Welcome to our cheap meal ideas series, where we will share some of our favorite go-to meals when you need a struggle dinner to get you through until the next paycheck or stretch your tight food budget a few days longer.
We’re all about effort once and payoff multiple times. Not only does buying and cooking in bulk often save money but you can freeze all of these meals, eat them every day until they are gone or eat every other day.
Is Chili a Cheap Meal Idea?
I rarely see chili mentioned on lists of cheap meal ideas. Perhaps the use of ground beef makes people think it’s out of their price range. A huge batch of chili is filling, nutritious and you can use far less beef than you might expect and get the same flavor.
I have a six-quart crock pot linked below that I use to slow cook chili. You can also use a stockpot or whatever you have on hand. Don’t spend a lot on special equipment. Borrow something, grab it at the thrift store or pull out several pots and split the chili between them. If you are in the market for a slow cooker, I think mine is a good value and I love the way it cooks.
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I like this particular crock pot because the lid locks. I have cats that behave until my back is turned. This keeps them and the food safe. It is also large enough to cook a huge pot of chili.
We have an adult daughter and two grands living in our home, so there are five mouths to feed. This usually feeds us for three or four meals. It is also beyond simple to throw together. Add peanut butter sandwiches, cornbread, saltines or grilled cheese for a truly feeling feast.
Can You Feed a Family of Five for $10 on Chili?
Absolutely, you can feed a family of five for $10 per meal with chili. Actually, it will be much less. Let me break it down for you.
- 1/2 pound of ground beef – $2
- 8 cans of kidney beans at $0.88 each at Walmart – $7.04
- 2 large cans of diced tomatoes @ $1.48 each – $2.96
- 1 packet chili seasoning – $0.74
- 1/2 packet ranch dressing mix – $0.50
Total cost: $13.24 at most divided by five people times three meals. Family of five can eat each meal for around $4.41. You will need to add either crackers, cornbread and a few sides like sour cream or cheese to keep the family enthused. Even with those items, you can feed your family for well under $10 per meal with chili. Not bad as the first in our cheap meal ideas lineup.
Tips to Make Chili Cheap on a Budget
- Buy ground beef on sale for $3.99 per pound or less. You may need to buy in bulk, separate and freeze. You are going to use 1/2 pound of the browned ground beef. If you want to splurge, throw the entire pound in there for a meatier chili. I stock up when it’s on sale.
- Cook your own red kidney beans the day before. Just follow package directions. I personally like to wait until canned red kidney beans go on sale and buy equal numbers of light and dark red chili beans. I used four cans of each when I made this the other day. It FILLED my slow cooker up. I gave my parents enough for a meal and we ate on it three times, plus my hubby took some for lunch one day.
- Use turkey if ground beef is too pricey. Turkey gives the chili a lighter flavor and is a nice switch from red meat. You can also make it with only beans but I don’t care for the taste of it without the meat flavoring. If you are already eating vegetarian, then it might be much more flavorful to you. You could also throw in beef bullion for less money and some of the flavoring.
My Cheap Meal Ideas Chili Recipe
Make a huge pot of chili and feed your family for days.
- 1/2 lb browned ground beef
- 4 cans light red kidney beans
- 4 cans dark red kidney beans
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (28 oz cans)
- 1 packet chili seasoning
- 1/2 packet ranch dressing mix
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Brown ground beef, drain fat, set aside
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Add cans to the slow cooker
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Add packets of dry mix to slow cooker
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Stir together
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Add salt and pepper if desired
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Stir in ground beef
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Cook on slow for 7 hours
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Can freeze in serving size portions and unthaw as needed
If you get tired of chili but want to serve a cheap meal that goes a long way, try Crabby Housewife’s famous Taco Soup Supreme as an alternative that is still nutritious, filling and a cheap meal idea.
Chili freezes beautifully. I let it cook completely, transfer to freezer storage bags, lay flat and freeze. Unthaws quickly and stacks easily in freezer. Place newest ones on the bottom so you rotate the oldest bags of chili out first.
We eat chili year round in our house as a cheap meal idea that everyone in the house loves and this Crabby Housewife loves because she cooks once and everyone eats multiple times. It also is a nice meal to throw in the slow cooker and people can eat as their schedules allow.
