Ok moms! I feel like I am spending a FORTUNE on groceries! I really need to budget better but it seems no matter how much I try it ends up being just about the same each week! I need help with budget friendly, large family friendly (family of 7), kid friendly meal ideas. Here’s the kicker… I’m SO SICK OF PASTA! Hit me with your cheap, easy, yummy NO PASTA dinner ideas! That my kids and my husband will love!
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Red beans, fried potatoes and cornbread
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Chicken pot pies homemade as well as homemade soups Mac cheese
Chicken burgers, taco’s, home made pizza’s, bacon & egg rolls, potato pie, butter chicken.
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We love egg roll in a bowl. Soups, stews, sheet pan meals, stirfrys
Pulled pork! Our fav is sliders, but it’s great on tacos too & freezes well
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Red beans and rice… Shepard pie… meatloaf… chili… any soup really…
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Cabbage, corned beef, with rice & peas
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Look on pinterest for crockpot meals!
My go to is always Pinterest. Seriously thousands of great meal ideas.
My kids love this. I’ve even made them with leftover chicken. I serve them with avocados and sour cream. The adults add a little hot sauce…
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Lasagna. Ground beef, no name noodles some cheese and can marinara
Big pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs 2 packs of taco season 2 packs of ranch seasoning mix. 3 cups of chicken broth. Cook on low in the crackpot for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Makes the best chicken tacos I’ve ever had.
I pump it up with black olives, chopped onion, cilantro, avocado, shredded spinach, diced tomatoes, tacos sauce, sour cream, fresh shredded cheese, and salsa on the side. This will feed my fam of 4 for 2 nights and still have plenty of left overs for later on.
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Mix ground beef shredded potatoes. An egg, flour, salt, pepper, and some onion. Make a pATTYy out of it and fry it in a skillet. A cheap and delicious dinner my family has always loved.
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When it comes to chicken, try buying a whole chicken and butchering it yourself, way cheaper!! I tend to make meals I can make in bulk and freeze such as shepards pies, spaghetti sauce, I also make chicken broccoli Alfredo and freeze them, I can make huge batches and divide them into like 3 meals, and it’s me and my two kids. Sorry. Didn’t read the whole thing, chilli is a good make a huge pot and freeze some, if you have a yard or space for a garden next spring try growing some veggies your family likes, I made myself a 4x8 garden box and grow beans, peppers, tomatoes, and more
Lazy man cabbage rolls chili homemade soups and stews shepherds pie breakfast for dinner tacos wraps salads meatloaf
Shepherds pie, meatballs and rice, meatloaf and potatoes, butter chicken and rice, roasts and slow cooker meals
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Cut up chicken breast add taco seasoning, cut and fry up a bell pepper and an onion with garlic on top of minute rice
Chicken/vegetable soup. Harvest Soup/salad. Pork loin with veggie. Beef and Broccoli (Chinese). Tacos. Chalupas. Chicken pot pie. Nachos. Quesadillas. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Baked chicken + veggie. Meatloaf.
Boneless chicken thighs with 2/3 cup of brown sugar and 3 minced garlic cloves. Cook in crockpot on low for 6 hours.
Serves with rice and glazed carrots.
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Cube up chicken breast and cook it with the broccoli that comes with the cheese (or use your own nacho cheese/other cheese) and make that the meat. Make some biscuits in the oven. You can eat the biscuits on the side or put the meat/broccoli with cheese on top of the biscuits.
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Chicken thighs, with veggies over rice
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Dorrito casserole
Potato breakfast bake (diced boiled potatoes, sour cream, scrambled eggs, meat of your choice and shredded cheese)
Taco bake
Enchiladas
Baked chicken
Meatloaf
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Cup up chicken fry it with garlic, peppers and onion add a couple cans of cream of chicken soup add some milk pot that on top of minute rice.
Soup!
