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’ll be able to simply make at house. With a number of pantry staples and a bit creativity, you’ll be able to 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 odor unimaginable, with out stretching the grocery price range 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 maintain everybody full and comfortable with out breaking the financial institution.

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

1. Rooster and Dumplings

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

Snag the Recipe

Closeup of Chicken Pot Pie Casserole plated.

3. Rooster 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. Rooster Noodle Soup

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

Snatch the Recipe

Closeup of cheeseburger casserole on a plate with a fork.

5. Loaded Cheeseburger Casserole

Suppose cheeseburger night time, however in casserole kind, and no drive-thru. It is beefy, tacky, and whole 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 night time seems 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 Rooster and Rice

Tacky, creamy, and filled with 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 simplest ways, these Sloppy Joes are all the time a success.Cash-saving tip: Skip the buns and serve over rice for a less expensive twist.

Grab the Recipe

I understand how powerful it may be to give you dinner concepts night time after night time, particularly if you’re making an attempt to maintain prices down. That’s why I really like meals like these. They’re comforting, budget-friendly, and no one on the desk seems like they’re “low cost eats.” You get full bellies, comfortable faces, and extra room in your grocery price range 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 avoid wasting 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 the very best worth 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 straightforward 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 seems like an Italian hug in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Dried beans are cheaper than canned and make a giant batch in case you have time to soak them.

Stir Into the Recipe

24. Simple Fried Cabbage

Easy, buttery, and surprisingly hearty, fried cabbage is fast to make and stuffed with taste.Cash-saving tip: Purchase an entire head of cabbage as an alternative 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 comfortable bowl of creamy veggie soup that’s each filling and simple on the pockets.Cash-saving tip: Frozen blended 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 avoid wasting prep time and a bit 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 Japanese European basic.Cash-saving tip: Cabbage is without doubt one of the most cost-effective greens year-round, so top off when it’s on sale.

Head Over to the Recipe

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

28. Rooster 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’ll be able to flip the leftovers into this simple dinner.

Wok Over to the Recipe

Cooking on a price range doesn’t should really feel limiting. With these 28 dinners, you’ve bought consolation meals, fast weeknight favorites, and loads of cozy meals that maintain each your loved ones and your pockets comfortable. Every recipe proves you’ll be able to 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 performed all of the pondering 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 time and again.

Trending Merchandise