Creating delicious and frugal dinners for your family doesn’t have to be a challenge if you have all the tools to make it happen. This creative Mega List of 100 Frugal Dinner Recipes won’t leave you wondering “what’s for dinner?”
Photo Credit: © nickola_che / Dollar Photo Club
Like most folks, I have a few tried and true frugal recipes that I work into the meal plan fairly regularly. But when I get into a meal planning rut, I rely on my favorites almost a little too often and we get bored real fast.
The most difficult part of meal planning is taking the time to figure out what to make week after week in order to keep dinner time interesting, but within budget.
So I thought I’d save us both a little work and create a huge list of frugal recipe ideas that’ll help give us some inspiration and save a little time when creating our meal plans.
🍽️ Why These Recipes Work
Frugal – Of course, they are. That’s why you’re here. These recipes use inexpensive ingredients, but taste like a million bucks!
Easy – Frugal meals tend to rely on simple ingredients that are staples in your pantry. Odds are, you won’t be dealing with hard-to-find items that require a lot of effort to locate.
Similar Ingredients – This allows you to shop smart and not just buy one thing for a recipe and then you are stuck with a leftover jar that you never use again.
Meal Prep Friendly – A lot of these recipes are meal prep friendly. Look out for those that have veggies that you can pre chop, meat that you can pre-cook or pull out of the freezer like the Air Fryer Shredded Chicken I made just for freezer cooking.
🍲 Dinner For All Occasions
I’ve combed through the ingredients list of every recipe below and included them because I consider them to be frugal and have one or more of the following qualities:
– Interesting meal
– Healthy
– Low number of ingredients
– If high number of ingredients, most are herbs or spices
I’ve sectioned them off into categories to make browsing a bit easier. And I didn’t forget about my vegetarian friends – there’s a meatless section included as well!
🥣 Storage
Each recipe will have it’s own guidelines as to how to save and store leftovers, but I wanted to give you some general tips.
- Most leftovers will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Each recipe is a little different, and some ingredients may spoil faster than others. Use your best judgment.
- Doubling batches and freezing the leftovers is a great way to save time and money later. You will always have meals to go and handy whenever you need them. Print the Free Freezer Labels so you can mark the containers or bags.
- Keep plenty of food storage containers on hand. You only want a glass or plastic containers with snug fitting lids. All food needs to be kept airtight until it’s time to serve. We show you our favorite 10 Best Meal Prep Containers to keep your food good as long as possible.
❗ Expert Tips
Freeze Herbs – Don’t throw away herbs that wilt.. maximize them before they go bad! Freeze them yourself! All you have to do is buy fresh herbs or pick them from your garden. Wash, dry and freeze the parsley, cilantro, etc. Then when you are ready to use, chop some up, and mix in your meal.
Buy Frozen Produce – Instead of buying fresh fruit, consider reaching for the frozen alternative. You will find that most fruit is frozen at its peak. So, if you buy a large bag of berries, you can use it for smoothies, mixing in muffins, etc. It will taste just as good, and can save money if your fruit is not on sale. The same thing goes for vegetables.
Meat Free – Consider going meat free a single day each week, or even every other week for one night. Cutting out meat helps to save money as well. Meats are some of the most expensive things you buy at the market. Consider a meatless soup, chili, or even a pasta dish.
Broth – This is one way you can maximize your leftover bones from chicken, etc. Make your own bone broth! Then, you can use it or freeze the broth until you are ready to enjoy. Here is my 5 minute bone broth recipe!
Tomato Paste, Ginger, Etc. – Don’t throw away the leftovers you don’t fully use. You might only use a teaspoon of tomato paste out of the can. Instead of throwing rest of the can away, freeze it. Place dollops in ice cube trays, and then freeze for up to 6 months! This works for shredded or grated ginger, garlic, etc.
