5 Healthy Crockpot Meals for Families on a Budget

When times are tough, it is essential to find ways to save money. and you can certainly save money by eating at the McDonald’s dollar menu, but that may not be the healthiest approach for you or your family. I have compiled a list of our 5 healthy crockpot meals for families on a budget. These recipes include ingredients you can get at your local Walmart or Aldi for a decent price. Your prices may vary depending on your location, so my prices are for the prices I saw on Walmart’s website.

What I like most about these recipes is that they are cheap, healthy, and super easy to prepare. Just dump the ingredients in the crockpot, set the temp, and it will be ready in 4-8 hours, depending on the recipe.

Let’s get cooking!

Don’t have a crock pot yet?

If you don’t have a crockpot, this is the one that we have been using for the past 5 years. We even still have a crockpot that we’ve had in the family for over 20 years, and it still works great! A valuable investment! With these 5 Healthy Crockpot Meals for Families on a Budget recipes listed below, you will certainly be the talk of the house!

Check out the crock pot that we use on Amazon here.

1. Salsa Chicken Tacos

This is one of our favorite recipes; we generally will have it at least once a week. The nice part about this recipe is that you can omit the tortillas and just have the salsa chicken on a salad.

Ingredients

3 lbs frozen chicken $5.94
1 jar of Pace Salsa $2.68
1 can chicken broth $0.76
Pack of corn tortillas $1.78

Preparation

Place frozen chicken, salsa, and chicken broth in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve chicken on corn tortillas or salad (low carb)

Total price:$11.16

2. Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients

• Beef Chuck Roast, 2.25 – 2.65 lb $16.89
• Baby Red Potatoes, 1.5 lb Bag $3.77
• Peeled Baby-Cut Carrots, 2 lbs $1.92
• 1 cup Beef Broth $1.98
• 1 medium onion chopped $0.73
• McCormick Slow cooker pot roast seasoning mix $2.14

Preparation

Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. We like to add 2 tbsps of flour at the end to make the gravy nice and thick, but this is completely optional

Total Price: $27.43

3. Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 3 lbs frozen chicken. thawed $5.94
• 4 gold potatoes (cut into 1″ chunks) $4.26
• 1 bell pepper, sliced $1.38
• 1 medium onion chopped $0.73
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth $1.22
• 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk $1.98
• 3 tablespoons curry powder $2.36
• 1 teaspoon cumin $3.98
• 1 teaspoon salt $0.40
• 1/4 cup cornstarch$1.99
• 1/4 cup cold water $0
• Jasmine rice $2.62

Preparation

Chop the chicken, potatoes, bell pepper, and onion and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder, cumin, and salt. Stir until combined. Pour into the slow cooker and mix everything. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Mix in cornstarch 30 minutes before serving. Serve over-cooked Jasmine Rice

Total Price:$26.86

4. Crockpot Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef (80% fat / 20% lean) $10.20
• 4 tablespoons Stubb’s BBQ sauce $2.54
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce $1.00
• 2 large eggs $1.57
• 1 medium onion chopped $0.73
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt $0.40
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper $2.68
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder $0.98
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs $0.88

Preparation

Mix all ingredients (except for BBQ sauce) well in a large bowl. Make a loaf shape and place it in a crockpot. Cook for 4 hours on a high setting. 30 min before serving, glaze the meatloaf with bbq sauce. Serve with veggies, rice, or mashed potatoes

Total Price:$20.98

5. Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 3 lbs frozen chicken thawed and cubed. thawed $5.94
• 1/4 cup cornstarch $1.99
• salt and pepper to taste $3.00
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil $1.98
• 3/4 cup orange marmalade $1.98
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce $1.68
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar $1.58
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil $2.98
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic $1.74
• cooking spray $1.38
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds $1.98

Preparation

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, and add the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Toss chicken in the cornstarch mixture. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown Chicken for 3-4 minutes Coat the slow cooker with cooking spray and add the chicken to the slow cooker.

In a bowl, combine orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic. Combine sauce with chicken and cook in a crockpot on low for 2-3 hours. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with white rice or steamed Asian vegetable blend.

Total Price:$26.23