Turn $60 of Walmart groceries into 6 quick, easy, and frugal family dinners, including meatball subs, basil chicken, pork sandwiches, and more!
Summer is wrapping up, school is about to start, and before we know it, we’re going to have all the fall activities going on. So right now, I am all about easy meals!
Recently, I spent $60 on groceries at Walmart, and today I’m going to show you how you can turn those $60 worth of groceries into six quick and easy family dinners. (Yes, it’s possible even with inflation and the crazy grocery prices we’re seeing now in 2026!)
On the menu:
- Meatball subs
- Crock-Pot basil chicken
- Shredded pork sandwiches
- Spaghetti and meatballs
- Baked salsa chicken
- Shredded pork quesadillas
If you also plan one night for leftovers, this will give you a whole entire week of easy and frugal family dinners.
Prefer video? See my $60 grocery haul and easy dinners here!
Jumping right in, here is my $60 grocery list. It includes everything that you’ll need for the six meals, plus 2 lbs. each of carrots and broccoli for healthy sides.
My $60 Walmart Grocery List
Meats:
2 lb bag of meatballs – $8.14 (Use half of them for spaghetti and meatballs and half for the meatball subs.)
3 lb pork loin – $6.42 (Cook and shred for use in the pork sandwiches and the quesadillas.)
4 lb chicken breasts – $10.20 (Use half for the basil chicken recipe and half for the salsa chicken recipe.)
Produce:
Carrots (2 lbs) – $2.12
Broccoli (2 lbs) – $5.98
Basil – $1.78
Dairy:
Cream, 16 oz – $2.96
Shredded mozzarella, 8 oz – $1.97
Shredded Mexican blend cheese, 16 oz – $3.48
Pantry Items:
Hotdog buns – $1.48
Slider buns – $3.52
Tortillas – $1.98
Spaghetti (whole wheat) – $1.66 (to be divided between two meals. Purchase an extra box if you have big eaters!)
Pasta sauce (2 jars) – $3.94
Diced tomatoes, Italian style – $0.96
Salsa / picante sauce – $1.97
Rice – $0.88
TOTAL = $59.44
And now moving on to the meals!
1. Crock-Pot Basil Chicken
This is such an easy meal to make, but it turns out looking really fancy, especially if you garnish it with a bit of fresh basil.
I serve ours over spaghetti and typically top it with Parmesan cheese if I have it on hand. It also goes really well with homemade French bread.
2. Baked Salsa Chicken
I’ve made baked salsa chicken many times over the years and it’s another really simple recipe. It goes well served over brown rice with roasted broccoli on the side.
3. Shredded Pork Sandwiches
To cook the pork loin, just stick it in your slow cooker, add a half cup of water, and season it however you like. You’ll be using the same pork for both the shredded pork sandwiches and the quesadillas.
I don’t use a recipe when I cook a pork loin in the crockpot, I just throw in some different seasonings that sound good to me. My staples are garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sometimes a little smoked paprika too. Red pepper flakes are nice as well for a little kick.
If I have some chopped onions on hand I’ll throw those in there too. Then I just let my pork loin cook until it is nice and tender and then shred it all up.
For the shredded pork sandwiches I like to use Hawaiian slider buns. Most of my family doesn’t really prefer barbecue, so I make the sandwiches without barbecue sauce for them, but I do like to add barbecue sauce for myself.
Serve with some raw carrots, broccoli, or whatever easy side you have on hand.
4. Shredded Pork Quesadillas
For the second recipe using that same shredded pork, we’re just going to make some simple quesadillas.
I just do shredded cheese, then some shredded pork, and then a little more cheese on top so that the tortilla stays closed well once the cheese melts.
It’s super simple, but adding the shredded pork makes for a quesadilla that’s a little heartier and it totally works for a quick and easy dinner.
5. Spaghetti and Meatballs
And finally we have our two recipes that use meatballs.
I know you guys don’t need me to tell you or show you how to make spaghetti and meatballs, but here’s a picture just for fun.
6. Easy Meatball Subs
Our second meatball meal is meatball subs.
I like to put some butter the buns and put them on broil in the oven for a minute or two. It just gives them a nice crispy texture and helps them not to get soggy once you add the meatballs and sauce.
I add my meatballs next (usually four per bun), spoon a little sauce on top, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
Then back to the oven for a few minutes to let the cheese melt, and ta da! Dinner is served!
Six Meals and One Leftover Night = a Week of Easy Meals!
And that’s all six meals! If you plan one night for leftovers, this gives you a whole week of easy and frugal family dinners.
I know that this time of year can get super busy, so I hope this gives you some good ideas for some quick, easy, and cheap dinners that you can feed your family.
If you’re looking for more meal ideas, I send out an email every Monday where I just share my family’s meal plan for the week. Usually, nothing fancy—just what I’m making for my family.
If you want to get that email every Monday, you can sign up here!
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