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10 Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinners On A Budget. Delicious Frugal Meals Right At Your Fingertips.
The last 2 weeks have been crazy over here! Recently my 2 oldest kids started back to school and let me tell you I’m exhausted.
Throwing myself back into a school routine after summer has been tough and because of that, I’ve been in such a meal planning slump.
and it didn’t really help that right after my kids started back at school I got sick.
Like really really sick.
Thankfully days before my dreaded illness hit I had written up a meal plan that would cover an entire 2 weeks worth of dinners which I never ever do.
Intuition maybe?
Whether it was my awesome mom intuition or just luck I had thankfully come up with a quick & easy meal plan.
15-minute meals anyone?
I’ve been so excited to share these with you because I know that so many busy moms can benefit from knowing about these cheap and easy meals.
AND!.. as an added bonus to a simpler meal plan I saved a boatload of money on my grocery bill (thanks to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards), I came in slightly under $100 for 2 weeks’ worth of dinners which is a total win in my opinion
More Easy Dinner Ideas To Make TONIGHT: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6
Our Dinners This Week:
Here is a list of our favorite 10 quick & easy meals we have made recently.
If you are in need of more easy dinner ideas for your weekly meal plan you can check out my other meal plans HERE.
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If you only end up trying one recipe this week THIS IS THE ONE!
This cheesy pasta was a HUGE hit with the family so much so i've already made it 2 more times.
I will say though that this recipe is a tad on the spicier side so if that isn't your thing I would definitely omit it. The first time I made it with the spice and the 2nd and 3rd time without and was amazing both ways.
I've tried a lot of taco salads over the years but never any with Doritos.
annnnnd.... If I'm being completely honest I mainly put this on the meal plan because of the Doritos.
My kids love chips and I love it when they eat dinner so why the heck not right?
This ended up being so yummy and extremely quick to throw together. Perfect for those nights when you are too tired to cook.
If you're looking for a dinner you can throw together in a few minutes look no further.
This was so quick and easy to put together that even my husband (who has absolutely no cooking skills) was able to do it without a hitch.
This is one of my personal faves to make on a really busy weeknight because it's easy to prepare in the morning and then throw in the oven later when you need it.
Impossible to mess up and comes out perfect every single time.
I've been making pierogies like this for a really long time.
My husband grew up on pierogies and I never really enjoyed them all too much until I found this recipe. I love switching up the meats and vegetables depending on what's on sale.
My favorite way to put this together is to use Italian sausage, bell peppers, and cheese YUM!
This recipe totally lived up to its name. 15-minute teriyaki for sure.
I loved how minimal the ingredients were in fact I already had everything on hand I needed to put this together.
Even my pickiest child loved this recipe and he usually dislikes most chicken recipes.
In the summer I was making a popcorn chicken salad pretty much weekly and this is sort of that in a different way.
I absolutely love finding new ways to make pasta salads because they are easy to put together in the morning or the night before and because you eat them cold it takes next to nothing to serve them up on a busy weeknight.
Who doesn't love a good crockpot recipe?
I'm always on the lookout for yummy and simple crockpot recipes, especially during the fall and winter. I've been having a hankering for thanksgiving type food and this did the trick.
If you've never tried frying up your own taco shells you are missing out!
These crispy tacos are super easy and taste 1,000 times better than any store bought taco shells you can find.
This also hits the "I really want to eat out" spot. Quick, easy, and completely delicious this a must-try!
My kids love pizza. If I let them they would eat it every night.
Lately, I've been trying something a little different with my meal plan and letting the kids pick a dinner they would like to eat once a week. We've been calling it "kids choice".
They chose garlic bread pizza and my oldest 2 boys who are 10 & almost 8 are able to help me out and make these themselves. It's been nice getting them in the kitchen a little more and helping to prepare dinner.
This is one of those weeknight dinners that are perfect for a Friday or a night where you will be home later than usual. Put this with a side salad and you are good to go.
SAVE MONEY WITH A FEW OF MY FAV'S
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Hi There! I love your recipes!! Thank you for sharing! I look forward to seeing more.
I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for commenting.
What did you all eat for breakfast, and lunch? Is the total prices just for dinner?
Hey there!
For the grocery list/cost breakdown, I include all of the food I purchased for the week which will include anything I need for breakfast, lunch, dinners, and snacks. However, on the blog I primarily only share what I make for dinner. Typically for lunches, we will eat leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. Hope that helps!