Fruit – If you bought too much fruit, consider drying it in the dehydrator or the oven to keep the food longer like we did for the Lemon Zest and the Dried Strawberries. If you don’t love dried strawberries, make Frozen Smoothie Packs that normally cost you 59 Cents, but since you already have the food and it is at risk of going bad, make the smoothies and it won’t cost you anything more…it’s better than tossing the fruit out.
Maximize Savings At The Grocery Store
- Don’t shop on an empty stomach
- Buy dry goods instead of canned like prepping your beans instead of buying canned varieties.
- Consider homemade instead of buying boxed foods like the 15 Cent Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packs or Homemade Microwave Popcorn for 12 Cents. I even like to make my own Homemade Creamer.
- Maximize coupons, cash back, and apps like Checkout 51.
- Buy foods when they are on sale. I like to plan my meals around the circular sale ads and know how to buy meat at its lowest prices.
- Make sure you take the time to do a Grocery Comparison Chart to see which grocery store will save you the most money. There are always surprises.
Frugal Chicken Recipes
Chicken is a great way to change up your weeknight meals. Here are affordable chicken recipes that are loaded with flavor, store well, and family approved recipes.
Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Chicken
This sesame noodles with broccoli and chicken is not only mind blowing delicious it’s so easy to make. This is one of my go-to chicken dishes because you can whip it up in less than 30 minutes!
Simple Chicken Rice Dinner
I love making recipes that I can make in my slow cooker or Instant Pot. These amazing kitchen gadgets can save you lots of time. This Chicken and Rice is comfort food at it’s finest.
Black Pepper Chicken (Best Stir-fry Recipe)
If you are a stir-fry fanatic, this black pepper chicken needs to be on your radar. It’s amazing! Plus, I love a different spin on stir-fry!
4-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
You can quickly and easily have homemade enchiladas without breaking the bank. Plus, they taste incredible too. Enchiladas are great because they can really stretch the dollar by adding beans in as a filler to a little bit of meat.
Coconut Lime Chicken
Coconut lime chicken is tangy and delicious. Even the kids will eat every morsel without complaint. It sounds expensive but this one won’t break the bank!
Greek Chicken Wraps: Clean Eating Recipes
If you want something that tastes great and is good for you, you’ve met your match! Yum!
5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili Recipe
You only need five ingredients to make this chicken chili and it makes great leftovers too. I love recipes that are only a couple of ingredients and can be made in a jiffy. Think of using this one as a meal prep lunch as well.
Baked Chicken and Mushroom Skillet
As this chicken and mushroom skillet cooks the aroma will make you salivate. It’s so amazing! If you want to stretch your dollar a bit more on this one, buy the chicken when it’s on deep discount, freeze it and make it when mushrooms are on sale or discounted.
More Chicken Recipes
Shredded chicken, boneless, and even bone-in chicken recipes that won't break the bank. If you have a larger family, feel free to double up these recipes to feed a crowd.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe
You can easily make this cilantro lime chicken ahead of time. It’s an easy freezer meal that has become a household staple! Try it and see. Freezer meals really save money. Invest in good freezer safe bags for this one and serve up a family favorite on a weeknight.
Baked Chicken Breast with Salsa Verde
Juicy tender chicken, salsa verde, and Mexican cheese are the star of the show in this tasty dish. This is a great dish when you are getting tired of the same old chicken. The salsa verde takes it to a whole new level.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot chicken and dumplings.
Chicken Fried Rice (Quick Flavorful Recipe)
We have always been a huge fan of chicken fried rice. Eat it by itself or serve with some egg rolls. Use leftover chicken for this one or a leftover rotisserie chicken.
Air Fryer Chicken Roll Ups
You will love every bite of these simple air fryer chicken roll-ups. All you need is five basic ingredients! I love the different use of chicken to make weeknight meals not so boring! Break open that Air Fryer and have fun with this!
Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders
Take these balsamic chicken tenders to work for a quick lunch or serve them for a dinner party! They are so versatile and pleasing to the palate. Combine this with some veggies for meal prep lunches on the go.
