20 Family Dinners Under $20

I often grapple with what it means to be a “kid-friendly meal.” Kids, like adults, are all different, and what might be a welcome sight on the plate of one kid, could send another into hysterics. For my two kids, ages 13 and 7, I’m all about trying things multiple times, even when they’ve been rejected before, and prioritizing exposure to new foods over membership in the Clean Plate Club.

People often say well-meaning things to me like, “You’re a food writer — your kids must eat everything.” To that, I say, “Ha!” While it’s true that my 13-year-old begs for bánh mì and my 7-year-old adores sardines, they can be just as finicky at dinnertime as anyone else. (Neither of them will touch a cheese quesadilla, so do with that what you will.) I’m always looking for recipes that I can make that will actually land well with the entire family so I don’t turn into Short-Order Mom, making buttered noodles on demand. 

These 20 recipes are some of my family’s most well-loved, whole-table-pleasing dinners, and they all just so happen to be under $20.

A note on pricing: My costs were calculated based on grocery prices sourced from Instacart, so your local prices may vary. I also assumed you had a few staple ingredients — like olive oil, salt, and spices — on hand already.

Whenever we’re having sandwiches for dinner, I can feel my kids’ excitement levels rise. And with these ranch-flavored, shredded chicken sandwiches on the table, I’m right there with them. The tangy broccoli slaw adds a nice crunch and contrast to the creamy chicken, but you can serve it on the side if it’s not your kids’ thing.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

When I crave a comforting, home-cooked pasta dish but lack the will to so much as boil water (looking at you, Monday at 5:00 pm), this is what I make, and it is always well received. After five minutes of dumping all the ingredients into a casserole dish, I can send this one off to the oven as I pretend to be cooking dinner while, in fact, listening to NPR and scrolling my phone, aka “me time.”

Get the recipe: Easy Baked Ziti

Chili is always a yes in our house, and I love to lighten things up by using ground turkey instead of beef. This turkey chili recipe is the best I’ve found — even skeptics (like, ahem, my kids) won’t notice the lack of red meat.

Get the recipe: Turkey Chili

Maybe a weird hill to die on, but I feel strongly that kids (all of us, actually) should be eating more sauerkraut. It’s low in calories, high in fiber, and promotes a healthy gut biome. Plus it’s very inexpensive and lasts for 100 years in the fridge. So, if your kids love pickle-y things, promise me you’ll make this four-ingredient, one-skillet sausage and sauerkraut dinner and help me with my kids-and-kraut mission.

Get the recipe: Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

What makes this a “fiesta”? Is it the taco seasoning, diced bell peppers, or maybe the shredded Mexican cheese blend? It’s all of the above plus the fact that even finicky eaters will likely ask for seconds of this fun, customizable, one-skillet meal. Serve with fun toppings like salsa, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and tortilla chips. Now that’s what I call a fiesta!

Get the recipe: Fiesta Chicken

Hear me out: If your kids are under the impression that they don’t like fish, this recipe, with its sweet and tangy glaze, is a great way to change hearts and minds. Serve it with fluffy brown rice and air-fryer asparagus (or whatever vegetable your kiddo is most likely to actually eat), and you’ve got a delicious and wholesome dinner that can be on the table in about 20 minutes.

Get the recipe: Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe

Both of my kids will almost always say yes to a big bowl of pasta, and when I want to expand their horizons beyond Rao’s marinara, I opt for this luscious cacio e pepe, which feels luxurious despite being a quick-cooking, three-ingredient dish. Serve it with a leafy green salad to help cut through the richness of the Pecorino.

Get the recipe: Cacio e Pepe

In terms of “kid-friendly” foods, pizza and burgers are kind of the GOAT, so it just makes sense to combine them. Here, toasted English muffins get topped with a beefy tomato sauce and then smothered in melty mozzarella cheese. It also happens to be a great, easy recipe for letting kids help in the kitchen, if you’re so inclined.

Get the recipe: Open-Faced Pizza Burgers

In just 15 minutes, you can take chicken thighs and transform them into this tangy-sweet chicken teriyaki with fluffy rice and steamed broccoli and feel like a real champ for doing it all for under $20.

Get the recipe: Chicken Teriyaki

Pigs in a blanket is the kind of dinner that gets met with praise like, “best mom ever,” and sometimes, that’s exactly the win I need. Use your favorite sausages and frozen puff pastry to make dreams come true, and don’t forget the ketchup and mustard for dipping. Serve it with an easy green salad for a complete meal.

Get the recipe: Pigs in a Blanket

This is a smart, economical recipe that uses a can of beans to stretch a pound of ground beef for double the protein in one big dish topped with melty cheese and your favorite taco accoutrements — a nice way to put a different spin on a very kid-friendly dinner.

Get the recipe: Ground Beef Taco Casserole

If I’m looking for a way to ensure that everyone at the table will eat what I’ve made for dinner, I lean on the combination of marinara sauce and melted cheese. In this baked chicken Parmesan, those elements combine to make a delicious, bubbly dish, best served over pasta with a side of crispy broccoli.

Get the recipe: Baked Chicken Parmesan

Tender egg noodles and savory beef and mushrooms in a creamy sauce make this the kind of dinner that my kids actually look forward to after a long day, and by using ground beef instead of chuck roast, it’s a relatively affordable one. (Though if you have a family member who doesn’t love the beef-and-mushroom combo, there are always plain buttered noodles.)

Get the recipe: Beef Stroganoff 

I’ve yet to meet anyone, kids included, who could say no to a bubbling, golden-topped chicken pot pie. Using biscuits as the topping instead of pie crust makes this an easier recipe, but it’s no less enjoyable than the traditional pot pie.

Get the recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

We’re big fans of Chinese food at our house, but with food costs, delivery fees, etc, ordering in can be prohibitively expensive. So, instead, I roll out this dead simple chicken teriyaki and fire up the steamer to cook off some frozen dumplings. It’s a nice way to use up leftover rice, if you have some, but if not, you can use one of those microwave-in-bag rice pouches to keep things easy.

Get the recipe: Easy Chicken Teriyaki with Vegetables

Calling all latch-key ’90s kids: This crowd-pleasing meatball and pasta dish is channeling serious SpaghettiOs vibes in the most delicious way possible. No, it’s not as easy to make as the canned pasta, but on the difficulty scale, this recipe’s homemade sausage balls fall somewhere between canned meatballs and homemade by an Italian nonna, and the pasta Os will be a guaranteed hit, especially with the under-10 crowd.

Get the recipe: One-Pot Meatballs and Pasta

I grew up eating Mrs. T’s Pierogies with my mom, and now I always keep a box of them in the freezer for my kids, especially for nights when I’m making something they don’t want to eat. But lucky for me, when I make these foil packets with pierogies and sausage, everyone wants to eat the same thing.

Get the recipe: Grilled Pierogies and Sausage Foil Packet Dinner

My kids request barbecue chicken weekly, and this easy slow-cooker recipe is one of the best I’ve found. I serve the shredded chicken with potato rolls and a simple coleslaw and let the kids make their own sandwiches.

Get the recipe: Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Recipe

This overnight focaccia with tomato sauce and lots of cheese is a family favorite for Friday pizza night. I make the dough the night before and then assemble and bake it the day-of. Served with a crisp romaine salad, it’s a perfect, crowd-pleasing dinner.

Get the recipe: Best-Ever Focaccia Pizza

My 13-year-old loves gnocchi and mushrooms, so this easy sheet pan dinner is a great choice when I’m looking for a comforting meal for them, and it’s so easy to prepare, they can even make it on their own.

Get the recipe: Mushroom Sheet Pan Gnocchi