Simple Family Dinners for Under $70 (Week #43)

I am a huge fan of simple meals that are quick and tasty! Aren’t you? Well this week we are really focused on quick and there is always a couple ways to make it even quicker!

For instance, you can pre-cook rice and some chicken this week so it’s ready to use for 2 of these dinners. That will easily cut your prep and cook time drastically!

Our budget for this weekly plan of 6 dinners and dessert was $70, and our total came out to $67.78! We priced this meal plan out at the Walmart Super Center in Buffalo, New York. As a bonus, most of the items on our menu this week are pantry staples and odd are good you already have some!

Family of 4 Dinner Ideas

This is a great week of meals especially if you just don’t have a ton of energy!

Grocery List

If you want to save time, you can check out My Walmart Grocery List for this week’s meal plan! *This is an affiliate link, and I do make a small commission on any purchases, but at no additional cost to you!*

Suppers for the Week

1. Philly Style Sandwiches with Homemade Fries & Green Beans

We saved money this week by using Ground Turkey, but you can easily make this dish with ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken, or sausage. (Use what you have!)

2. Chicken Bacon Ranch with Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Carrots

I love Bacon Ranch anything and this meal is no exception! As a bonus after you bake the chicken, you end up with a nice light gravy that works really well with mashed potatoes. We also chose baby carrots because you can leave them whole and skip the prep work of peeling and chopping carrots.

****Cook Ahead Moment****

Since you will have the oven on, go ahead and precook 1-2 chicken breasts for Dinner #4. You will need about 1.5 cups shredded or chopped chicken!

You can really cook all the rest of the chicken and just assemble Dinner # 6 as well.

3. Sausage and Rice Bake with Peas

This recipe does call for already cooked rice, so I usually make a quick pot on a night when I have a little extra time. You can also make this in a rice cooker when you get a chance and have it ready for an easy throw together meal!

4. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

This one can also be made with canned chicken! So, if you have some already, go ahead and use it!

If you love blue cheese, you totally switch out the ranch for blue cheese or add some blue cheese crumbles to the top!

5. Spinach Pesto Ravioli with Garlic Bread

This is a super easy meal that is perfect for those night you don’t want to stand over the stove. (I like to throw everything together, and then go fold laundry or help with homework. I can just set a timer and not have to stand there the whole time!)

6. Black Bean Chicken with Rice

If I have it available, I also love to add shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and avocado to this dish as well!

***This meal can be made with pre-cooked chicken either shredded or cut into chunks. This could easily be prepped ahead and just heated up for this night.

Dessert: Banana Pudding Cheesecake Cups

I just tried this for the first time a few days ago. My only suggestion for a tweak is to add a splash of vanilla to really up the flavor!

Low-Cost Fruit Options to Add:

I am a huge fan of adding fruit to dinners. This small, yummy part helps kids know they will love at least something on their plate.

So, whenever I have a little wiggle room in my budget, I try to pick up 2-3 fruits to add to meals. Here are some good options that you can this week! (Try mixing fresh fruit and canned fruit together for some added variety)

It’s also been shown that most Americans don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables, so add some to your dinner! (Remember you don’t need a ton of fruit either, just a 1/4 to 1/4 a cup can help fill you up.)

Free Printable PDF (Grocery List & Recipes)

This is a totally free print at home version of the meal plan. This will print on standard paper (8.5x11inches) unless you adjust it.

What about next week?

We really hope you enjoyed this week’s meal plan! If you want to see new menus every week, we encourage you to join our Facebook page where we post new menus every Saturday morning. Check it out here: Low Dough Family Facebook Page.

You can also join our email newsletter, so you get notified every time there is a new menu!