5 Meals You Can Make in Minutes – For as Low as $1.07 a Person

My family is always on the go and that often leads to unplanned orders at the drive-thru or take-out window. With the holidays quickly approaching, I’ve been looking for ways to skip those costly stops by finding meals that I can make in minutes — for a fraction of the cost. Here are my 5 favorite food pairings that fill my family up and cost as low as $1.07 per person – with no mess in the kitchen.

1. Knorr® 3-Cheese Risotto with Meatballs Marinara – $2.91/serving

Knorr 3 Cheese Mushroom Risotto Rice Cups are 2/$5 at grocery stores nationwide now through Oct. 18. Plus, you can get 500 Fetch points ($0.50) for every cup you buy, up to five cups.

For this meal, you’ll just add water to the Knorr cup and microwave it for 2.5 minutes. While it’s cooling off, I heat up a few frozen Kroger Italian Meatballs, which are pre-cooked and cost $0.55 per serving. Since I always keep a jar of marinara sauce in my house, I pour some on top of the meatballs for a hearty meal that fills me up for under $3.

 

2. Kroger® Chicken Nuggets & Kraft® Mac & Cheese Cups – $1.31/serving

Now through Oct. 30, 12-packs of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Cups are on sale at Sam’s Club for $8.48. That breaks down to just $0.70 per cup, and all I need to do is add water and throw it in the microwave for 3.5 minutes. I pair each cup with Kroger Chicken Nuggets, which are $10.99 for a 3-lb. bag, or $0.61 per serving. They take between 2-4 minutes to heat up, depending on your microwave, and my kids love them. At Chick-fil-A, I’d pay $7.69 for a Kid’s Meal with nuggets and mac and cheese, so this hack saves me $6.38.

 

3. Knorr® Fajita Rice with Grilled Chicken – $3.14/serving

While Knorr cups are on sale, I’m also stocking up on their Fajita Rice flavor. The 2/$5 deal and Fetch points offer brings my cost per cup down to $2, a 43% savings. This one’s got rice, beans, and bell peppers and while it’s cooling off, I microwave some Kroger® Grilled Chicken Breast Dices. A 22-oz bag costs $7.99, or $1.14 per serving. Once the chicken’s done heating up, I stir it into the Fajita Rice cup as a Chipotle bowl hack. But instead of paying $9.20 at Chipotle, this recipe costs $3.14 to make at home and is so easy to bring with me when I’m on the go.

 

4. Gorton’s Fish Sticks & Cheesy Broccoli – $1.07/serving

Now through Oct. 24, a 60-oz. bag of Gorton’s Super Crunchy Fish Sticks is on sale at Sam’s Club for $11.98. That breaks down to just $0.57 a serving. I love keeping these in my freezer for taco night, but when I need a fast and simple meal, I pop them in the air fryer for 8 minutes and serve them with a vegetable. My family’s big on Green Giant Simply Steam Broccoli & Cheese Sauce. They’re on sale for $1 a package right now at Kroger, a 37% savings. One package has two servings, so the cost of this meal per person comes in at $1.07. If I ordered takeout at Red Lobster, the fried fish and broccoli kids meal would cost me $9.79, so this easy at-home meal saves me $8.72.

 

5. Orange Chicken & Knorr® Chicken Fried Rice – $3.57/serving

Member’s Mark Tempura Orange Chicken is on sale for $11.98 at Sam’s Club through Oct. 30. Each box comes with 8 servings, which breaks down to $1.57 per plate. It takes around 12 minutes to cook in the air fryer, and while it’s heating up, I microwave a Knorr Chicken Flavored Fried Rice Rice Cup to pair with it. This variety is also included in the sale, so my total meal comes out to $3.57 per plate. If I ordered the Orange Chicken Fried Rice Bowl at Panda Express, I’d pay $8.40, so this at-home recipe saves me $4.83.