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Budget Dinner Ideas With Real Cost Per Serving

Pick dinner without guessing what it costs.

Every recipe shows an estimated total and cost per serving before you decide, with simple step-by-step guidance. Same method on every recipe, and many dinners land under $2 a plate.

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Crockpot Marry Me Chicken Recipe of the week
Chicken

Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

4 hrServes 4Total $8.96
$2.24per plate
This week’s mathCrockpot Marry Me Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts$5.24
  • 1 cup heavy cream$1.29
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped$1.10
  • 5 more ingredients$1.33
Total $8.96 · serves 4$2.24 a plate

Prices are estimates from typical U.S. grocery costs.

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Under $1 a plate 45 recipes Under $2 a plate 168 recipes Ready in 30 minutes 68 recipes Family dinners 58 recipes High-protein 44 recipes Low-carb 38 recipes
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50 Easy Dinner Ideas

Cheap and easy dinners organized by ingredient, time, budget, and cooking method—each with its cost per serving shown up front.

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$1.53per plate

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Total $6.14Cook it
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$1.51per plate

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Tuna Noodle Casserole

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About Budget Plates

Good food shouldn’t need a big budget

Budget Plates started with a grocery receipt and a simple frustration: recipes tell you how long a dish takes, but never what it costs. So every recipe here shows its estimated price per plate, right next to the photo, so you can compare dinners and plan cheaper weeks before you shop.

More about us Budget cooking resources

How Budget Plates calculates recipe costs

Every recipe includes the estimated price per plate, total recipe cost, and cost per serving.

  • Every price is an estimate. We cost each ingredient by the amount the recipe actually uses, based on typical U.S. grocery pricing.
  • Per plate = total ÷ servings. The plate badge is the recipe’s estimated total divided by the servings it’s written for.
  • Your total will vary. Store, location, brand, and season all move prices, sometimes a lot.
  • The goal is comparison. Consistent estimates make it easy to see which dinners stretch your budget further.
Price per plateon every recipe
Costed line by linefrom typical grocery prices
Home-kitchen recipesnormal gear, normal stores
Free Sunday planfive dinners, one list