Cheap Meals For Your Family

Creating cheap meals can be difficult and for my family boring. Having a good variety of menus to choose from is what this site is all about.

Some cheap meal recipes lack in the WOW factor so you have to get creative with meal planning and offer choices.

My family loves pancakes. The pancake is a traditional American breakfast. But as a busy mom raising 5 kids I don’t always have the time to make a nice warm breakfast in the morning. My kids usually get cold cereal with milk.

So I create pancake dinners. I have a pancake recipe for just about everything from fresh fruit pancakes to my favorite copy-cat I-hop pancake recipe.

It’s an inexpensive dinner option and my kids love it. I add in some bacon or sausage, maybe some hash browns and we have a complete cheap meal for the family.

This is a great new meal idea giving your meal planning the variety it needs. The bags and boxes of pancake mix are convenient but if your really looking to save a buck or two then check this out.

Here is a great site to help you find a recipe for pancakes your family will love.

Pancake Recipe Box

Looking for the perfect Pancake Recipe?

The Pancake Recipe Box has all the best Pancakes Recipes just for you!

I have gone crazy with ordering all the latest cooking books or magazines lately and I must say there are some great Quick Dinner Recipes out there.

The ideas popular food networks or famous chef’s come up with are amazing. I have to admit I do not have the talent to throw some ingredients into a pot and create a delicious tasting meal. I try but I know it wasn’t a hit when the pot is still full and the family isn’t requesting seconds. 

I ordered the Betty Crock Quick & Easy Cookbook a month ago and have used it almost nightly - no kidding. These are simple and inexpensive recipes and all are 30 minutes or less to prepare.

Most of these quick dinner recipes are less than $10 per family meal and many under $5 per meal. What a great concept, save money and time and get it all within one book. 

I own a lot of cook books and I subscribe to more cooking magazines than I should, so I get excited when I find one that works for me.

Of the chicken recipes I have tried so far, these are my favorite:

Barbecue Chicken and Vegetable Supper

Credits: Betty Crocker Quick & Easy Cookbook

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups frozen whole green beans
• 2 cups refrigerated red potato wedges (from 20 oz. bag) **SEE BELOW FOR SIMPLE SUBSTITUTION**
• 1 Jar (12 oz.) chicken gravy
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over me-high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt. Cook 4 minutes turning once until brown.

2. Add beans, potatoes, gravy and barbecue sauce, stir to coat and mix. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until beans and potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170 degrees).

***Easy substitution: try substituting frozen potato wedges or steak fries (no Need to thaw first)!!***

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Credits: Betty Crocker Quick & Easy Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Start to Finish: 20 Minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie or other cooked chicken breast
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 package (10 oz) pre-baked thin Italian pizza crust (12 inch)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In small bowl mix chicken and barbecue sauce. Place pizza crust on ungreased cookie sheet, spread chicken mixture over crust. Arrange tomatoes over chicken and sprinkle with cheese. 

2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned. Sprinkle with cilantro (optional)

SPEED IT UP: No time for pizza? Substitute 6 flour tortillas, spread chicken mixture evenly over wrap within 1 inch of edge.

Top with tomatoes, cheese and cilantro. Roll tortillas up tightly.

There is a great new food blog worth checking out! It’s called Recipe 101 - the purpose of the site is to show people how to use 1 basic recipe and create so many different variations with it.
I think this is such an important task to learn when you are trying to create cheap meals [...]