Easy Father’s Day Dinners on a Budget

The original funnyman, who better to appreciate a meal you can messily eat with your hands than your father. This Rachael Ray recipe for Super Nachos has everything – gooey cheese, spicy jalapenos, vine ripe tomatoes. The recipe calls for ground sirloin but a little goes a long way in this dish. The best thing about nachos, of course, is the ability to customize. Maybe your dad loves cilantro? Maybe he hates it. Perhaps you have red onions in your pantry instead of white. Riffing on this classic is a great way to create the best Father’s Day dinner for your favorite old man.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Beef is perhaps the quintessential Father’s Day dinner, but a perfectly cooked cut of meat is not often synonymous with “cheap” or “easy.” Instead of blowing your budget on expensive steak, opt for a cheaper cut of meat like chuck roast. Cooking it low and slow ensures the perfect tender texture. This recipe calls for the classic combination of potatoes, carrots, and onions, but why not throw in some sweet potatoes, mushrooms, or another of your father’s favorite veggies to show him you really care this Father’s Day.

Bacon and Cheese Quiche

For many dads, breakfast is their favorite meal of the day. Why not lean into a “Breakfast for dinner” theme and save a few pennies along the way? Eggs are a classic, inexpensive protein. Adding in a modest amount of bacon takes those eggs from simple to scrumptious. Elevate this meal with a side dish of summer fruit like seedless watermelon or cantaloupe and you have the perfect cheap and easy dinner recipe.

Lemony Pasta with Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Arugula

The most expensive part of any dinner is meat, so choosing a vegetarian entree is a great way to make the most of every dollar. So many delicious vegetables are in season in the summer that Father’s Day is the perfect time to lean heavily on bounty from your garden. In this dish, a generous amount of spicy arugula is the perfect match for the tart touch of lemon. Your pantry is probably already stocked with canned chickpeas, making this a truly inexpensive Father’s Day dinner.

Grilled Pizza

If there are two things that fathers love (besides their children), it’s grilling and pizza. Show your dad how perfectly they go together by grilling a pizza and enjoying that pizza parlor flavor from the comfort of your own home. If you’ve never grilled pizza before, this easy Father’s Day recipe makes the process so straightforward. The high temperature of the grill mimics the high heat of a commercial pizza oven much better than your standard kitchen appliance. So crank up the heat, use a cheap store-bought pizza dough, and discover you may never need to order takeout again.

Hoisin Sriracha Sheet-Pan Chicken

You cannot get any easier than a sheet-pan dinner. The VIP of this super simple recipe is the bone-in chicken thighs. Thigh meat is more tender and juicier than leaner chicken breasts, so you get a richer tasting meal without spending any more money. The hoisin sauce and Sriracha give this dish a delightful Cantonese kick. (If Dad has any allergies, make sure to double check your ingredient labels since hoisin often contains soy or nuts).

Easy Parmesan Pastry-Wrapped Hot Dogs

There is not a father alive who can resist the allure of pigs in a blanket. Paula Deen shows us how to elevate this common party appetizer into the main event. With the subtle smokiness of paprika and the richness of parmesan cheese, this meal on a stick is cheap, easy, and delicious. A quick combination of sour cream, mustard, and parsley completes the dish and adds to its tasteful presentation.