Cheap Dinner Ideas

Cheap meal ideas, can also be termed as cost-effective or inexpensive dinner ideas. Healthy and mouth-watering foods don't have to be always expensive. With some smart tips at hand, you can give your friends and family a wholesome treat with the lowest of budget.

Cost-Effective Dinner Ideas

For Family

Idea #1
Ingredients:
Macaroni, cooked - 1 pound
Ground turkey - 1 pound
Eggs - 2
Ricotta cheese - 1 pound
Spaghetti sauce - 24 - 26 ounces
Parmesan cheese, grated - ½ cup
Mozzarella cheese, shredded - 2 cups
Zucchini, diced - 2 cup
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix the eggs, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Before this, you can fry the meat until brown, and drain well. When the meat has been cooked, add macaroni, sauce and zucchini to it. After mixing it well, add the previous mix of ricotta cheese and blend well.

Spread half of the macaroni mixture over the bottom of a baking pan. Top with a cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Add some more macaroni mixture and top it with mozzarella and sprinkle Parmesan. Cover with a foil. After heating the oven for 250 degrees, bake the prepared mixture for about 20 minutes. Cook until the cheese on top is brown. Serve hot!

Idea #2
Ingredients:
Eggs - 4
Peanut oil - 1 cup
Chicken thighs - 6 pieces
Rice, cooked
Frozen peas and beans sprouts
Broccoli and soy sauce
Salt to taste

Directions:
Stir fry the eggs in the oil and keep it aside in a separate dish. In the same oil, fry the meat until cooked. Add rice, beans, peas, broccoli, eggs and soy sauce. Serve hot!

For Two

Idea #3
Ingredients:
Whole wheat, dried - 8 ounces
Olive oil - 1 tbsp.
Shrimp, peeled and deveined - 12 ounces
Garlic, minced - 3 cloves
Whole tomatoes with juice - 14½ ounce
Tomato paste - 3 tbsp.
Oregano, dried - 1 tsp.
Capers, drained - 1 tbsp.
Red pepper - ¼ tsp.
Basil, chopped

Directions:
Put the oil on heat and meanwhile, cook pasta and drain. Once the oil has been heated, cook shrimp and garlic for about 4 minutes or until the shrimp becomes opaque. Keep the fry separately. Mix tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, capers, and red pepper flakes. Simmer and cook for 10 minutes in a large pan, stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp mix and cook through for another 2 minutes.

Idea #4
Ingredients:
Chicken Soup, cream - 8 oz. can
Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 4
Sour cream - 8 oz. tub
Butter - 4 tbsp.
Cheddar cheese, shredded - 1 pack

Directions:
After preheating the oven at 350 degree F, boil the chicken until cooked through. Make a mix of sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Put the mix in the bottom of a casserole. Cut the cooked chicken into small pieces. Add these pieces to the mix of the sour cream and chicken soup. Top the meat with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the dish after crushing the crackers. Distribute the butter loosely over the top of the dish. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes and serve!

For College Students

Idea #5
Ingredients:
Fresh mushrooms, sliced - 1cup
Onion, chopped - 1
Garlic, mined - 2 cloves
Farfalle, dried - 6 ounces
Spinach, sliced - 4 cups
Thyme - 1 tsp.
Pepper - 1/8 tsp.
Parmesan cheese, shredded - 2 tbsp.
Olive oil - 1 tbsp.

Directions:
While the farfalle is getting cooked according to the package directions, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, fry the mushrooms with onion and garlic and cook until the mushrooms get tender. Add spinach, thyme and pepper. Cook until the spinach is slightly wilted. Add in the cooked farfalle and mix by tossing gently. Serve after sprinkling with cheese.

Idea #6
Ingredients:
Chicken, skinned and roasted - 1 (cut into bite-size)
Spinach leaves, shredded - 4 cups
Lemon - 1
Orzo pasta, dried - 8 ounces

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to directions and drain. Cut the lemon in half and peel it. Reserve the other half. Add lemon peel and spinach to the orzo and toss. Season the mix with salt and black pepper. Serve the orzo mix in plates and place chicken pieces over the mix. Cut the reserve half of the lemon into wedges. Finally serve the dish with these wedges.

I guess all these cheap dinner ideas would be enough for now. So, until I come with some more of such ideas, use these ideas, save your bucks, save your time and enjoy your dinner!