How to Make Simple & Tasty Walmart Meals on a Budget

I only spent $8.98 to get all my ingredients for today’s meal. I’m going to show you how to make some yummy smash cheeseburgers. I bought burger buns, ground turkey, American cheese, and an onion. I also got 4 potatoes so we can make homemade French fries.

1. Prep the French fries

First up is the French fries. I got 4 rustic potatoes, and I like to cut them up first and then wash them. I have this really cool ridged blade with a handle that is perfect for making my French fries look like real restaurant French fries.

I left my potatoes soaking in ice water because I heard that it helps French fries cook better. We’ll see if it makes a difference.

2. Prep the meat

First I’m slicing up my onion. When I make smash burgers I like to slice up the onion really nice and thin. I put the chopped meat in a bowl and seasoned it with pepper and salt.

Then I used my hands to blend the seasoning into the meat and I rolled the meat into balls for smashing.

3. Prep the buns

I’m going to tell you a great trick to get the most out of your burger buns. Just put some butter in a pan and toast them up in there. It makes the buns taste so much better. I put them in the pan face down for a few seconds and set them aside.

4. Ready to cook

I’m draining the potatoes and seasoning them with some salt and pepper. Then I’m just going to pop them in the air fryer. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can do it the old-fashioned way in a pan with oil.

To cook up the meat, I put some butter in a pan on the stove and laid down 5 piles of onion slices. Then I placed a ball of meat on top of each pile of onions.

After about a minute I go ahead and start to smash them. I put some parchment paper over the meat and start pressing down on the meat with a spatula.

As soon as I see them starting to cook and get a little crispy on the bottom I know I can flip them. I let them get nice and crispy on the other side as well. Then I lay a slice of cheese on each burger. Once the cheese starts melting the burgers are ready to eat.

5. Taste test

Now it’s time for everyone’s favorite part of the process: the taste test.

First up is my youngest who’s been waiting impatiently to try. He took one bite of the burger and pretended to faint, dropping down to the floor. That’s his way of giving it a rave review.

When he got back up, he tried a French fry and pretended to faint again. I guess soaking the potatoes in ice water did make a difference.

My middle and eldest sons were a little less dramatic in their response than their little brother. Although they didn’t pretend to faint, they both said the burger and the fries were very good. I’d say this meal was a hit.

Walmart meals on a budget

I almost can’t believe what a delicious meal that was for under $9. It was perfect for a family of 5. I highly recommend you try to recreate this at home.

If you do make these smash burgers and fries, make sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think.