20 Quick & Easy Frugal Meal Ideas

At some point, we’ve all needed some quick & easy frugal meal ideas to get us through the month, but with the skyrocketing price of groceries, lately, we may be needing them more!

When our money was super tight and I had 3 hungry kids at home, I was constantly trying to come up with ways to stretch my grocery dollars and create filling meals that actually tasted good.

Sometimes, I would get really creative and sometimes I just needed to get food on the table.  Sound familiar?  Well, I had several stand by meal options that I would use and I have to say, my kids loved these options.  The simpler the better!

So, I sat down the other day and started reminiscing about those days and I even asked my 3 kiddos to help remember some of their favorites.  They actually remembered some that I had totally forgotten about.

These quick & easy frugal meal ideas aren’t just for kids, either.  I loved each & every one of them. Any adult would also like these mainly for the ease and most are made with basic ingredients that most of us have in our pantry or refrigerator. Some can be modified to be made a little healthier, if needed.  Feel free to tweak them as you wish!

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you buy a suggested product, I will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.  For more information, see my disclosure page.

20 quick & easy frugal meal ideas

Quesadillas

This is one of my boy’s all time favorites!

You’ll need:

• Tortillas (your choice of flour or corn) 2 per quesadilla
• Shredded cheese of your choice. I usually use Colby jack.
• Optional – leftover taco meat, shredded chicken, refried beans.
• Cooking spray or butter

how to make them:

All you have to do is heat a skillet and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Place your tortilla in the skillet, grab a handful of cheese (and whatever else your putting on it ) and place it on the tortilla. Put another tortilla on top and brown each side for about 2 minutes. Place on a plate and cut into 4ths with a pizza cutter.  Serve with sour cream & salsa!

French bread pizzas

The first time I made these for my kids, they were in awe! They had been bugging me for pizza and even 20 years ago, take out pizza was expensive. I went to the grocery store and grabbed a few ingredients and VIOLA! Super easy & deeeee-licous!!

You’ll need:

• 1 loaf of French bread
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzerella cheese
• Topping suggestions – pepperoni, ground sausage, ground beef, bacon, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper.  The sky’s the limit here.
• Butter (optional)

How to make them:

Slice your French bread in half, horizontally.  Then, slice your 2 long pieces in the sizes that you want each pizza to be. Usually, you can get 6 good size pizza’s from one loaf of French bread…8 pizzas if you slice them a little smaller.

This next step is not necessary, but it sure does take it to the next level.  Put a few tabs of butter on each bread slice and place under the broiler in your oven for a couple of minutes.  Watch them until they start to slightly brown.

Remove from the oven and take a couple of tablespoons of the pizza sauce and spread over each slice of bread. Then you can layer your ingredients, according to your preference. What I do is I put the sauce on first, a handful of cheese, then whatever ingredients your are using.  If you really love cheese, then you can top the ingredients with a little more cheese.

Place under the broiler again until the cheese is melted. Remove and serve! I usually add a salad to go with my pizza.  These are absolutely wonderful AND kid approved!

Crescent roll pizzas

My grandson LOVES these! When my daughter made these the other night, he told her that she was the “best cooker, ever!!”

You’ll need:

• 1 can of crescent rolls
• Shredded cheese (pizza cheese or mozzarella)
• Pepperoni slices
• Pizza sauce (optional) She didn’t use this because her other son doesn’t like tomato sauce.
• Ranch dressing for dipping (also optional)

how to make them:

Roll out your crescents and separate. Put some cheese and a couple of pepperonis on the triangle and roll up, starting at the widest end. Bake according to directions on the package.  Can’t get any easier.

Grilled cheese sandwich & tomato soup

You can’t get any more simple than a soup & sandwich. I’m pretty sure everyone knows how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, but just in case you don’t, here’s what you do.

You’ll need:

• 2 slices of bread
• 1 handful of cheese of your choice. (I prefer Colby Jack)
• Mayonnaise (optional)
• Butter or cooking spray
• 1 can of whole or diced tomatoes

how to make it:

Heat your skillet and either spray with cooking spray or put a few tabs of butter onto your bread slices. If you want to take your GC to the next level, put a thin coat of mayo on each bread slice (on the inside, with the cheese). Place the bread into the hot skillet and add your cheese. Top with 2nd slice of bread (don’t forget to add your tabs of butter.) Brown on one side and then flip it over & brown the other.

