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  6. 18 Budget-Friendly Sunday Dinners

18 Budget-Friendly Sunday Dinners

Alex Loh
Alex Loh Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD April 05, 2020
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Make an affordable and delicious meal this Sunday with these dinner recipes. These recipes focus on pantry-friendly ingredients like pasta and potatoes. Recipes like Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes and Classic Mac & Cheese are healthy, tasty and perfect for the whole family.

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Shredded Chicken Tacos

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This taco recipe is a great choice for midweek dinners, even if it's not Taco Tuesday! Instead of beef, we use moist, boneless chicken thighs and to make things easier for you, the taco filling is cooked in a slow cooker, so you can prepare it in the morning and come home to a delicious meal. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Quick Turkey Meat Sauce

Quick Turkey Meat Sauce
Credit: Christine Ma
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This lean Bolognese is made with ground turkey instead of ground beef and the result is just as delicious! Plus, finely chopped mushrooms are incorporated into the sauce (undetected!) for an easy way to eat more vegetables. Serve this healthy, hearty sauce with your favorite pasta, or over polenta with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2018

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Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

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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. Source: EatingWell Magazine, February/March 2006

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Pressure-Cooker Chicken, Potatoes & Peppers

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Simple ingredients like chicken thighs, potatoes and bell pepper turn fall-off-the-bone tender in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot in just minutes. A splash of vinegar and a sprinkle of scallion just before serving add zing to this classic family dinner. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018

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Basic Meatloaf

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While meatloaf purists focus on the meat, we like to look at meatloaf as a way to pack extra veggies and whole grains into a meal, as we do in this healthy, classic meatloaf recipe. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2013

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Tofu & Vegetable Scramble

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Feel free to customize this speedy tofu and vegetable scramble with your favorite combination of vegetables and spice. Try to use veggies that will all cook at the same rate, like peppers, green beans and sugar snap peas. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2017

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Chicken Sausage & Onion Pasta

<p>Convenient fully cooked chicken sausage is a great flavor starter for this easy pasta recipe with just three ingredients you can keep stocked in your freezer or pantry for fast dinners. Just add some sautéed onions and pasta and you have a super-simple meal that the entire family will love. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2018</p>
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Convenient fully cooked chicken sausage is a great flavor starter for this easy pasta recipe with just three ingredients you can keep stocked in your freezer or pantry for fast dinners. Just add some sautéed onions and pasta and you have a super-simple meal that the entire family will love. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2018

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Classic Mac & Cheese

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No sneaky ingredients here, just delicious comfort food. You can enjoy this super-cheesy mac and cheese in the same time it takes to cook the boxed version. Whole-wheat noodles add fiber, while sharp Cheddar adds richness. A hefty twist of black pepper balances the cheese's salty tang. Source: EatingWell.com, August 2018

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Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

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You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2018

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Chicken Parmesan Pizza

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Upgrade pizza night with this recipe makeover that combines two all-time favorites--pizza and chicken Parm--into one quick and easy pizza (no dipping and breading required!). Source: EatingWell.com, March 2018

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Black Bean Quesadillas

Black Bean Quesadillas/strong/abr• 6 whole-grain tortilla chips/p
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In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. We like them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. If you like a little heat, be sure to use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. Serve with: A little sour cream and a mixed green salad. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2010

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Pressure-Cooker Chicken & Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

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Satisfy your Mexican-food craving with this healthy recipe. Just dump all your ingredients into an electric multicooker, such as the Instant Pot, in this easy recipe for flavorful arroz con pollo. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2017

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Hamburger Buddy

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Very finely chopping onion, mushrooms and carrots in the food processor is not only fast--it makes the vegetables hard to detect for picky eaters. They also form the base for the sauce of this ground beef skillet supper. Make it a meal: Serve with a green salad. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2007

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Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Credit: Katie Webster
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Casseroles make perfect meal-prep dinners--this enchilada version is so easy to prep ahead. The whole casserole can be built and left to hang out in the refrigerator for up to three days. Then all you have to do is bake it off on a busy night and you have a healthy dinner on the table in a jiff. The quick homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe is great when you don't have any of the canned sauce on hand--just season crushed tomatoes with spices and salt for an instant enchilada sauce. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2018

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American Goulash

American Goulash
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American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can cook in just one pot. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2018

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Crispy Ranch Drumsticks

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This easy kid-friendly dinner pairs healthier oven-fried chicken with crisp, raw vegetables and a homemade ranch dressing for dipping. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2017

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Easy Chicken Fried Rice

Easy Chicken Fried Rice
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Frozen mixed vegetables make this healthy chicken fried rice recipe quick, easy and economical. If you don't have leftover cooked rice, be sure to thoroughly cool your rice before adding it to the wok--if it's too warm, it creates too much steam and sticks to the wok. To quickly cool warm rice, spread it out on a large baking sheet and refrigerate while you prep the rest of your ingredients, about 15 minutes. Source: EatingWell.com, November 2017

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Zucchini Rice Casserole

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We pack extra vegetables into this cheesy baked rice casserole. Plus we substitute brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage for pork sausage. If you're bringing it to a potluck, plan to reheat it before serving. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2009

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    1 of 18 Shredded Chicken Tacos
    2 of 18 Quick Turkey Meat Sauce
    3 of 18 Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes
    4 of 18 Pressure-Cooker Chicken, Potatoes & Peppers
    5 of 18 Basic Meatloaf
    6 of 18 Tofu & Vegetable Scramble
    7 of 18 Chicken Sausage & Onion Pasta
    8 of 18 Classic Mac & Cheese
    9 of 18 Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale
    10 of 18 Chicken Parmesan Pizza
    11 of 18 Black Bean Quesadillas
    12 of 18 Pressure-Cooker Chicken & Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
    13 of 18 Hamburger Buddy
    14 of 18 Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
    15 of 18 American Goulash
    16 of 18 Crispy Ranch Drumsticks
    17 of 18 Easy Chicken Fried Rice
    18 of 18 Zucchini Rice Casserole

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    18 Budget-Friendly Sunday Dinners
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