4 Lazy Budget Meals (Vegan)

If you're cheap, lazy, or busy I've got the perfect meal ideas for you! For less than $3, we can make large meals with healthy vegan ingredients and very little clean-up. These budget-friendly meals require just minutes of prep time. Don't let rising food costs, high prices, and inflation get you down! Meal prep for a busy week with very little effort.

These meals are PERFECT for LAZY (busy) people on a budget. Want to close your wallet from UberEats and DoorDash?

Here's how:

1. Own a bunch of shelf-stable ingredients that can be mixed and matched into flavorful dishes.
2. Build a photo album on your phone (or use Pinterest) to collect tried and true recipes that you'd enjoy weekly or monthly. (You only need to have a handful in your collection to get you started!)
3. Let yourself lean on LAZY & CHEAP meals! Hey, if you have time to cook a four-course meal, these ingredients will not go to waste. They'll be in your pantry and freezer whenever you need them. These are flexible ingredients because they are versatile and don't go bad.

Beans & Rice Enchiladas

This yummy Tex-Mex dish is super easy to throw together. Just open the cans and assemble the ingredients. Dinner is thrown together within minutes!

$9.10 total or $3 per meal (for 3 portions)

• 1 pre-cooked pouch of rice ($1.32)
• 2 cans refried beans (93 cents x 2 = $1.86)
• 1 can enchilada sauce ($1.24)1 bag flour tortillas ($1.98)
• cilantro & canned tomatoes (optional but included in the price)(48 cents + 72 cents)
• vegan yogurt (optional but included in the price)($1.50)

1. Microwave a pouch of rice and mix it in a large bowl with two cans of refried beans.
2. Scoop the rice and bean onto nine tortillas.
3. Roll tortillas and top with enchilada sauce.
4. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and top with garnish (canned tomatoes, cilantro, and yogurt).

Total is $9.10 or $3 per meal (for 3 portions)

Franks, Mashed Potatoes & Peas

This is such a cozy meal of comfort foods. And it's super high in protein! This is truly a feast-sized portion. I say it feeds 3 people, but it might actually feed more 🙂

Note: When researching recipes for this post, I saw a box of instant mashed potatoes without mono and diglycerides in the ingredients. I thought I bought that exact one, but when I got home I realized that mono and diglycerides were in the box I bought. I'm not sure if they're animal or plant sourced so be sure to find a brand that works for your lifestyle.

$7.61 total or $2.53 per meal (3 portions)

• 9 servings of instant mashed potatoes, 198g ($1.98 box - 89 cents used)
• 2.5 cups water (FREE)
• salt (1 cent)
• 6 TB fake butter ($3.98 - 75 cents used)
• 6 pack of field roast frankfurters ($5.12)
• 1 bag of frozen peas (84 cents)

1. I mixed water, potato flakes, salt, and 4 TB fake butter. I threw that into the microwave for 4 minutes. I mixed the cooked potatoes up and plated them. *Follow the directions of the instant mashed potato box*
2. Microwaved the frozen peas according to the bag.
3. Microwaved the franks.
4. I divided that last 2 TB of butter among the mashed potatoes and topped them with salt and pepper.

The total cost is $11.93, but we're only going to use a portion of the butter & mashed potatoes, so adjusting for what we're eating brings us to:

$7.61, which is $2.53 a meal for 3 portions

Thicky Smokey Bean Soup

When you look at those four cans, you think, "there's no way this is going to be so flavorful and wonderful," yet it absolutely is! This smokey bean soup is a giant portion and super hearty. Let this soup carry you through your busy winter days.

$5.35 total & made two large portions for $2.67 each

• 1 can refried beans (93 cents)
• 1 can black beans (78 cents)
• cup of water or more
• 1 can of corn (58 cents)
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (92 cents)
• 1 juicy lime (32 cents)
• sprinkle of smoked paprika or chipotle powder
• cilantro (48 cents)
• vegan yogurt (optional $1.50)

1. Add refried beans and water to a pan over medium heat.
2. Break up the beans to make a thick soup base.
3. Pour in a drained can of corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and black beans.
4. Add in lime juice and smokey spices. Salt to taste.
5. Garnish with cilantro and yogurt.

The total for this recipe was $5.35, and made two large portions for $2.67 each.

Roasted Potatoes and Franks

This was hands down the greatest meal I've ever had. LOL. I brought this meal prep to work and was blown away within one bite. I used my favorite spice blend, which is the Aldi Blackened Seasoning. It's salty and flavorful.

I will most definitely make this a staple in my life. No one gets tired of eating potatoes, and this requires almost zero work! No peeling or chopping potatoes. Just dump the frozen potatoes in a bowl and toss with oil & seasoning. Magic! And you can mix any frozen veggies in with this. It's just so easy and super filling.

This meal checks all my boxes. Cheap, lazy, easy, frozen ingredients (no waste), high protein, super filling, minimal clean-up! And sooo tasty!

$8.10 total = $2.70 each (for 3 portions)

• 2lb bag of frozen southern hash browns ($1.90)
• 1 Bag of frozen veggies (98 cents)
• 6 pack of field roast frankfurters ($5.12)
• oil & spices (10 cents)

Mix frozen potatoes with 1-2 tablespoons of oil & your favorite spice blend. Mix well. Bake potatoes for 45 minutes (90 minutes will get everything crispy!!) at 400 degrees or until golden. Throw frankfurters in the microwave. Microwave a steamer bag of broccoli, then plate everything up. Garnish with whatever you have in your fridge.

$8.10 total = $2.70 each (for 3 portions)

NEED MORE BUDGET RECIPES?

• 4 Budget Desserts (Vegan)
• 4 Budget Pasta Recipes (under 50 cents!) - Vegan
• 4 Easy Budget Crockpot Meals (Vegan)