Salsa Chicken in the Slow Cooker
You won’t find an easier or more frugal recipe than this salsa chicken. Plus, the slow cooker does all the work! I never get tired of this recipe! It’s old and tested and always delicious!
One-Pan Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
Chicken burrito bowls are just what you need to change up Taco Tuesday! They are flavorful and easy to make. Use leftover chicken and if you only have a little, add black beans to fill in here for a protein boost!
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken
You just need 5 ingredients and this creamy chicken dish is out of this world. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner idea. Creamy = comfort for me!
Southwest Chicken Crockpot Recipe
Tender chicken with pinto beans, black beans, juicy tomatoes, corn, and salsa are heaven together. Serve this one a bed of rice or alone with vegetables for a delicious meal prep lunch.
Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee
This show-stopping chicken and mushroom fricassee is stunning! Serve with a salad and some dinner rolls to round out the meal. Invite friends over as they will not know you only spent a couple bucks to make this one!
Rotisserie Chicken Skillet
It’s amazing how many uses there are for rotisserie chicken. Add this one to the list because it’s irresistible. I love gettin rotisserie chicken at Costco (you know how cheap it is there!) and making meals like these!
Grilled California Chicken Wraps -
Chicken wraps are always a hit at my house! Plus, they are super easy too. This is a great meal to have on busy nights between getting home and running back out the door to soccer practice.
Chicken and Cheese Tostadas
You can make up a batch of these chicken and cheese tostadas in less than 30 minutes. Any meal that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes moves to the top of my list.
Lemonade Chicken
The combination of lemon and chicken is incredible. Try it for yourself and you’ll be happy you did.
Instant Pot Pulled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Recipe (Plus Slow Cooker Directions)
This recipe is super versatile and can be made in your slow cooker or pressure cooker. You just need some chicken, onion, pineapple, brown sugar, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and seasonings.
Chicken Rice Casserole - TexMex
It’s always a great idea to have a classic chicken and rice casserole recipe on hand. This is a great one to keep nearby! It is filling and so yummy.
Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups
Creamy alfredo sauce, shredded chicken, seasonings, melty mozzarella cheese, and lasagna noodles marry together to create an impressive meal. It's hearty and a great spin on using lasagna noodles.
Inexpensive Pork and Beef Recipes
If you are at the grocery store and find good sales on pork and beef, check out all these ideas. These are great ways to change up with something new to tickle those tastebuds.
Meatball Parmesan Casserole
Looking for something healthy? This meatball parm casserole is healthy and completely drool-worthy.
Korean Beef Recipe
Make this Korean beef and enjoy a home cooked meal instead of take out. I promise it tastes better!
Poor Man's Steak
Everything about this recipe is amazing. It’s easy to make, tastes great, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to make.
Brown Sugar Glazed Garlic Pork Chops
Sweetened pork chops make a perfect weeknight dinner idea. Serve with some roasted veggies and baked potatoes.
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
I love the flavors of sweet and savory together. These Hawaiian meatballs have a little bit of everything.
Easy Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Easy whip up this comforting dish in minutes with your pressure cooker. Everyone will gobble it up and want more!
Slow Cooker Ham & White Beans
Slow cooker meals are always a great way to save money. You can put simple ingredients like this ham and beans recipe and end up with something that is terrific.
Instant Pot Pork Chops with White Wine Sauce
Serve this at your next dinner party or enjoy it on a busy weeknight. The flavors are amazing!
Sausage, Potato & Pepper Skillet Dinner
This is a frugal recipe that we like to have often. The potatoes and sausage are wonderful together.
More Tasty Pork and Beef Dinner Ideas
I had to come back with a few more incredible recipes for you to try. Dry beans, and pasta are two items that help to stretch meals tremendously.
