Weeknight dinners don’t have to be time consuming or expensive to be delicious! This list of 10 meals that can be made in 20 minutes for under 10 dollars is great! The best part? Everything can be found at your local Aldi!
If you have teenage boys you know one of the most universal truths of parenting… they never stop eating!
Right not my boys are 21, 17 & 11 so they are pretty much in a constant state of hunger, but they are also running in a million different directions.
So it has become a mission of mine to have a go-to list of quick and easy dinners that don’t cost a fortune (is that too much to ask??)
Whether you have teens, girls, boys, little kids, or a combination of all of the above you are likely also searching for affordable and quick dinner ideas so that you can get feed your hungry family without breaking the bank and in the little bit of time you have every evening.
My go-to store is Aldi (if you’ve never shopped there check out my newbie’s guide here) their prices are great, the quality is awesome, they have a great selection of organic items, and the store is only 5 minutes from my house. Because I shop there every week (or have Instacart deliver) we have favorite items and meals that I know everyone loves.
So I’ve put together a list of some of our family favorites. Each of these meals comes together in 20 minutes or less and costs $10 or less! They are easy, affordable and delicious! (some are even below $5!)
I’ve made note of the prices at my local Aldi in Ohio, I have noticed even in some of our other area stores prices vary a bit, so yours might be a little more or less. These are also items that are available year round, I love the Aldi special buys and grab them when they are available but these meals are ones you can get any time!
These are all Aldi’s brand ingredients, and if they call for a pantry staple like olive oil, milk, flour etc I haven’t included it in the cost because that is something I have on hand anyway!
These all feed a family of 4-5
So Here is my list of Affordable & Quick Dinners from Aldi!
1- Ravioli & Pesto Sauce– Frozen Ravioli x 2 @ $2.49 + Pesto Sauce (jar) x 2 @ $2.19 = $9.36 –
Using pesto sauce instead of regular old pasta sauce livens up frozen ravioli and it so delicious! You can use cheese or meat ravioli for this recipe! Just boil the noodles according to the package directions, drain, and mix the sauce in until they are all nicely coated!
2- Mexican Macaroni & Cheese– Shells & Cheese x 2 @ $0.99 + Salsa $1.19 + Corn (canned) $0.49 + Organic Black Beans $0.89 + Taco Seasoning $0.29= $4.84
Cook the shells & cheese according to package directions. Drain and add the cheese sauce, 1 cup of salsa, the corn and beans (drain both before adding) and the taco seasoning. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
3- Tuscan Grain Salad– Tuscan Grain Salad x 3 @ $1.69 + Garbanzo Beans $0.49 + Fresh Spinach $1.49 + Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese $1.99= $8.24
Cook the grain salad according to the package directions. While it’s cooking mix the seasoning in a large bowl according to the directions. When the grain is cooked through drain it and rinse it with cold water to cool it down. Place it in the bowl with the garbanzo beans (drained) and about 2 cups of roughly chopped spinach. Then add in 1/2 a cup of Parmesan cheese.
4- Ravioli Lasagna– Frozen Cheese Ravioli x2 @ $2.49 + Marinara Sauce $1.19 + Shredded Mozzarella Cheese $2.49= $8.66
Place a layer of ravioli on the bottom of a 13x9in baking pan. Pour sauce over them and spread across. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese on the sauce. Put down another layer of ravioli and repeat the sauce and cheese. Cover the pan with foil and pop into the oven at 400 for 10 minutes.
5- Pizza & Salad– Pizza $5.49 + Bagged Salad $2.49= $7.49
Aldi’s take and bake pizza is delicious, combine it with a bag of salad and you’ve got a complete meal!
6- Southwest Salad– Southwest Chopped Salad x 2 @ $2.89 + Canned Corn $0.49 + Organic Black Beans $0.89 + Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese $2.49 + Sour Cream $0.89= $9.74
This one is so easy! Open the salad bag and dump the salad and all the fixin’s in a large bowl. Drain your corn and black beans and add them in too. Toss in about a cup of shredded cheese (or more if you’d like!) and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Stir until everything is evenly coated and serve!
7- Tacos– Taco Shells x2 @ $0.89 + Taco Seasoning x2 @$0.29 + Mexican Shredded Cheese $2.49 + Sour Cream $0.89 + Salsa $1.19 + Organic Brown Rice $2.59= $9.53
Tacos used to be a cheap dinner but with the price of meat going up they can be pricey. So we swap brown rice for meat! Believe me they are still as delicious and filling but more affordable! Just cook up some rice (I use 1 1/2 cups uncooked) and when it is cooked mix in the taco seasoning. Assemble you tacos & top them off and enjoy!
If you want meat you might go with ground turkey for a more affordable option.
8- Spaghetti & Meatballs – Whole Wheat Organic Spaghetti $1.09 + Meat Balls $4.39 or Vegetarian Meat balls $3.89 + Marinara Sauce x2 @ $1.19 + Shredded Parmasean Cheese $1.99= $9.86 or $9.36
I love Aldi’s vegetarian selections and we often use their vegetarian meat balls for pasta night! This is such a quick dinner, just cook the pasta and while it’s cooking heat your meat balls of choice in the sauce.
9- Sausage Biscuits and Gravy– Flakey Biscuits x2 @ $0.99 + Sausage (bulk roll) $1.99 + Milk 1.19= $5.16
This is a great breakfast for dinner recipe that everyone loves! Just pop the biscuits in the oven and cook according to the package directions. Then whip up an easy sausage gravy- this is a great basic recipe.
10- Creamy Black Bean Burritos- Organic Black Beans $0.89+ Canned Corn $0.49+ Organic Diced Tomatoes $1.59 + Cream Cheese Brick $0.79 + Taco Seasoning $0.29 + Mexican Shredded Cheese $2.49 + Tortillas $2.79= $9.33
This is the easiest dinner! Open and drain you black beans, canned corn, and diced tomatoes. Place them in a skillet and heat over medium heat, add in the taco seasoning and cream cheese. Mix until the cream cheese is melted and everything is evenly coated. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes and it will thicken up. Wrap the bean mixture in a tortilla and top with shredded cheese!
So there you have it! 10 meals that you can have on the table in about 20 minutes for under $10 each! So grab your quarter and your bags and head to your local Aldi to stock up and get cookin’!
