Healthy Recipes Healthy Mealtime Recipes Healthy Dinner Recipes Healthy Budget Dinner Recipes Quick Weeknight Dinners for $3 or Less By EatingWell Editors EatingWell Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Articles by "EatingWell Editors" are a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, articles are updated by a number of writers and editors over time to keep the information as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. The EatingWell team includes industry-leading food and nutrition editors, registered dietitians, expert Test Kitchen staffers and designers who produce award-winning journalism, delicious recipes and engaging content. Our work has earned more than 50 national and international awards for writing, editing, art direction, creative marketing and publishing excellence EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos When you're busy and trying to stick to a budget, dinner needs to be quick and cheap. But there's no need to skimp on delicious! Save money and time with these cheap and easy weeknight dinners your family will love, such as our cheap chicken recipes or budget-friendly fish dinners. 01 of 13 Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter View Recipe For this recipe, convenient store-bought potato gnocchi are tossed with delicate ribbons of zucchini, shallots and cherry tomatoes that have all been sautéed in nutty browned butter. Watch Video 02 of 13 Pork Chop Suey View Recipe Make this chop suey recipe as written or feel free to swap other veggies you have on hand—it's an adaptable recipe that lends itself well to a fridge clean-out meal. Serve over rice or noodles. 03 of 13 Inside-Out Lasagna View Recipe Here we take basic lasagna ingredients—ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes—and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette. 04 of 13 EatingWell Fish Sticks View Recipe You can make these homemade fish sticks in about the same amount of time it takes to bake a box of the frozen kind--with a fraction of the fat. 05 of 13 Turkey & Balsamic Onion Quesadillas View Recipe https://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/12021/quick-weeknight-dinners-for-3-or-less/attachment/2003164/. Not your traditional quesadilla, these feature deli turkey and Cheddar cheese, along with onions quickly marinated in balsamic vinegar. Serve with sauteed vegetables or a tossed salad for a quick meal. 06 of 13 BBQ Tofu Sandwich View Recipe Though vegetarian BBQ may be an oxymoron, once you take a bite of this delicious tofu sandwich topped with coleslaw and dill pickles you won't mind the contradiction. Serve with: Baked beans and corn on the cob. 07 of 13 Black Bean & Salmon Tostadas View Recipe Pickled jalapeños, cilantro and avocado perk up convenient canned salmon for a quick tostada topping. Skip store-bought and make your own crispy shells in the oven. Serve with: Brown rice cooked with diced tomatoes and onions or salsa. 08 of 13 Turkey & Tomato Panini View Recipe A creamy spread full of Parmesan and fresh basil cozies up to turkey and summer-ripe tomato slices for a savory hot sandwich that will quickly become a go-to mealtime solution. 09 of 13 Moo Shu Vegetables View Recipe This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired. 10 of 13 Black Bean-Avocado Torta View Recipe A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the "wrapper" is a hollowed-out roll instead of a tortilla. Here it's filled with mashed spiced black beans and a quick guacamole. Take this vegetarian version to another level (and add calcium) by melting Monterey Jack cheese onto the bean side of the sandwich. Serve with: Grilled corn on the cob or Spanish rice. 11 of 13 No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese View Recipe Not only is this ultra-creamy version of mac-and-cheese nearly as fast as the boxed variety, but your family will be able to pronounce every ingredient. If they aren't broccoli fans, substitute a frozen vegetable of your choice. Watch Video 12 of 13 Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes View Recipe Potatoes are one of the great comfort foods, especially when stuffed with a satisfying mixture of lean ground beef and broccoli florets plus reduced-fat sour cream and Cheddar cheese. Add a tossed salad and you have a healthy and hearty meal that will leave you feeling good. 13 of 13 Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata View Recipe This vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette. Watch Video Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit