9 Cheap Cheesy Dinners

These are the most budget-friendly dinners on Melty Mondays, sorted from cheapest to most expensive per serving. Each one is a full, filling meal built on low-cost staples like pasta, potatoes, beans, rice, cabbage and a pound of ground beef stretched across the whole family.

1. 

   1. Easy Homemade Cheese Pizza

   A simple homemade sheet-pan pizza with an easy yeast dough, quick tomato sauce and a thick layer of melted mozzarella.

   1 hr 15 min · Serves 4 · about $1.53 and 560 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
2. 

   2. Baked Bean and Cheese Burritos

   Seasoned refried beans, rice, salsa and cheddar rolled in flour tortillas and baked until crisp and golden.

   33 min · Makes 8 burritos · about $1.58 and 480 calories per burrito

   Get the recipe
3. 

   3. Garlic Butter French Bread Pizza

   A whole loaf of French bread brushed with garlic butter, topped with sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni, and baked until bubbly.

   25 min · Serves 6 · about $1.74 and 470 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
4. 

   4. Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

   Tender chicken and penne in a silky garlic Parmesan sauce made in the same pan, ready in 30 minutes.

   30 min · Serves 6 · about $1.80 and 450 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
5. 

   5. Cheesy Cabbage Roll Casserole

   All the flavor of stuffed cabbage rolls, with beef, rice, cabbage and tomato baked in one dish under melted mozzarella.

   1 hr 45 min · Serves 8 · about $1.90 and 320 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
6. 

   6. Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

   Egg noodles, tuna and peas in a creamy homemade cheddar sauce under a crunchy buttered crumb topping, with no canned soup.

   50 min · Serves 6 · about $1.98 and 580 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
7. 

   7. Classic Baked Mac and Cheese

   Creamy, from-scratch mac and cheese with sharp cheddar and Gruyère under a crunchy buttered panko top.

   1 hr · Serves 8 · about $2.10 and 630 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
8. 

   8. Loaded Baked Potato Soup

   Thick, creamy potato soup with cheddar, sour cream, crispy bacon and green onions, like a baked potato in a bowl.

   55 min · Serves 6 · about $2.10 and 530 calories per serving

   Get the recipe
9. 

   9. Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole

   Layers of thinly sliced potatoes and seasoned ground beef baked in a creamy cheddar sauce until tender and golden.

   1 hr 35 min · Serves 6 · about $2.22 and 510 calories per serving

   Get the recipe

Costs and calories are estimates based on the main ingredients and typical US supermarket prices, and will vary with brands, stores and portion sizes.