I’m all about quick and easy meals! The main meal that I focus on is dinner. I hear you thinking, what about other meals? Well, we start our days with an easy breakfast. We’re talking no frills here people…oatmeal, cereal, or fruit/yogurt. If I cook a hot breakfast that too is for dinner – see number seven 
Lunch the following day is left overs from dinner the night before.
!!!WARNING-ALERT-ALERT-ALERT!!! – these are not “weight-loss” recipes. However, these meals are cheap, quick and I can easily double or triple the recipes. We compensate for the carbs by not having junk food in our house. It’s another way we save money. We also don’t drink soda. Our drink choices are water or milk…or for something different, milk or water. I joke that I liven up the kids drinks by letting them add ice cubes. Yeah, I’m big fun {{{grin.}}}
1) Chicken Pot Pie – When I make this wonderful recipe I usually make 5 casserole dishes at one time. This recipe is great as a left-over. This is also an easy recipe for a preschooler to “help” with.
2) Chili– I have a pot of chili on the stove several times per month, year round. We love chili! I put whatever I have in it. I make it with beef or sausage, or both. I add in a variety of beans, corn, celery, onions, and crushed tomatoes.
3) Baked Potatoes – I do a “baked potato bar.” The kids have fun putting on their own toppings. Usually the choices are butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits. I even put left-over chili on mine.
4) {Slow Cooker} Lasagna – I make two crock pots full of this. Everyone loves it. It saves so many extra dishes to wash.
5) Baked Spaghetti – Why make baked spaghetti? For me it again cuts out a few steps with the reheating process. All I have to do is reheat it like a casserole. Every time saver is a big deal!
6) {Slow cooker} pulled chicken BBQ- Yum, making this in the crock pot usually leads me to make easy homemade Coleslaw. I love a BBQ sandwich with hot sauce and Coleslaw on top – but that’s just me. My kids love BBQ sandwiches too. I usually serve it with corn.
7) Breakfast- You’re right, there’s not a link for the word “Breakfast,” but it’s blue and matches the rest of the list. Making sausage gravy is my newest acquired skill. It’s been a BIG hit! The kids say it tastes “just like Hardees,” so you know it’s good. We eat it over biscuits or toast. Also, don’t forget to try {slow cooker} French toast. It taste just like a giant sticky bun 
Of course, with our flock of chickens, fried eggs are a big favorite too.
8)Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo – This is another yummy, yummy recipe. My husband doesn’t care for the broccoli in it. I serve the broccoli on the side.
9) Tuna Noodle Casserole - Naomi loves making this with me. Besides my pre-cooking the noodles, she pretty much can make this herself. She’s going to be such a good little mommy one day.
10) {Slow Cooker} Roast with gravy - In addition to this recipe, I add one 26 oz. can of Cream of Mushroom soup with my roast. As the roast simmers all day it makes its own gravy. This goes great with homemade mashed potatoes! {Here’s a quick save-yourself-the-trouble-tip, when you make mashed potatoes don’t peel them first. Put them in the water to boil with the skins on. After they’re done boiling you can easily pull the skins right off. Who knew?!}
Looking for other meal-time & money-saving inspiration?
What are some of your favorite quick and easy recipes? Feel free to leave a recipe or question in the comments!
This post made me very hungry!
These sound delicious. I plan to try a few. Thanks for sharing.
These are so quick! I think you'll love them
These look yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Another time saving trick for mashed potatoes is to bake the potatoes (using Idahos) and then mix it in the mixer with the skins on – they are nice and fluffy and the skins are healthy for you! win-win
That’s a good one!
I just found your website and am amazed! Thank you for your time and effort! I love your recipes, but I have some picky eaters. What is your take on picky eaters and do you have any? I think that is one of the things that I give in to too often that adds up $$$!!!
I have come across many blogs. Budget friendly recipe blogs, cost cutting blogs, cheap recipe blogs, now that we home school for first time this year. I have found some nice Home school blogs for this newbie. I just have to say not a lot of them keep my attention. There is maybe 1 article I may find interesting. Then that is about it. I have to say. I love.. love… love… Did I mention LOVE your blog. Being a new home school family. Being a very low income family. I mean very low. We find ourselves making sure our children eat we may go without or very little ourselves. Due to health issues I lost my job. Hubby is only working part-time. So it is tight to say the least. I love your blog. It is giving me great ideas to help us cut our costs a lot. Just like we need. So I have been blessed finding your blog. Thank you for all great information. I find myself checking out all your great posts for hours now. So thank you.