. You can mix the tuna with Mayo or any kind of sauce that you like if you have any. I also find this to be hit with kids as well, as long as they like tuna of course!😋
Ingredients:
- Canned tuna
- Mayo
- Hamburger buns
- Cheese
3. Creamed Peas on Toast
This was a favorite at a Nursing Home I used to work at! Maybe you remember this meal when you were younger, it is cheap and filling. Personally not one of my favs BUT lots of people love this kind of meal so why not add it to the list.😁
Ingredients:
- Peas
- Toast
- Flour
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt and Pepper
4. Beef Stroganoff
This is a basic recipe and very cheap to make. Mix all the ingredients together to make this easy stroganoff, you can add fried potatoes or sausage if you’d like.
Ingredients:
- Hamburger
- Beef Ramen Noodles
- Cream of Mushroom
5.Chickpea Pasta
Very easy and filling main dish! It’s called pasta but I find it looks more like a soup, you can add your own spices and make it taste however you’d like. Versatile meals are the best.
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas
- Pasta noodles
- Tomato Paste
- Boiling water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garlic (optional)
6. Tuna Pasta
You may see a lot of tuna meals simply because it is yummy and oh-so cheap! This one is very easy you just mix these ingredients all together and poof, a great main dish.
Ingredients:
- Cooked and chilled elbow macaroni
- Tuna
- Onions
- Bell Peppers
- Mayo
7. Ghoulash
This is a hit in my home, we really make it our own and it always turns out delicious. The basic ingredients are below since these are cheap meals but we always add cheese slices and bake it in the oven.
Ingredients:
- Hamburger
- Elbow macaroni
- Tomato sauce
- Cheese (optional)
- Veggies (optional)
8. Fried Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Need I say more? Grilled cheeses are cheap on their own but not super filling, that is where the egg comes in! Kids also love this meal at least mine do and they are pretty picky!
Ingredients:
- Egg
- Bread
- Cheese
- Butter
9. Slow Cooker chicken Enchilada Casserole
This foolproof, easy to toss together Crockpot Enchiladas recipe is full of Mexican flavor! A very filling, hearty, and tasty casserole that’s made with everyday pantry ingredients.
Grab this delicious recipe from Recipes From A Pantry!
10. Cornbread Chili Casserole
Cooking this hearty meal is surprisingly easy and you can most likely find all the ingredients needed in your pantry. For the recipe head over to Dancingthroughtherain.com.
11. Lentil Vegetable Soup
Not a meat fan? Or just want to switch it up, then this vegetable soup is for you! Perfect for those chilly days, this soup will fill everyone up and is super easy to make. Grab the recipe from Moneywisemoms.com.
12. Texas Hash
This hash is great comfort food and can be made all in one pot! Get the recipe from Noshingwiththenolands.com.
13. Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
This one-pot cheap meal idea is made with simple ingredients. You can easily swap out ingredients as well. Grab this recipe at Therisingspoon.com.
14. Ground Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
Looking for a quick and easy meal for dinner? This 20 minute stir fry is very yummy and cheap to make. Grab this yummy recipe from Mashupmom.com.
15. Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
The entire family will love this easy casserole! You can easily make this meal in bulk and freeze for another day. Get the recipe and freezing instructions from Thegayglobetrotter.com.
16. Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
This is a fast and easy one-pot meal with simple ingredients. Get the recipe from Therecipewell.com.
Be Aware: If you are living on a low income then consider changing your lifestyle a bit to make meal planning even more cheaper!
How to meal plan on a budget
The secret to meal planning on a very tight budget is to eat healthy! YES, you read that right.
Eating healthy is actually much cheaper than buying cheap processed foods.
Here are 5 tips to help you drastically cut your food bill AND eat healthy.
Don’t have time or like meal planning?
Check out the $5 meal plan! I use this and it helps plan my meals for me, the best part is that they are cheap meals.
For $5 per month they send you meal plans that cost $2 per person or less. It has been a huge time and money saver!
1. Grow your own vegetables
Thankfully with our increasing technology, there are now ways for anyone to grow vegetables at any time of the year using hydroponics or greenhouses.
Since this post is about cheap meals I am not going to suggest purchasing a greenhouse! It is actually easier and cheaper than you would think to grow your own vegetables inside.
Check out this post by Greatist.com on 8 Vegetables You Can Grow At Home.
Some of these include potatoes, peppers, and kale!
2. Cut back on Meat
Some may be opposed to this concept but it is actually healthier to eat more vegetables and less meat.
Going vegan is a great alternative and can be very inexpensive if you stick with whole foods.
Check out some very tasty vegan recipes at ForksoverKnives.com, just looking at them makes me want to go completely vegan! (I personally cut back on meat, but still consume dairy).
3. Grow your own spices
Just like growing your own vegetables, spices are the same. When switching to a healthy diet you will want to learn how to use spices to make your food taste amazing!
Plus, all those plants in your home is a great cheap decorating option as well! Who doesn’t love plants?
4. Cut out the grocery store
Of course, I don’t mean completely, however, sticking with local farmer’s markets and growing your own vegetables should save a ton of money.
Only use grocery stores when you absolutely have to, and always bring a list with you.
5. Treat yourself
Don’t forget to treat yourself once in a while, if you are just starting to transition to a healthy meal plan then stick with it for a while first.
This will allow your taste buds time to adjust and you won’t fall into the junk food wagon again!
I still treat myself to chips and dip because I love it too much to never eat again!
Final thoughts on dirt cheap meals
There are tons of meals you can make that won’t break your budget, I hope these ideas help get you started. If you have more cheap meal ideas please leave them in the comments below!
Related articles for more frugal recipes:
21 CHEAP INSTANT POT RECIPES THAT TASTE AMAZING
20 CHEAP FOODS TO BUY WHEN BROKE
8 DELICIOUS FRUGAL MEALS FOR LARGE FAMILIES
Tiffany
Friday 18th of August 2023
Red Beans and rice Baked potato and broccoli
Jennifer Rae Ras
Thursday 17th of March 2022
Enjoyed that immensely
Sandra
Monday 14th of February 2022
You mentioned freezing blueberries which sounds yummy. I'm going to try it.
Try freezing green grapes. So cool and refreshing on a hot summer day.