For the tomato soup, you can certainly buy or make your own tomato soup, but I prefer canned tomatoes. I put them in a sauce pan and add a Tbsp of butter and a Tsp. of low sodium soy sauce. If I’m using whole tomatoes, I will take a knife and cut them up. If you’re using diced tomatoes, you won’t need to do this. Heat it to bubbling. (Don’t boil!)

Serve the tomatoe “soup”  & grilled cheese sandwich for an easy & satisfying lunch or dinner!

Poor man’s beef stroganoff

This was one of my favorite recipes from my childhood!  It was quick & easy for my mom to make, it was delicious and it could feed a crew! (Click the link for the recipe)

Pancakes from scratch

In this day & age, just about everyone I know makes pancakes from a mix.  It’s cheap & extremely easy. But…when I was a kid, those mixes weren’t around too much and if they were, they were on the pricey side. My mom never used mixes. She always made them from scratch and let me tell you…They were deeeee-licious!!

They’re made with basic pantry staples.  Flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, salt & milk is all it takes to have the best tasting pancakes (or hot cakes) you’ll ever eat!

You’ll need:

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Butter
• Canola oil

how to make them:

Combine the dry ingredients, but don’t sift. Slowly add the milk, the beaten eggs  & the vanilla. Do NOT over beat the batter. You just want to stir enough to combine all the ingredients. Over stirring will result in chewy pancakes.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet. You can test by dropping a tiny bit of batter into it. If it bubbles, it’s ready.

Pour about a 1/4 cup of pancake batter to the skillet. Let cook until bubbles form on the surface and edges are dry. Flip it over and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Top with a pat of butter, maple syrup or powdered sugar and serve!

Potatoe pancakes

This use to be one of my favorite treats that my mom would make for my German grandfather (her father in law) when he would come and visit. It was a recipe that he passed to her and we LOVED it!

It calls for grated potatoes but a shortcut that I like to use (instead of grating the potatoes myself) is shredded hash browns, which cuts the work in half!

• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 4 large potatoes, peeled or 1 bag of shredded hash browns
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper & garlic powder 1/4 tsp each
• Canola oil

how to make them:

Using a Grater, finely grate potatoes; drain any liquid. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add egg, onion, flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder; mix well.

In a large skillet, heat 1/8 in. of oil over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls; press lightly to flatten. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately.

Potato soup

If I had a nickel every time I made this…I have a great recipe for the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana here, on the blog, but the potato soup that I use to make was a basic recipe with simple ingredients.  It was still extremely delicious AND super cheap to make!

You’ll need:

• 5-6 russet potatoes
• 1 medium size onion (chopped)
• 2 cups milk, half & half or cream.
• Water
• Salt & pepper
• Optional – Cheese, bacon bit’s or pieces
• Crackers or cornbread

how to make it:

Peel your potatoes and dice them up. Put them, along with the onion, in a stock pot or dutch oven and put just enough water to cover them.  Add about a tsp of salt and cook them until tender on a medium heat.

Drain about half of the water, then add the milk. Heat them back up just until they begin to boil. Remove from heat and mash a few of the potatoes.

Serve in bowls and top with cheese and other toppings if desired. Goes well with cracker or cornbread.

French onion soup

This was considered “fancy soup” to me when I was a kid, but boy!  Was it good!  It’s very filling and is great anytime of year, but especially when it’s a little nippy outside!

You’ll need:

• 4 cups of thinly sliced onion (3-4 large onions)
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Toasted French bread slices
• Shredded or slices of Swiss cheese

how to make it:

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the onions, pepper & sugar and cook until onions caramelize. (About 15-20 minutes). You’ll need to stir these often to keep them from burning. Once theyre done, stir in the beef broth & Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each one with a slice of bread. Place cheese on top, place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the  until cheese bubbles and browns slightly…about 3 minutes.  Serve immediately. This soup also goes great with a salad!

Poorman’s stew

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 lg. onion
• 1 pkg. fresh carrots, diced or use 1-2 cans of carrots
• 4-6 potatoes, diced
• 1 can of peas (drained)
• 1 can whole or dices tomatoes
• 3 cans tomatoes sauce
• Salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

How to make it:

Cook ground beef and onion in a skillet.  Then, season, drain and combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender. You can also add 1/2 cup of rice, if desired.

If you’re using a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Serve with cornbread or crackers.

Breakfast jacks

This was one of our favorite stand by’s when I didn’t know what I was going to cook or I hadn’t been to the grocery store. These, served with French fries or chips made everyone happy!