Beefaroni
You’ll forget all about the boxed stuff when you try this homemade beefaroni! It’s way better than anything you can grab at the store.
Picadillo – Mexican Beef Dinner
If you’ve never tried Picadillo before, now is the time. You have been missing out on these amazing flavors.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage is a wonderful ingredient because it’s filling and inexpensive. This unstuffed cabbage recipe is sure to become a favorite!
Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe
If you like to buy pasta on sale and stock up, then you should for sure add this Poor Man’s Lagana to your list of recipes. It’s cheap to make and is so good.
Pork Dumplings
These pork dumplings are way better than take out! Every bite is going to make your yearn for the next. YUMMY!
Bacon Swiss Pork Chops
Bacon swiss pork chops are a beautiful combination you should try! You’ll enjoy that it’s comforting, hearty and inexpensive to make.
Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops {Easy and frugal}
The combination of tangy lemons and pork is going to blow your mind. It's an inexpensive meal option for any occasion.
3 Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Tacos
The hardest part of these beef tacos is smelling them cook and not being able to devour them! They are worth the wait though.
Freezer Meal Recipes: Sloppy Joe Quinoa Pitas Recipes
Pitas are a great way to try something new and fun without eating plain old sandwich bread all the time. I love sandwiches, but this is a welcomed change.
Texas Potatoes
All you need is some ground beef, potatoes, seasonings. Onions, cream of mushroom soup and some cheese to whip up this dinner idea.
Potato and Chorizo Salad
I’m drooling just thinking about this potato and chorizo salad. It’s seriously so good!
Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders
Sliders are perfect for entertaining or a quick weeknight dinner.
Cabbage Rolls - A Family Recipe
I grew up eating cabbage rolls, and this recipe is similar to what I used to eat. Cabbage rolls are freezer friendly as well!
Country Lima Beans and Ham
When you’re a kid eating lima beans can be torture, but as an adult they are amazing. You’ll be impressed by how good this country lima beans and ham recipe is.
Easy Crispiest Air Fryer Pork Chops
You won't find a more juicy and tender pork chop. Using your air fryer is a game-changer!
Meatless Meal Ideas
If you are looking for meatless meals, don't worry! I got you covered. Here are my favorite frugal vegetarian recipes that will fill you up and fuel your body to finish out the night.
Green Plantain Empanadas with Cheese
Empanadas are basically pockets of food you can eat with your hands! They are divine! Serve these up on a weekend and the kiddos will love holding onto this amazing little dinner!
How to Make Freezer Friendly Spinach Lasagna Rolls
You’ll forget all about traditional lasagna recipes when you try these spinach rolls. Going meatless once or twice a week will ease your grocery bill quite a bit!
Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian pasta is super zesty and full of flavor. It's a great go-to meal option for those nights when you don't want to do a lot of cooking.
20 Minute Black Beans Recipe
These black beans are wonderful by themselves or as a side dish. Always keep black beans on hand as they are a great filler.
Margherita French Bread Pizza
Get the kids involved and they will love helping prepare this Margherita french bread pizza.
Easy Recipe : Kale & Pasta
Pasta is a go-to dish when you eat a lot of vegetarian meals. This one is a keeper.
Lentil & Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Just when you thought shepherds pie couldn’t be any more amazing! This recipe is next-level awesome.
Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos for the Freezer
Whip up these burritos and serve them for dinner and you’ll have leftovers the next day too. That is if they don’t get devoured as soon as they are done! Don’t forget how great burritos are in the freezer!
Black Bean Burger Recipe
You can still eat amazing juicy burgers even without meat. You won’t even miss the real deal.
Vegetable Pasta Primavera
The sauce is the star of the show because it’s so rich and creamy. This is a must-try. Trying out new sauces like this one keeps us from getting bored and wanting to eat out.
Chickpea, lentil and spinach curry
Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata
Can you ever have too many frittata recipes? I don’t think so! They are a delicious way to stretch your buck. Think of using these when eggs go on deep discount.
Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
Roasted tomatoes and pasta go together wonderfully in this recipe. This one won’t take long so you can make it on a weeknight.
Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
Just like traditional alfredo recipes only without the meat! This is a recipe you won’t soon forget.
Spaghettini with Spinach, Garlic, and Lemon
Saving money is easy when you make this spaghetti with spinach, garlic, and lemon. Using garlic always makes a recipe taste amazing for me!
Cobb Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Salads are a lovely way to add nutrients to your diet while saving some hard-earned money too. Shred some leftover rotisserie chicken on top or those trusty blackbeans for extra protein.
Crustless Spinach and Ricotta Quiche
This quiche recipe isn’t just great for dinner, it also makes a great breakfast choice too. These freeze well too so you can make them ahead of time to pull out and reheat.
Lentil Sweet Potato Casserole
Raise your hand if you love sweet potatoes! This casserole is out of this world! Always consider freezing casserole as well. Make this one up on a long weekend for a busy week that you have coming up.
More Tasty Meatless Dinners
I didn't want to stop there, here are a handful more meatless recipes to try out. For me variety is key, so always having new recipes to mix in, is a must.
Spinach Pesto Pizza
I promise you’ll never regret serving pizza! You’ll be impressed by all the flavor this one has. Variety is the key here!
5-Minute Black Bean Tacos
Burritos are always a great option when you are trying to save some money on groceries. Use quality freezer bags and pre wrap them for a great make ahead freezer meal.
Black Bean Pizza
Another delicious option for some fantastic pizza. Never think about going out for pizza again. Having a variety of options helps the wallet.
Meatless Chickpea Wraps Recipe
Make these wraps for your next dinner party and your friends will be raving about them! These wraps don’t disappoint.
An Idaho Sunrise: Egg-Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes are actually pretty filling and make a delightful dinner option. Consider all the options that you have to fill them.
Creamed Spinach and Egg Pizza
Just thinking about this pizza topped with creamed spinach and eggs makes me hungry. We always talk about having options for variety and this one does it! Don’t knock it until you try it.
Spinach-Ricotta Calzone
Are you addicted to calzones? If so, don’t miss out on this one! The ricotta steals the show. If you have never made calzones at home, this is the one to try out.
Kale & Quinoa Patties
Serve these quinoa patties for dinner and your family will be pleased with how great they are. Another fun recipe to try if you have never used quinoa in your recipes.
Yummy Soup Recipes
If you are a fan of homemade soups, you have to try these recipes. Tons of soups waiting for you to ladle up and serve your family or a crowd. Frugal soups that are flavorful.
Lentil and Sausage Soup
This sausage soup isn’t just great the first go-round, it’s lovely for leftovers too. Look for when sausage goes on sale for this one to bring the price point down even more.
Mushroom Soup
You can eat this tasty mushroom soup on its own or add it to other recipes. Either way, it’s delightful. Add a tasty salad on the side for a full meal.
Cheesy Spinach Soup
Spinach is packed with all sorts of nutrients that you need! Your body will be thanking you when you devour this spinach and cheese soup.
Best Ever Black Bean Soup
This black bean soup is beyond easy to make. It’s a frugal recipe that everyone needs to try. The best part is you won’t be left hungry as this one fills you up.
Baked Sweet Potato Soup Recipe for Holiday Sweet Potato Soup
Sweet potatoes are hearty enough to keep you full and pleasing enough to make your taste buds happy.
Dill Pickle Soup + VIDEO
If you’ve never tried dill pickle soup, now is the time! You’ll be shocked by how awesome it is. I know it sounds crazy but this one is great to visit if you want to try something cheap and new.
Instant Pot Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup [Recipe/Video]
You don’t have to spend tons of money to make potato soup. This recipe is so easy too. Potato soup is so yummy during the chilly winter months.
Easy Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Craving a little variety? This butternut squash soup is what you’ve been looking for. This soup is as delicious as it is gorgeous!
