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       If you're looking for low-carb, high-protein dinners that don't require cooking for hours, these recipes got you covered. These dinner options are ready to serve in 3 steps or less so you can meet your nutrition goals easily. Each recipe l meets our nutrition parameters, with less than 14 grams of carbs and more than 15 grams of protein, without wasting on flavor. Recipes like 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce and Cheesy Ground Beef Cauliflower Casserole are delicious options for you to get a healthy meal on your table in no time.  Read More
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  6. 18 High-Protein Dinners That Are Budget-Friendly

18 High-Protein Dinners That Are Budget-Friendly

Alex Loh
Alex Loh Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD January 22, 2021
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan

Enjoy a hearty and affordable meal with these dinner recipes. These recipes use budget-friendly proteins like ground beef and chicken to create a filling dinner that has at least 15 grams of protein per serving. To get more bang for your buck, delicious recipes like Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan and Black Bean Tacos also utilize pantry staples like pasta and beans.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
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One sheet pan is all you'll need to whip up these zesty chicken fajitas. They're quick and easy to make and cleanup is even faster!

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Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

<p>Two of our favorite comfort-food sandwiches join forces in these family-friendly dinner sandwiches. We found that softer buns make this easier to eat, and it's all the better when wrapped takeout-style in a sheet of foil.</p>
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Two of our favorite comfort-food sandwiches join forces in these family-friendly dinner sandwiches. We found that softer buns make this easier to eat, and it's all the better when wrapped takeout-style in a sheet of foil.

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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.

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Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan

<p>This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.</p>
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This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

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Mini Meatloaves with Green Beans & Potatoes

Mini Meatloaves with Green Beans & Potatoes
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This healthy meatloaf recipe and side dishes are all made in the oven on two sheet pans so that everything's ready for the dinner table at the same time. The potatoes go into the oven first to start roasting while the mini meatloaves and green beans are prepped and added to the oven partway through.

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Black Bean Tacos

<p>Mixing mashed canned beans with whole beans and seasonings makes an incredibly simple taco filling from your pantry. Top these speedy 5-ingredient tacos with lettuce, tomato and salsa or any of your favorite taco toppings.</p>
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Mixing mashed canned beans with whole beans and seasonings makes an incredibly simple taco filling from your pantry. Top these speedy 5-ingredient tacos with lettuce, tomato and salsa or any of your favorite taco toppings.

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Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

<p>Making a pocket in the chicken breast to hold the stuffing is easy with a good, sharp, thin-bladed knife. Browning the chicken in a skillet before baking gives it a beautiful golden color, and finishing in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly throughout.</p>
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Making a pocket in the chicken breast to hold the stuffing is easy with a good, sharp, thin-bladed knife. Browning the chicken in a skillet before baking gives it a beautiful golden color, and finishing in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly throughout.

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Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
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Caramelized sweet potatoes and red onion are the bed for chicken thighs that cook up fast in a very hot oven--perfect for a quick healthy chicken dinner. Serve with a fall salad of mixed greens, sliced apples and blue cheese.

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Classic Mac & Cheese

<p>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.</p>
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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.

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Build-Your-Own Chicken Tacos

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This kid-friendly recipe keeps every element of tacos separate so your child can decide to eat them separately or have fun building their own mini tacos with their favorite toppings. Plus, it's perfect for packing into a bento box for a healthy lunch for school.

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Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

<p>Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce.</p>
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Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce.

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Roasted Chicken Tenders with Peppers & Onions

<p>Call this one an update of that favorite combo, sausage and peppers. Our healthy version can be served over rice or on a roll with a little shredded cheese for a new take on a Philly cheese steak sandwich.</p>
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Call this one an update of that favorite combo, sausage and peppers. Our healthy version can be served over rice or on a roll with a little shredded cheese for a new take on a Philly cheese steak sandwich.

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Spinach & Sausage Gnocchi

<p>Some like it hot--but if you don't, sweet Italian turkey sausage is also delicious in this healthy gnocchi recipe. Serve with a mixed green salad with sherry vinaigrette.</p>
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Some like it hot--but if you don't, sweet Italian turkey sausage is also delicious in this healthy gnocchi recipe. Serve with a mixed green salad with sherry vinaigrette.

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Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Roasted Zucchini

<p>We wrap tender chicken with strips of bacon that crisp up when placed under the broiler. It's a fast recipe for a satisfying, healthy meal.</p>
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We wrap tender chicken with strips of bacon that crisp up when placed under the broiler. It's a fast recipe for a satisfying, healthy meal.

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Chicken Gyros

Chicken Gyros
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Skip the takeout and make these easy, healthy gyros at home. Lean chicken breast is flavored with classic gyro seasonings and tucked into a whole-wheat pita with veggies and a cool tzatziki sauce. Look for tzatziki--Greek cucumber-yogurt sauce--near other prepared refrigerated dips like hummus and salsa.

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Mexican Skillet Lasagna

<p>This easy Mexican-inspired lasagna recipe replaces the noodles with tortilla strips that become like tender ribbons in the cayenne- and cumin-spiked tomato sauce. Topped with Cheddar and cream cheese, the lasagna is just as soulful as its Italian cousin and can be made on a busy weeknight in about 30 minutes using a single skillet. Excerpted from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, published by ABRAMS © 2017.</p>
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This easy Mexican-inspired lasagna recipe replaces the noodles with tortilla strips that become like tender ribbons in the cayenne- and cumin-spiked tomato sauce. Topped with Cheddar and cream cheese, the lasagna is just as soulful as its Italian cousin and can be made on a busy weeknight in about 30 minutes using a single skillet. Excerpted from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, published by ABRAMS © 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.</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.

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Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers & Onions

<p>These 15-minute quesadillas are a notch above basic with the addition of sautéed peppers and onions. Let the kiddos load them up with the toppings at the table.</p>
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These 15-minute quesadillas are a notch above basic with the addition of sautéed peppers and onions. Let the kiddos load them up with the toppings at the table.

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    1 of 18 Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
    2 of 18 Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
    3 of 18 American Goulash
    4 of 18 Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan
    5 of 18 Mini Meatloaves with Green Beans & Potatoes
    6 of 18 Black Bean Tacos
    7 of 18 Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
    8 of 18 Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
    9 of 18 Classic Mac & Cheese
    10 of 18 Build-Your-Own Chicken Tacos
    11 of 18 Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
    12 of 18 Roasted Chicken Tenders with Peppers & Onions
    13 of 18 Spinach & Sausage Gnocchi
    14 of 18 Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Roasted Zucchini
    15 of 18 Chicken Gyros
    16 of 18 Mexican Skillet Lasagna
    17 of 18 Chicken Sausage & Onion Pasta
    18 of 18 Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers & Onions

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    18 High-Protein Dinners That Are Budget-Friendly
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