Mission Impossible: Feed your family dinner for under $5. Do you accept this mission? We actually think this mission is completely possible! That's why we pulled together this list of easy, inexpensive dinners your kids will want to eat. Because that's the real trick, right? We like saving money, but we LOVE it when our kids actually eat what we cook for them.
Here are six kid-friendly recipes that should cost around $5 or less. You can put your own spin on each of them, too. And we have to tell you, just looking at these dishes is making us hungry!
*Images ©iStock.com/tanukiphoto; *©iStock.com/TatyanaGl
Sloppy Joes Sliders
Did you know you can make Sloppy Joes with canned tomato soup? It's a brilliant shortcut for this classic. Use this Easy Sloppy Joes recipe and swap hamburger buns with slider buns to make it extra kid-friendly.
Split Pea Soup
What's the key to the ultimate split pea soup? Ham hocks, which you can buy for about $2 a pound! The rest of the ingredients in this classic soup are super cheap. Make this Easy Split Pea Soup recipe on the first chilly day of fall.
Tex Mex Rice & Beans
This Tex Mex Restaurant Style Rice recipe will taste great with some beans. Canned beans are inexpensive as it is, but try cooking dried beans in the Crock-Pot for an even cheaper option.
Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs
Even kids who categorically hate squash like spaghetti squash — but if yours still say yuck, try this recipe with regular spaghetti. You can make the meatballs in this Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs recipe with any ground meat that happens to be on sale: turkey, pork, or beef.
Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato
Satisfying and cheap! Bake your potatoes alone and then top them with steamed frozen or fresh broccoli. Or roast the broccoli with the potato. Here's how:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke all over with fork. Bake for 45 minutes. Cut potatoes in half and top with chopped broccoli (inch-size pieces). Bake another 15 minutes, top with shredded cheese, and bake a few minutes more until cheese is melted.
Refried Bean Tostadas
Kids love crunchy fried tortilla shells. This Mexican Tostada recipe can be made even cheaper if you leave out the avocado, jarred salsa, and cilantro. But if they're on sale and you love those ingredients, go for it!
