15 Family Dinner Ideas Under $15

Stephanie Ganz
·6 min read
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Lately my family has been trying to use meal planning as a way to rein in our grocery budget, which feels like it has ballooned over the past few months. Coming up with family dinners that meet our definition of healthy and affordable (and that my kids will actually eat) can be a challenge. Fortunately I have a cache of tried-and-true favorites that require only a few ingredients, come together fairly quickly, and never disappoint — oh, and they all ring in under $15.

A note on pricing: My costs were calculated based on grocery prices sourced from Instacart, so your local prices may vary. I also assume you have a few staple ingredients, like olive oil, salt, and spices, on hand already.

1. Tater Tot Frittata

This veggie-packed frittata includes both spinach and bell peppers, which gives it a lovely, robust flavor. But it’s the tater tots on top that will have your kids asking for seconds of this frugal, one-skillet meal.

Get the recipe: Tater Tot Frittata

someone scooping out casserole from pot
Credit: Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Stylist: Kristina Vanni Credit: Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Stylist: Kristina Vanni

2. Cheeseburger Casserole

Hello, cheeseburger casserole; goodbye, dinnertime blues. This beloved combination of ground beef, cheese, and noodles (a homemade take on Hamburger Helper) is one of my favorite easy ground-beef recipes because my family always goes back for seconds — and that just feels really good.

Get the recipe: Cheeseburger Casserole

Two chicken wraps with tomatoes, onions, and greens on a white plate, wrapped in brown paper.

3. Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma

My kids love any dinner that they can wrap in a pita, and they give bonus points for meals they can assemble themselves, so this sheet pan chicken shawarma is heavy in our meal plan rotation. The shawarma-seasoned chicken cooks quickly in the oven while you assemble the rest of your pita fillers, and then everyone gets to put their own spin on their pita.

Get the recipe: Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma

overhead shot of four pieces of lemon butter salmon in a skillet, topped with herbs and lemon
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Ben Weiner Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

4. Lemon Butter Salmon

Maybe you’re skeptical that you can enjoy a delicious fish dinner for under $15, but this one, with just five ingredients, makes it possible. You might also be skeptical that you can get your kids on board, but hear me out: The combination of lemon, garlic, and butter is pretty easy for just about anyone to love.

Get the recipe: Lemon Butter Salmon

tacos on sheet tray
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Ben Weiner Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

5. Cheesy Gordita Crunch

When my kids ask for Taco Bell, I happily remind them that we have Taco Bell at home and then proceed to make these crave-worthy homemade crunchy gorditas — an easy, economical taco upgrade.

Get the recipe: Cheesy Gordita Crunch

An overhead shot of chicken garlic parmesan bites in a cast iron skillet on a marble surface
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

6. Garlic Parmesan Chicken Bites

This is one of those rare, magical dinners that my entire family loves equally, but I love it the most because it’s easy to make, uses just five simple ingredients, and doesn’t break the bank (not even close!). I pull this one out whenever I need a quick, reliable path to the Clean Plate Club.

Get the recipe: Garlic Parmesan Chicken Bites

spaghetti with red sauce on a bowl
Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

7. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

There’s a reason spaghetti dinners are a familiar stalwart for churches and community dinners — they’re a reliably smart way to feed a crowd for not a lot of money. This one, with ground beef, oregano, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, tastes like a ragù that’s been bubbling away on the stove all day (and not the roughly 40-minute dinner it actually is).

Get the recipe: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Spaghetti with arugula, red pepper flakes, and shaved parmesan on a beige plate.
Credit: Leela Cyd Credit: Leela Cyd

8. Garlic Butter Pasta

A simple butter and cheese pasta is a nice blank slate for choosy kids. Set some of the plain noodles aside before adding asparagus, peas, and arugula to the pan (or just go ahead and give them the green stuff — they can pick it out if they need to!). This affordable, versatile pasta dish is an essential back-pocket recipe for an easy weeknight dinner.

Get the recipe: Garlic Butter Pasta

Sheet pan pasta with Brussels Sprouts.
Credit: Shelly Westerhausen Credit: Shelly Westerhausen

9. Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese with Brussels Sprouts

A large-format pasta dish is a smart way to feed a crowd on a budget, and when it’s mac and cheese, it’s practically guaranteed to please the youngest eaters at the table — even with the inclusion of Brussels sprouts.

Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese with Brussels Sprouts

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes Skillet sits finished garnished with lemon
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

10. Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

This weeknight-friendly, five-ingredient dinner is bright and zesty, thanks to the combination of lemon and garlic. You can serve feta cheese and extra herbs on the side so each family member can make it how they like it.

Get the recipe: Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

overhead shot of tuna casserole in a white casserole dish, with a scoop taken out of the bottom right corner.
Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik; Food Styling: Kelli Foster Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik; Food Styling: Kelli Foster

11. Tuna Noodle Casserole

You can bet that pretty much any recipe that starts with a can of tuna is going to be on-budget, and this classic casserole is just that. Here, the typical cream-of-mushroom soup is omitted in favor of a quick, homemade cream sauce that combines with the flaky tuna, tender vegetables, and egg noodles to create a hearty, filling meal that serves six to eight hungry family members.

Get the recipe: Tuna Noodle Casserole

Broccoli cheddar orzo in Dutch oven with wooden spoon inside.
Credit: Kelli Foster Credit: Kelli Foster

12. Broccoli Cheddar Orzo

Okay, your kids might not love broccoli, but I think it’s a tired cliché to insist that all kids hate broccoli. Maybe they just haven’t found the best broccoli for them yet. Well, here it is — a creamy, cheesy one-pot meal that makes a serious case for loving those little green trees. If you’re looking for more protein, stir in some shredded rotisserie chicken toward the end of the cooking time.

Get the recipe: Broccoli Cheddar Orzo

Bowl of cheesy macaroni with ground beef, topped with green onions, on a pink napkin beside a fork.

13. Chili Mac

I used to prep noodles and chili separately for chili mac, and then this brilliant recipe came into my life, and I’ve never looked back. It’s the perfect, protein-packed, super-satisfying dinner for a hungry family — we always make it on Halloween to fuel up before trick-or-treating.

Get the recipe: Chili Mac

Overhead shot of chicken noodle soup in a white pot.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

14. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

When I’m looking for a comforting, inexpensive family dinner, I look to my favorite soups. This homemade chicken noodle soup is a bowl full of comfort — with silky egg noodles, tender vegetables, and savory shredded chicken — and it’s as easy to make as it is to love.

Get the recipe: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Overhead shot of Chinese sausage fried rice in a wok.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park

15. Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

Chinese sausage has a lovely sweet-and-savory flavor combination that does a lot of heavy lifting in this simple fried rice. This is one of my favorite ways to use leftover rice, and it’s a great place to add any lingering vegetables I have on hand that need to get used up.

Get the recipe: Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

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