You’ll need:

• Bread
• Eggs (one per sandwich)
• Bacon (or sausage)
• Cheese (We like shredded Colby Jack)
• Mayo

How to make them:

Cook your bacon first. 2 pieces per sandwich is plenty. While your bacon is cooking, spread the mayo on each slice of bread. Next, cook your egg in a small frying skillet. We prefer our eggs to be cooked with a hard center for these sandwiches, but you do it the way you prefer.

Right before the egg is done, put your cheese on one of your bread slices, then place the hot egg on the cheese. Take your bacon and break each piece in half and place on top of the egg. Put the other bread slice on top and serve! French fries go great with these!

Omelets

An omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan. It is quite common for the omelet to be folded around fillings such as chives, vegetables, mushrooms, meat, cheese, or some combination of the above. They certainly aren’t just for breakfast, either.

You’ll need:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp grated cheese, any kind
• 1-2 pieces of cooked, crisp bacon, crumbled or cooked sausage patty chopped up
• 2-3 Tbsp of veggies of your choice (cooked & chopped)..i.e. broccoli, spinach, onions, mushrooms, etc. (Optional) 

How to make it:

1. Beat the eggs: Use two or three eggs per omelette. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork.
2. Melt the butter: Use a small nonstick skillet for a 2-egg omelette, melting the butter over medium-low heat. Keep the temperature low.
3. Add the eggs: Let the eggs sit for a minute, then use a heatproof silicone spatula to gently lift the cooked eggs from the edges of the pan. Tilt the pan to allow the uncooked eggs to flow to the edge of the pan.
4. Fill the omelette: Add your fillings when the eggs begin to set, but don’t overstuff the omelette. Cook for a few more seconds.
5. Fold and serve: Fold the omelette in half. Slide it onto a plate with the help of a silicone spatula.

Serve with toast or potatoes. You can top your omelet with salsa, sour cream and/or avocados and you can change up the type of cheese you use. This is such a versatile entree that’s great for any meal…breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Chicken mac & cheese

If you’re looking for a quick, easy, delicious, kid pleasing recipe, here ya go!  Easy Macaroni Chicken Casserole has been a family favorite of ours for many years.

This recipe can be easily modified to a healthier version and is still a very rich, creamy and delicious.  It’s comfort food, at it finest.  I’m mean, after all…what’s not too love?  All you need is to pick a veggie for your side and BOOM!  Dinner is served! (Click link for recipe!)

Baked chicken

In light of rising food prices, whole chickens are still relatively cheap.  They’re still less than $1.00 per pound and incredible easy to fix.  I like roasting/baking mine in the oven, but you can certainly find a dozen other ways to cook it.

You’ll need:

• 1 whole chicken (remove giblets)
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 1 medium onion

How to make it:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your chicken and remove the giblets.  Pat it dry and place it breast side up in a small roaster or a 13×9 casserole dish. Season it liberally inside and out with salt and pepper and sprinkle the inside and out with garlic powder. Place 3 tablespoons of butter in the chicken cavity. Slice the rest of the butter into thin dollops & slide some under the skin on top of the breast. (about 4). Then, arrange dollops of the remaining butter around the chicken’s exterior.

Bake uncovered about an 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. You can usually tell when it’s ready if the meat is beginning to separate from the bone on the legs. (Internal temp needs to be about 180 degrees F.)

Remove from heat, and baste with the drippings. Serve with a couple of sides & enjoy!

Tacos

This is one of my go to meals on those super busy days. You can literally have tacos on the table in less than 20 minutes. This also makes a great freezer meal.  Make up your taco meat and put in a freezer bags and all you have to do is heat it up!

You’ll need:

• 2 lbs ground chuck
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• Taco shells (We like the hard shells, but you can also use soft flour or corn tortillas)
• Toppings – lettuce, chopped tomatos, onions, avocados
• Shredded cheese
• Salsa

how to make them

Add your ground beef to a skillet to brown. Drain grease in strainer and large bowl.  Next, mix the taco seasoning packet with 2/3 cup water and add mix to beef. Bring to a boil, then simmer.

Heat your taco shells according to the package and put everything together and serve.

Salsa chicken

Salsa chicken

• 4  Frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1  16 oz. jar of salsa
• 1  can cream of chicken soup (optional)
• 1  cup sour cream (optional)

how to make it:

Place chicken in a 3-5 qt. slow cooker (crockpot).  Pour salsa over the top.  If you prefer a creamier version, add 1 can of cream of chicken soup.  (It’s delicious both ways.)  Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or on high 3-4 hours.  Shred chicken by pulling apart with two forks.

