DollopCheap dinner ideas
The first 100 of 1005 recipes
Every dinner here costs $2.50 or less a serving, worked out from typical US grocery prices for exactly what the recipe uses. They lean on the cheap staples that fill you up, like rice, pasta, beans, eggs, potatoes and chicken thighs. The cheapest is Khichdi (Indian rice and lentil porridge) at $0.67 a serving, and the average here is $1.23.
Khichdi (Indian rice and lentil porridge)
$0.67 a serving
40 min
Lentil loaf
$0.69 a serving
110 min
Slow cooker pinto beans
$0.81 a serving
540 min
Slow cooker Cuban black beans
$0.87 a serving
500 min
Adas polo (Persian lentil rice with raisins)
$0.88 a serving
70 min
Instant Pot black bean soup
$0.92 a serving
100 min
Instant Pot black beans
$0.99 a serving
100 min
Instant Pot charro beans
$1.00 a serving
100 min
Spaghetti aglio e olio
$1.01 a serving
25 min
Egg salad sandwiches
$1.03 a serving
40 min
Crispy black bean burgers
$1.03 a serving
40 min
Instant Pot French lentil salad
$1.04 a serving
40 min
Macaroni and tomatoes
$1.04 a serving
30 min
Buttered noodles
$1.05 a serving
20 min
Baked chicken drumsticks
$1.07 a serving
55 min
Homemade fettuccine
$1.09 a serving
100 min
Microwave mac and cheese
$1.09 a serving
15 min
Greek spinach rice (spanakorizo)
$1.10 a serving
40 min
Cheesy lentil and rice casserole
$1.11 a serving
110 min
Sheet pan fried rice
$1.12 a serving
45 min
Veg hakka noodles
$1.12 a serving
30 min
Tuna macaroni salad
$1.12 a serving
30 min
Nigerian fried rice
$1.14 a serving
55 min
Mujadara (lentils and rice with crispy onions)
$1.14 a serving
60 min
Shiro wat
$1.15 a serving
40 min
Moroccan harira
$1.15 a serving
60 min
Schezwan fried rice
$1.16 a serving
30 min
Chickpea noodle soup
$1.16 a serving
45 min
Black bean and corn fritters with lime crema
$1.16 a serving
35 min
Vegan mac and cheese
$1.17 a serving
25 min
Air fryer chickpea nuggets
$1.18 a serving
35 min
Instant Pot red lentil dal
$1.18 a serving
40 min
Veggie fried rice
$1.19 a serving
65 min
Instant Pot jollof rice
$1.19 a serving
55 min
Instant Pot chickpea pulao
$1.20 a serving
40 min
Mexican street corn orzo
$1.20 a serving
30 min
Lentil sloppy joes
$1.21 a serving
55 min
Corn dog casserole
$1.22 a serving
40 min
Filipino chicken macaroni salad
$1.22 a serving
90 min
Spaghetti with tomato butter sauce
$1.22 a serving
60 min
Air fryer mac and cheese for two
$1.22 a serving
25 min
Pork yakisoba
$1.22 a serving
25 min
Kung pao chickpeas
$1.22 a serving
35 min
Microwave peanut butter ramen
$1.23 a serving
10 min
Cheesy rice and bean casserole
$1.23 a serving
55 min
Cabbage pancakes (okonomiyaki)
$1.23 a serving
35 min
Pupusas with curtido
$1.23 a serving
70 min
Lazy cabbage roll skillet
$1.24 a serving
50 min
Haluski (buttery cabbage and noodles)
$1.25 a serving
40 min
Turkish yogurt pasta with chili butter
$1.26 a serving
30 min
Korean steamed eggs (gyeran-jjim)
$1.26 a serving
30 min
Spaghetti pie
$1.26 a serving
60 min
Slow cooker dal makhani
$1.29 a serving
510 min
Mexican red rice with black beans
$1.29 a serving
40 min
Air fryer pigs in a blanket
$1.29 a serving
30 min
Air fryer chicken drumsticks
$1.29 a serving
35 min
Air fryer black bean chimichangas
$1.29 a serving
30 min
West African–style peanut stew with sweet potatoes
$1.30 a serving
45 min
Baked polenta casserole with marinara and mozzarella
$1.31 a serving
65 min
Broccoli cheddar crescent ring
$1.31 a serving
45 min
Sheet pan mac and cheese
$1.31 a serving
50 min
Sausage breakfast casserole
$1.31 a serving
110 min
Cabbage yakisoba noodles
$1.32 a serving
25 min
Boxed mac and cheese with broccoli
$1.32 a serving
15 min
Pizza pinwheels
$1.33 a serving
40 min
Ethiopian red lentil stew (misir wot)
$1.33 a serving
55 min
Homemade potato gnocchi
$1.33 a serving
75 min
Air fryer lentil meatballs
$1.34 a serving
55 min
Hot dog mac and cheese
$1.34 a serving
25 min
Gallo pinto (Costa Rican rice and beans)
$1.34 a serving
45 min
Black beans and rice
$1.35 a serving
40 min
Pork adobo
$1.35 a serving
110 min
Crockpot BBQ chicken drumsticks
$1.35 a serving
320 min
Broccoli cheddar pasta bake
$1.36 a serving
45 min
Butter soy rice with crispy fried eggs
$1.37 a serving
30 min
Instant Pot lo mein
$1.37 a serving
25 min
Instant Pot spaghetti marinara
$1.37 a serving
25 min
Instant Pot meatballs and pasta
$1.37 a serving
30 min
Lentil bolognese with spaghetti
$1.37 a serving
60 min
Vegetarian lentil chili
$1.38 a serving
60 min
Air fryer black bean taquitos
$1.38 a serving
35 min
Microwave cheese ramen
$1.38 a serving
10 min
Instant Pot masala pasta
$1.39 a serving
30 min
Chickpea adobo
$1.39 a serving
35 min
Cajun fried rice
$1.39 a serving
30 min
Ethiopian-spiced red lentils and collard greens
$1.40 a serving
55 min
Microwave franks and beans
$1.40 a serving
8 min
Pimento cheese sandwiches
$1.40 a serving
15 min
Slow cooker BBQ meatballs
$1.40 a serving
250 min
Georgian kidney beans with walnuts (lobio) and cornbread cakes
$1.40 a serving
45 min
Instant Pot fried rice
$1.40 a serving
35 min
Chana masala
$1.41 a serving
45 min
Southern pinto beans and cornbread
$1.41 a serving
50 min
Arroz con salchichas
$1.41 a serving
50 min
Samosa pie with lentils and potatoes
$1.41 a serving
80 min
Microwave vegan bolognese
$1.42 a serving
20 min
Instant Pot tomato rice
$1.42 a serving
45 min
Crockpot brown sugar garlic pork loin
$1.43 a serving
360 min
Sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup)
$1.43 a serving
25 min
Stovetop mac and cheese
$1.43 a serving
25 min
Costs and nutrition are estimates for one serving, worked out from typical US grocery prices and standard nutrition values for what each recipe uses.
More ways to find dinner
- Pantry dinners
- Poor man meals
- Broke college student meals
- Cheap vegetarian meals
- Cheap vegetarian meals for college students
- Cheap high-protein meals
- Cheap high-protein vegetarian meals
- Cheap healthy meals
- Cheap family meals
- Cheap filling meals for a large family
- Family meals under $10
- Cheap meals for one
- Cheap meals for two
- Cheap quick meals
- Cheap crockpot meals
- Cheap Instant Pot meals
- Cheap one-pot meals
- Cheap sheet pan meals
- Cheap meal prep ideas
- Cheap freezer meals
- Cheap vegan meals
- Cheap low-carb meals
- Cheap gluten-free meals
- Cheap dairy-free meals
- Cheap no-cook meals
- Cheap dorm room meals
- Every list ›
Let Dollop plan the week for you
Tell Dollop what’s in your kitchen and it picks dinners like these for the nights you’re home, writes one grocery list, and walks you through each step.