Refusing to break the bank does not mean your dishes need to suffer. One of the heartiest, hassle-free, and budget-friendly recipes you can make is chili. It’s also incredibly easy to transform and easily feeds a crowd. You can tweak your dish from the traditional ground beef version to substituting shredded chicken or even omitting meat altogether for a vegetarian-style chili. This way, you can please everyone at your table, while maintaining the basic flavor you love about this classic meal. The editors of AllFreeSlowCookerRecipes are no strangers to making chili, and we have a variety of great slow cooker chili recipes to share with you that are sure to please any pocketbook.
Chili recipes make great family dinners, game day meals, tailgating dishes, and (best of all) they’re budget-conscious slow cooker recipes you’ll use time and time again. Feeding your family is crucial, and you don’t want to leave any bellies less than full, so before you get to the store, it’s important to know what you’re shopping for and how much of each ingredient you need. The great thing about ground beef, chicken breasts, and canned chili? They’re totally inexpensive. Below, we’ve listed out various chili ingredients by cost, so you can gather a list and buzz right through the isles.
Shopping for Slow Cooker Chili: Budget Friendly Ingredients
First, you must decide which slow cooker chili recipe you’d like to cook. Below this section, you’ll find recipes for shredded chicken chili, chili with green chilies and corn, ground beef and chili, vegetarian chili, a seasonal pumpkin chili that’s perfect for fall, and more. Regardless of the star protein or vegetable you choose, you’ll need all of the other basic ingredients that chilis are famous for, so let’s get shopping!
- Ground beef: averages $4 per lb*
- Chicken breast: averages $ 3.50 per lb*
- Turkey breast: averages $1.60 per lb*
- Canned chili: about $2 per can**
- Shredded cheese: about $4-$5 per 80z bag**
- Canned corn: about $1-$2 per 15oz can**
- Green Chilies: about $2 per 15oz can**
*According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
**According to Walmart.com
Budget-Friendly Chili Recipes We Love
Here are a few great slow cooker chili recipes to try on your family or friends. These recipes use many—if not all—of the ingredients we mentioned above, so you’ll keep your wallet and your belly full. Next time you’re scrambling for a hearty meal to feed your famished family, these recipes are sure to do the trick.
- Super Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Dollar Store Kickin’ Chili
- Beef and Bean Chili
- Poor Man’s Chili Slow Cooker Recipe
- Spicy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
- Jimmy Fallon’s Chili Recipe (shown up above)
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Chili Mac
- Slow Cooker Skinny Chicken Chili
- Delicious Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Double Pumpkin Chili
For more easy slow cooker meals you can make on a budget, make sure to visit our website!
What are your go-to budget meals to feed a hungry crowd? Let us know below in the comments!
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