28 Dinners Beneath $3 Per Serving

Meal time doesn’t need to break the bank to style wonderful. Right here at The Keep At House Chef, we’re all about restaurant-quality recipes you possibly can simply make at dwelling. With a number of pantry staples and a little bit creativity, you possibly can put a hearty meal on the desk with out spending greater than $3 per serving. These recipes are proof that reasonably priced can nonetheless imply flavorful, filling, and family-approved.

We’re speaking consolation meals classics, one-pan wonders, and comfortable soups that make the entire home odor unimaginable, with out stretching the grocery price range too far. Whether or not you’re feeding choosy eaters, cooking for 2, or making an attempt to maintain prices down for an enormous household, these meals will hold everybody full and pleased with out breaking the financial institution.

A closeup view of a ladle of chicken and dumplings being scooped from the pot.

1. Rooster and Dumplings

This one’s all about cozy vibes. It is acquired tender rooster, fluffy dumplings, and a wealthy broth that simply seems like dwelling.Cash-saving tip: Stretch the meal through the use of shredded rotisserie rooster. It is usually cheaper per pound than any reduce.

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Closeup of Chicken Pot Pie Casserole plated.

3. Rooster Pot Pie Casserole

All of the goodness of pot pie, however means simpler. It is a creamy rooster filling topped with buttery biscuitsCash-saving tip: Use frozen veggies and leftover rooster to maintain prices low and dinner stress-free.

Take a Peek at the Recipe

4. Rooster Noodle Soup

Nothing beats an enormous pot of rooster noodle soup, particularly when it tastes like consolation in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Frozen combined veggies work simply in addition to recent, and so they’re cheaper too.

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Closeup of cheeseburger casserole on a plate with a fork.

5. Loaded Cheeseburger Casserole

Suppose cheeseburger night time, however in casserole kind, and no drive-thru. It is beefy, tacky, and complete weeknight consolation meals.Cash-saving tip: Swap in some mushrooms or bell peppers for a part of the meat to stretch your greenback and sneak in veggies.

Drive-Thru to the Recipe

Low-cost Eats Meal Plan

If planning dinner each night time seems like a full-time job, we’ve acquired you lined. Our Cheap Eats Meal Plan takes out all of the guesswork. We’re speaking ready-to-go grocery lists and done-for-you menus so that you don’t need to suppose twice about what’s for dinner. It’s budget-friendly, stress-free, and makes weeknights a lot simpler.

12. One Pot Queso Rooster and Rice

Tacky, creamy, and full of taste, this one pot dinner is a complete crowd pleaser.Cash-saving tip: Use store-brand shredded cheese to maintain the flavour large and the price small.

Scoop up the Recipe

13. Sloppy Joes

Candy, tangy, and messy in the easiest way, these Sloppy Joes are at all times successful.Cash-saving tip: Skip the buns and serve over rice for a less expensive twist.

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I understand how robust it may be to provide you with dinner concepts night time after night time, particularly if you’re making an attempt to maintain prices down. That’s why I like meals like these. They’re comforting, budget-friendly, and no person on the desk seems like they’re “low-cost eats.” You get full bellies, pleased faces, and extra room in your grocery price range for enjoyable extras like dessert or a flowery espresso.

Creamy potato soup served into a white bowl.

14. Creamy Potato Soup

Wealthy and velvety potato soup that tastes like pure consolation in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Go away the skins on the potatoes to save lots of time and get extra vitamins.

Warm Up with the Recipe

Wooden spoon filled with goulash being held over a stockpot.

15. American Goulash

This nostalgic pasta dish is hearty, saucy, and excellent for feeding a hungry household.Cash-saving tip: Purchase pasta in bulk for one of the best worth and retailer it in hermetic containers.

Dish Up the Recipe

A plate filled with cooked and seasoned sausage and vegetables.

16. Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

A simple all-in-one dinner with roasted sausage and colourful veggies that makes cleanup easy.Cash-saving tip: Use no matter veggies are on sale or in season to maintain prices low.

Slide Into the Recipe

17. Pasta e Fagioli

Hearty pasta and beans in a flavorful broth that seems like an Italian hug in a bowl.Cash-saving tip: Dried beans are cheaper than canned and make an enormous batch you probably have time to soak them.

Stir Into the Recipe

24. Straightforward Fried Cabbage

Easy, buttery, and surprisingly hearty, fried cabbage is fast to make and filled with taste.Cash-saving tip: Purchase an entire head of cabbage as an alternative of pre-shredded baggage for main financial savings.

Sizzle into the Recipe

Shot of Creamy Vegetable Soup in large pot.

25. Creamy Vegetable Soup

A comfortable bowl of creamy veggie soup that’s each filling and straightforward on the pockets.Cash-saving tip: Frozen combined greens make this budget-friendly and a breeze to throw collectively.

Ladle Up the Recipe

A close up view of a plate of hobo casserole.

26. Hobo Casserole

Layers of beef, potatoes, and veggies baked right into a hearty, no-frills dinner that feeds a crowd.Cash-saving tip: Swap recent potatoes for frozen diced hash browns to save lots of prep time and a little bit money.

Dig Into the Recipe

A plate filled with Slovak Haluski, with a fork set on the plate.

27. Haluski

Buttery noodles tossed with sautéed cabbage make this easy, filling Japanese European basic.Cash-saving tip: Cabbage is likely one of the least expensive greens year-round, so refill when it’s on sale.

Head Over to the Recipe

A hand holding chopsticks scooping out some chicken fried rice from a bowl.

28. Rooster Fried Rice

Higher than takeout and an ideal means to make use of up leftover rice, this fried rice is quick, filling, and budget-friendly.Cash-saving tip: Make additional rice earlier within the week so you possibly can flip the leftovers into this straightforward dinner.

Wok Over to the Recipe

Cooking on a price range doesn’t need to really feel limiting. With these 28 dinners, you’ve acquired consolation meals, fast weeknight favorites, and loads of cozy meals that hold each your loved ones and your pockets pleased. Every recipe proves you possibly can serve up one thing hearty and flavorful with out spending greater than $3 per serving.

And if you wish to make life even simpler, don’t overlook to take a look at our Cheap Eats Meal Plan. We’ve performed all of the considering for you. Every week is full with grocery lists and ready-to-go menus so dinner feels much less like a chore and extra like a win. Save this roundup to Pinterest or bookmark it for later, as a result of these are recipes you’ll come again to repeatedly.

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