What’s for Dinner | EASY BUDGET FRIENDLY Family Meal Ideas | September 2025

Start by breaking up a pound of ground beef in a skillet.

Season the ground beef with onion powder, salt, and pepper once it's halfway cooked.

Stir the beef and continue cooking until no longer pink, draining excess grease if needed.

Add a big spoonful of minced garlic and a container of frozen tortellini to the skillet.

Pour in one can of Campbell cheddar cheese soup and a can of Rotel, ensuring not to drain the Rotel.

Add 1 cup of milk and about 1 tablespoon of mustard, plus approximately 1/4 cup of ketchup.

Fold everything together and crank the heat to medium high until it starts bubbling.

Cover with a lid, reduce heat, and let simmer for around 6 minutes.

Check the tortellini for doneness, then smooth it out and add shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

For chicken taqua, add 3 chicken breasts to a crock pot with 1/4 cup taco seasoning, 1/2 cup salsa, and a block of cream cheese on top.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, then shred the chicken with two forks.

Add 8 oz of shredded pepper jack cheese and let it melt for 5-10 minutes.

Microwave a package of corn tortillas and assemble the taqua by adding spoonfuls of chicken mixture and rolling them up tightly.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet to medium high and fry the taqua seam-side down until crispy, draining on paper towels afterward.

Serve with a side of queso and homemade Mexican rice, along with lime wedges.

For the Crock-Pot meatball pot roast, add a bag of frozen meatballs to the crock pot.

Top with a bag of baby carrots and diced celery (about 5 stalks).

Mix 2 packages of brown gravy mix with 2 cups of cold water and pour over the meatballs and veggies.

Sprinkle a package of Lipton onion soup mix over the top and add 1/4 cup of sliced butter.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens