13 Easy Family Menu Ideas – Dinners Your Family Will Love

13 Easy Family Menu Ideas – Dinners Your Family Will Love

Here are a few easy menu ideas from my family dinners and dinners from when I was growing up. The secret to my spending less on food isn’t the food I cook but how I purchase and use it in dishes.

I buy almost everything on sale for the cheapest price possible. I buy almost no meat that is over $3.00/lb.

I use only fruits and veggies that are in season and cheap. In the winter we eat mostly frozen and canned veggies.

I always try to make more for dinner than we need. We usually eat the leftovers for lunch the next day or I freeze them for another meal when I don’t have time to cook.

For breakfast we eat mostly oatmeal, pancakes, French toast, waffles or cereal (purchased on sale with coupons for $1.50 or less per box). I don’t shop with a lot of coupons. It is cheaper to buy off brands (most have a money back guarantee if you don’t like them.) and items on sale.

I try to keep my pantry stocked. If an item goes on sale then I stock up. If I find a really good deal on meat then I stock up and we eat that meat if we don’t have anything else.

Usually I have enough variety in my freezer that we don’t eat the same thing over and over each night.

We don’t eat meat as a main dish a lot. I try to use meals where it can be an ingredient and not the main dish. We also try to eat pasta dishes at least twice a week and a Soup and Sandwich or Potato night once a week at least.

I don’t plan meals 1 or 2 weeks in advance. I prefer to do it only a couple of days in advance. If I planned too far ahead I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of deals that I find. (I just found 14 avocados for .99 on the get rid of shelf. I didn’t plan for this but it was a great treat!)

I hope these suggestions and menu ideas help you get started. If you would like more easy menu ideas please check out our Menus On A Dime menu planners. Enjoy! Tawra

You can find recipes to go with these easy menu ideas in our Dining on a Dime Cookbook.

Menus Ideas:

#1

• Slow Cooked Roast
• Brown Gravy
• Onions Carrots, Potatoes cooked with roast (Place in a pan the morning you plan to cook the roast and let them slow cook with the roast all day.)
• Sweet Buttermilk Muffins
• Tossed Salad with Thousand Island Dressing

#2

• BBQ Beef
• Potato Salad
• Baked Beans

#3

• BBQ Ribs
• Best Ever Easy Corn Bread
• Cole Slaw
• Relish Dish
• Carrots, Peppers, Celery, Radishes, Olives (any veggies in season or cheap)
• Ranch Dressing

#4

• BLT Pasta Salad
• Easy Homemade Muffins
• Green Beans
• Red Jello Salad

#5

• Pizza
• Tossed Salad
• Ranch Dressing

#6

• Maple Glazed Chicken
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Glazed Carrots
• Ninety Minute Rolls
• Cucumber Salad
• Apple Crisp

#7

• Ham & Potatoes
• Tossed Salad
• Applesauce Muffins
• Minty Peas & Onions

#8

• Roast Chicken
• Garden Salad
• Dinner Rolls

#9

• Meatloaf
• Cucumber & Tomatoes
• Macaroni Salad

#10

• Tacos
• Taco Seasoning
• Refried Beans or Spanish Rice
• Tortilla Chips w/ Honey

#11

• Chicken Tenders
• Fruit Gelatin
• Corn
• Fried Potatoes

#12

• Mexican Chicken
• Spanish Rice
• Broccoli
• Sliced Tomatoes

#13

• Enchiladas
• Baked or Fried Tortilla Chips
• Sopapillas
• Refried Beans

If you’d like recipes for the meals included in these menus, along with hundreds more delicious quick and easy recipes, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!

…And for more pre-made meal plans and menu planning tips, check out Menus From Dining On A Dime.