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Dialing for delivery undoubtedly saves time and effort, but—surprise! So when should you hit the supermarket for ingredients for a home-cooked dinner versus showing your local eatery some love?

Read on for 10 dishes you're better off ordering, what they tend to cost per person and the surprising reasons why they're more expensive to make.

This Chinese dish requires about 14 different ingredients—and a lot of luck finding them. Though we're all for pulling out all the stops for the occasional wildly impressive dinner, most weeknights we're looking for something cheap, easy, and fast.

These recipes hit all three criteria, with ease. Whatever your style, these cheap and easy meals will please your entire family without breaking the bank. One of the easiest ways to cut down on dinner costs is to go for cheaper cuts of meat, or utilizing more expensive ones in creative ways.

Try adding ground beef , turkey , or chicken to help bulk out old standbys. Try roasting a whole chicken or buying a rotisserie chicken , then utilizing it for everything from pizza to tacos all week long.

Try adding more expensive seafood or steak to pasta or rice to help make smaller, more affordable portions go further, like in our smoked salmon pasta or our creamy steak fettuccine. They help dinners come together SO fast. One of the best ways to save some money is to go meatless and not just on Mondays.

Try our vegan lasagna , our creamy mushroom pasta , our tofu katsu curry , or our vegan crunchwrap to see how versatile and filling these meals can be. Want more cheap and easy meals?

Everything comes together in one pot —from browning the beef to simmering the sauce, even boiling the spaghetti! Get the Taco Spaghetti recipe.

Adding white beans makes this heartier than your average chicken noodle soup , and the addition of green chiles, jalapeño, and sour cream add the perfect amount of heat and creaminess to switch up classic chili. Plus, everything comes together in less than an hour! Get the White Chicken Chili recipe.

Our simple, flavor-packed cornbread provides the perfect base for our shredded chicken , enchilada sauce, and plenty of melty cheese. If you're looking for the coziest weeknight dinner , this has gotta be next on your list. Get the Chicken Tamale Pie recipe.

Bell peppers are strong enough to hold their shape in the oven, and the flavor is subtle enough to go well with just about anything. This is our favorite recipe, but the customization options are endless —check out all our stuffed pepper recipes here too. Get the Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe.

From the realms of cheesy pizza and bubbling baked pasta comes a new family favorite: pizza casserole. Loaded with sausage, veggies, and plenty of cheese, this easy weeknight dinner has all of the cheesy, tomato-filled goodness of our favorite take-out pizza, neatly packaged in a 13"-by-9" pan.

Get the Pizza Casserole recipe. Craving homemade enchiladas and being in a hurry aren't really compatible since the classic Mexican dish requires many steps and a fair amount of time. Enter these chicken enchiladas , a quick take on the dish that comes together in one skillet.

Get the Green Chile Chicken Skillet Enchiladas recipe. A classic nostalgic comfort dish , goulash is the hearty weeknight dinner we'll always crave. The best thing about it? Everything cooks together in one pot —even the pasta! Get the Goulash recipe. Focusing on only 3 key ingredients, our chicken fajita recipe requires minimal prep and cook time, meaning dinner on the table FAST.

Follow our classic recipe for our best-ever version or use it as a jumping-off point to experiment with your favorite proteins, veggies, and toppings. Get the Chicken Fajitas recipe. This sheet pan dinner works with whatever veggies you already have and requires basically zero effort.

Most of the time spent is waiting while the sheet pan is in the oven, and there are minimal dishes to clean when it's all said and done. What more could you need? Craving BBQ pulled chicken? Good news—this slow-cooker recipe makes it easier than ever to create delicious, tender, and extra-flavorful pulled chicken right at home with minimal effort.

Get the Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken recipe. Get the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe. We've all been there: You're craving homemade pizza , but you want it fast —no time to deal with rolling out finicky pizza dough.

Butternut Squash in Burrito Bowls Meatball Stew Fried Chicken

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Affordable takeaway meals - Asian Noodles Butternut Squash in Burrito Bowls Meatball Stew Fried Chicken

Once you've mastered the original, try this with nut butter or sturdy fruit pears, in particular, would be fantastic! Pack the sandwich wrapped in paper towels so it doesn't get soggy. Then enjoy it chilled or reheat in the microwave until warm if desired.

Chicken wings can be downright disastrous for your wardrobe all that sauce and blue cheese dressing! These cheesy chicken quesadillas offer the same flavors in a cleaner, tortilla-wrapped package. Simply toast at home and pack each wedge between a layer of plastic wrap.

