Recipes Everyday Cooking Budget Cooking Recipes 5 Budget-Friendly Dinner Menus for Busy Weeks By Carl Hanson Carl Hanson Carl Hanson is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes who has been writing about food and wine for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating content that informs, entertains, and assists busy home cooks get nourishing meals on the table for their families. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on October 14, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo by NERDBOX. Meal planning is always time consuming. But when you're planning complete meals that are healthy, fuss-free, and also budget friendly, the degree of difficulty goes off the charts. We can simplify things for you. Here are five simple, budget-friendly meals that will help get you through even the busiest weeks. 01 of 05 Budget Pasta Night – Italian Style! FoodFan Less costly than spaghetti and meatballs, Spaghetti Carbonara calls on eggs, a little bacon, and Parmesan cheese to add big flavor to simple spaghetti noodles. Pair it up with a healthy mixed green salad with artichokes. Spaghetti Carbonara II Salad with Artichokes 02 of 05 Cheaper Chinese Menu Photo by Allrecipes. OkinawanPrincess Restaurant-style egg drop soup and a quick veggie-rich stir-fry are so easy on the budget, you'll have money left over to add in a few extras. Enjoy the stir-fry over cooked rice. Restaurant Style Egg Drop Soup Ginger Veggie Stir-Fry 03 of 05 Budget-Friendly Authentic Greek Menu Photo by Diana Moutsopoulos. Diana Moutsopoulos Our resident expert Diana Moutsopoulos describes authentic Greek cooking as "rustic, unfussy, and astonishingly simple, with most dishes relying on just a handful of ingredients." This menu is a great example, featuring fasolatha, the national Greek dish; a simple baked zucchini and potato dish, and Greek-style green beans. You might also like the best budget-friendly recipes for the Mediterranean diet. Fasolakia (Greek Green Beans) Briam (Greek Baked Zucchini and Potatoes) Fasolatha 04 of 05 Chili Night Menu Photo by NERDBOX. Here's an inexpensive and fast weeknight menu. If you like, garnish the turkey chili with shredded Cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro, and sour cream, and serve with a side of baked cornbread. If you're in a time crunch, it's also delicious with crackers. Simple Turkey Chili Homesteader Cornbread 05 of 05 Budget-Minded Roast Chicken Feast Photo by cookin'mama. To save money on roast chicken, choose smaller broiler/fryers. Roast the red potatoes along with the bird. Baby carrots gussied up with butter and dill make an inexpensive side. Spicy Rapid Roast Chicken Baby Carrots with Dill Butter Oven Roasted Red Potatoes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit