Frugal Go-To Recipes (2024)

Don’t think you can make any filling recipes with what you have at home? These are my frugal go-to recipes that I can use to stretch almost any amount left at the end of my food budget!

My Frugal Go-To Recipes

The other day, I received a question from a Little House Living reader:

“When times are tough, what are your go-to frugal recipes?”

I have some great ideas on how to make frugal recipes for when the paycheck runs out before the end of the month. There are times at the end of the month before our next co-op order when we might be really stretching what we have on hand.

Frugal Beef

One thing I always have on hand is canned tomatoes. I purposely can many many MANY tomatoes in the summer so we at least have this one versatile fruit on hand. Hamburger is one of the most inexpensive meats so it’s a great one to have lots of recipes for!

My suggestion for an easy frugal recipe is to pair ground beef with pasta (any kind!) and you’ve got Goulash! Goulash is a great recipe to use your leftovers in, as well. If you have leftover vegetables that you need to use up, chop them up and toss them in!

Tip: I have a bunch of other Frugal Beef Recipes on this blog post.

I make ‘skillet tacos’:
In a large skillet, combine the following:
1 lb ground beef, cooked
3Tbs dried onions
1 can whole corn, drained
10 corn tortillas, torn in to bite size pieces
8oz taco sauce
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
Heat through, shred a bit more cheese on top and heat til melted.

Patti, Little House Living reader

See Also

How to Make Homemade DIY Oregano Oil Recipe

Frugal Chicken

The crock-pot is a great kitchen appliance because it can take all kinds of cheap foods and make them yummy! I like to bakewhole chickensorcook whole chickens nice and slow in the crock pot to make the meat super tender.

You can save the liquid from cooking it in the crock-pot, or save the bones and add some water and vegetables to a large pot to create a homemade chicken broth. Or, you can simply add noodles to your crock pot, toss in the shredded chicken and the juices it cooked in, and you’ve got Chicken Noodle Soup for supper!

Spaghetti with shredded chicken instead of ground beef in the sauce. I always seem to have a jar of sauce, box of noodles, chicken, and a loaf of garlic bread in the freezer. (where we live, I can get boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.49/pound or less…much cheaper than ground beef)

Melissa, Little House Living reader

Frugal Anything

I like recipes that I can easily alter to what I have on hand. This Lasagna takes a few ingredients that you might not always have on hand, but you can make a lot with a little! Plus it doesn’t use all of the regular ingredients typical lasagna has, making it easier and cheaper to put together.

Mine would have to be “Dump Soup”..whenever the freezer gets too full, I make it in the co*ckpot..all the leftover frozen veggies, meats & homemade chicken broth..then I decide what spices to use & whether I want it to be either a red based soup or a white bassed one..it always turns out delicious!

Mel, Little House Living reader

Frugal Desserts

There are way too many frugal desserts for me to list here, so if you need to fill your sweet tooth on a budget, check out my post on these 7 Frugal Desserts.

I hope that some of these recipes and ideas give you inspiration on how to put together your own frugal “go-to” list for when you need it.

I feel like we are living proof that something can always be made out of nothing. It might not always be the prettiest meal, but it can fill up your family and get them fed!

More Frugal Recipes

• Frugal Recipes for an Old Time BBQ
• Must Try Cheap and Easy Recipes With Ground Beef
• Fast Cheap Food; Real Food Made Quickly
• 14 Cheap Meals to Make When You’re At The End Of Your Budget
• 7 Simple Dinner Recipes With Chicken for $7 or Less

What are your Frugal Go-To Recipes?

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about andliving the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.

This list of Frugal Go-To Recipes was originally posted on Little House Living in March 2012. It has been updated as of February 2024.