5 Budget-Friendly Family Meals That Are Easy to Make

3. In a large bowl, mix the chicken with ½ cup of your favorite Buffalo sauce, ½ cup of ranch or blue cheese, a block of softened cream cheese (get it into the microwave for a few seconds beforehand), and ½ block of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Fold everything together, until that cream cheese is coating everything.

4. Start assembling the taquitos now. Put a big spoonful of the buffalo chicken mixture in the middle of each tortilla, making sure to spread it out in a line from one end to the other. Roll them up tightly and place it seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Once all taquitos have been assembled and placed on the baking sheet, generously spray the tops with non-stick cooking spray.

5. Pop the taquitos into the oven preheated to 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then flip them over with tongs, spray the tops with some cooking spray, and send them back in the oven for a final five minutes.

Taco Rice Bake

1. Brown up a pound of ground beef, draining off the extra grease if there is too much.

2. Add a can of ranch-style beans, a can of Ro-tel, and a can of cream of chicken soup or cheddar cheese soup.

3. Add ½ cup of water and season it with onion powder and a packet of taco seasoning. Simmer on medium-high heat.

4. Add in a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

5. Cook up some rice. You will need four cups of it.

6. Fold everything together. Make sure that rice is incorporated well.

7. Grease a 9*13 casserole dish and plop the mixture in there. Spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.

8. Add another cup of shredded cheese.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted to your liking.

10. Top with sour cream and serve with tortilla chips, guacamole, and lime juice.

Chicken Alfredo

This is for sure one of our favorite budget family meals.

1. Cube up two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

2. Lay the chicken on a heated skillet with a little olive oil and spread that out into a more even layer, then season with Creole seasoning, onion and garlic powder, and black pepper. Give it a good mix and cook for a few minutes.

3. As soon as there is no longer any pink, remove that to a separate bowl.

4. Boil some water and prepare fettuccine pasta.

5. While that is going in the background, use the same skillet to melt down a whole stick of butter, add in a spoonful of cream cheese and a whole pint-sized container of heavy whipping cream. On medium heat, stir everything well with a silicone whisk, until the cream cheese is melted.

Fried pork chops

1. Season your pork chops with Creole seasoning on both sides.

2. In a bowl, crack two eggs, add a few dashes of Tabasco. With a fork, whisk the eggs together.

3. Get some flour ready in a bowl. Mix in some garlic salt, pepper, onion powder and paprika. Mix well with a fork.

4. Get a cast iron pan going with some vegetable oil for a shallow fry.

5. Roll the seasoned pork chop around in egg wash, let the excess drip off, then toss around in flour. Place it on parchment paper in the background and continue with the other pork chops.

6. Carefully drop the chops into hot oil without overcrowding the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side.

Pesto Roasted Potatoes

1. Wash your baby potatoes, cut each in half, add in some pesto, and season with garlic salt and pepper.

2. Stir together, dump out onto a greased cookie sheet, and spread evenly.

3. Pop the sheet into the oven at 400 F for 20 minutes.

4. Shred some Parmesan cheese on top and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes. The potatoes should be fork-tender by that point.

5. Drizzle on about half of a lemon and some ketchup.

This is a great side for any kind of meat you are making. Enjoy!

Budget-friendly family meals

I hope you have found these recipes useful and will give them a try. What are some budget-friendly meals for families that you enjoy at your home? Leave a comment below!