Cheap dinner ideas: 30 budget meals in 5 groups, plus how to keep costs down

The short answer: the cheapest dinners are built on beans, rice, eggs, pasta, potatoes and soup. Pick a starch, a protein and a vegetable, and cook one double batch a week. Below are 30 budget dinners in 5 groups, with the shopping habits that keep the cost down.

Cheap does not have to mean boring. These groups use pantry and freezer staples, and many freeze well so one cooking session covers two nights.

6 bean and rice dinners

1. Rice and black beans with salsa and cheese
2. Chili served over rice or baked potatoes
3. Burrito bowls with beans, corn and rice
4. Red beans and rice
5. Bean and cheese quesadillas
6. Lentil soup with bread

6 egg dinners

1. Vegetable fried rice with a fried egg
2. Egg roll in a bowl
3. Veggie omelets with toast
4. Breakfast tacos for dinner
5. Egg salad sandwiches with soup
6. Frittata with whatever vegetables are left

6 pasta dinners

1. Pasta with garlic, olive oil and parmesan
2. Spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce (see spaghetti sauce)
3. Baked ziti
4. Mac and cheese (see mac and cheese recipe)
5. Pasta with peas and ham
6. Spaghetti and meatballs

6 soup and stew dinners

1. Chicken noodle soup
2. Potato soup
3. Tomato soup with grilled cheese
4. Vegetable soup
5. Black bean soup
6. Slow cooker beef stew

More ideas are in soup recipes and soups for winter.

6 sheet-pan and one-pan dinners

1. Sausage, potatoes and peppers on one sheet pan
2. Roasted chicken thighs with carrots and potatoes
3. Sheet-pan nachos with beans
4. Skillet rice and sausage
5. Baked potatoes with toppings, see baked potato
6. One-pot pasta, see one-pot meals

See also sheet-pan dinners.

How to keep dinner cheap

1. Plan the week first. Write five dinners and a shopping list before you go to the store. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) gives you a weekly menu page and a matching list.
2. Shop your pantry first. Cook around what you already have, and buy only the missing pieces.
3. Cook one double batch. Chili, soup and pasta bakes make two dinners from one cooking session. See freezer meals.
4. Use fewer, repeating ingredients. A bag of rice, a bag of beans and a dozen eggs show up in many of the meals above.
5. Compare unit prices. Check the price per ounce on the shelf tag and compare brands, including store brands.
6. Track what you spend. A simple grocery price book shows which items are really cheapest at your store.

Keep the meals your family actually eats in a Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) so you can repeat them without starting over each week. For the full planning system, read meal planning on a budget and how to make budget-friendly meals.

A cheap dinner week, step by step

Notice that rice, eggs and tortillas each appear more than once. Reusing a few ingredients across the week is the single biggest habit behind a lower grocery bill, because you buy bigger, cheaper packs and finish them before they spoil.

What to keep stocked so cheap dinners are always possible

• Shelf-stable: rice, pasta, dried or canned beans, lentils, oats, canned tomatoes, broth.
• Fridge: eggs, onions, carrots, cabbage, a block of cheese.
• Freezer: frozen vegetables, a bag of chicken thighs, a few portions of soup or chili.
• Flavor: garlic, chili powder, cumin, soy sauce, salsa, hot sauce.

With that list on hand, any group above is a 30-minute dinner without an extra trip to the store.

A simple cheap dinner formula

Season it with garlic, onion, salsa or a simple sauce and you have dinner. Rice, black beans and salsa; pasta, peas and parmesan; and potato, egg and spinach all follow it.

Mistakes that make dinner cost more

• Shopping without a list, which leads to impulse buys.
• Buying single-use ingredients for one recipe that you never use again.
• Letting produce spoil. Use fresh vegetables early in the week and frozen ones later.
• Skipping the freezer. Leftovers you freeze are future dinners you do not have to buy.

Cheap dinners for different households

• Families: large-batch meals such as chili, baked ziti and tacos stretch the farthest.
• One person: halve recipes and freeze portions, see meals for one.
• Vegetarian or vegan: beans, lentils and rice carry most of the list, see cheap vegan meals.
• Short on time: pick the sheet-pan and egg groups, or the 30-minute meals page.