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Just 11 Easy (And Cheap) Dinner Recipes Our Writers And Editors Make For Themselves After Work

"This recipe is so filling, fresh-tasting, and easy and quick to make. I've made this for my family of six before, and they can all attest to that."

by Ross Yoder, Megan Liscomb, Hannah Loewentheil, Claudia Santos, Fabiana Buontempo, Dannica Ramirez

Food prices are at a dizzying 30-year high, but that doesn't mean we have to settle for bland and boring when it comes to making meals that don't break the bank.

Plain rice and beans? We don't know her.

We're writers and editors on the lifestyle team here at BuzzFeed who love to cook (and eat, obvi). We live all across the US, and we spend our days surfing the web in search of fun and practical tips, tricks, and recipes. So now, we're sharing some dishes we've made recently that are incredibly delicious without being super expensive. Here's what we've been cooking:

1. Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs (with Tikka Masala Sauce) — This recipe takes a homemade base (aka your favorite meatball recipe) and turns it into a take-out style dinner with the help of a store-bought simmer sauce. It's minimal effort and only calls for a handful of ingredients, and the leftovers taste just as good.

Plate with meatballs in sauce, naan bread, and saag on a table
Hannah Loewentheil

I'm a new mom, so my cooking style has definitely changed in the months since having a baby. I used to enjoy cooking hands-on, time-consuming dinners, but now I am pretty beat by the end of the day. As a result, I'm always looking for new recipes I can get on the table quickly but feel good about making. I've been making these chicken tikka masala meatballs often because they require just a few ingredients and taste so good.

I make meatballs from scratch (often using this recipe from Pinch of Yum), bake them until golden brown, and then quickly toss them in Trader Joe's tikka masala curry sauce. Sometimes I'll add some extra ingredients to the sauce like a dollop of yogurt for thickness or some tomato paste for a kick. I serve it over rice or with naan for sopping up all the tikka masala sauce.

Hand holding a jar of Trader Joe's Tikka Masala Curry Sauce in front of grocery shelves
Hannah Loewentheil