Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
updated Jun 26, 2023
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My family of four has started using a cash food budget and it has completely changed the way I think about grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal prep. Dinners that come in under $10 are a must! Luckily we don’t have to subsist on ramen noodles and
canned beans
these 10 family-friendly dinners are all under $10 a meal.
A note on pricing: Our costs were calculated based on grocery prices sourced from Instacart, so your local prices may vary. (We also assumed you had a few staple ingredients — like olive oil, salt, and spices — on hand already.)
Family Dinners Under $10
2
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10
Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet
Meet your new dinner favorite — a one-pot pasta riff on a Philly cheesesteak sandwich.
3
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10
5-Ingredient Baked Potato Soup
Spoiler: No baked potatoes are required for this soup. Just one freezer shortcut will get you from done to devoured in less than 30 minutes!
5
/
10
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Spooned over some steamed rice, this easy slow cooker tikka masala is about to make your busy days very happy indeed.
6
/
10
Slow Cooker Chicken Parm Meatballs
Slow cooker chicken meatballs loaded with Parmesan cheese cooked right in marinara sauce.
7
/
10
One-Pot BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls
Burrito bowls filled with tender spiced rice, beans, corn, and tangy barbecue chicken.
8
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10
9
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10
Chickpea and Cheddar Quesadillas
To make these quesadillas desk-lunch-friendly, we ditched the wedge cut for a technique that keeps the chickpeas and cheese nestled in a closed tortilla.
10
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10
One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
A classic budget dinner, I’d wager most of us grew up with some version of this casserole. I usually use about half as much chicken called for here and double up on the vegetables instead.
