The Best Cheap Kid-Friendly Meals for Families on a Budget

 Feeding kids can get expensive.

It seems like the foods they love the most are often the foods that come in tiny packages, have cartoon characters on the box, or cost twice as much when someone else prepares them!

But some of our family's favorite meals are actually very inexpensive to make.

When I'm trying to keep our grocery budget under control, I like meals that are cheap, filling, easy to make, and something the kids will actually eat. I don't need every dinner to be Pinterest-worthy. Sometimes I just need everyone fed without spending a fortune.

Here are some of my favorite cheap kid-friendly meals.

Homemade Pizza

Pizza is one of those meals that almost everybody can agree on.

Making it at home can be much cheaper than ordering pizza, especially if you make your own dough.

You can keep it simple with sauce and cheese or let everyone make their own little pizza.

And pizza is an excellent freezer meal. I like making extra dough, mini pizzas, or even a whole pizza to freeze for another day.

Cheap toppings:

• Cheese
• Pepperoni
• Sausage
• Leftover chicken
• Onions
• Green peppers
• Mushrooms

You don't need ten toppings. A little cheese and pepperoni can make a perfectly happy kid.

Chili and Cornbread

A big pot of chili is one of my favorite budget meals because a relatively small amount of meat can stretch a long way.

Beans, tomatoes and ground beef make a filling meal, and you can serve it with inexpensive homemade cornbread.

Even better, chili freezes beautifully.

Make a big batch and freeze some for another dinner or lunch. It turns one cooking session into several meals.

Walking Tacos

Walking tacos are fun for kids and incredibly easy.

Put taco meat, shredded cheese and your favorite toppings into individual bags of tortilla chips.

Kids can add:

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Sour cream
• Salsa
• Cheese
• Taco sauce

You can also skip the individual chip bags and make regular taco bowls at home.

Use beans to stretch the taco meat even further.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are one of those old-fashioned meals that don't get enough credit.

Ground beef, tomato sauce and a few pantry ingredients turn into a meal that can feed a family without costing a fortune.

Serve them with homemade fries, potato wedges, corn or a simple vegetable.

And if you have leftover sloppy joe meat, freeze it!

Macaroni and Cheese With Add-Ins

A box of macaroni and cheese is inexpensive on its own, but you can make it more filling by adding something to it.

Try adding:

• Cooked ground beef
• Hot dogs
• Tuna
• Peas
• Broccoli
• Shredded chicken
• Leftover ham

You can also make homemade macaroni and cheese when cheese is on sale.

Sometimes the simplest meal is the one everyone eats.

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast foods are some of the cheapest foods you can put on the table.

And kids usually don't complain when you announce that dinner is pancakes!

Try:

• Pancakes
• French toast
• Scrambled eggs
• Biscuits and gravy
• Breakfast potatoes
• Homemade waffles
• Eggs and toast

You can add bacon or sausage if the budget allows, but you don't need meat to make breakfast-for-dinner filling.

Eggs, potatoes and toast can make a surprisingly inexpensive meal.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is another great way to stretch a small amount of meat.

You don't need a huge amount of chicken. Add frozen mixed vegetables, gravy and a homemade or refrigerated crust and you've got a hearty meal.

And leftovers can be portioned and frozen for easy lunches.

That's one of my favorite tricks for keeping homemade food convenient.

Baked Potato Bar

Potatoes are one of my favorite budget ingredients.

Bake several large potatoes and put out inexpensive toppings.

Try:

• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Chili
• Broccoli
• Bacon bits
• Butter
• Taco meat

Everyone can build their own potato, which makes this especially nice for families where everyone likes something different.

Spaghetti

You can't have a list of cheap kid-friendly meals without spaghetti!

A box of pasta and a jar of sauce can make dinner very inexpensively.

If you have ground beef or Italian sausage, add some to the sauce. Otherwise, meat isn't necessary.

You can also make a big batch of homemade spaghetti sauce and freeze it in portions.

Serve it with garlic bread and you've got an inexpensive family dinner.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets don't have to come from a drive-thru.

You can cut chicken into small pieces, coat them with breadcrumbs and bake them.

Make extra and freeze them for quick lunches.

Pair them with fries, homemade potato wedges, fruit or whatever vegetables your kids will actually eat.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

There is a reason this combination has been around forever.

Grilled cheese sandwiches are inexpensive, filling and kid-friendly.

Pair them with tomato soup for a quick dinner.

And don't be afraid to use whatever bread happens to be cheapest. This is a great meal for using up bread before it goes stale.

Quesadillas

Quesadillas are another fantastic "use what you have" meal.

Put cheese between two tortillas and cook until crispy.

You can add:

• Chicken
• Beans
• Taco meat
• Corn
• Peppers
• Leftover vegetables

Serve with salsa or sour cream.

They're also perfect for using up little bits of leftovers that aren't enough to make another meal by themselves.

Don't Forget the Cheapest Meals

Sometimes I think we make feeding a family harder than it needs to be.

A kid-friendly dinner doesn't have to involve expensive ingredients or a complicated recipe.

Some of the best budget meals are incredibly simple:

Pasta + sauce

Potatoes + toppings

Eggs + toast

Beans + rice

Cheese + tortillas

Ground beef + buns

Chicken + noodles

Those basic ingredients can become dozens of different meals.

My Biggest Budget-Friendly Meal Tip

I think the biggest trick to keeping family meals affordable is to cook enough to have leftovers—but not so much that the leftovers get forgotten.

If I'm making chili, I'll freeze some.

If I'm making pizza dough, I'll make extra.

If I'm making cookie dough, I'll freeze some for later.

If we're having chicken pot pie, I'll save individual portions.

That way, I am not only cooking dinner for tonight.

I'm also making future-me's life a little easier.

And honestly, future-me appreciates it!

When the kids are hungry, everyone is tired, and the temptation to grab fast food is strong, having a few inexpensive homemade meals ready to go can make a huge difference.

Cheap food doesn't have to mean boring food.

With a few inexpensive staples, a little planning and a freezer that works for you, you can feed a family plenty of meals that are filling, comforting and kid-approved without blowing the grocery budget.