Sometimes things come up in life – and we have to put our big girl panties on and live to a strict food budget…
But if you only know a handful of recipes and keep on recycling them week in and week out, things will definitely get boring.
I know we’ve given you so many recipe ideas over the years, but hey, if you are anything like me, I’d like my stuff nicely arranged in one place! This is why we thought of listing 98 frugal meal ideas in one post.
Come on, I know you want to bookmark it!
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Healthy Ham Veggie Cups
 | Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy is perhaps one of the easiest recipes on the entire website to make! You can use any type of sausages, I particularly like using Italian style as it gives it a bit of a kick. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Bacon and Veggie Slice Oh, nothing better than a piece of Bacon and Veggie slice for lunch, this is an easy-to-cook recipe that is tasty and filling for the family. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Healthy Ham Veggie Cups We used sliced ham as our pastry and the result of these healthy snacks jampacked with veggies is TASTY! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Sweet N Sour Pork Do your own takeaway at home with this yummy Sweet N Sour Pork recipe. You know exactly what has gone into it and it tastes even better than the takeaway one! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Sausage Casserole Sausage Casserole is an easy “all-in” recipe that provides a wonderful and complete dinner for the entire family! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Italian Stuffed Capsicums The humble mince makes another appearance in this yummy Italian recipe. Double points for frugality by using rice! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Honey Baked Chicken Pieces If you aren’t keen on chicken on the bone, you can substitute chicken pieces for breast but reduce the cooking time to prevent it from over-cooking. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Black Pepper Chicken If you love Asian dishes, you should try this stir fry recipe! The black pepper in this recipe adds depth to the flavour, and the capsicum perfectly complements everything. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Mexican Chicken Bake Mexican Chicken Bake is a good use of chicken thighs and cheese. Chicken and cheese can never go wrong in my opinion! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Chicken and Apple Croquettes Unlike store-bought sausages that are too salty and too fatty, this recipe is not only delicious but also full of nourishing ingredients like chicken, apple, and cheese! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Chicken and Bocconcini Pizzas For me, homemade pizza beats store-bought any day! Perhaps it’s because you know exactly what went into it? That’s the charm of frugal meal planning! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Mandy’s Moist Marinated Chicken This is my Mummy’s recipe. It is one of the most amazingly moist and tender recipes we have made to date. Best of all, it is super easy to make! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Slow Cooker Chicken-N-Dumplings There is a reason why Asian cuisine is popular in households — they’re so easy to make and they rarely cost too much! Add these dumplings to your recipe list. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Cheap And Simple Chicken Piccata It’s always smart to have a chicken recipe or two under your belt, which is why we’re fans of this Chicken Piccata. It might sound complicated, but it’s actually just a method for cooking the meat, and serving it with a sauce. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Aussie Chicken You don’t have to whip up something out of beans or rice to make a frugal meal. Sometimes, a frugal meal means something cheaper but just as delicious (if not more delicious!) than takeout! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Chicken Cucumber Salad You’ll never go wrong with a salad. Her recipe uses a creamy dill yoghurt dressing that is just the bomb! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Roasted Cabbage and Chicken One of the healthiest – and most frugal – way to cook is by roasting. Follow this recipe for a perfect chicken and cabbage roast! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Healthy One-Pan Honey Lemon Chicken Healthy One-Pan Honey Lemon Chicken is a family favourite among even picky kids. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and sour, healthy for parents and kids, and it tastes incredible! Grab the recipe here> |
Beef Recipes:
 | Mongolian Beef The yummy combo of soy sauce and peanut butter makes another appearance here, as well as frugal superstars, mince and rice! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Quick Minestrone Soup I love a hearty and filling Quick Minestrone Soup on a cold winter’s night”¦ with some crusty buttered bread, it makes for a wholesome and delicious meal. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting Your fussy eater wouldn’t be able to say no to this revamped classic dish. Feel free to use ground turkey in place of beef! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is a delicious mince mix that goes perfectly with pasta. It is a little more hearty than our traditional bolognaise sauce and freezes just beautifully! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Zucchini Meatloaf Squeeze in mega-nutrition to your kids’ meals with this recipe! This meatloaf is so tasty they wouldn’t even suspect a thing. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Bulk Spaghetti Bolognaise Bulk Spaghetti Bolognaise is a great way to save time and money in the kitchen as it is a family favourite and so versatile. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Chilli Minced Beef and Beans This is probably not the last recipe on this list that uses mince, and that’s because it’s probably the most frugal way to eat meat. Nevertheless, this recipe is incredibly tasty! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Beef Throw the meat and ingredients in and forget for hours. It always comes out so tender! