24 Delicious Family Dinners You Can Cook For Less Than $10

Let's be real: Groceries are expensive, and it doesn't seem like there's any relief in sight. Since 2020, grocery prices have reliably risen, year over year. Every week at the checkout, a handful of grocery basics ends up costing significantly more than it would've in the past. It can be frustrating and difficult. How do you feed your family truly excellent meals when pantry staple prices are through the roof? How do you continue to enjoy being in the kitchen as an avid home cook when every experiment, every new recipe tested, is a risky financial gamble?

We've got you covered. We've pulled together 24 delicious family dinners that you can cook for less than $10 each, so long as you have the basics on hand (think the items you probably always have at the ready anyway, like cooking oil, garlic, or herbs and seasonings). Some of these recipes are basic, but still tasty. Some are surprising. Some are celebrity-endorsed. All are sure to make your tummy and your wallet happy.

If you've yet to embrace the retro goodness of tuna casserole, you are missing out. This comfort food is hearty, rib-sticking, easy, and cheap. You basically just need to buy a box of pasta, a veg or two, cans of tuna, a can of cream of mushroom soup, bread, and some cheddar cheese and you're good to go. The requisite spices and condiments are likely already in your kitchen. Opt for store-brand ingredients (because we all know there's no huge difference between generic and brand-name foods) to save the most.

Recipe: Tuna casserole

This overnight yeasted buttermilk pancakes recipe can partially be made in advance, meaning an easier meal when you're feeling particularly stressed or rushed. Breakfast-for-dinner has never been so fast, convenient, or affordable. To get started, you'll whisk together buttermilk, yeast, melted butter, flour, sugar, and salt, and let the batter chill overnight. The next day's dinner is as simple as adding eggs and baking soda to the batter base, and then cooking those puppies up.

Recipe: Overnight yeasted buttermilk pancakes

Chicken can, admittedly, be a pricier purchase at the grocery store these days, particularly if you're going for breasts. Save yourself some cash by opting for chicken thighs instead, as this recipe for fajitas suggests. If you have a well-stocked spice cabinet, you'll only need to pick up a few other ingredients beyond the chicken, including a bell pepper, onion, avocados, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime, and tortillas. You can cook all these ingredients on the grill, as the recipe dictates, but if it's not grilling season in your neck of the woods, you can happily make fajitas on the stovetop.

Recipe: All-on-the-grill chicken fajitas

One of the best budget hacks for chicken specifically? Take advantage of those rotisserie chickens. They're cheap (rotisserie chickens are not called a loss leader for nothing), you're unlikely to eat the whole thing for one meal, and they're incredibly versatile. For example, you can use rotisserie chicken to make these quesadillas. All you'll need otherwise is some barbecue sauce (which many home cooks always have in the fridge anyway), tortillas, cheese, banana peppers, an onion, and scallions. For greater cost savings, swap the called-for gouda for a cheaper cheese like cheddar.

Recipe: BBQ chicken quesadillas

This recipe serves four, requires only four ingredients, and is so simple. All you have to do is melt a stick of butter, throw it into the bottom of your slow cooker, add in some chicken, top it with a box of stuffing mix and a can of cream of mushroom soup, and that's it. Cook it for three to five hours, or until the chicken is done. Shred the chicken so that it mixes nicely with all the other ingredients and serve. Have a little more room in your budget? You can add mozzarella or cheddar cheese to this dish for more flavor, or a can of cream of chicken soup in addition to the cream of mushroom soup.

Recipe: Garbage chicken

Another very simple way to cut down on your grocery bill? Cut out the meat. With the prices of beef and other meats soaring, a vegetarian diet is more attractive than ever. Take this potato-pea curry, for example. Beyond basic ingredients you probably already have on hand, you'll likely just need to buy some potatoes, tomatoes, and frozen peas. You can cook it on the stove or in a slow cooker. Want something a little extra? Serve this over rice for an equally budget-friendly and filling dinner. 

