Making inexpensive meals is something many families are striving for. Having them taste good or maybe even restaurant quality while still not eating a huge hole in your budget can be a challenge, though. But, it is possible. Here are five tasty meals that can be made for less than $10 each and will feed your whole family.
Roast Chicken
Because you can get a whole chicken for very cheap, this is a perfect meal that seems expensive, but isn’t. Just include some potatoes and carrots in the roasting pan with the chicken, and you have a whole meal in one pan that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Simply take your roast chicken and season with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Place it in a roasting pan with a rack. Surround the chicken with quartered potatoes and some cut-up carrots with half a cup of water and place in a preheated 350-degree oven. Allow cooking half an hour per pound of chicken.
About half an hour before the chicken is done cooking, pour some chicken broth over it. Once done cooking, remove the vegetables from the pan. Mash the potatoes if you’d like, and season with a little salt and pepper. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let stand a few minutes before carving. Meanwhile, use the drippings from the pan to make gravy if desired. And there you have it – a full meal for under $10.
Meatloaf
This is an American classic that’s inexpensive to boot. Pair this with some green beans and egg noodles for a meal that’s less than $10.
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup water
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Place in a loaf pan. Put in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and serve over egg noodles.
Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
A nice hearty meal to fill you up. And it’s easy because you can set it to cook all day in the crockpot.
- 6 pieces boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 red potatoes, quartered
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Carrots and peas
Brown chicken on both sides in oil. Season with a little salt and pepper. Remove to slow cooker. Add vegetables and chicken broth to slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours (high for 4 hours).
Chili
Here’s another hearty meal that won’t break the bank but will fill you right up.
- 1 onion
- 1 head of garlic
- Bell pepper
- 15 ounce can of black beans
- 14-ounce chicken broth
- 14-ounce stewed tomatoes
- ½ pound ground turkey
In a large saucepan heat onion, garlic, pepper, and ground turkey. Cook until turkey is done, about 6 minutes. Drain the canned beans. Add to turkey with stewed tomatoes and half of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for half an hour.
Vegetarian Tacos
This is very simple and basic. To make it more filling, use beans instead of meat. Just heat a can of beans in a pan with some chipotle pepper. Add your taco shells, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese and you have a quick and cheap taco dinner for the whole family.
So those are just five recipes you can make that won’t break the bank. What other meals do you like to make that cost less than $10?