If you prefer to use sour cream instead of the soup, add about an hour before it’s done, but don’t use both.

We like to put this on flat, tostada shells and add cheese, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and sour cream on top.  You can also use the salsa chicken in making enchiladas, tacos or whatever you can think of.  It’s very versatile, easy and inexpensive!

Roll ups

These are also call breakfast burrito but they’re not just for breakfast! They’re super filling and if you make a batch of them you can freeze them for when you need a quick breakfast or dinner

You’ll need:

• 1 lb of sausage
• 1 pkg small flour tortillas
• 6 eggs
• Shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
• Salsa and/or sour cream (optional)

how to make them:

Brown sausage in crumbles and then scramble your eggs. Assemble roll ups by laying out the tortillas, dividing your sausage crumbles and scrambled eggs onto each tortilla. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and add a spoonful of salsa, if you wish. Roll them up and enjoy!

If you want to make extra and freeze, roll them up and place them seam side down in a freezer bag and freeze. When you’re ready to eat them, take them out and wrap in a paper towel and microwave for about a minute. (Microwaves vary)

Baked potatoes

Baked potatoes are a super frugal and easy meal! Most microwaves have a “potato” button on them making it super easy and quick to cook them!  If yours doesn’t have one, cook an average size potato for 2-3 minutes, flipping them over and cooking another minute.

How to make them:

If you have a little time and want to make them taste like a restaurant style baked potato, take a little bit of olive oil or canola oil and rub them down. Then, take Kosher salt (table salt will also work) and rub all over the skin.  Poke them with a fork, wrap them in foil and pop them into a 350 degree oven for an hour or so, depending on the size. You can check them by poking them with a fork or giving them a slight squeeze.  If they’re soft, they’re done!

Once your potatoes are cooked, top them with butter (or margarine), cheese, sour cream, bacon pieces, barbecue sauce, salsa, chili, salt and pepper, seasoned salt, or other favorite toppings.

Hot dogs

Hot dogs were another go-to when I needed quick & easy frugal meal ideas when my kids were at home! I preferred Oscar Meyer weiners, but there were times when I would opt for the less expensive store brands.  Maybe not the best, but the kids couldn’t tell the difference.

You’ll need:

• 1 pkg weiners
• 1 can of hot dog chili (Always bought store brand)
• Hot dog buns (or bread…way cheaper)
• Optional toppings – shredded cheese, chopped onions, relish
• Mustard (or ketchup)
• Chips or fries

how to make them:

You can either grill your weiners, microwave them or warm them in a pot of hot water.  You basically put them together by putting the wiener in the bun with mustard, top with the chili and cheese (and any other toppings of your choice). Serve with chips or French fries.

Easy texas chili

This is another favorite that’s especially good on a chilly night! With so few ingredients, it’s hard to believe that it’s packed full of so much flavor.  If your ground chuck is thawed, you can literally have this on the table in a little over 30 minutes!  It makes plenty and if you can’t eat all of it, freeze the leftovers and you’ll have a quick meal for another night when you don’t have time to cook!

Beans & rice

Not only are they cheap AND delicious, but beans are a great source of protein & fiber. A pound of dry pinto beans runs right around a $1 a bag. They’re easy to fix and you can make them stretch, when it comes to adding them to your meal rotation. You can stretch them even further by serving them over rice!

You’ll need:

• 1 16oz bag of pinto beans. (You can also fix Navy beans or great northern beans the same way.)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• Salt
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• 3 strips of bacon (or a ham bone)

how to make them:

First thing you need to do is to sort your beans.  I spread them out on the kitchen table and start going through them, looking for rocks & ugly beans. I keep a colander in my lap and pull out the good beans, putting them into the colander and move the rocks & ugly beans to one side.  Once they are sorted, I put the colander in the sink and wash them.

Most recipes call for soaking and I do this if I think about it ahead of time. Just put them in a bowl or pot, cover with water and let them soak overnight.  This helps to cut the cooking time down some.

Put the beans into a Stockpot or dutch oven and add 4 cups of water, the chopped onion, the bacon, 3-4 good shakes of chili powder, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook over a consistent simmer for 3-4 hours. Be sure to stir every 30 minutes to make sure none of the beans are sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the beans are tender and creamy in texture, they are ready.

What kinds of quick & easy frugal meal ideas do you use when you’re trying to stretch your grocery dollars? Did you grow up eating any of these dishes? Let me know in the comments!

For more money saving, frugal living tips, be sure to subscribe to Love To Frugal so you never miss a post!  You can also join our Love To Frugal community by following me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram