These recipes are easy weeknight dinners for the family that will save you time and money.

With school coming up quickly, that also means our busy schedules will begin again. Soon our nights will be filled with running kids back and forth between extracurricular activities and helping them complete homework assignments, while keeping all the household duties running smoothly.

With all of that going on, deciding what to make for dinner might be the last thing on our mind, and finding time to do it can be challenging. That is why I want to share with you 20 cheap and quick family meals on a budget. These recipes are easy weeknight dinners for the family that will save you time and money.

All these recipes are delicious and easy meals for busy moms and don’t take a lot of time. My family also loves these meals. And they are recipes I regularly add to my weekly meal plans. I hope you enjoy these family dinner menu ideas.

One Pan Garlic Parmesan Pasta – This has a delicious creamy sauce and it’s an easy recipe. Just place all the ingredients into a pot after you saute the garlic, and then let it simmer for 20 minutes until done.

Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos – The slow cooker ranch chicken tacos are an easy meal to make on a busy night. It only takes about 5 minutes to put the ingredients in the crock pot for dinner.

Time-Saving Tip: Take frozen chicken out of the freezer and place it directly into the crock pot. No need to thaw the chicken beforehand.

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli – It takes about 10 minutes to cut the meat, combine the ingredients for the sauce and put it all in the crock pot. After it’s cooked all day and you are ready to eat dinner, just thicken the sauce with cornstarch, quickly steam the broccoli and cook the rice.

Time-Saving Tip: Something I invested in is a rice cooker. It makes cooking rice so convenient. Once you add the rice and water to the cooker and push the cook button, you don’t have to watch it or worry about it. And it will keep the rice warm until you are ready for dinner.

Three-Bean Chili – This is one of my favorite chili recipes to throw together at the last minute. Place Fritos or tortilla chips crumbled on the top to add to the delicious taste of the chili.

Time-Saving Tip: Keep cooked ground beef in the freezer that you can pull out, thaw, and use for this recipe.

Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy – Place all the ingredients in your crock pot in the morning. Right before dinner all that’s left to do is quickly shred the chicken and stir in sour cream. It’s then ready to serve over rice, potatoes or noodles.

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