4 Fall Recipes Starting at $3 to Feed Your Family

We are about a month into the fall and consumers can’t get enough of making meals to celebrate the season.

Sure, many may have already tasted that $6 Starbucks pumpkin spice latte – but it doesn’t have to end just there. The fall goes beyond that, whether you’re looking to broaden your daily meals from lunch to dinner.

Below are several budget-friendly recipes that cost between $3.33 and $8.48. Keep in mind that prices may vary by store and location and each fall meal below accounts for a family of four and assumes that you have basic seasonings already in hand.

Pumpkin Soup

For those looking to add a little sweetness to soups, here’s what you’ll need:

• One Cup of Water
• Three Cups of Chicken Broth (Three servings cost $1.19 at Target)
• One onion (costs $1.49 at Target)
• Add as needed with salt and pepper
• Half cup of organic heavy cream (servings needed cost $1.17 at Target)
• Two 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree ($1.99 each at Target)

Altogether, this fall meal comes out to $7.83.

Pasta and Pumpkin

For this recipe, feel free to use water or chicken broth – but it’ll be cheaper, of course, by using tap water in hand. Here’s what else you’ll need to make a creamy pumpkin pasta recipe.

• One box of pasta (a 16-ounce box costs $1.29 at Target)
• One cup of organic heavy cream (servings cost $2.35 at Target).
• One cup of parmesean cheese (servings needed come out to about $2.40 at Target for the BelGioioso brand on sale)
• Two cloves of garlic (servings come out to about 13 cents at Walmart)
• Salt and pepper
• One 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree ($1.99 at Target)
• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (servings will cost about 32 cents total at Trader Joe’s)

Assuming you use chicken broth over water, the cost will come out to $8.48 in total here. Also, feel free to add nutmeg and red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

Pumpkin Pancakes

For this pancake, we won’t be relying on added sugar – but rather the flavor from the pumpkin. Here’s what you’ll need to make it fresh.

• Two cups of all-purpose flour (servings come out to about 59 cents at Trader Joe’s)
• One Cup of pumpkin puree (servings come out to about $1.14 at Target)
• Three teaspoons of baking powder (servings come out to 14 cents)
• Two tablespoons of cinnamon (serving cost comes out to 29 cents)
• Two eggs (28 cents at Target)
• One and a half cups of whole milk (serving costs 28 cents at Target)
• Four tablespoons of margarine butter (serving costs 40 cents at Target)
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract (serving costs 49 cents at Target)

This breakfast fall meal totals $3.33, marking the most budget-friendly option on the list.

Sweet Potatoes And Chicken

Almost every American household has made chicken and mashed potatoes at least once. But to celebrate the fall, it’s time to use sweet potatoes instead of traditional russet. Here’s what you’ll need to make the side for your family.

• 1-1.25 ounces of sweet potatoes (servings cost between $1.40 and $1.75 total)
• One tablespoon of cinnamon (serving cost comes out to 15 cents)
• Two tablespoons of margarine butter (serving costs 20 cents at Target)

For the chicken, I like to make a grilled-style recipe with sweet potatoes instead of frying with breadcrumbs. Buying Good & Gather chicken breasts will cost you anywhere between 76 cents and $1.15 for four people.

Before putting chicken breast in a frying pan, you’ll want to season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Assuming you have the first three basic seasonings already in your pantry, figure you’ll need two tablespoons of paprika, which comes out to 27 cents.

I like to use extra virgin olive oil at Trader Joe’s to fry grilled chicken. You’ll need between two and four tablespoons, costing between 32 and 64 cents.

Overall, this fall meal will cost no more than $4.16 to make.

Feel free to cost compare ingredients at different stores. For example, chicken breasts at a local Aldi may be cheaper.