Recipe: Crock-Pot potato-pea curry

One-pot pasta dishes often make for an excellent, budget-friendly family dinner. That said, you will need to do a little extra work for this recipe (but it'll be worth it). You'll need to make a parmesan broth, boiling leftover parmesan rinds alongside peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and leek leaves. Nix the leek leaves if you don't already have them on hand. Then, use part of the broth for your mac and cheese, reserving the rest for later use. From there, it's just cooking your pasta and making a cheese sauce using milk, butter, flour, and two types of cheese (American and cheddar). While Dijon and Worcestershire can add more flavor to the dish, they're not necessary if you're trying to make this dish as budget-friendly as possible.

Recipe: Parmesan broth mac and cheese

Again, for a budget-friendly dish that feels elevated, all you have to do is look to pasta. Such is the case with this recipe that serves four. Beyond the pantry basics, you'll likely just need to purchase some tomatoes, eggs, pappardelle or fettuccine, and parmigiano-reggiano. The result is a plate of pasta that looks like something you'd be served at a high-end Italian eatery, not at your crowded dinner table on a weeknight.

Recipe: Pasta with blistered tomatoes and egg yolk

Even Hollywood icon Sophia Loren could not deny the delicious and wallet-friendly appeal of a plate of pasta. Loren was known for her love of food almost as much as for her beauty, and she's even dropped a couple of cookbooks. One of her stand-out recipes is also the simplest: an affordable lemon spaghetti. Half a pound of spaghetti meets butter, garlic, lemon, cream, parm, and basil. (This recipe was adapted from one found on Tasty Kitchen.)

Recipe: Sophia Loren's lemon spaghetti

The initial financial investment into an Instant Pot may turn you away from this popular countertop appliance, but just consider how much money it could save you in the long run. Tough, cheaper cuts of meat are turned tender thanks to the Instant Pot's pressure cooking. About-to-go-bad frozen foods are cooked up in a snap without thawing. And, you can make budget-friendly dishes like this French onion lentil soup. Onions and lentils are going to be literally your only main expenses, alongside some pantry basics and spices.

Recipe: Instant Pot French onion lentil soup

A salad doesn't need to be complex or contain a list of ingredients a mile long in order to be delicious. This BLT salad contains just seven ingredients, some of which you probably already own. You might just need to pop into the store for tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon. Making the vinaigrette yourself is definitely a money saver, and learning how to make your own salad dressing is a great skill to have. It can not only result in cost savings, but also more variety and creativity in the kitchen.

Recipe: BLT salad with Worcestershire vinaigrette

If the summer heat is getting you down every bit as much as the current grocery prices, this recipe is for you. Gazpacho is a chilled soup that's sippable, fresh, and oh-so-summery. This particular recipe requires just a few fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers, plus garlic and white bread. If your budget can accommodate it, don't skimp on the tomatoes — the fresher, the better. Scope out the options at your local farmers market.

Recipe: Gazpacho Andaluz

While eggs are by no means the cheapest thing you could purchase at the grocery store right now, if you play your cards right, you can still incorporate them into a budget-friendly family meal — like with shakshuka, for instance. The six eggs you'll need for this recipe will likely be your greatest expense, with the remaining ingredients being either common spices or cheap items like a bell pepper and can of tomatoes. The feta might up your grocery bill, but that's a garnish and not strictly necessary.

Recipe: Shakshuka

It sounds weird, but hear us out. This Brooklyn-derived sandwich is cheap and tasty, and the recipe makes enough for four sandwiches plus leftovers. Grab a baguette, two potatoes, some mozzarella, eggs, heavy cream, tomatoes, and tomato paste, alongside a few basics from your pantry, and you have everything you need for this surprisingly delightful meal. Note that the recipe does call for a chicken bouillon base like Better Than Bouillon (admittedly very good and worth the money), but if you don't have that on hand, don't spend the money on it. Any bouillon will work in a pinch.

Recipe: Potato and egg sandwiches

You're probably well acquainted with breakfast for dinner ... but breakfast salad? Yep, it's a great option and combines a lot of favorite flavors and textures — plus it's cheap. This recipe calls for watercress, but if that's difficult to source in your neighborhood, go with arugula instead. It also instructs you to make garlic confit, which is way more affordable and far easier than it sounds — it's literally a mixture of garlic, oil, and time. You'll want to poach the eggs for this salad, which can likewise feel intimidating, but it's also not nearly as difficult as it seems. In short, this is a dish that makes an impression without breaking the bank.