Hamburger/potatoes
Chicken tacos
Rice/chicken
Baked potatoes
Tater tot casserole
Tuna melts
Pizza muffins
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Garlic bread pizza.
Garlic bread. Pizza sauce orrrr spaghetti sauce. Pepperoni. Mozzarella. Bake in oven per directions for garlic bread. My kid even loves helping make these. Fast. Simple. Love
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Mississippi pot roast. In the pressure cooker. Or oven I guess. A big roast. Au ju and ranch seasoning packs. Beef broth. And pepperchinis. It’s so yummy. My boys want it every week. But the leftovers are even better.
Pulled pork hot beef sandwiches use deli sliced beef add to gravy put on buns
Homemade refried beans, tortillas, sopita, tacos…hamburger/potato makes it stretch further, enchiladas.
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Shepards pie, tacos, hamburger helper. We do english muffin pizzas, pork chops with potatoes and a veggie. I look at apps for grocery stores before I head to market basket, see whats on sale or a better deal elsewhere.
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Chicken ceaser wraps. This is really fast and easy with left over chicken breast. Cut the cold left over chicken breast in little pieces. Take a tortilla and lay that on a plate, add ceaser lettuce, ceaser dressing, chicken, shredded mozzarella. Wrap tortilla. Place tortilla in a pan with oil and brown the shell.
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Chicken pot pie really easy to make just get the $3 pie dough,chicken or steak quasadillas, tacos w/yellow rice for a side,chicken/veggie fried rice w/egg roles, baked shells with meatballs and mozzarella on top,breakfast for dinner is a win win😂
Creamed Chicken on biscuits
Large can cream of chicken
Small can cream of celery
1/2 small diced onion.
2 cups chicken broth
Black pepper
2 chicken breast boneless
Cook in crockpot until chicken van shred (6 hours on low or 4 hours on high)
Add small can of peas and carrots
Serve over biscuits ( I use frozen Pillsbury ones)
I would suggest getting the tasty app! They have a section now in their app where it says affordable, and 8 out of 10 times it is! (depending on your location and what’s available)
Cut up chicken fry with curry powder garlic and onion powder. Add water til it covers the chicken and cook down til it becomes a gravy. add beans and peppers after and serve on top of rice. Can add more spices if you want it spicy but kids friendly lol
Tonight I got a Pillsbury pie crust. It’s a pack of two
I put honey mustard, cheese, ham and turkey in it and folded it so it was sealed then cut three slits in the top. Baked at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serving with white corn and Italian cut green beans.
We like doing rice bowls. I just make rice in the instant pot and then use like 2 fajita seasoning packs with the veggies on the stove with some extra water. You can add corn/beans. I like to put iceberg lettuce as a topping. You’ll save a lot skipping cheese ha
Then we will make tostadas a different day and use the iceberg lettuce on those. My 4 year old/almost 1 year old and husband all eat them.
We like to do potato tacos too because potatoes are so cheap 
just dice them up, season with taco seasoning and cook them. We typically do these with corn tortillas.
I’m not supposed to have dairy so we skip the sour cream/cheese. Plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute though! And then the kids can wat it as a snack (we add honey/bananas).
Smoothie bowls are another favorite because frozen fruit isn’t that expensive and homemade granola is super easy.
Good luck! Prices are good insaneeee! I’ve found trying to do as many “plant based” things as possible is definitely cheaper. Dried beans take a small amount of planning (soaking overnight) to get used to but once you get into a good rhythm it’s cheaper than canned beans.
Cauliflower zucchini soup is pretty flavorful also! And super cheap.
