10 Cheap and Easy Crockpot Dinners to Feed Your Family on a Budget

By
Derek Jacobson
·

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Feeding your family delicious meals doesn’t have to break the bank! With these cheap and easy crockpot dinners, you can enjoy hearty, home-cooked meals without spending a fortune. Whether you need budget-friendly crockpot meals for families, slow cooker budget meals, or inexpensive weeknight meals, these recipes make dinnertime stress-free and affordable. Just toss in a few ingredients, set it, and forget it, dinner is done!

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken
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Print

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

Servings

4

servings

This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight or when you need something warm and comforting on a chilly evening. It features tender chicken smothered in a rich ranch-seasoned sauce with cream cheese and cheddar. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal that delivers big on flavor with minimal effort.

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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 1 packet ranch seasoning mix

  • 1 block cream cheese, softened

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup

  • ½ cup chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon paprika (optional, for color)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Directions

  • Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
  • Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika over the chicken.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth until well combined. Pour the mixture over the chicken.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
  • Shred the chicken with two forks and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. Garnish with chopped parsley.
  • This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight or when you need something warm and comforting on a chilly evening.
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What Makes a Crockpot Dinner Cheap

The cheapest crockpot dinners start with low-cost protein and stretch it with pantry staples. Chicken is the star of this list for a good reason. It is one of the most affordable meats, and a slow cooker makes even cheap cuts tender. Beans, rice, broth, canned tomatoes, and a jar of salsa or BBQ sauce turn a pound or two of chicken into dinner for a whole family.

Slow cookers also help you save in a sneaky way. When dinner is already done at 5 o’clock, it is a lot easier to skip the drive-through.

How to Pick the Right Recipe

  • Stretches the furthest: Crockpot White Chicken Chili and Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup. Beans, rice, and broth make a little chicken go a long way.
  • Kid-friendly: Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken, Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken, and Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos.
  • Takeout at home: Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala. Serve over rice for a meal that costs far less than ordering in.
  • Two meals in one: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas and BBQ Pulled Chicken. Use leftovers for quesadillas, wraps, or baked potatoes.
  • A little fancier: Crockpot Tuscan Chicken and Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken.

Money-Saving Tips

Buy chicken thighs instead of breasts. Thighs usually cost less per pound and stay juicier in the slow cooker. They can cook 6 hours on low without drying out, while breasts are best at 3 to 4 hours. Either way, chicken is done at 165°F.

Buy the family pack when it goes on sale, then split it into bags and freeze it. Thaw what you need in the fridge the night before. Never put frozen chicken straight into the slow cooker, since it heats too slowly to be safe.

Plan your week around shared ingredients. Several of these recipes use the same things, like onions, garlic, broth, and rice. Buy them in bigger sizes and use them across two or three dinners. Make a pot of rice once and use it for the teriyaki, tikka masala, and fajita bowls.

Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand

A well-stocked pantry makes these meals even cheaper. I like to keep chicken broth, canned white beans, canned diced tomatoes, rice, salsa, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, dry ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning on the shelf. Store brands work just as well as name brands here. With those on hand, you only need to buy chicken and a few fresh vegetables each week.

Budget Crockpot FAQ

How can I make these recipes feed more people?
Serve them over rice, add an extra can of beans, or set out tortillas. Each one stretches a batch by a few servings.

Which recipe is the cheapest?
The White Chicken Chili and the Chicken and Rice Soup usually cost the least per serving. Both use a small amount of chicken with beans, rice, and broth that cost very little.

Can I use leftover cooked chicken?
Yes, for the soup, chili, and tacos. Stir it in during the last 30 minutes so it heats through without drying out.

Do leftovers freeze well?
Yes. The chili, soup, and shredded chicken dishes freeze well for up to 3 months.

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10 Cheap and Easy Crockpot Dinners to Feed Your Family on a Budget

Feeding your family delicious meals doesn’t have to break the bank! With these cheap and easy crockpot dinners, you can enjoy hearty, home-cooked meals without spending a fortune. Whether you need budget-friendly crockpot meals for families, slow cooker budget meals, or inexpensive weeknight meals, these recipes make dinnertime stress-free and affordable. Just toss in a few ingredients, set it, and forget it, dinner is done!

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken
Pin
Print

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

Servings

4

servings

This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight or when you need something warm and comforting on a chilly evening. It features tender chicken smothered in a rich ranch-seasoned sauce with cream cheese and cheddar. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal that delivers big on flavor with minimal effort.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 1 packet ranch seasoning mix

  • 1 block cream cheese, softened

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup

  • ½ cup chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon paprika (optional, for color)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Directions

  • Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
  • Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika over the chicken.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth until well combined. Pour the mixture over the chicken.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
  • Shred the chicken with two forks and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. Garnish with chopped parsley.
  • This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight or when you need something warm and comforting on a chilly evening.
Pinterest

Like this recipe?

Follow @dinnerendeavor on Pinterest

What Makes a Crockpot Dinner Cheap

The cheapest crockpot dinners start with low-cost protein and stretch it with pantry staples. Chicken is the star of this list for a good reason. It is one of the most affordable meats, and a slow cooker makes even cheap cuts tender. Beans, rice, broth, canned tomatoes, and a jar of salsa or BBQ sauce turn a pound or two of chicken into dinner for a whole family.

Slow cookers also help you save in a sneaky way. When dinner is already done at 5 o’clock, it is a lot easier to skip the drive-through.

How to Pick the Right Recipe

  • Stretches the furthest: Crockpot White Chicken Chili and Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup. Beans, rice, and broth make a little chicken go a long way.
  • Kid-friendly: Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken, Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken, and Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos.
  • Takeout at home: Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala. Serve over rice for a meal that costs far less than ordering in.
  • Two meals in one: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas and BBQ Pulled Chicken. Use leftovers for quesadillas, wraps, or baked potatoes.
  • A little fancier: Crockpot Tuscan Chicken and Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken.

Money-Saving Tips

Buy chicken thighs instead of breasts. Thighs usually cost less per pound and stay juicier in the slow cooker. They can cook 6 hours on low without drying out, while breasts are best at 3 to 4 hours. Either way, chicken is done at 165°F.

Buy the family pack when it goes on sale, then split it into bags and freeze it. Thaw what you need in the fridge the night before. Never put frozen chicken straight into the slow cooker, since it heats too slowly to be safe.

Plan your week around shared ingredients. Several of these recipes use the same things, like onions, garlic, broth, and rice. Buy them in bigger sizes and use them across two or three dinners. Make a pot of rice once and use it for the teriyaki, tikka masala, and fajita bowls.

Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand

A well-stocked pantry makes these meals even cheaper. I like to keep chicken broth, canned white beans, canned diced tomatoes, rice, salsa, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, dry ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning on the shelf. Store brands work just as well as name brands here. With those on hand, you only need to buy chicken and a few fresh vegetables each week.

Budget Crockpot FAQ

How can I make these recipes feed more people?
Serve them over rice, add an extra can of beans, or set out tortillas. Each one stretches a batch by a few servings.

Which recipe is the cheapest?
The White Chicken Chili and the Chicken and Rice Soup usually cost the least per serving. Both use a small amount of chicken with beans, rice, and broth that cost very little.

Can I use leftover cooked chicken?
Yes, for the soup, chili, and tacos. Stir it in during the last 30 minutes so it heats through without drying out.

Do leftovers freeze well?
Yes. The chili, soup, and shredded chicken dishes freeze well for up to 3 months.