5 Quick and Budget-friendly Meal Ideas for Families

I’m excited to show you guys some budget-friendly meals for families. These are great meals for busy days when you don’t have a lot of time or energy to make dinner. Let’s get started!

1. Blackstone pizza

I started by oiling up half of the grill and laying down my pizza crusts. I used ready-made pizza crusts to speed things up.

On the other side of the grill, I put down all of our pizza toppings. This included pepperoni, chopped ham, pineapple, and peppers.

After I flipped the pizza crusts a couple of times to evenly distribute the heat, I started to spread the pizza sauce.

I sprinkled on some shredded cheese and added the toppings, as well as Italian seasoning.

I closed the grill for a couple of minutes just to melt the cheese, and just like that, dinner was done.

2. Summer corn and zucchini chowder

For this chowder, I started by cooking up 4 chopped slices of bacon in a Dutch oven.

I added the chopped veggies into the soup and mixed everything.

Once it started bubbling again, I covered the pot and left it to cook for about 10-15 minutes until everything was nice and tender.

After that, I used a ladle to take out the veggies to blend them. I put them in a cup and used a submersion blender.

When the veggies were blended and creamy I put them back into the pot. Then I added in 2 cups of half and half. I put the lid back on and left it to heat up for about 10 minutes before I served it.

I served it with some Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits that I made by following the directions on the box.

3. Texas barbeque sandwiches

For this recipe, I bought a chuck roast. The only other ingredients I used were some barbeque sauce and a packet of chili seasoning.

I put the chuck roast in my crockpot, sprinkled the packet of chili seasoning over it, and about half a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbeque sauce.

I put the lid on and turned the crockpot to low.

I checked on it after about 7 hours and the meat was nice and tender.

I used two forks and shredded up the meat. I served it on hamburger buns with a side of boxed Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes which I cooked according to the instructions on the box.

I also put down a side of baked beans from the freezer that I heated, as well as some deviled eggs. This was a perfect meal.

4. Cilantro lime chicken tortillas

For this recipe, I am using an instant pot. I put 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of my pot. I added ½ cup of water and a full packet of taco seasoning.

I put in a big handful of fresh cut-up cilantro and added in half a jar of salsa.

I juiced 2 limes and added the juice to the pot. I covered the pot, let it pressure cook for 10 minutes, and let it naturally release for 5 minutes.

While that was cooking, I prepared my tostadas by laying them out on a cooking sheet. I sprayed each tortilla with some olive oil spray. I put them in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

5. Cheesy beef stroganoff

I started this recipe by crumbling and browning 1 pound of ground beef in a frying pan. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and onion powder. I added in some minced fresh garlic as well as 3 tablespoons of butter.

I put in 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to thicken everything up. I made and added 2.5 cups of beef broth that I made with water and bouillon powder.

I added ¾ cup of sour cream, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, and about a tablespoon of mustard.