5 Budget-friendly On-the-Go Recipes

Even if you are on the go, go, go because of sports practices or running errands, you still have to eat. The easy solution when you are in a rush is to grab fast food. Yet, too much fast food gets expensive and unhealthy compared to a home-cooked meal. For the busy family, we collected five recipes that won’t break the bank and are easy to make. Check them out.

1. Garlic Bread Pizza Sandwiches

Reinvent the classic sandwich by turning it into something that everyone loves: pizza. Sandwiches are a classic, on-the-go meal because they are easy to make and save for a later time. This recipe can be made easily with these three ingredients:

  • Garlic bread
  • Pasta sauce
  • Cheese

What makes a sandwich delectable is the toppings; the same with a pizza! So while this is a 3-ingredient meal to start with, you can easily add your favorite pizza toppings to the mix, like pepperoni and salami. Whatever pizza sandwich you make will be ready to eat in less than a half hour!

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Set it and forget it. When you are busy, who has time to plan and cook entire meals? With a slow cooker, you can place the ingredients for an entire meal in the pot, set it, and have a hearty, home-cooked meal when you get home.

With this slow cooker chicken thigh recipe, all you need is to set the chicken thighs in a bath of liquid and spices for at least four hours. It’s a simple recipe where you just need to buy the meat. Everything else is likely to be in your pantry already.

To take this dish to the next level, you can add rice and veggies of your choice!

3. Chicken Tortellini Soup

Being on the go is exhausting. Create simple, comfort food like this chicken tortellini soup to help relax your mind and take the stress off your wallet. This recipe uses everyday ingredients and can be converted into a slow cooker meal.

If you are looking for bold flavor with minimal ingredients, choose a night to make this soup.

4. Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice

Okay, so isn’t “fried” rice per se, but is an easy, healthier rendition if you are on a budget. Sheet pan recipes allow you to simply throw the ingredients on a pan and bake it. Plus, this recipe is ready in just 15 minutes!

With a sheet pan recipe, you can make it flexible to what you like to eat. So, if you are not a peas and carrots fan, you can easily substitute it for corn and other veggies that pique your interest.

5. Goulash

Much like a pizza, pasta dishes are as simple as you want to make them. Goulash is an easy family-friendly recipe that you can get anyone to eat and is ready in just 30 minutes. In two steps, you will have pasta with tomato sauce, seasoned to your liking. You can’t go wrong with pasta.

All of these recipes utilize ingredients you can find in your home or inexpensively at the store. Additionally, they require minimal steps to keep your family on the go. Next time you go to the store and have a hectic week ahead of you, meal plan with one of these budget-friendly recipes.

Need more ideas? Check out these resources:

  • 75 cheap dinner ideas from Taste of Home
  • 19 realistic meals for busy families from Tasty
  • 15 dinners that won’t break the bank from allrecipes