Coconut Chicken Soup
Coconut chicken soup has become a favorite because the flavors are a home run! Who knew it would taste this good? Combine your coconut with the coconut chicken from above so you don’t feel like you bought coconut and it will go back. This is a great example of combining ingredients so there is very little waste.
Simple Creamy Carrot Soup
Carrot lovers are going to be rejoicing everywhere when they try this incredible soup. Carrots are cheap and so sweet. The great thing with this one is the kiddos will eat it.
Cauliflower Chowder
When you are trying to increase your veggie intake while getting lots of flavors, you should include this cauliflower chowder. Cauliflower is pure magic is the way that it can be used in so many different ways.
Homemade Tomato Soup: an Easy Fresh Recipe
Go with a classic soup to warm you up, like this tomato soup. It’s way better than the canned stuff. No need to pull out a can when you can whip this one up in a jiffy.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
There is nothing more delicious than homemade chicken tortilla soup. Don’t take my word for it though, try this one yourself. Leave out the tortillas and you can freeze this meal. Add the tortillas later when you re-heat.
The Quickest, Tastiest Chicken Soup Youll Ever Make
Another great option is to make some homemade chicken soup. It’s so simple too! You can always make and freeze chicken noodle soup up. I like to leave out the noodles though so they don’t get mushy.
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
The sweet potatoes are the star of the show and will keep you satisfied.
More Tasty Soups
Check out even more soups to consider adding to your dinner rotation. These soups are also great for meal prepping for quick lunches and dinners.
Beer-Cheddar Soup
Oh my, this beer cheddar soup is beyond amazing and you should really give it a taste. Wouldn’t it be great to make a batch of beer bread to go with this or would that be a bit too much? Either way, serve this one up with bread for a hearty meal.
Smoky Red Lentil Stew
Red lentils are one of my favorites because they have so much amazing flavor and are often overlooked. Give them a whirl to see if you like them using this recipe.
Nourish your body with the frugal soup!
You’ll feel like you are eating this soup right in Italy! Try this Tuscan bean soup if you are looking for something different. No need to eat out at your local Italian restaurant when you can make this one at home for a fraction of the price.
Mexican Soup
Add some pizzazz to your soup when you eat this Mexican soup. It’s so flavorful and you’ll be glad that it’s so easy too. Serve this one up with a few tortilla chips.
One Pot Instant Pot Beef Macaroni Soup With Stove Top Directions
This soup can easily be made in your Instant Pot. Save yourself some time and money with this easy recipe! I always like to look for options that can use my Instant Pot!
Rosemary Tomato Chickpea Soup
If you eat a vegan diet, you’ll be so happy to try this chickpea and rosemary soup. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs and it gives off so much flavor.
Creamy Tomato Soup
Serve this creamy tomato soup with a grilled sandwich and your taste buds will think they went to heaven. Check out the grilled cheese croutons in our Instant Pot Tomato Florentine Soup to go with this tomato soup. It would be incredible on top.
🥔 Frugal Cooking FAQs
There you have it! 100 Frugal Recipes! If you were to try every one of them, you would have over three months worth of recipes to try while sticking to a frugal budget.
There are tons of recipes you can make on a very limited budget. Dry beans, rice recipes, and even pasta are great ways to fill you up and stretch money. Take the time to make homemade, and don’t buy canned beans, or rice kits if you really want to stretch the dollar.
Spaghetti, stovetop burgers, chili, and baked pork chops are all easy dinners to prep. You will find tons of recipes in my list to help you feel confident in your cooking skills.
To stretch leftovers you might find that adding beans, mushrooms, or even rice to stretch your leftovers. Look at what you have, and give it a try by mixing some ingredients together.