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Shepherd pie. I use ground beef with garlic and onion powder fry it, drain it, back in the pan add a couple packs of no name roast gravy, a bit of water. Mash potatoes on top in the oven
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2 cans of biscuits, 1lb ground beef, 1 can sloppy Joe sauce, shredded cheddar
brown meat and add sauce
flatten out 1 biscuit, add one spoonful ground beef and cheese
pinch opposite ends of biscuits and twist to create a ball
place pinched bottom down on baking sheet
bake as directed on can of biscuit
if you really want to fancy it up I do an egg wash on biscuits after their ont he cookie sheet and top with everything bagel seasoning. we call these sloppy Joe pockets. you can also do this with canned chicken and either BBQ sauce or Buffalo sauce. the varieties are endless
Rice bowls, w black beans, chicken, and whatever veggies. you like can add cheese too if you like.
Also Philly cheese steak sliders w hamburger meat.
Chicken and dumplings
Rotisserie chicken & salad. They usually sell the chickens for $8 at the store by my house. (For a lazy night)
Chicken thighs, yellow rice (whatever veggies you like) and any sauce you like. I personally like the panda express sauces and 1 bottle last us 2 dinners we add broccoli and pineapples to it sometimes.
Buying staple items like flour, potatoes rice really help. You can make potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad etc for really cheap and can make it ahead of time to help out.
My parents always served butter bread with most dinners, I’m guessing to stretch it further 
Chicken cheese & rice
Chicken tacos & rice
Lay chicken in the bottom of a baking dish and spread some ceaser dressing on them bake at 425 for 45 minutes, cover with sliced provolone cheese, crush croutons and add to the top, sprinkle on Italian dressing mix and melted butter put back in the oven for 5 minutes.
If there is left overs throw it in a wrap or salad.
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Look up easy crockpot recipes
We like to get some quick cook rice,skinless boneless chicken best, can or 2 of cream of chicken soup and then either corn, sweet peas or mixed veggies. Now while the rice cooks cut up the chicken and cook it. Once the rice is done mix in the cooked chicken the soup and one can of the veggies. Once it’s all mixed but it in like a cake pan(we use a glass one) once in the pan you can either bake it the way it is or you could get some shredded mozzarella cheese and put in on top of the rice then bake it. My kids love it
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Cilantro lime chicken. Just made it and it was delicious, fast, and, if you shop at Costco, the chicken can feed quite a bit. Now I used 2 packs because I have a household of 10 (with 3 teen boys - they eat A LOT). I had NO leftovers last night. I also added zucchini which the recipe doesn’t call for but I try to always add some sort of veggie to my meals.
Cheap personal pizzas. I use naan a lot but can be made with tortillas (cheaper with tortillas!!). Preheat oven to 375. Rub tortilla with olive oil. Put on sauce and toppings as desired. Bake until cheese is melted (usually about 10 minutes).
Tacos
Sloppy joes and chips (beef is going to be going up in price this fall though bc of the droughts so be prepared for that)
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Start by voting Republican that will start to help
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I feel this in my soul. I spend on average $300-$400 a week for a family of 4 and that’s just staples. 
food costs are out of control
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This is cheap and good. Usually always have a day of left overs as well.
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My whole family loves this recipe
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Last night I dumped 2 cans of Campbell’s chicken pot pie soup into a casserole dish, topped with shredded cheese and cut up a can of biscuits and put that on top as well… baked at 350 for 35 mins… boom 
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Chop up some sausages. Toss them in a baking dish with chopped peppers, whole cloves of garlic and onion chunks then sprinkle with your preferred seasoning. Lemon pepper, Mediterranean blend, Montreal steak spice are all ones I’ve used. Cover with foil and bake. Serve with rice. It makes lots of yummy juice to pour over the rice. Tasty, nutritious and affordable.
Tonight I’m making chicken stir-fry for hubby and me and disassembled stir-fry for the kids. Groceries are stupid expensive no matter what you do. If I can find a deal on something I’ll usually buy 4 -6 packs of meat and try and keep the freezer stocked up and just rotate between everything I’m about $800 a month for 6-7 people. I home cook everything from scratch as well no fancy take out dinners so I’ve started learning a lot of my favourite meals to cook at home.
