On my YouTube channel, I recently shared some tips on how to make dinner for a large family. I shared ways to make food preparation easier as well as my best advice on feeding a lot of people. But I also wanted to provide more specific ideas on what meals to prepare for large families (that aren’t beans and rice), specifically those who are seeking budget-friendly options.
As a mom of six, I’ve had my share of budgeting food expenses. Being small business owners living on one income for almost two decades has taught me much about respecting the pocketbook. In addition to budgeting, I just want to maintain a consciousness of overall consumption. We garden when we can and truly wish to replenish as much as we diminish. With that being said, I know that many families are seeking to do the same.
How can I feed a large family for cheap?
Meal plan around sales ads, cook from scratch, cut down on food waste, utilize unpopular cuts of meats, and cook according to what’s in season.
Meal Planning- Consider checking your local sales ads before planning what meals to cook. For instance, a store may have a ten-pound bag of leg quarters on sale this week for $5. That’s a great sales price! You can plan meals according to that sale. Although leg quarters aren’t the most popular cut of chicken, you could get some tasty meals from it (I’ll share some ideas below).
Cook from Scratch– One of the biggest tips for feeding a family for cheap, and I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s true, and that is to cook from scratch. If you can make the carbohydrate and condiments portion of your meal, you can focus your budget on quality protein.
Buying things like seasoning packets, sauces, and dips can start to chip away at your overall budget when many can be made with ingredients that most of us keep on hand.
But learning to make your starches and carbs can really stretch your budget although, it will require cultivating some skill. Things like tortillas and flatbreads are easy to make and don’t require any special equipment. Even bread can be made more easily than you probably think. I’ve made bread by hand for about seven years now. All you need is flour, salt, and yeast which are all inexpensive, especially if you use wild yeast (or sourdough) as we do.
Cut Down on Food Waste- My grandmother used to say, “Waste not, want not” and it is so true! Cutting down on food waste can really save money. This is another skill that may require some learning but it’s totally worth it.
Made a whole chicken for dinner? Don’t throw away the bones, make a pot (or two!) of healthy, gut-healing, bone broth. Never throw away your day-old bread, make breadcrumbs or freeze them for stuffing. Got random veggies hanging around? Make a frittata or strata. You could get away with combining most vegetable combinations in a soup. Just recently I had about a cup of leftover sweet potatoes from a breakfast hash, I threw them in with leftover taco meat and we had the most delicious burritos for lunch!
Even use your sourdough discard. It makes delicious crackers, pancakes, and tortillas.
Use Unpopular Cuts of Meat– Remember when everyone was all “boneless skinless chicken breast everything”, then “boneless skinless chicken thighs everything”?? These fads had those cuts of chicken very desirable, thus the prices went up (hello supply and demand!) When making meals on a budget, it’s best to avoid these, unless they’re on sale. I previously mentioned leg quarters as an option. They’re typically the cheapest cuts of chicken right now and can be used in many ways. Arroz con Pollo and Stewed Chicken are a couple of my favorite recipes to use leg quarters or even barbecued chicken. You could also easily remove the bones and skin yourself if you wanted to use the chicken that way.
Another unpopular cut to use for beef is stew meat. This often goes on sale in the fall and winter months. Yes, this beef can be tough, but if you cook it long enough, it WILL get tender…and tasty. My favorite way to use stew meat is my beef tips and gravy recipe.
Cook Seasonally- Yet another tip that I’m pretty sure you’ve heard before, but it’s true! Buying fresh ingredients while they’re in season is money-saving. When certain fruits or vegetables are in season, they are in abundant supply from growers which makes the prices a bit lower. Ever try to buy pineapple in the middle of January? Not only is the taste less desirable, but the prices are significantly more expensive.
Save your fruit salads for the spring and early summer. Lean into the pumpkin and squash soups of late fall. Not only will it save some money, but you’ll receive more health benefits from eating this in-season, especially if you can find vegetables that are locally grown.
Dinner Ideas for Large Families on a Budget
Ground Beef Favorites- Burgers and Tacos
Ground beef is a favorite for large families for many reasons. One is that it is the least expensive way to get beef. But also, for its versatility and convenience. It can be thawed fairly quickly making it great for last-minute meals. I’ve thrown plenty of frozen ground beef in the instant pot when I forgot to thaw it.
Everyone in the family likes burgers and tacos. Also, the ingredients are versatile and suit many dietary needs. My older girls and I don’t eat as many carbs as the guys so we can do lettuce in place of buns and tacos.
Want to really stretch your ground beef? Add beans and rice to the tacos themselves. Want to stretch burgers? Add quick cooking, uncooked oats to the ground beef then form patties.
Whole Chickens
Whole chickens as opposed to purchasing chicken parts are the most cost-effective way to eat chicken (IMO). You can cook the chickens whole or cut them into parts yourself for way cheaper than it would cost to purchase a pack of chicken breast. Also, you have the added benefit of using the bones to make bone broth.
Tips on how to use a whole chicken: You could cut your chicken down to use the breasts to make a pot pie. Depending on the size of the chicken, this could feed a large family plus leftovers. The remaining chicken parts can be used in a stew or soup. One to two chickens can go far when you plan your recipes accordingly. I even like to cut chicken legs and thighs in half when making chicken stews to stretch it even further.
Canned Protein – Tuna and Salmon
When purchasing fish, canned is the least expensive option. Tuna salad and salmon croquettes or salmon patties are my family favorites. Tuna melts are another delicious and cost-effective meal. Especially if you can make your own bread and mayo to go along with it! Even a tuna casserole with homemade egg noodles can be made for pennies. This brings me to my next meal option…
Egg Noodles
Egg noodles can be made very inexpensively and add a carb option to meals. Especially if you can make your egg noodles at home. All you need is an egg and flour. One of the least expensive meal options on my list is egg noodles. To make buttered egg noodles is the cost of pennies in my house. We have backyard chickens, so we usually have eggs. Flour is a pantry staple, so we usually have it as well. And I almost always have frozen chicken bones to make bone broth. Make the egg noodles then cook them in chicken broth and you have a delicious, buttered egg noodle dish that’s practically free.
Egg noodles can be added to soups, served with ground beef, and even canned tuna. If you can find beef on sale, my beef tips and gravy is delicious and served over egg noodles.
Lentils
I wanted to be sure to include vegetarian protein options on the list as well. But even if you’re not vegetarian, lentils are a great, inexpensive protein source. They can be made into tacos, soup, chilis, and even salads. One of my favorite ways to eat lentils is Cajun spiced, along with rice as sort of a vegetarian take on dirty rice.
Potato Curry
Another vegetarian option is potato curry. This is a really filling meal. Serve it alongside rice and a salad and it’s nutritious as well. The leftovers are even more delicious. I like to place leftover potato curry inside homemade sourdough wraps for a quick yet satisfying lunch.
For more ideas on how to pair meals, check this out.
I hope these ideas are helpful in planning budget-friendly meals for you and your family. Have more large family dinner ideas? Comment below