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17 cheap meals

Budget Meals

Feed yourself for the price of a coffee.

Overhead photo of Sloppy Joes with Sesame Buns plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Sloppy Joes with Sesame Buns

Saucy ground beef piled on toasted sesame buns. Cheap, messy, and filling.

20 min 2 servings 30g protein
Overhead photo of Cheesy Rice and Beans plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Cheesy Rice and Beans

Pantry-cheap, calorie-dense, and ready in fifteen minutes.

20 min 2 servings 22g protein
Overhead photo of Simple Beef Bolognese plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Simple Beef Bolognese

Beef, pasta, and a jar of sauce. The cheapest hearty pasta there is.

25 min 2 servings 34g protein
Overhead photo of Breakfast Burritos plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Breakfast Burritos

Eggs, hash browns, and hot sauce wrapped up cheap for any meal of the day.

20 min 2 servings 24g protein
Overhead photo of One-Pan Ground Beef Taco Skillet plated and ready to eat Beef

One-Pan Ground Beef Taco Skillet

Cheap, filling taco skillet that stretches a pound of beef with beans and corn.

20 min 4 servings 38g protein
Overhead photo of Easy Tuna Casserole plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Easy Tuna Casserole

Canned tuna, pasta, and cheese baked into a cheap, filling casserole.

35 min 2 servings 30g protein
Overhead photo of Fried Eggs, Rice, Soy Sauce & Hot Sauce plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Fried Eggs, Rice, Soy Sauce & Hot Sauce

Three fried eggs over rice with soy and hot sauce. Pennies a plate.

10 min 2 servings 20g protein
Overhead photo of Classic Hot Dogs with Kraut plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Classic Hot Dogs with Kraut

Dogs, buns, and a pile of sauerkraut. About as cheap as dinner gets.

10 min 2 servings 18g protein
Overhead photo of Hot Dog Mac and Cheese plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Hot Dog Mac and Cheese

Boxed mac stretched with sliced hot dogs. Cheap, hot, and filling.

20 min 2 servings 22g protein
Overhead photo of Ground Pork & Cabbage Stir Skillet plated and ready to eat Pork

Ground Pork & Cabbage Stir Skillet

Fast and cheap cabbage and pork stir-fry.

25 min 2 servings 28g protein
Overhead photo of Canned Tuna Skillet Nachos plated and ready to eat Fish

Canned Tuna Skillet Nachos

Quick and cheap tuna nachos.

15 min 2 servings 38g protein
Overhead photo of $6 Beef & Rice Bowl plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

$6 Beef & Rice Bowl

Cheap and filling beef and rice bowl.

25 min 4 servings 28g protein
Overhead photo of Giant Pot Bean & Sausage Soup plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Giant Pot Bean & Sausage Soup

Hearty and cheap filling soup.

40 min 2 servings 22g protein
Overhead photo of One-Pot Chicken & Beans plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

One-Pot Chicken & Beans

Cheap, filling one-pot chicken and beans.

35 min 2 servings 35g protein
Overhead photo of $5–$10 a Day Chili plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

$5–$10 a Day Chili

Cheap and hearty classic chili.

55 min 2 servings 32g protein
Overhead photo of Pantry Egg Fried Rice plated and ready to eat Budget Meals

Pantry Egg Fried Rice

Cheap, fast fried rice from whatever's in the pantry.

15 min 4 servings 12g protein
Overhead photo of Make-Ahead Freezer Beef Burritos plated and ready to eat Meal Prep

Make-Ahead Freezer Beef Burritos

Wrap a big batch now, microwave dinner all month.

35 min 10 servings 26g protein