• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Good Cheap Eats
  • About
    • Welcome to the Good Cheap Eats Kitchen
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Members Only
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Recipe Index
  • Recent Posts
  • SHOP
    • Purchases
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Meal Plans
    • Holiday Helps
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Join the Club
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • All Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Join the Club
    • Cookbooks
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » 30-Minute Meals

    Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes (or Less) Will Help You Save Time & Money

    Published: Feb 1, 2020 · Modified: Apr 24, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

    FacebookTweetPinPrint
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.

    Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes (or Less!) is the book to help you save time in the kitchen. With 200 quick and easy recipes, it’s loaded with tips and tricks to help you make the most of your minutes and your kitchen more efficient.

    reuben patty melt with dipping sauce this …

    Want to save this post?

    Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!

    Save Recipe

    Do you ever find yourself staring into the depths of the fridge, wondering what to make?

    Have you ever had it happen that you’re short on time but absolutely have to get the troops fed real fast?

    Did you ever wonder if those stories of 30-minutes meals were fairy tales or actual fact?

    Well, I’ve got the answer to all those dilemmas:  Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less.

    30-minute meals cookbook on table

    I’m a busy mom who’s raised six kids almost to adulthood. Okay, the baby is 11, but my big kid is a bonafide adult.

    I know what it is to be busy. I know what it is to have hangry people and precious minutes.

    And I know that it is absolutely possible to make supper in half an hour. 

    I know this because I timed myself.

    Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less

    GGCE30MM is designed for the busy home cook who doesn’t want to eat crap, spend a lot of money, or take a lot of time.

    I mean, Chicken Tikka Masala and Coconut Rice  that you can make in half an hour? Sign me up!

    plate of rice with chicken tikka masala

    Like all my books, this one is made up of recipes that passed muster with one man and six kids of varying ages, personalities, and palates.

    This book is all about the quick fix you can afford.

    What you’ll get are wholesome, home cooked meals that won’t take much time to prepare. No processed ingredients, just fresh real food that you can cook real quick. Without going broke.

    What you won’t get is canned cream of mushroom soup dumped over chicken and sprinkled with crushed nuclear cheeze bits. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

    But the point is that you’ll be enjoying affordable, wholesome food in a flash, an upgrade over fast-food or any variety of expensive or unhealthful alternatives.

    Want a peek inside?

    There are chapters for different styles of cooking.

    The chapters are broken down by cooking methods, such as:

    • Quick Casseroles, Bakes, and Broils
    • Breakneck Sandwiches and Burgers
    • Snappy Sautes, Skillets, and Other Stovetop Specials

    (And yes, I do have a thing for alliteration.)
    (And yes, I needed the hacky sack to hold the book open. Hacky sack not included in purchase.)

    Click here to get your copy.

    There is a great section on how to use the book best.

    In case you didn’t know the front matter of a cookbook is really important!

    This is where the author explains how the recipes are configured and communicates the spirit of the recipe collection.

    I hope you’ll take the minute or two it takes to read it. It contains a lot of helpful, time-saving information in an itty bitty storage space.

    There are 200+ recipes, most of which are NOT on the blog.

    The over 200 recipes are all budget-friendly, quick to prepare, and minimally processed.

    They are labeled (make-ahead, gluten-free, dairy-free, meatless, and freezer-friendly) to make it easy to accommodate for special needs or schedules.

    And yes, I did time myself preparing every single recipe. Provided you have all the ingredients at hand, you should be able to swing dinner in 30 minutes. 

    close up of time saving tips

    The book includes over 100 tips for saving time in the kitchen.

    Time-saving tips are peppered throughout the book to help you expand your knowledge and increase your efficiency in the kitchen.

    You are taking the Efficient Kitchen Challenge, right? This is the perfect primer to get yourself up to speed!

    inside pages of book explaining how to meal plan

    There’s also information to help you save more money on food.

    Longer sections within the book expand on topics that will help you eat well, save money, and feel confident about your skills in the kitchen.

    A review from a young man working in the tech industry stated that the philosophy of the book “solves the problem of millennials’ fear of and/or disinterest in cooking.”

    Amen, Hallelujah. I want everyone to know how to cook for themselves and enjoy it!

    Read: you’ve got your gift lists covered for all the bachelors, college students, young marrieds, and young professionals in your life when you buy them this book. 😉

    There are even 30-Minute Desserts!

    The bonus Desserts chapter helps you create sweet endings to your meals in just minutes.

    Because, yes, you really do need Strawberries, Cookies, and Cream, in your life. Trust me on this. It is so amazingly good.

    YOU CAN GET THE BOOK HERE.

    « Cheddar Coins – aka Homemade Cheez Its
    Cook Once, Eat Three Nights – Fancy Tricks to Save You Time »
    FacebookTweetPinPrint

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alicia Morrison

      December 14, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      Stumbled onto this book while at the library. Pretty sure it was a God-ordained thing. I have taken this book out so many times! I have 6 kids and homeschool. This book is a lifesaver. My family especially loves the banana pancake recipe. Thanks for writing the book!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 14, 2020 at 3:32 pm

        Nice to meet you, Alicia! We are, indeed, kindred spirits. Thanks for saying HI!

        Reply
    2. Pat

      February 01, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      This is the first cookbook of yours that I bought years ago and I still use it when I meal plan. I also use it when Plan A will not work. It’s saved my starving people many times over.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 23, 2020 at 3:17 pm

        Yay! I’m so glad to hear it!

