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Author: Admin | 2025-04-27
High standards on a dime? These inexpensive meals are for you.Photography by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling by Elizabeth JamieLooking for some cheap dinner ideas? Sure, we all are—and we wholeheartedly believe that you can cook well while spending less. Whether you’re saving money for rent, future travel plans, or because the cost of everything is just too damn high, you can still make a delicious dinner. It just takes some clever techniques and inexpensive ingredients such as rice, pasta, beans, frozen produce, and chicken thighs. Turn your stash into spicy one-pot kimchi and squash mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food; pantry-staple pasta; or turmeric-infused red lentils and spinach.Here are our favorite ways to prove that a cheap meal can also be the best meal.Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma RingnessPasta With 20 Cloves of GarlicThe cheap and delicious meal to begin our collection of cheap dinner ideas is comprised of mainly pasta and garlic. Toasted nutritional yeast, full of umami, also pushes this easy recipe into a deeply savory, deeply tasty zone.Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina BevilacquaSmoky, Spicy Creole Red Beans and RiceThe relatively long ingredient list—kidney beans, bell peppers, celery, parsley, rice—might not read as a budget meal, but the most expensive item is the andouille sausage. Plus, you can feed six people with this one dish.Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie TheodorouVegetarian EnchiladasBeans, beans, they’re good for your heart—and also your wallet. These veggie enchiladas feature a charred tomatillo salsa verde, Cotija cheese, and, yes, creamy pinto beans. (That same filling would work well in burritos, too.)Photo by Emma FishmanBA’s Best Chicken ParmesanAlthough you’re only using four breasts, this chicken parm recipe will feed up to eight people. If there happen to be leftovers, that meat and mozzarella and marinara make for a great sandwich the next day.Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina BevilacquaLemony Zucchini With Sour Cream and DillGiving chunky zucchini pieces a hard sear develops lots of texture and color while minimizing sogginess. The dilly sour cream provides a garlicky counterpart.Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean DooleyChicken and Green Bean Stir-FryWhen you need a weeknight-friendly recipe that doubles as a cheap dinner idea, stir-fry is the answer. The method is really just about cooking whatever ingredients you’ve got over high heat, seasoning them, and serving them with rice.Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole LouieKimchi QuesadillasIs there ever a bad time for a quesadilla? This one is easy, cheesy, and a smart way to finish up that jar of kimchi hanging out in the fridge.Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko TakahashiCrispy Baked Tofu NuggetsAlthough we (and most of our readers) love the mixture of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder on these vegan nuggets, one commenter was less impressed. If you too crave something bolder, try
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