Recipe Categories

Browse Recipes by Category

Every Budget Plates recipe is priced down to the plate, and every category here collects those real, photographed recipes by the way you actually choose dinner: the ingredient in the fridge, the dish you're craving, the pan you want to use, the time you have, or the budget you're holding. Right now that's 188 recipes, 168 of them under $2 a serving.

Want the full list instead? Browse all 188 recipes, or start with our 50 easy dinner ideas.

Most browsed

Popular recipe categories

Several affordable homemade dinners together on a wooden table

50 Easy Dinner Ideas

The flagship collection - fifty costed dinner ideas in one place.

50 recipesBrowse

Chicken

Breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and shredded bases - the budget workhorse.

31 recipesBrowse

Sliced classic meatloaf with a glazed top

Ground Beef

Chili, meatloaf, tacos, and skillets that stretch one pound a long way.

26 recipesBrowse

Pasta

Bakes, skillets, and creamy weeknight plates from a cheap box of pasta.

29 recipesBrowse

Soups & Stews

Big-batch, freezer-friendly bowls for pennies a serving.

22 recipesBrowse

Casseroles

One-dish bakes, all under $2 a plate.

14 recipesBrowse

Under $2 Per Plate

Every recipe below two dollars a serving, sorted cheapest first.

168 recipesBrowse

Crisp chicken quesadilla wedges on a plate

30 Minutes or Less

Genuine start-to-finish 30-minute dinners.

68 recipesBrowse

Start from what's in the fridge

Browse by ingredient

Pick the protein or staple you already have and browse every dinner built around it.

Chicken31 recipesBreasts, thighs, drumsticks, and shredded bases - the budget workhorse. Ground Beef26 recipesChili, meatloaf, tacos, and skillets that stretch one pound a long way. Ground Turkey15 recipesThe leaner pound, all under $2 a plate. Pasta29 recipesBakes, skillets, and creamy weeknight plates from a cheap box of pasta. Rice Dinners14 recipesRice bowls, fried rice, and one-pot rice dinners. Pantry, Rice & Beans14 recipesShelf-stable dinners from cans, rice, and beans. Potato Recipes8 recipesThe cheapest vegetable in the store, turned into dinner. Canned Chicken5 recipesReal dinners straight from the can. Pork Chops4 recipesBaked, smothered, and skillet chops from an affordable cut.

Know what you're craving

Browse by meal or dish

From a full page of dinner ideas to soups, casseroles, breakfasts, and dessert.

50 Easy Dinner Ideas50 recipesThe flagship collection - fifty costed dinner ideas in one place. Breakfast Ideas17 recipesBurritos, casseroles, and pancakes priced per plate. Soups & Stews22 recipesBig-batch, freezer-friendly bowls for pennies a serving. Casseroles14 recipesOne-dish bakes, all under $2 a plate. Desserts8 recipesCookies, banana bread, and other cheap sweet finishes.

Cook the way you like

Browse by cooking method

Collections organized around the pan doing the work.

Skillet Meals19 recipesOne pan, one burner, dinner done. Crockpot & Slow Cooker Recipes7 recipesSet it and forget it - hands-off dinners that cook themselves.

Shop from the price

Browse by time and budget

Every recipe on the site shows its cost per serving up front - these collections sort the fastest and cheapest plates into one place.

Under $2 Per Plate168 recipesEvery recipe below two dollars a serving, sorted cheapest first. Under $1 Per Plate45 recipesThe very bottom of the price range - complete meals at $1 or less a plate. 30 Minutes or Less68 recipesGenuine start-to-finish 30-minute dinners. Easy Family Dinner Recipes58 recipesDinners that serve six or more without scaling the grocery bill.

Planning a whole week? The Budget Meal Planner is a free tool, not a category - it turns recipes like these into a costed weekly plan with one shopping list.

Eat toward a goal

Browse by diet or goal

Collections built around how you want to eat, with the same per-plate pricing.

Low-Carb Recipes38 recipesComplete dinners at 20g total carbs or less. High-Protein Meals44 recipesVerified 25g of protein or more per serving. American Comfort Classics22 recipesMeatloaf, pot roast, goulash, and the diner canon.

The whole directory

All categories A–Z

Every category and collection on Budget Plates, in one alphabetical list with its live recipe count.

Browse all recipes instead