28 Dinners Below $3 Per Serving

Meal time doesn’t should break the bank to style wonderful. Right here at The Keep At Dwelling Chef, we’re all about restaurant-quality recipes you possibly can simply make at dwelling. With a number of pantry staples and a bit of creativity, you possibly can put a hearty meal on the desk with out spending greater than $3 per serving. These recipes are proof that reasonably priced can nonetheless imply flavorful, filling, and family-approved.

We’re speaking consolation meals classics, one-pan wonders, and comfortable soups that make the entire home scent unimaginable, with out stretching the grocery funds too far. Whether or not you’re feeding choosy eaters, cooking for 2, or making an attempt to maintain prices down for a giant household, these meals will hold everybody full and completely happy with out breaking the financial institution.

A closeup view of a ladle of chicken and dumplings being scooped from the pot.

1. Hen and Dumplings

This one’s all about cozy vibes. It is bought tender rooster, fluffy dumplings, and a wealthy broth that simply appears like dwelling.Cash-saving tip: Stretch the meal by utilizing shredded rotisserie rooster. It is usually cheaper per pound than any lower.

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Closeup of Chicken Pot Pie Casserole plated.

3. Hen Pot Pie Casserole

All of the goodness of pot pie, however manner simpler. It is a creamy rooster filling topped with buttery biscuitsCash-saving tip: Use frozen veggies and leftover rooster to maintain prices low and dinner stress-free.

Take a Peek at the Recipe

4. Hen Noodle Soup

Nothing beats a giant pot of rooster noodle soup, particularly when it tastes like consolation in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Frozen combined veggies work simply in addition to recent, and so they’re cheaper too.

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Closeup of cheeseburger casserole on a plate with a fork.

5. Loaded Cheeseburger Casserole

Assume cheeseburger evening, however in casserole type, and no drive-thru. It is beefy, tacky, and complete weeknight consolation meals.Cash-saving tip: Swap in some mushrooms or bell peppers for a part of the meat to stretch your greenback and sneak in veggies.

Drive-Thru to the Recipe

Low-cost Eats Meal Plan

If planning dinner each evening appears like a full-time job, we’ve bought you lined. Our Cheap Eats Meal Plan takes out all of the guesswork. We’re speaking ready-to-go grocery lists and done-for-you menus so that you don’t should assume twice about what’s for dinner. It’s budget-friendly, stress-free, and makes weeknights a lot simpler.

12. One Pot Queso Hen and Rice

Tacky, creamy, and full of taste, this one pot dinner is a complete crowd pleaser.Cash-saving tip: Use store-brand shredded cheese to maintain the flavour huge and the fee small.

Scoop up the Recipe

13. Sloppy Joes

Candy, tangy, and messy in one of the best ways, these Sloppy Joes are at all times successful.Cash-saving tip: Skip the buns and serve over rice for a less expensive twist.

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I understand how powerful it may be to provide you with dinner concepts evening after evening, particularly whenever you’re making an attempt to maintain prices down. That’s why I like meals like these. They’re comforting, budget-friendly, and no one on the desk appears like they’re “low-cost eats.” You get full bellies, completely happy faces, and extra room in your grocery funds for enjoyable extras like dessert or a elaborate espresso.

Creamy potato soup served into a white bowl.

14. Creamy Potato Soup

Wealthy and velvety potato soup that tastes like pure consolation in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Depart the skins on the potatoes to save lots of time and get extra vitamins.

Warm Up with the Recipe

Wooden spoon filled with goulash being held over a stockpot.

15. American Goulash

This nostalgic pasta dish is hearty, saucy, and ideal for feeding a hungry household.Cash-saving tip: Purchase pasta in bulk for one of the best value and retailer it in hermetic containers.

Dish Up the Recipe

A plate filled with cooked and seasoned sausage and vegetables.

16. Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

A simple all-in-one dinner with roasted sausage and colourful veggies that makes cleanup easy.Cash-saving tip: Use no matter veggies are on sale or in season to maintain prices low.

Slide Into the Recipe

17. Pasta e Fagioli

Hearty pasta and beans in a flavorful broth that appears like an Italian hug in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Dried beans are cheaper than canned and make a giant batch you probably have time to soak them.

Stir Into the Recipe

24. Straightforward Fried Cabbage

Easy, buttery, and surprisingly hearty, fried cabbage is fast to make and stuffed with taste.Cash-saving tip: Purchase a complete head of cabbage as a substitute of pre-shredded baggage for main financial savings.

Sizzle into the Recipe

Shot of Creamy Vegetable Soup in large pot.

25. Creamy Vegetable Soup

A comfy bowl of creamy veggie soup that’s each filling and straightforward on the pockets.Cash-saving tip: Frozen combined greens make this budget-friendly and a breeze to throw collectively.

Ladle Up the Recipe

A close up view of a plate of hobo casserole.

26. Hobo Casserole

Layers of beef, potatoes, and veggies baked right into a hearty, no-frills dinner that feeds a crowd.Cash-saving tip: Swap recent potatoes for frozen diced hash browns to save lots of prep time and a bit of money.

Dig Into the Recipe

A plate filled with Slovak Haluski, with a fork set on the plate.

27. Haluski

Buttery noodles tossed with sautéed cabbage make this straightforward, filling Jap European traditional.Cash-saving tip: Cabbage is without doubt one of the least expensive greens year-round, so refill when it’s on sale.

Head Over to the Recipe

A hand holding chopsticks scooping out some chicken fried rice from a bowl.

28. Hen Fried Rice

Higher than takeout and an ideal manner to make use of up leftover rice, this fried rice is quick, filling, and budget-friendly.Cash-saving tip: Make additional rice earlier within the week so you possibly can flip the leftovers into this simple dinner.

Wok Over to the Recipe

Cooking on a funds doesn’t should really feel limiting. With these 28 dinners, you’ve bought consolation meals, fast weeknight favorites, and loads of cozy meals that hold each your loved ones and your pockets completely happy. Every recipe proves you possibly can serve up one thing hearty and flavorful with out spending greater than $3 per serving.

And if you wish to make life even simpler, don’t overlook to take a look at our Cheap Eats Meal Plan. We’ve executed all of the considering for you. Every week is full with grocery lists and ready-to-go menus so dinner feels much less like a chore and extra like a win. Save this roundup to Pinterest or bookmark it for later, as a result of these are recipes you’ll come again to many times.

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