Looking for cheap dinner ideas? This $55 Walmart meal plan includes six easy family dinners plus a leftover night to help stretch your grocery budget.

If you have been looking for some new dinner ideas that will not break the bank, I have a brand new budget meal plan to share with you. This week includes six easy family dinners, and then I always plan for the seventh night to be a leftover night.

All of the groceries for this meal plan came from my local Walmart here in Texas, and the total for everything was $55.95. Even though it may not sound like a huge grocery haul, I was able to stretch these ingredients into a full week of family dinners.

Here’s what the menu looks like:

1. Ground Beef Stroganoff
2. Weeknight Chicken Tacos
3. Sausage Breakfast Casserole
4. Ground Beef Fried Rice
5. Broccoli Cheese Soup
6. Poppyseed Chicken
7. Leftover night!

Below are the 6 recipes I made. Keep scrolling to the end to see my complete grocery list with prices!

You may also be interested in: $65 Walmart Budget Family Meal Plan

A Week of Budget Friendly Family Dinners

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Ground Beef Stroganoff

The first dinner on this meal plan is ground beef stroganoff, which is one of those classic comfort food meals that is both filling and budget friendly. This recipe only uses one pound of ground beef, which helps keep the cost down while still making a hearty dinner. The creamy sauce comes together quickly in one pan and I served it over egg noodles, although rice works well too. It is simple and filling!

I couldn’t find a recipe link for this one so I’m sharing it below, and you can see how I make it in my meal plan video here.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ onion, diced
• 2/3 cup flour
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Egg noodles or rice for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with the diced onion. Drain excess grease if needed.
2. Push the meat to the side of the pan and add the flour. Toast it lightly.
3. Slowly whisk in the beef broth to create a smooth sauce.
4. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and let the mixture simmer until slightly thickened.
5. Remove from heat and add the sour cream; stir until combined.
6. Serve the stroganoff over cooked egg noodles.

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Easy Chicken Tacos

Next on the menu: easy chicken tacos. The chicken is cut into small pieces and tossed with lime juice, olive oil, and a simple blend of spices before being cooked in a skillet. The result is a really flavorful chicken that works perfectly in tortillas with your favorite toppings like sour cream, cheese, or salsa. This was a quick dinner and everyone in our family enjoyed it!

Once again, I couldn’t find this exact recipe online but I’m sharing the recipe below (and you can see how I make it here.)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Pepper to taste
• Tortillas for serving

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, lime juice, and spices.
2. Toss the chicken pieces with the seasoning mixture until well coated.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet.
4. Cook the chicken for about 3 minutes per side until fully cooked.
5. Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

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Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast for dinner is always a hit in our house, and this sausage breakfast casserole is one we make often. It uses a dozen eggs, a pound of sausage (or other meat of your choice), cheese, and sour cream to create a hearty and satisfying dish. I love that it is easy to mix together and bake, and it also makes great leftovers for the next morning (or I’ll often freeze some for later on!)

You can find the full recipe here: Easy Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole with Sour Cream

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Ground Beef Fried Rice

Another budget friendly dinner in this meal plan is ground beef fried rice. This meal stretches a pound of ground beef by combining it with rice, vegetables, eggs, and soy sauce. It comes together quickly in one pan and is a great way to use leftover rice if you have it. It is simple, affordable, and surprisingly filling.

You can find the full recipe here: Ground Beef Fried Rice.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

I’d been craving a good broccoli soup so I decided to try making this new-to-me recipe for broccoli cheese soup and it turned out great. Using frozen broccoli helps keep the cost low (the original recipe calls for fresh but it makes no difference.) I also chose to blend my soup to make it creamier, but it’s yummy chunky too. With plenty of cheese added in, this makes a cozy and comforting meal.

You can find the full recipe here: Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup

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Poppyseed Chicken

The final dinner in this meal plan is poppyseed chicken, which was a favorite of mine growing up and has become a favorite in our family as well. It is definitely a comfort food type meal (aka – not a health food) with chicken, butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and a buttery cracker topping baked together in a casserole dish. We usually serve it over egg noodles or rice, and it makes great leftovers too.

See the full recipe here: Our Favorite Comfort Food – Poppyseed Chicken Over Egg Noodles

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My $55 Walmart Grocery List

Here is everything needed to make this week of easy budget family dinners. The prices listed below are from my local Walmart and are current as of spring 2026.

• Chicken breasts (4.5 lbs) – $11.57
• Sausage roll – $2.94
• Ground beef (2 lbs) – $10.88
• Cream of chicken soup, 2 cans – $1.40
• 2 – 24 oz. sour cream – $5.48
• One sleeve of Ritz crackers – $2.54
• 18 eggs – $2.92
• 1 lime – $0.20
• Tortillas – $1.98
• Beef broth – $1.27
• Chicken broth – $1.27
• Rice – $0.88
• Egg noodles – $1.74
• Frozen broccoli (32 oz) – $2.28
• Frozen veggies – $0.98
• Milk (half gallon) – $1.47
• Cheese – 4 cups – $3.48
• Cheese – 2 cups – $1.97
• Onion – $0.70

Total = $55.95

Want to see my complete grocery haul, plus how I make all the recipes? Watch the YouTube video here!

If you are looking for more budget meal ideas, you can find more of my meal plans here. Thanks for stopping by the blog today!