Cheap family meals
The first 100 of 365 recipes
Kid-friendly dinners for four or more at $2.50 or less a serving. They’re mild, familiar and filling, the kind of dinner a whole table eats without a fight. The cheapest is Lentil loaf at $0.69 a serving, and the average here is $1.47.

Lentil loaf
$0.69 a serving
110 min

Egg salad sandwiches
$1.03 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

Cheesy lentil and rice casserole
$1.11 a serving
110 min

Sheet pan fried rice
$1.12 a serving
45 min

Tuna macaroni salad
$1.12 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

Mexican street corn orzo
$1.20 a serving
30 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

Pork yakisoba
$1.22 a serving
25 min

Cheesy rice and bean casserole
$1.23 a serving
55 min

Pupusas with curtido
$1.23 a serving
70 min

Spaghetti pie
$1.26 a serving
60 min

Air fryer pigs in a blanket
$1.29 a serving
30 min

Air fryer black bean chimichangas
$1.29 a serving
30 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

Pizza pinwheels
$1.33 a serving
40 min

Air fryer lentil meatballs
$1.34 a serving
55 min

Hot dog mac and cheese
$1.34 a serving
25 min

Crockpot BBQ chicken drumsticks
$1.35 a serving
320 min

Broccoli cheddar pasta bake
$1.36 a serving
45 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

Air fryer black bean taquitos
$1.38 a serving
35 min

Slow cooker BBQ meatballs
$1.40 a serving
250 min

Instant Pot fried rice
$1.40 a serving
35 min

Arroz con salchichas
$1.41 a serving
50 min

Samosa pie with lentils and potatoes
$1.41 a serving
80 min

Crockpot brown sugar garlic pork loin
$1.43 a serving
360 min

Sesame garlic egg noodles with broccoli
$1.45 a serving
20 min

German lentil soup with sausages
$1.46 a serving
60 min

Instant Pot mac and cheese
$1.46 a serving
25 min

Sheet pan pancakes with sausage
$1.46 a serving
40 min

Instant Pot butternut squash mac and cheese
$1.47 a serving
25 min

Alabama white sauce chicken
$1.48 a serving
60 min

Air fryer sesame chickpeas with broccoli
$1.48 a serving
35 min

Vegetable pot pie with biscuit topping
$1.49 a serving
55 min

Cheesy vegetable noodle casserole
$1.49 a serving
45 min

Air fryer pork tenderloin
$1.50 a serving
35 min

Fish stick tacos
$1.50 a serving
25 min

Black bean tamale pie
$1.50 a serving
65 min

Green chile rice casserole
$1.53 a serving
65 min

Freezer black bean and potato burritos
$1.53 a serving
60 min

Slow cooker pumpkin chili
$1.55 a serving
380 min

Tortang tuna (Filipino tuna omelette)
$1.56 a serving
40 min

Hibachi fried rice
$1.57 a serving
35 min

Tofu fried rice
$1.58 a serving
65 min

Creamy parmesan orzo with peas
$1.58 a serving
25 min

Southern baked mac and cheese
$1.59 a serving
70 min

Honey garlic chicken drumsticks
$1.60 a serving
60 min

Chickpea tater tot hotdish
$1.60 a serving
55 min

Slow cooker mac and cheese
$1.60 a serving
165 min

Instant Pot baked ziti
$1.60 a serving
30 min

Poor man’s meal (hot dogs and potatoes)
$1.60 a serving
40 min

Sausage gravy and biscuits
$1.61 a serving
35 min

Creamy tomato orzo
$1.61 a serving
30 min

Slow cooker kalua pork
$1.62 a serving
585 min

Oven fried chicken
$1.63 a serving
85 min

Slow cooker chickpea korma
$1.63 a serving
330 min

Chili dog casserole
$1.63 a serving
45 min

Baked pork chops
$1.63 a serving
35 min

Air fryer fish nuggets
$1.63 a serving
35 min

Arroz con gandules
$1.64 a serving
55 min

Air fryer broccoli cheddar nuggets
$1.64 a serving
35 min

Lentil shepherd’s pie
$1.65 a serving
85 min

Instant Pot butter chickpeas
$1.65 a serving
35 min

Honey mustard chicken thighs
$1.65 a serving
55 min

Cheesy bean taco bake
$1.65 a serving
45 min

Sweet chili noodles with vegetables
$1.65 a serving
25 min

Ham salad sandwiches
$1.67 a serving
15 min

Slow cooker BBQ beans with baked potatoes
$1.68 a serving
390 min

Air fryer chicken nuggets
$1.68 a serving
40 min

Loaded baked potato casserole
$1.69 a serving
70 min

Freezer breakfast burritos
$1.69 a serving
50 min

White bean pot pie
$1.70 a serving
80 min

Teriyaki Spam rice bowls
$1.71 a serving
35 min

Breakfast pizza with crescent dough
$1.72 a serving
40 min

Crockpot carnitas
$1.72 a serving
660 min

Chicken bog
$1.72 a serving
80 min

Ham, broccoli and cheese rice casserole
$1.72 a serving
70 min

Pasta with bacon and peas
$1.73 a serving
25 min

Ham and potato soup
$1.73 a serving
50 min

Sheet pan fish sticks and tater tots
$1.74 a serving
35 min

Slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches
$1.75 a serving
620 min

Freezer chicken burritos
$1.78 a serving
60 min

Sheet pan frittata
$1.78 a serving
45 min

One-pan cheesy chickpeas, broccoli and rice
$1.78 a serving
35 min

Air fryer toasted ravioli
$1.78 a serving
40 min

Slow cooker minestrone
$1.79 a serving
460 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
- Cheap dinner ideas
- 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 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.