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    Cooking Gorgeous » MSN Posts

    Easy and Budget-Friendly Dinner Ideas

    Published: Jul 26, 2024 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    If you want to spice up your meal routine, have a look at my collection of 20 quick, easy, and budget-friendly dinner ideas that the whole family will love. These recipes are perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prepping, or feeding a hungry crowd.

    Rice Stuffed Courgettes

    kabak dolmasi - rice stuffed zucchinis served with a bowl of salad
    Ayla Clulee

    Kabak Dolması, or Rice-stuffed Courgette, is a traditional dish that brings together fresh courgettes and a flavorful filling made with rice, ground meat, fresh herbs, onions, and spices. It pairs wonderfully with yogurt and is truly worth trying. Made from everyday ingredients you likely already have at home, Kabak Dolması is also budget-friendly. 

    To learn more: Kabak Dolması - Rice Stuffed Zucchini

    Turkish Dumplings - Manti

    Turkish ravioli served with yogurt and chili butter sauce
    Ayla Clulee

    Manti (or Mantu) is a delicious and popular Turkish dish made with small, savory, and tender dumplings. The dumplings are typically filled with a juicy and flavorful mixture of meat and spices.

    They are traditionally served with tangy garlic yogurt and drizzled with spicy butter sauce, adding even more depth and complexity to this famous Turkish dish.

    To learn more: Manti Dumplings - Turkish Ravioli Recipe

    Papoutsakia - Stuffed Aubergines

    a portion of papoutsakia garnished with parsley and served on a plate
    Ayla Clulee

    Aubergine Papoutsakia (or Patlıcan Pabucaki) is a delightful vegetarian stuffed aubergine dish from Greek and Turkish cuisine. While it traditionally includes ground meat stuffing similar to Greek Moussaka (Musaka), I prefer this vegetarian version as a lighter option, especially during the summer.

    To learn more: Papoutsakia - Vegetarian Greek Stuffed Eggplant

    Chicken Fatteh

    chicken and chickpeas fatteh ready to serve
    Ayla Clulee

    Fatteh is an Egyptian and Levantine dish made with pieces of fresh, toasted, grilled, or stale flatbread topped with other ingredients such as chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, garlicky yogurt, and cooked leftover chicken pieces. Fatteh means 'crumbs' or 'crushed' in Arabic, and a perfect way to use up leftover stale pita and cooked chicken pieces.

    To learn more: Chicken and Eggplant Fatteh

    Fellah Koftesi

    fellah kofte
    Ayla Clulee

    Fellah Koftesi is a delicious vegetarian bulgur dish made with simple ingredients such as bulgur, semolina, onion, tomato and pepper paste, and spices. You can serve this traditional Turkish recipe as a vegetarian main, an appetizer, or as a side dish. I usually do this budget-friendly dish in batches and freeze some to serve later.

    To learn more: Fellah Koftesi

    Mushroom and Leek Pie

    creamy mushroom pie freshly baked
    Ayla Clulee

    A creamy mixture of leeks and mushrooms topped with a crispy, golden handmade pie crust. This budget-friendly vegetarian Mushroom and Leek Pie Recipe is great when you need a meatless main meal that even most meat lovers will enjoy. 

    To learn more: Mushroom and Leek Pie

    Turkish Bean Stew

    kuru fasulye is traditionally served with rice pilaf
    Ayla Clulee

    Kuru Fasulye is a hearty and rich Turkish stew made with white beans and diced lamb or beef slowly cooked in a tomato sauce. It is packed with lots of flavors and is very easy to make with a few ingredients you might have in your pantry/fridge.

    To learn more: Kuru Fasulye

    Air Fryer Chicken Patties

    Ayla Clulee

    These deliciously juicy Air Fryer Chicken Patties are effortless to make and ready in just 20 minutes—a perfect solution for weeknight dinners! Being busy with work and family, finding time to cook wholesome meals can be tough. But ever since I added air fryer chicken patties to my weekly meals, dinner’s been a breeze.