Recipe: Breakfast salad

Fried rice can be one of the easiest, most affordable, thriftiest, most versatile dishes you could possibly make. So long as you have leftover rice and some soy sauce and sesame oil, you're well on your way to a great dinner (and even if you don't have leftover rice on hand and you need to make some from scratch, this dish is still as thrifty as it gets). Add in some bacon, scallions, and eggs, and you have a meal. That's right. There's no need to add in anything else. No peas, carrots, chicken, pork, etc. Sometimes, simpler is better, and that's definitely true with this fried rice recipe.

Recipe: Fried rice

If your idea of a truly easy, budget-friendly dinner revolves around just opening up a can or two, you're going to love this recipe for the easiest dal ever. Pop open a can of lentil soup, chop an onion, and mince some garlic. Then, just a few spoons of olive oil and garam masala separate you from the simplest dal you've ever made in your entire life. Pair it with some rice and you're golden. You've just saved yourself substantially on Indian takeout.

Recipe: Dal

Alongside pasta, soup is probably one of the most budget-friendly, cheapest dishes you can make while still feeding a large number of people. As for this recipe for kabocha squash soup, the squash itself is your primary expense, and you only need water, bouillon powder, and butter otherwise. Green onions and bok choy are optional. You may need to head to the Asian supermarket to source your kabocha, but you'll find that this soup is a simple, lovely, picky-eater-friendly addition to your weeknight meal rotation.

Recipe: Kabocha squash soup

Grab a can of pumpkin and get to work on this soup that comes together quickly and will sate your cravings for a fall-forward meal. Other than the pumpkin, many home cooks will probably already have everything else they need in the kitchen to get this soup on the table. Garlic, half and half, onion, broth, spices and seasonings come together to create a savory, warming meal.

Recipe: Pumpkin and spice soup

Adapted from NHK's "Dining With the Chef," this recipe will make good use of your microwave and still stay within your budget — even after you increase the amount of ingredients needed in order to feed the entire family. For two diners, though, you'll just need one carrot, a bit of milk, sugar, salt, and olive oil, plus some plastic wrap. You're going to cook your carrot, wrapped in that plastic wrap, in the microwave, then add it to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. It sounds dubious at first, but give it a try.

Recipe: Magic carrot soup

With a few heads of broccoli or a bag of frozen broccoli, plus a pound of Velveeta cheese, you can craft a delicious bowl of broccoli cheese soup. This recipe combines these two primary ingredients with a few other basics to create a simple yet filling and delicious wintertime wonder. Plus, if you want to get creative, this is your opportunity. You can add in a variety of other veggies to amp up this soup's heartiness and health benefits, as well as add in flavor boosters like hot sauce.

Recipe: Broccoli cheese soup

Not only is cabbage healthy, but it's also pretty cheap and easy to work with. Still, cabbage gets a bit of a bad rep as a stinky, undesirable crucifer. If you've long held onto the belief that cabbage is not worth the trouble, though, just give this recipe a try. It's simple and affordable, requiring just a few basic ingredients during your weekly grocery run, and the result is a seemingly decadent meal at the lowest of prices.

Recipe: Butter braised cabbage fettuccine

If you're the kind of home cook who loves a project, this is the dish you need to try. It requires minimal ingredients, but you're going to use every one of those ingredients to its full potential, and you're even going to use some of those ingredients to make other ingredients from scratch. For one, you're going to make your own ricotta. (Ooo, fancy!) Then, you can even make a no-knead bread using the leftovers from the cooking process — though if that's a step too far from you, just skip it and stick with the beans, ricotta, and broccolini. Whatever you do, you'll surely end up with a vegetarian dinner that gives you the most for your money.

Recipe: Beans, ricotta, and broccolini

It's time to turn to our friend, the rotisserie chicken, again. Using a rotisserie chicken and a few staple items, you can create chicken paprikash that is perfect for serving over rice, noodles, or spaetzle. It's all about creating a delicious paprika sauce utilizing paprika (obviously), butter, flour, stock, and cream. If you can get the sauce right, the shortcut of using a rotisserie chicken won't even matter. You don't even need to invest in some pricier, high-quality paprika; just use a heavier hand with the paprika if you're using a mild, typical store-bought variant.

Recipe: Chicken paprikash