Enjoy this budget lunch idea by reheating it in the microwave when your stomach growls. Egg recipes aren't just for breakfast anymore.

Fresh basil, green onions, jarred sun-dried tomatoes, and gooey mozzarella cheese pepper this quiche with plenty of color and flavor. This lunch on a budget shows off one of our favorite vegan recipe hacks. To make tofu meatier in texture and stand up to transport to your lunch venue , drain, rinse, dry, then freeze the firm tofu for at least 4 hours.

Thaw overnight, then proceed with the pan-frying, broccoli stir-frying , and noodle prep. Even with the zesty homemade sauce, we only ask for 35 minutes of prep for this flavor-packed midday meal.

Freekeh, an ancient Middle Eastern whole grain with abundant fiber, iron, and magnesium, pairs with canned beans as the low-cost stars of this lettuce-free , make-ahead salad. Fresh herbs, spicy salami, and salty cubes of feta cheese pack each spoonful with Mediterranean flavors.

No need to worry about reheating this cheap brown bag lunch—it's best served chilled. Try this ham, Havarti, and hard-boiled egg baguette when you're craving something a bit more exciting and filling than ham and Swiss. Make the most of the extra 28 cents left over from this cheap lunch idea and make a double batch of the dill yogurt sauce.

Tote alongside your sub to have a slam dunk sandwich lunch on a budget. Before you tuck in for bed, pop a pork shoulder and some seasonings in your slow cooker.

In the morning, you'll wake up to an intoxicating aroma and remarkably tender fajita filling. This cheap lunch idea tastes like it came from a pricey build-your-own-burrito restaurant. Pack the tortilla, mango salsa, veggies, and pork in individual containers, reheat the pork, and assemble your cheap lunch box wrap when ready to dig in.

Give them a savory spin to transform low-cost breakfast oats into a cheap lunch idea. Cook steel-cut oats in chicken broth, then top with Asian ingredients like sesame-scented mushrooms, green onions, ginger, and soy. if you have a little wiggle room with the price of your lunch, a jammy soft-boiled egg would be an excellent addition.

In a hurry? Turn to this four-ingredient, five-minute brown bag cheap lunch idea no refrigeration required! that will please kids and adults alike.

With crunch from granola and creamy, salty peanut butter holding everything together, this ridiculously affordable lunch allows for a lot of wallet wiggle room to add sides like a banana and a cheese stick.

From there, it takes just four minutes of cooking time to reach gooey provolone perfection inside these economical eats. Make this your own with your favorite meat, cheese, and dressing. Try the same ratios with different building blocks for a new flavor experience each time.

Do you like ramen but dislike all the preservatives in those little seasoning packets? So when should you hit the supermarket for ingredients for a home-cooked dinner versus showing your local eatery some love? Read on for 10 dishes you're better off ordering, what they tend to cost per person and the surprising reasons why they're more expensive to make.

This Chinese dish requires about 14 different ingredients—and a lot of luck finding them. Like all eateries, Chinese restaurants buy in bulk, which lets them get expensive, obscure ingredients, like fermented black bean paste, for a song.

Plus, cooked chickens are "loss leaders. Shoppers end up spending more that way. You may be able to save extra on a cooked chicken if it's still for sale as the supermarket's closing; it won't be good the next day, so they sell it for a deep discount. More buyers mean the eateries can afford to sell each burrito for less.

And with many locations across the US, "they're able to secure tons of products at the best prices available," Watts explains. Evette Rios, lifestyle expert and correspondent for ABC's The Chew , agrees.

You can experience these flavors without the trouble and expense of finding all the ingredients by placing an order at a nearby Asian restaurant. The enormous amounts of this dish can yield numerous meals, which is a great value for your money.

It is packed with all the essential nutrients for a balanced and healthy diet. Customizable bowls provide many protein options, including beans and grilled chicken. It can be cheaper than gathering the basic ingredients and cooking them at home yourself. Meatball stew is a hearty dish that typically includes meatballs, vegetables and a savory broth.

Buying premade frozen meatballs and canned vegetables can be a cost-effective way to prepare this meal quickly. Even though it is not hard to prepare, the benefit of buying it outweighs frying chicken at home. How Big Is Mitt Romney's Social Security Check?

Florida's Retirees Are Fleeing: Here's Where They're Going Instead. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates. com : 6 Budget-Friendly Takeout Meals That Can Be Cheaper Than Cooking Them at Home.