    To learn more: Air Fryer Chicken Patties

    Briam - Greek Roasted Vegetables

    colourful greek roasted vegetables served on a plate
    Ayla Clulee

    Briam is a hearty Greek casserole dish featuring roasted vegetables cooked in a generous amount of olive oil and seasoned with simple Mediterranean flavors. It is typically served as a main course, often paired with feta cheese, olives, and crusty bread. Simply delicious!

    To learn more: Briam - Greek Roasted Vegetables

    Mexican Beef Burrito

    Mexican beef burrito cut in half, showing the beef filling
    Ayla Clulee

    Mexican Beef Burrito is a delightful and hearty dish made with a flour tortilla wrapped around seasoned beef, rice, beans, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. It is a great choice for a hectic weeknight meal, freezer-friendly, and budget-friendly.

    To learn more: Authentic Mexican Beef Burrito Recipe

    Chicken and Dumplings

    Ayla Clulee

    Deliciously rich and creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup have been warming hearts and soothing souls for generations. From the tender chicken pieces to the fluffy dumplings and the flavorful broth, this easy chicken and dumpling soup is comfort food at its best. It's incredibly simple to prepare this soup from scratch with just a few easy steps.

    To learn more: Easy Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe

    Braised Celeriac

    Ayla Clulee

    Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği (or Braised Celeriac) is a delicious Turkish & Mediterranean dish made with celery root and carrots braised in olive oil and orange juice. 

    This healthy dish combines the nutty and earthy celeriac with sweet carrots and citrusy oranges.

    To learn more: Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği - Braised Celeriac

    Italian Rice Balls

    crispy and golden rice balls served on a plate
    Ayla Clulee

    Arancini (or Arancine - Arancino) are delicious Italian Rice Balls that are stuffed with mozzarella, covered with breadcrumbs, and then fried until golden and crispy. 

    They are inexpensive, extremely easy to make, and also a great way to use leftover risotto dishes.

    To learn more: Italian Rice Balls (Arancini)

    Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie

    Turkey shepherd's pie baked in an oven dish
    Ayla Clulee

    This easy Turkey Shepherd's Pie recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover Turkey meat from Thanksgiving or Christmas roast dinner. 

    It is comforting, full of flavor, and very easy to make. You can easily replace leftover turkey meat with chicken, lamb, or beef, it will still be delicious!

    To learn more: Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie

    Lebanese Falafel

    falafel served in a pita bread with salad and tahini sauce
    Ayla Clulee

    This Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe is perfect for you if you want to learn how to make perfectly crisp and extremely flavourful falafels. 

    Whether you serve them stuffed in warm Greek Pita Bread or along with a bowl of refreshing Lebanese Fattoush Salad, this iconic street food will be a family favorite!

    To learn more: Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe 

    Braised Beef Cheeks

    braised beef cheeks served with mashed potatoes
    Ayla Clulee

    Slow Braised Beef Cheeks in red wine is a flavourful, rich, and comforting dish that is elegant enough to serve for a dinner party and easy enough for a mid-week meal. 

    This melt-in-the-mouth stew is best when served with Pomme Puree - Creamy Mashed Potatoes or buttery Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav) and sautéed green vegetables. Similar to my Chuck Roast in Oven dish, this fantastic recipe takes an affordable cut of beef and transforms it into an elegant dish that you would expect to enjoy at a fine dining restaurant.

    To learn more: Braised Beef Cheeks

    Turkish Okra Stew

    Turkish bamya stew with chicken
    Image Credit: Image credit goes to.

    Bamya, also known as Bamia or Bamyeh, is a classic Turkish stew dish made with okra, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and lemon juice. 

    This delicious and healthy stew traditionally contains lamb, beef, or chicken, and the secret to its rich flavor is the long, slow simmering process that gently brings the flavors together.

    To learn more: Bamya - Turkish Okra Stew

    « 25 Easy and Delicious Chicken Recipes for Busy Weeknights
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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

    More about me →

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