1. Skip processed foods – they cost tons of money.
2. Buy dry beans, bulk rice, oats, etc. These are things you use often.
3. Look for meat on sale.
4. Use beans, mushrooms, or even rice as filler to mix in with meat to stretch the dish.
5. Buy items that are on sale, and pair with coupons if you can.
Both of these can and will help you save money. I also love making slow cooker freezer meals for easy dump-and-go dinners. Meal prep helps to cut down on me being unsure what to make for breakfast, lunches, and more.
Combine some ingredients, shop for sales, and prep freezer meals and you will be well on your way to saving a lot of money on your grocery bill.
📌 Planner Tools For Success
If you are an uber planner here are a couple of great tools to help!
Our Organizational Binder has a Menu Planner and a Grocery List to print out and help you plan away!
Our Six Kitchen Printables is the MEGA set for you if you are a hardcore planner. You will love the pantry and refrigerator inventory to use before you plan your week’s grocery list.
If you love cheap vegetarian meals or have a dinner recipe that you love, please feel free to share it in the comments below! Even though 100 recipes is quite the list, it’s always great to have personal recommendations.
Before You Go More Recipes To Check Out
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
Tip: most meals can be frugal:
1. if homemade
2. if serving sizes per ingredient, is considered.
For example, how is one bell pepper used up?
How many uses per pepper do you think it contains? I tend to use half fresh, for salads, and roast & freeze the other half, to add to a variety of dishes, over time. This prevents any waste.
3. a meal plan is used.
This will tell you what you need per meal per day, week, month, & possibly per year.
It will also show how ingredients will be used up, such as that pepper.
For example, have a fresh veggie salad for Monday lunch [with fresh bell pepper in it], a pasta/macaroni salad for Wednesday dinner [with fresh bell pepper in it] then a Stir Fry/Spaghetti Sauce for Saturday dinner [with cooked bell pepper in it.]
4. keep a household inventory, of what you have, & where they are. This will hopefully prevent items from “hiding” being forgotten, & going bad.
5. figure out your usage rate of consumables. This will tell you how many you need per week, month, year. For example, if you use up 1 bar of soap a month, you’d need 12 bars of soap per year.
6. Stockpile, based on your usage rate. Buy those 12 soaps per year. Then only buy one when you use one, or buy them leisurely through the year, hopefully on sale.
That way, you never run out of that item, which prevents sudden “Oh, no! I ran out” trips, which can waste time & gas on a specific trip to fetch the item you’re out of.
It also prevents having to buy the item at an inflated price. For example, I’d already bought a case of 96 rolls of toilet paper BEFORE the pandemic hit. So when I hear there was a rush on toilet paper, & supplies were limited or out of stock, or being sold at inflated prices, none of those bothered me because I already had what I needed. My stockpile, was NOT taking from others, as I had just bought ONE commercial case of 96 rolls.
In fact, my stockpile helped others because I wasn’t buying ANY toilet paper for months, as I already had what I needed.
7. learn to garden, & grow your own. These days, a “beefsteak” tomato at a grocery store, is almost a dollar each. I grew ONE tomato plant, that produced 10 such tomatoes.
Tomatoes, that were grown organically, that no one touched but me, fresh off the plant.
I grew the plant, from ONE saved seed, that cost nothing more than a postage stamp because it was from a seed trade. So, if it’s tomatoes were worth $1 each, that would be $10 of tomatoes for virtually nothing.
8. Grow extra seeds, & sell the extra seedlings. Use the money to buy seeding mix, fertilizer/worm castings, 5 gallon buckets to grow in etc. Let the plants [other people that bought them] pay for their fellow plants needs.
9. save the seeds of 1 variety, then trade seeds, with 10 other people, that need that variety, but have something different to trade. You can increase your garden diversity, in 1 year that way.
10. Use any food scraps you may have, to feed the food plants. Just buzz up in a blender, dilute, then water the plants with it. It’s a no waste cycle.
One can make many of these recipes humane/vegan/plant based, simply by substituting plant based “dairy”, and faux “meats”, or even just substitute mushrooms, lentils, or cauliflower or eggplant “steaks” for the flesh.
