10 Classic Budget-Friendly Meals People Rarely Make Anymore

Do you remember the foods of your childhood? Maybe you regularly ate Sloppy Joe sandwiches, or perhaps you lived off Southern classics like cornbread and beans. But, you likely don't eat some of those meals anymore, whether you've realized it or not. Many meals rise into popularity, only to later fade away into obscurity. Because of this, the meals our grandparents (or even our parents) ate may not be the same as what we eat now or grew up eating. Many meals become household mainstays because they're affordable, simple, and can be made with ingredients that were likely already in the home at the time.

Some of these simple, affordable meals deserve a comeback, or at the very least, a bit of recognition. So, without further ado, here are 10 classic budget-friendly meals people rarely make anymore. You may have grown up eating a few of these, and if you ask your parents and grandparents about them, chances are they enjoyed at least some of these meals, too.

Goulash can refer to a few different dishes, so the distinction is often made to say "American goulash." This specific dish is also sometimes known as American chop suey and has appreciated historical popularity throughout the decades, only to fall out of widespread use sometime in the last decade or two.

There are varying recipes for goulash, but the base almost always calls for noodles, tomato sauce, and ground beef. The noodles are often macaroni or fusilli, but can be anything you have in the pantry at the time. Seasonings are often simple and consist of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Some may include red pepper flakes for a little kick of spice. Depending on the recipe, diced tomatoes, beans, sweet bell peppers, and onions may also be included.

The beauty of this recipe is that goulash can very much be a "kitchen sink" recipe — by which we mean that you can throw in whatever you have on hand to create it. In fact, there are even recipes for a cream-based option rather than tomato-based. Goulash is a whole meal by itself, but pairs perfectly with crispy garlic bread or soft, fresh dinner rolls.

Tuna noodle casserole is another dish that has many variations, which is evident if you take to Reddit. One person said they grew up with it being a box of premade mac and cheese and a bag of frozen veggies mixed in. Another Reddit reviewer said they remember their family's tuna noodle casserole as, "One can of tuna. One bag of egg noodles. One can of cream of mushroom soup, [and] half can of peas."

Regardless of the exact recipe, tuna noodle casserole's most basic starter items are noodles (of any kind) and a can of tuna. Creamy soups or cheese sauces are used to pull everything together, and mix-ins are often used to make it a whole meal. A few examples of mix-ins might include celery, onions, peas, diced carrots, onions, corn, or your standard mixed vegetables combo.

Since canned tuna has always been relatively affordable, making use of it could help in times where other proteins were a little expensive — stretching budgets and filling bellies at the same time. And, this is a meal all on its own that can be paired with bread or a garden salad if you wanted.

Cottage pie is a cousin of the "shepherd's pie" or "pot pie" many people know and love. But, this option is even more budget-friendly and simple — to the point where we aren't sure why making this for supper fell out of popularity.

It all starts with a ground beef filling featuring a thick gravy and your choice of vegetables. While peas and carrots are traditional, you can choose other vegetables if you're not a fan of those. Examples of alternatives include green beans, bell peppers, corn, broccoli florets, and pearl onions. Over top of this already delicious mixture is layered thick mashed potatoes sprinkled with a cheese topping. Together, everything is baked until the potatoes are a little crispy on top and the cheese is fully melted.

Like most classic budget-friendly meals on this list, cottage pie is a whole meal itself. But, it could pair well with any dinner bread or fresh salad. Salads were popular historically because they could be made with items grown from your own garden.

Making Sloppy Joe's, also known as Sloppy Joe Sandwiches, requires only three things — ground beef, a can of Sloppy Joe mixture, and bread of any kind. A popular bread option was hamburger buns, but standard white bread or even dinner rolls could do in a pinch. No bread? Serve the mixture over mashed potatoes or rice instead. The ground beef and sauce are combined in a pot and then heaped onto the bread for a budget-friendly meal that is warm, filling, and absolutely delicious.

The real beauty of Sloppy Joe's is that they could be combined in any meal arrangement. You can eat them by themselves in a pinch and still be full. Or, pair them with a single starch like potato chips or french fries for a quick side. But, you could also serve them with a vegetable and starch combination if you have the resources and extra time. There is really no wrong way to eat a Sloppy Joe.

Frito Pie was especially popular in the American Midwest, Southwest, and Southeast — and in some more traditional households, it's still served to this day. But, it's definitely lost much of its original popularity because there was a time you'd find this budget meal on the table in households across the nation regularly.

To make Frito Pie, you start with chili and then top with cheese and corn chips. The chili can be homemade or from a can, depending on what you have on hand. Then, you can add other toppings if you want — examples might include scallions, onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, Pico de Gallo, salsa, hot sauce, shredded lettuce, guacamole, or sour cream.

