Are you tired of eating the same meals every day? Do you want to mix up your recipes without breaking the bank? Look no further because I’ve got you covered with these budget-friendly and delicious recipes made with simple ingredients. They are easy to make and affordable!
Stir-fry Recipe
Let’s start with a delicious stir-fry. This could be a beef, chicken, shrimp, or vegetable stir-fry. All you need is mixed vegetables, soy sauce, brown sugar, and an optional protein. Really, any vegetables and combination can work here, it’s whatever you have!
Begin by cooking the meat or fish in a pan until it’s browned. Then, add in the mixed vegetables and stir-fry for a few minutes. Finally, add soy sauce and brown sugar to the mix, and voila! You have a healthy and delicious meal that’s easy and affordable. This pairs well with rice or noodles.
I’ve been making stir fry for so long that I can really ad hoc it, but I like to try a lot of difference sauces. If you don’t want to make your own sauce, you can purchase premixed packets in the grocery store and all you need to add typical are soy sauce, oil, and water. There are bottled sauces too but those can get quite expensive.
The one pictured below was a Honey Chicken Stir-fry recipe. I modified the recipe a lot, as I really just was interested in the sauce. I used red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, and mushrooms because that is what I had in the refrigerator. Also, I used brown rice instead of white.
Pesto
I love making pesto pasta with peas. This is an easy dinner to accommodate people who don’t want to eat spaghetti sauce. To make this recipe, call you need to do is cook the pasta and then mix in some peas and pesto. It really can’t get much easier or affordable!
Pancakes
If your family is anything like mine, pancakes are always a great choice. We love making breakfast for dinner once in a while too. You can add variety by mixing fruit into the batter, but bananas are always a affordable option. All you need is flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, milk, oil, bananas, and a pinch of salt. There are so many good recipes out there, like this classic Betty Crocker one or this one from 100 Days of Real Food, but I always like to throw in some vanilla and cinnamon in them too! Cook the pancakes in a pan, and there you have it – fluffy and tasty pancakes that are perfect for all to enjoy! I like to top mine with berries too, whatever we have on hand!
When I make pancakes, I like to make a quadruple batch. This is a relaxing Saturday morning activity to feed my family and then I like to flash freeze the leftovers for quick a breakfast during the school week. I basically take them and place them flat on a sheet pan and freeze for about 10 minutes. Then, I’ll stack in a freezer bag. My children then will grab one as they like for breakfast and reheat it in the microwave.
Quinoa Tacos
We love making quinoa tacos in my house because it’s inexpensive, easy, and can be made in the crockpot. This is a great meal for our busy nights. You can eat it with hard tacos, soft tacos, and easily use leftovers for a nacho snack. We like to top this off with avocado. Also, we alternative the recipe to our liking. One of my children doesn’t like chunks of tomato so we use extra chili beans. You can also change the taco seasonings if you feel it is too spicy. It’s up to you and easy to do!
Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Turkey Black Bean Chili
Another crockpot favorite of ours is turkey black bean chili from The Family Freezer. Again, this one is so easy to make and it’s nice having leftovers as well for lunches.
Roasted Chicken Recipe
Did you know that you can cook a whole chicken in a crockpot? I am serious! It is surprisingly easy and tastes great. All you need is a whole chicken and some spices such as garlic, lemon, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Here’s a recipe for inspiration – Ann Kelly’s Slow Cooker WHOLE Chicken. Another alternative is to preheat the oven to 375 degrees, season the chicken with garlic, lemon, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and place it in the oven. Let it roast for about an hour or until the chicken is fully cooked. No matter how you cook it, you can serve it with your choice of sides, and you have a fantastic meal that’s easy to prepare and affordable. Best of all, the leftovers can be used in a different recipe!
Teriyaki Chicken
Last but not least, we have a simple yet flavorful teriyaki chicken made in a crockpot. I love the recipe on Gimme So Oven – Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken. This dish goes well well some broccoli. We pretty much always have broccoli in the fridge or freezer. We also alternate between noodles and nice.
Summary
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time to make delicious meals. With a few simple ingredients, you can create these easy and affordable recipes. Give these recipes a try, and you won’t be disappointed!
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