💵 Collection
Budget Family Meals: Cheap Dinners That Feed Everyone
Every recipe here feeds four or more, is rated Beginner or Easy, and comes to under about $3 a serving at U.S. average grocery prices. The price and the difficulty are on every card, and every recipe has a button that adds it to one shopping list, sorted by aisle.
💵 Under $1.50 a serving
The cheapest dinners on the site: rice, pasta, eggs and a little meat going a long way.
Hibachi Fried Rice (Japanese Steakhouse Garlic Butter Fried Rice)
The flat-top fried rice of America's Japanese steakhouses: freshly boiled long-grain rice fried until it sizzles and pops with soft egg and scallions, glazed with soy sauce and mirin and finished with garlic butter.
Trinidad Macaroni Pie
Macaroni bound with eggs, evaporated milk and cheddar, seasoned with onion, dry mustard and a little Scotch bonnet, then baked firm under a paprika-dusted top and cut into squares.
Danish Frikadeller
Pork meatballs shaped with a spoon and fried slowly in butter, crusty outside and soft in the middle.
Hawaii-Style Spam Fried Rice
Diced Spam fried until the edges crisp with ginger, onion and carrots, then tossed with rice, Shaoxing wine, soy and fish sauce, egg, peas and scallions, the local-style fried rice of Hawaii.
Blue Box Style Mac and Cheese (Homemade Mix)
A homemade pantry mix of cheddar cheese powder, dry milk and mustard that turns hot elbows into bright, smooth boxed-style mac in about 15 minutes. Inspired by Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, not official.
Virginia House-Wife Baked Macaroni (1824)
The earliest known printed American mac and cheese: macaroni boiled in milk and water, layered with sliced cheese and butter, and baked in a hot oven.
Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Layers of elbow macaroni, cheddar and Jack bound with beaten eggs, evaporated milk, sour cream and butter, then baked until it sets firm enough to cut, with a crusty, browned top.
Takeout-Style Chinese Chicken Curry
A takeout-style copycat from no particular restaurant: velvety stir-fried chicken and soft onion wedges in a glossy, bright yellow curry sauce thickened with cornstarch, ready in 20 minutes to spoon over rice.
🍲 One pot or one pan
Less to wash: everything cooks together in one pot, skillet or sheet pan.
One-Pot Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk and Peas
Bone-in chicken browned in a Dutch oven, then braised in a curry-powder base of onion, garlic, jalapeño, ginger and tomato paste, and finished with coconut milk, butter, fresh tomatoes and peas: the American home cook's curry, all in one pot.
20-Minute One-Pot Mac and Cheese
Three ingredients and one pot: elbows simmered in just enough water to cover, then turned into a silky cheddar sauce with a can of evaporated milk.
Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
Soft meatballs with rice and fresh mint inside, simmered in a smoky tomato and chipotle broth.
Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili
Pinto, black and kidney beans simmered with crushed tomatoes, toasted cumin seeds, red pepper and corn, finished with lime and cilantro.
Fast-Food Style Chili, Inspired by Wendy's
A mild, beefy, tomato-heavy chili with kidney and pinto beans, onion, celery and green pepper, simmered low and slow like the drive-thru favorite. Inspired by, not official.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Shawarma (with Chickpeas, Peppers and Tahini-Yogurt Sauce)
Bone-in chicken thighs rubbed with a shawarma-style spice mix, lemon and garlic and roasted at 475°F on one sheet pan with red onion, chickpeas that turn crunchy and red peppers added late, then spooned over rice with a lemony tahini-yogurt sauce and herbs.
25-Minute Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
The takeout template in 25 minutes: velveted chicken breast browned in a hot wok, tossed with blanched broccoli, carrot, garlic, ginger and scallion in a quick oyster sauce and soy sauce glaze.
Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice, Inspired by Benihana
Inspired by, not official: jasmine rice fried with browned chicken, carrot, onion, garlic and soy sauce, crisped in a well of melting butter, then finished with scrambled egg, sesame seeds and scallions, the way the steakhouse chicken rice tastes.
🥘 Casseroles and bakes for a crowd
Big pans that feed six to twelve, and most reheat well for tomorrow's lunch.
Baked Ziti (No-Boil, with Ricotta and Mozzarella)
Ziti soaked in hot salted water instead of boiled, stirred into red sauce with ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs, cream, herbs and cubes of mozzarella, then baked covered and uncovered at 400°F until bubbling and browned.
1918 Tamale Pie
The World War I version of America's tamale casserole: seasoned ground beef, onion and tomatoes baked between two layers of plain cornmeal mush, with no wrapper, no steamer and, in 1918, no chile.
Barbados Macaroni Pie
Tube macaroni baked firm with a lot of cheddar, evaporated milk, an egg, grated onion and the Bajan signature, ketchup and yellow mustard, under a golden cheese top.
Country-Store Meatloaf (Inspired by Cracker Barrel, Not Official)
A cheesy, tender beef meatloaf made with buttery crackers, onion, green pepper and cheddar, finished with a sweet ketchup, brown sugar and mustard glaze. Inspired by the Southern roadside chain; not its recipe.