If one did that, & still wanted a vegan protein, they could make some gravies, or sauces out of pureed lentils, chickpeas, split peas, white beans, or add nuts on the side, etc.
Thanks for the recipes, all of them are tasty, I am going to prepare some of them.
So glad you like them! Enjoy!!
Growing up in a pretty poor household, one of my favorite meals my mom always made for us kids was macaroni and tomato juice. Cook up some macaroni, drain, and add one of the big cans/bottles of tomato juice. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with a slice of buttered bread. If we had extra money in the budget that week, she’d add in a pound of browned hamburger.
For a new spin on spaghetti we’d do a can of cream of mushroom soup as the sauce.
Baked potato bar is another frugal favorite of mine.
Kristin, isn’t it funny how we all have these recipes like that from childhood? My mom could make anything out of nothing and I hate wasting food! My family has a lot of crazy concoctions because of it!!
Wow what a resource! I am covered by being frugal for lunch but now I’ll save even more through dinner!!! Thank you!!
When l an cooking for my freezer(l live alone and am 76) l find as most recepies cater for four people lf l cook them and then decide into five servings that gives me just about the right size meal without waste if l am extra hungry l just add extra vegys
I am a widow and live on a fixed income so this comes as a refreshing idea for food. I try to cook frugal but with cost these days it is a challenge. I am interested in some comments on dishes that others try. Keep up the good work and Thank You for information.
The picture at the top of this webpage with the skillet and biscuits looks so yummy!! Which recipe is it? And under which category can I find it?!
Thanks, Britney! It is actually a stock photo, so unfortunately there’s no recipe. 🙁 I exclusively used stock photos for the images in this post because it would’ve taken a very, very long time to email all 100 bloggers and ask them for permission to include their photos.
The stock photo at the top looks like a Civil War staple called groats and rasher biscuits. Groats are cut pin oats, barley, and brown rice cooked in a chicken and onion broth. Rasher biscuits are simple wheat flour biscuits browned in bacon grease (rashers). Groats are very tasty and filling. Pork rashers have more meat than fat on them, and can be served with the groats.
I didn’t know groats were for human consumption too. We used to feed our budgie a mixture of seeds called “oats & groats”, & she loved them!
JJ-lol!!! That is awesome!
The picture at the top of this webpage with the skillet and biscuits looks so yummy!!! Which recipe is this? And under which category can I find it?!?
-Britney
I will be trying some of these dishes on my family .
I have been using a permanent menu plan for 40 years. We eat the same meals over and over but since I have over 100 dishes that we like, that isn’t a big deal;. I also plan one new menu each month for trial. If we don’t like it I make a note and we don’t make it again. If we do like it I add it to my menu cookbook and the ingredients to my permanent grocery list.
I also work off of menus when I shop. Menus are planned for the month based on what I have in my freezer and pantry. Then I only have to replace what I am using & get the ingredients for the new dish.
I’ve been doing monthly menus for years, but now that it’s just my husband and me I need to change things up a bit. Thank you for the huge list of ideas!
Nola, thank you for the idea of just making a permanent rotation and a permanent shopping list. That will save tons of time! 🙂
Hope you find a couple that you’d like to try, Audrey!
Wow, how great to see a link to my humble blog in your top ten! Thanks so much for including me.
I’ve noted down a few of the other recipes, too, as I do love a good frugal meal. Well, I love frugal anything, really, so I’ll be sure to bookmark your site for other tips and recommendations, too.
Have a happy day!
Just Frances
thank you for including me in this round up!
Thanks so much for the link1
This is awesome; thank you!! For a single mother living in a country whee the economy is harsh , I have been looking for ways to balance my budget without sacrificing the health of my very active children (2), nor myself. this post is a real gem. Thanks….now for meal planning/prep for these wonderful dishes!!