Frito Pie can be eaten alone as a full meal. But, it's best paired with accompaniments that balance the rich, hearty and savory profile of the chili. A fresh veggie platter, garden salad, coleslaw, or a corn and bean salad are all excellent choices.

Steak nights are a fan favorite, but they can be far from affordable. But that's where Salisbury steak comes in. This unique take on steak is much cheaper than the real deal, but can be just as satisfying when made right. Although you can easily make these at home, they rose to popularity through TV dinners. Most classic TV brands offer a Salisbury steak option, usually paired with a vegetable and mashed potatoes.

Making Salisbury steak at home means using processed meat or whatever ground meats you have. You can use leftover ground meats and combine them together to reduce waste in the home, and making this meal even more economical. Meats are rolled into balls once combined and flattened out to mildly resemble a steak shape. Then, they're cooked in a skillet smothered in brown gravy.

Salisbury steak is best served over mashed potatoes or rice, but could also be served over toast or bread in a pinch. Pair with your favorite vegetable to help balance out the savoriness of the starring dish.

There's almost no meal as budget friendly as cornbread and beans. Even to this day, you can find a bag of dried pinto beans containing 13 servings for just $1 at Walmart. Pair that with two boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix that will offer about six servings for a little more than $1, and you can feed a small crowd on $2 and some change. This simple budget-friendly meal has historically been popular throughout Appalachia, the Southwest, and the Southeast for decades because not only is it ridiculously cheap, but it's also very filling.

The type of beans doesn't matter, although pinto beans are a common choice. You could also choose black eyed peas, black beans, or kidney beans, depending on what you have in the kitchen. Add a little bacon or fatback to help season the beans and make them a little more hearty. And, of course, you don't have to choose Jiffy Cornbread Mix. Instead, you could make yours from scratch at home if you have the ingredients, or opt for a different pre-made brand.

Cornmeal mush is a classic budget-friendly breakfast that is warm and filling, but that isn't typically eaten in American households anymore. It involves boiling cornmeal in milk or water until it becomes a thick porridge with a slightly lumpy texture. Like oatmeal or other hot cereals, it can be made a little thicker or thinner without altering the taste much, if preferred.

To make, combine 3 cups of water in a sauce pot on medium high heat. While that heats up, combine 1 cup of cornmeal, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of cornmeal in a bowl. Once the water is boiling, slowly pour in the cornmeal mixture while continuing to whisk consistently until the pot returns to a boil. Keep an eye on the pot for the consistency you want, then remove from heat and serve with your desired toppings.

Once cooked, you can add sweet or savory toppings to cornmeal mush to fit your preferences. Sweet toppings often include maple syrup, honey, or powdered sugar with a little butter. Savory toppings might include things like bacon bits, cheese, scallions, or sausage crumbles.

Creamed chipped beef is colloquially known as "sh*t on a shingle," or "SOS." The dish involves thinly sliced beef in a creamy gravy, which is usually served over toast. If preferred, it can also be served over mashed potatoes, rice, or whatever starch you have on hand. The seasonings would often be just salt and pepper, with a heavy hand used on the pepper.

Although the cream-based gravy makes this meal feel a little more luxurious than some other options on this list, it's actually a very simple and cheap thing to make. In essence, all you really need is milk, flour, and some seasonings to pull this together. When the thinly sliced beef is cooked in this simple sauce, the gravy takes on some of that savoriness. Of course, if you have it, adding a little heavy whipping cream can help create a richer gravy.

Serve your creamed chipped beef over unbuttered toast or mashed potatoes with a side of your favorite vegetable or a garden salad. Consider a few fresh sliced tomatoes on the side, sprinkled with salt and pepper, to help cut the richness and savoriness of the meal.

Fried bologna sandwiches are an iconic classic budget lunch popularized during the 1980s and 1990s. There isn't a millennial alive today who didn't either know someone who regularly ate this sandwich or ate it themselves. Thanks to how simple and tasty it is, this is one of the classic budget-friendly meals that deserve a comeback and stat.

Making a bologna sandwich primarily revolves around things that most Americans have in their homes at any given time anyways. You need bread, American cheese, bologna, and some mayonnaise. The bread can be toasted or untoasted, based on your preferences, and you can also customize how much cheese, meat, or mayo you add. However, the one thing that every variation of this sandwich has in common is that the bologna is fried.

Once bologna is fried, it takes on a taste more like grilled hot dogs than the soft, somewhat artificial flavor profile it has straight out of the package. To stop the meat from cupping, cut one small slit in each side.