Our Allstars' Favorite Budget-Friendly Meals

Though they may sound fancy, Chef Mo stresses that no gourmet ingredients are needed for these fun-to-eat black bean cigars. "Canned black beans help save us from spending money on meat," she says. "And when it comes to this dish, you can add or remove almost anything you'd like."

This full-flavored Korean ground beef bowl is a family favorite in Carrie C's house. Which is a lucky break, as it's also become her easy and inexpensive go-to dish for whenever money is tight.

Have you completely run out of ideas for cooking chicken breasts? Fabeveryday blog drizzles hers with this elegant sauce, which is actually made from leftovers. "It saves me money during my weekly grocery shopping," she says about transforming forgotten fridge items like capers and cream. And it will save you from defaulting to your same-old chicken breast recipes!

What's more crowd-appropriate than chili, or kid-approved than mac n' cheese? JrBaker cleverly combines the two in this Chili Mac n' Cheese Bake, as an affordable way to feed multiple mouths on a budget.

"These are always good, especially when sweet potatoes go on sale," says Kim. "It makes quite a bit, so it's easy to stretch it into two meals as well. Plus, they're pretty quick and easy to make!"

"For me, budget-friendly means no steak, cuts of beef, or fish, because those cost more" says Allstar Lindsay. "I go chicken or vegetarian." Making use of frozen spinach, cheese, and eggs is especially cost-effective. And although quiche is commonly a breakfast item, Lindsay stresses that her family actually prefers it for dinner.

"This chicken chili fits the bill for a budget meal!" promises thedailygourmet. "I personally prefer to use leftover rotisserie chicken, but I almost always have frozen chicken breasts on hand." Considering it's actually won a chili contest, and can be adapted to cook in an Instant Pot, we'd definitely give this hearty recipe a go.