Also quiches. Any combination of vegetables with or without meat plus chopped onions & strong cheese and 2 or more eggs plus cream in pie shells and baked at 350 until set works.
Quinoa is a complete protein and easy: boil water, remove from burner, add quinoa and cover a few minutes and you’re done.
Ok so what I like to do is cater my menu around what’s on sale. And I buy a lot of discounted meats. If you cook it the same day you buy it or get it right in the freezer that day it’s perfectly fine.
Pulled pork or beef. I always get a bone in pork
Shoulder or butt when they are on sale or discounted. So you get a huge piece of meat for less than $15 and for my family of 5 it makes at least 2 dinners and left overs for 2 days. For the beef you can get a chuck roast when they are on sale and do the same thing. Just season it with Adobe seasoning and whatever else you like. Put fat side down in the crock pot on low all day. Drain the juice because half of it if going to be fat. Skim the fat off the top and toss it. Shred up the meat. Add back a little juice as needed to keep it moist. Take out what we need for dinner and add BBQ sauce (sweet baby rays) serve on buns or my like my husband does just plain meat, with veggies and fired potatoes. Serve on top a salad the next day for lunch… I know you said no pasta but I always save the rest without BBQ sauce to make pulled pork Mac and cheese.
But you can use it to make tacos or fajitas or even burritos or make a y of those into bowls.
And we have left overs from the 2nd night too.
There’s alot of things you can do with pulled porknand beef.
Chicken sausage is another great meat to use. You can make chicken sausage grinders with onions peppers and cheese. With a side of homemade cheddar broccoli soup. Which is so easy to make and not expected at all.
English muffin pizzas. When English muffins or bagels go on sale b1g2. With salad or cucks.
Honestly same. There is nothing I have found that will cut down costs. Prices are just absolutely ridiculous right now. I’ve tried everything I can think of.
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Get a vegetarian cookbook and enjoy more meatless meals. Personally I love “Sundays at Moosewood.” Meat and seafood are probably your biggest expense. You can also use meat more as a garnish vs the main part of dinner to save money. If you live in the U.S. our meat is full of growth hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics anyway.
Try different whole grains: barley, quinoa, grits, spelt, farro, kasha, teff; red, wild, basmati and brown rices. Spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti.
My kids loved Goya (and only Goya) black bean soup over brown basmati rice with a squeeze of lime juice and grated onion on top. Fast, easy, cheap, delicious and healthy.
Mix together chicken or hamburger or whatever you have on hand + frozen mixed vegetables + undiluted can of cream of (mushroom, chicken, celery or tomato) soup + chopped onion + spices (poultry seasoning, tarragon, sage are good with chicken, paprika, chili powder for beef, parsley, thyme, onion & garlic powder plus salt and pepper with anything) in frozen pie crust shells. Put instant mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 30ish minutes. Dinner’s ready.
Plain tofu tastes nasty, but used in recipes where it can absorb flavors (soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, used crumbled to stretch hamburger, with spices “scrambled” or in a smoothie for breakfast) it’s great. Organic is cheap & readily available.
Sausage and mash, vegetables
Stuff cabbage ,goulash,stuff green peppers, Lasagna, Spaghetti,chilly, hamburger and home-made fries or eggs and fries, home-made chicken fingers etc
Minute rice(cooked), hamburger(cooked) and cream of mushroom soup with a little sour cream mixed together
Use amounts that make it the texture or creaminess you want
I’m also a large family of 8 and my kids love it… simple fast and cheap
Instead of buying already sliced pork chops buy a pork loin and divide in to three-four chunks and cut your own pork chops. For easier cutting only thaw part way.
Two of my family’s favorites:
Cream of chicken/mushroom/??? (Whatever you prefer) soup with gnocchi and veggies. It makes a lot and costs about 50¢ per serving.
Chicken and rice with onions and gravy. Throw uncooked chicken cubed or chopped with chopped onions and gravy into oven. Serve over rice.