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Beef Chorizo Sliders Here’s a more interesting take on sliders — chorizo adds more zing to the otherwise plain sandwich. Add an avocado slice on top to complete the flavour! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Cheesy Spinach Burgers Who says burger can’t be healthy? Add spinach (and lots of cheese) to your burger patties and your kids will be none the wiser. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Family Meat Pie Meat pies are my eldest son’s favourite food in the whole world, In fact, he would only eat meat pies if he could and he loves this version! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Corned Beef Pink Pie You simply can’t go wrong with this kind of comfort food”¦pastry, mashed potato, corned beef and white sauce (I know right!) and it is so amazing that even some of the children of our office staff went back for thirds! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Beef Stroganoff {Gluten Free Recipe} Beef Stroganoff is a family favourite, and I’m sure you have made this countless of times before. But this recipe is different — it is gluten-free! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Salt and Pepper London Broil Yummy doesn’t always mean complicated, and sometimes, the simpler the recipe, the more fantastic the result! You need to try this recipe because you will only need four ingredients for the rub. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Louigi’s Meatballs You haven’t eaten good meatballs until you have tried our tender marinated Louigi’s Meatballs. The trick is mixing the mince with milk. This breaks down the enzymes in the meat making them so tender, so succulent, your family will be begging you for more! Grab the recipe here> |
Fish Recipes:
 | Tuna Melts Tuna Melts are a cheap and easy meal to make for when money is tight! You’ll love eating it with soups, during lunch or dinner! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Sardines on Toast Jumpstart your mornings with this healthy breakfast! Not only is it chock-full of carbs and protein, it has a high level of omega-3 as well. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Tuna Mornay Tuna Mornay is a tremendously frugal dinner and tasty too! You can substitute the tuna for salmon if you aren’t a tuna fan. Best of all, you can feed a family of four for under $10! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Fish Stew Recipe This recipe for fish stew is not only very healthy but also easy to make. Reminders from the chef: use deveined shrimp and do not overcook the seafood! Grab the recipe here> |
 | 20-Minute Swai Stew This recipe takes literally only 20 minutes to make and is very economical because it uses ingredients that are already in your pantry. The olives give a nice flavour to the dish! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Fish Taco Recipe Are you a fan of tacos? Then remove the icky, fishy image of fish tacos from your mind because this beg to differ. She uses beer batter as it is light and airy! Grab the recipe here> |
 | White Wine Poached Salmon Fillets White Wine Poached Salmon Fillet might sound like a dish read from a high class resto’s menu, but we guarantee that it is much better made at home. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Tilapia Fillet Recipe How to make a fish dish taste better and more refreshing? Add citrus! This recipe uses lemon, orange, and grapefruit so there’s no shortage of vitamin C here. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Sweet and Tangy Oven Baked Salmon If you’re a fan of salmon, there aren’t too many recipes that do the fish justice like our Sweet and Tangy Oven Baked Salmon. Remember, you can add toasted sesame seeds on top, which you can toast in a pan just before tossing them on your salmon. Grab the recipe here> |
 | Effortless Fish and Potato Cakes Fish and Potato Cakes is so much better homemade than those bought in the shops. And what mum doesn’t love any quick, easy and delicious recipe? Grab the recipe here> |
 | Chilli Tuna Rice with Vegetables This lunch has everything you’ll possibly need in a good tuna meal – rice, a tonne of vegetables, and citrus. This is a great meal to take to work! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Tuna Salad for Lunches I buy those little tins of ‘tuna salad’ with tuna, corn kernels and mayonnaise and I love it smothered on fresh bread with butter and it is totally divine. But at $1.50 or so a can, it can really add up. Here’s how to make it easily at home (I bulk it up even further with pasta so it can be a meal on its own!) and it lasts up to three days in the fridge! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Fish Sticks You can use almost any kind of fish for this recipe as long as they are the white, fleshy type. She recommends frying these babies in very, very hot oil! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Fish risotto Cooking frugal dishes not only means stretching your meal budget but also aims to create food with as little waste as possible. This is a good recipe that minimises waste and helps the environment! Grab the recipe here> |
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Meatless Recipes:
 | Frugal Vegetarian Lasagne If you are after a Frugal Vegetarian Lasagne, then this is the recipe for you. Very easy and cheap to make, the whole family will love it! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Spinach Lasagna Rolls Adding veggies into pasta is a great way to sneak in some decent nutrition for the kids, and this lasagna recipe is no exception. The recipe also freezes well! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Frugal Bruschetta Frugal Bruschetta is a delicious start to a meal but it can also save you money too by filling up hungry tummies before a main meal. And if tomatoes are in season, then this truly is a frugal starter! Grab the recipe here> |
 | Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata Frittatas are on top of the list of the most frugal dishes ever! They easily extend a meal and they are really filling, too. This recipe, which uses green bell pepper and potatoes, is perfect for St. Paddy’s day. Grab the recipe here> |
| Green Plantain Empanadas with Cheese Filling | |
What are your go-to frugal recipes? Please share it with us!