Oatmeal Meat Loaf (The Stretch-the-Meat Classic)
A seven-ingredient loaf that stretches a pound and a half of lean beef with rolled oats and tomato juice, pressed into a loaf pan and baked an hour: the thrifty American meatloaf at its simplest.
Classic Glazed American Meatloaf
The American classic: beef and pork bound with a milk and saltine paste, browned under the broiler, then painted twice with a tangy brown sugar and ketchup glaze and baked to a glossy finish.
⏱️ Dinner in 30 minutes
For the nights there's no time: start to table in about half an hour.
Weeknight Blistered Cherry Tomato Pasta
Two pints of cherry tomatoes cooked in garlicky olive oil until they burst into a sweet, creamy sauce, tossed with pasta, fresh basil and Parmesan while the pasta boils in a skillet: about 25 minutes, start to finish.
30-Minute Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos
Boneless chicken thighs simmered right in a smoky chipotle and fire-roasted tomato sauce, shredded and tossed back in, with avocado, Cotija and scallions on top. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
Enfrijoladas (Tortillas in Black Bean Sauce with Chorizo)
Warm corn tortillas dipped in a smooth black bean sauce, folded into quarters and topped with crumbled chorizo, salsa verde, fresh cheese, parsley and onion: Mexico's fast, comforting bean enchilada.
The Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger
A small ball of beef smashed thin on a hot skillet with a mound of paper-thin onions pressed into it, flipped so the onions fry and caramelize, then topped with American cheese and a bun steamed right over the onions.
30-Minute Mini Meat Loaves
Four small, tightly packed meat loaves seared in a skillet for a crust, spooned with brown sugar and ketchup glaze and finished in a 500°F oven in under 10 minutes.
British Corned Beef Hash
The British storecupboard supper: parboiled potatoes and cubes of tinned corned beef fried with onion, pressed into a crust, splashed with Worcestershire sauce and served with baked beans.
🥣 Soups that stretch
A pot of soup turns a little chicken and a lot of vegetables into dinner for eight.
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
A whole chicken simmered gently with onion, garlic, celery and cilantro, then carrots, potatoes and chayote, served in big bowls over white rice with avocado, chopped onion, cilantro, serrano and lime, and warm corn tortillas on the side.
Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian Cilantro Chicken and Rice Soup)
Browned bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks simmered with onion, red bell pepper, cumin and rice in broth blended with cilantro, serrano and garlic, then brightened with a second fresh cilantro puree, sweet corn and lots of lime.
Classic American Chicken Noodle Soup
A rich homemade broth from browned chicken thighs with onion and bay, chicken breasts poached in it and shredded, then onion, carrot, celery and thyme simmered in the strained broth with wide egg noodles and finished with parsley.
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, Inspired by Olive Garden
Inspired by, not official: celery, shredded carrot, onion and garlic softened in butter, thickened with flour and chicken broth, then store-bought potato gnocchi, cooked chicken, baby spinach, heavy cream and thyme, in one pot in 40 minutes.
Tinola (Filipino Ginger Chicken Soup with Green Papaya)
Bone-in chicken browned with onion, lots of ginger and garlic, seasoned with fish sauce and simmered in water until tender, then finished with wedges of green papaya and a bunch of spinach (or chili leaves or malunggay), served hot with steamed rice.
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels
Chicken thighs and breast poached in broth with the stripped corn cobs, then pea-size egg-and-flour rivels and fresh corn, half cut and half grated, simmered until tender, finished with shredded chicken and parsley and topped with chopped hard-cooked egg.
🥞 Breakfast for dinner
Pancakes and French toast cost almost nothing, and kids rarely say no.
Sheet-Pan Pancakes
One big buttermilk-style pancake batter spread in a sheet pan and baked at 375°F for about 20 minutes, then cut into squares so everyone eats hot pancakes at the same time.
Swedish Pancakes (Pannkakor) with Lingonberry Jam and Cream
Thin, crisp-edged Swedish pancakes made from a simple milk, egg and flour batter, rolled or folded and served with lingonberry jam and whipped cream, Thursday-style.
American Buttermilk Pancakes (The Diner Stack)
Fluffy, tangy buttermilk pancakes leavened with baking powder and baking soda, rested so the batter thickens, griddled at 350°F and stacked high with butter and maple syrup.
Arme Ritter (German "Poor Knights")
Day-old kaiser rolls halved, soaked in sweet egg milk, fried golden in clarified butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, Germany's frugal French toast.
Pain Perdu (French "Lost Bread")
Thick slices of day-old brioche soaked in vanilla milk, eggs and sugar, browned in butter, then sugared and finished in a hot oven until the tops caramelize, served as a dessert the French way.
Dutch Pannenkoeken with Bacon (Spekpannenkoeken)
Plate-size Dutch pancakes, thinner than an American pancake and thicker than a crêpe, with strips of bacon baked right into the batter and dark syrup poured on top.