        Reply
    3. Marci

      October 02, 2015 at 7:41 am

      Does this cookbook focus on meat-based meals, or are there more vegetarian ones? It’s not easy to find cookbooks with enough quick, easy, budget-friendly vegetarian means for my family. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 23, 2020 at 3:17 pm

        There are both, with plenty of options for adaptations.

        Reply
    4. Brighid

      September 20, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      I just went to Amazon to look at it, and it says “Usually ships within 1 to 3 months”! I’m hoping that this is because you’ve sold tons of copies. It’s going on my wish list.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 20, 2015 at 4:23 pm

        Thanks! Amazon did run out, but I thought I refreshed and it showed me some were shipping this week. Maybe they ran out of those too. Yay! Thanks for your support!

        Reply
    5. Nevila

      September 11, 2015 at 4:20 am

      Just ordered it on Amazon. Can’t wait :-))))

      Reply
    6. Jessica

      September 08, 2015 at 11:36 pm

      I already have my copy here in Australia, so exciting! I handed it straight to my husband, as he is currently in charge of meal planning as I just had baby #3. Thankyou!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 10, 2015 at 7:27 am

        Wow! Australia shipped fast this time. So glad. Thanks for your support. Let your husband know he rocks.

        Reply
    7. Josh

      September 08, 2015 at 1:32 pm

      But this doesn’t include recipes from the previous Good Cheap Eats, right?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 08, 2015 at 6:35 pm

        No, these are all new, different from the previous book.

        Reply
        • Josh

          September 08, 2015 at 6:45 pm

          I went to Amazon today to order my mom a copy of the previous one for her birthday because she’s liked the recipes we’ve used, but now I guess I’ll get her the new one and we’ll swap recipes. Had no idea there would be a new one released!

        • Jessica Fisher

          September 08, 2015 at 6:48 pm

          Thanks for including me in the birthday celebrations!

    8. Sally

      September 08, 2015 at 12:33 am

      Received notice that the book should be delivered today. Can’t wait to look at it.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 10, 2015 at 7:45 am

        Thanks for your support!

        Reply
    9. Sheila W.

      September 07, 2015 at 4:13 pm

      Yay! I have the free menu plan you created for this book, and the meals sound delicious!! Ordering my copy this Week!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 07, 2015 at 5:58 pm

        Thanks for your support!

        Reply
    10. Amber

      September 07, 2015 at 12:12 pm

      Congrats! I have mine on order, and I own all your other cookbooks too : ). Thanks for the free 30 minute 4 week meal plan that goes with it. Can’t wait to try it! You should link the meal plan up above, if you didn’t already.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 10, 2015 at 7:27 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    11. Megan D

      September 07, 2015 at 7:03 am

      When I was growing up, my parents had us plan, organize and prepare one meal a week so we learned how to cook and how to plan ahead for what we’d need (& now as a parent I realize SO THEY GOT A NIGHT OFF!!!!)…..I’ve been planning to start this with my boys and now I have the perfect cookbook to do just that. 30 minute meals is just about what they can handle with their limited attention span! I can’t wait to read through this cookbook and help them to pick out some meals they’re interested in and able to execute.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 07, 2015 at 9:31 am

        Yay! I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    teal graphic with the words, do you know what's for dinner tonight.

    Mexican Food Recipes

    • close up of crockpot enchiladas on a blue plate with fork and salad.
      Easy Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
    • close up of freezer burrito cut in half in paper-lined basket.
      Easy Freezer Burrito Recipe with Chicken, Beans, & Cheese
    • overhead shot of bowl of salsa verde beef.
      Shredded Salsa Verde Beef (5-Ingredient Recipe)
    • side view of buffalo chicken quesadillas with filling coming out of sides.
      Easy Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas Recipe
    • jar of jalapeño salsa with sliced chiles on top and bunch of cilantro and whole on table beside.
      Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe [VIDEO]
    • spoon of chicken taco soup over the bowl of soup.
      Chicken Taco Soup

    Reader Favorites

    • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
      5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • small glass pitcher of milk on black background.
      20+ Easy Milk Recipes to Use Up the Leftover Gallon
    • with a fork fluffing the baked rice in the pan with steam rising.
      Baked Rice: How to Cook Rice in the Oven
    • green onions added to meal prep salads.
      Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
    • best pulled pork in a freezer container to freeze.
      Best Pulled Pork Recipe
    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    teal graphic with the words, do you know what's for dinner tonight.

    Mexican Food Recipes

    • chicken enchilada bake on plate with side dishes.
      60+ Budget-Friendly Mexican Dinner Ideas
    • close up of chips in black bowl.
      3 Ways to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips
    • the finished plate of loaded nachos.
      Nacho Bar
    • cooked taco meat in oval dish with taco toppings nearby.
      Easy Homemade Taco Meat
    • overhead shot of jalapeno cream cheese dip with sliced jalapeños on top and a spoon twirled in the cheese.
      Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
    • closeup of Spanish brown rice in white bowl.
      Spanish Brown Rice (Mexican Brown Rice)

    Reader Favorites

    • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
      5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • small glass pitcher of milk on black background.
      20+ Easy Milk Recipes to Use Up the Leftover Gallon
    • with a fork fluffing the baked rice in the pan with steam rising.
      Baked Rice: How to Cook Rice in the Oven
    • green onions added to meal prep salads.
      Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
    • best pulled pork in a freezer container to freeze.
      Best Pulled Pork Recipe

    Footer

    back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Shipping Policy
    • Return Policy
    • Digital Shop

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Good Cheap Eats