About to order takeout? Make one of these 5 cheap dinners instead
Tuesday 1 September 2026 12:00 - Juliette Hess
The goal is not to copy restaurant food perfectly. It is to answer the same craving with less spending and less waiting. A tortilla can become a pizza, a wrap can satisfy a burger craving, noodles can feel like takeout, chickpeas can become a fast curry and crispy chicken can give you that “ordered in” feeling without leaving the house.
Here are 5 dinners to make instead of eating out, chosen because they match what people often order: pizza, burger-style wraps, noodles, curry and crispy chicken. They are fast enough for weeknights, budget-friendly enough to repeat and satisfying enough to stop dinner from feeling like a compromise.
1. Craving pizza? Make a tortilla pizza instead
Pizza is one of the easiest meals to order and one of the easiest cravings to answer at home. A tortilla pizza gives you the same hot, cheesy, tomato-based comfort without making dough, waiting for delivery or spending more than necessary.
The advantage is speed. Keep tortillas, tomato sauce and cheese on hand, then add whatever is already in the fridge: ham, mushrooms, peppers, olives, leftover chicken or vegetables. It is not a pizzeria-style dough, and that is the point. It is the emergency version that gets dinner on the table before the delivery driver would arrive.
Express tortilla pizza
No time to prepare traditional pizza dough for your homemade pizza? Opt for wheat tortillas! An easy and quick recipe that allows you to create several individual pizzas. Perfect for sharing as an appetizer or enjoying in front of a match/movie/series...
The advantage is speed. Keep tortillas, tomato sauce and cheese on hand, then add whatever is already in the fridge: ham, mushrooms, peppers, olives, leftover chicken or vegetables. It is not a pizzeria-style dough, and that is the point. It is the emergency version that gets dinner on the table before the delivery driver would arrive.
2. Craving a burger? Make a Big Mac-style wrap
Burger cravings are really about a few specific things: warm meat, melted cheese, crunchy salad, pickles, sauce and something soft to hold it all together. A Big Mac-style wrap keeps that familiar fast-food feeling while using fewer ingredients and less time than building full burgers at home.
This is the kind of dinner that works when people want takeout but you want to keep the budget under control. Serve the wraps with salad, potatoes, raw vegetables or even a handful of chips if the night is casual. It feels fun without needing buns, a full burger station or a pile of dishes.
Big mac-style wraps, quick, practical and economical
Fancy a burger without breaking out the buns? These Big Mac-style wraps are THE perfect solution: all the mythical taste of the cult sandwich, in a rolled-up version that's easy to eat and ready in a flash. You'll find golden-brown steak, crunchy...
This is the kind of dinner that works when people want takeout but you want to keep the budget under control. Serve the wraps with salad, potatoes, raw vegetables or even a handful of chips if the night is casual. It feels fun without needing buns, a full burger station or a pile of dishes.
3. Craving noodles? Make spicy peanut udon
Noodles are a classic takeout order because they feel fast, saucy and satisfying. A spicy peanut udon-style dinner gives you that same comfort with ingredients that are easy to keep at home: noodles, sauce, a quick protein and a few vegetables.
The best part is that noodle dinners are flexible. Use shrimp if you have it, or swap in chicken, tofu, eggs or extra vegetables. Peanut sauce makes the bowl feel rich and complete without needing many expensive ingredients. This is a strong replacement for ordering noodles because it scratches the same itch: hot, savoury, fast and bowl-friendly.
Shrimp udon noodles with spicy peanut sauce
Today we're preparing udon noodles with a sweet, salty and spicy wrap sauce. You'll love the peanut taste in this spicy Asian dish. Add the accompaniments of your choice for a complete meal. Here, the noodles are served with sautéed shrimp ....
The best part is that noodle dinners are flexible. Use shrimp if you have it, or swap in chicken, tofu, eggs or extra vegetables. Peanut sauce makes the bowl feel rich and complete without needing many expensive ingredients. This is a strong replacement for ordering noodles because it scratches the same itch: hot, savoury, fast and bowl-friendly.
4. Craving curry? Make chickpea curry from the pantry
Curry is another meal people often order because it feels comforting and complete. But chickpea curry is one of the easiest takeout-style dinners to make cheaply at home. Canned chickpeas, spices, tomato and a creamy element can become a warm, filling meal without a long shopping list.
Serve it with rice, flatbread, couscous or even toast if that is what you have. It also makes good leftovers, which gives it an advantage over many delivery meals. This dinner is inexpensive, filling and forgiving; exactly what a weeknight alternative to takeout should be.
Chickpea curry, the super gourmet vegan recipe
In the list of comforting dishes , we gladly ask for a chickpea curry ! Served with rice, this fragrant recipe will warm your stomach :-) You'll see how easy this recipe is with the steps explained below ↓
Serve it with rice, flatbread, couscous or even toast if that is what you have. It also makes good leftovers, which gives it an advantage over many delivery meals. This dinner is inexpensive, filling and forgiving; exactly what a weeknight alternative to takeout should be.
5. Craving fried chicken? Make crispy chicken in the air fryer
Crispy chicken is one of those cravings that makes eating out feel hard to resist. The air fryer helps because it gives you a crunchy, golden result with less oil, less mess and less active cooking than traditional frying.
Make it feel like a takeout meal by serving it with a quick sauce, salad, coleslaw, roasted potatoes or wraps. The important part is the texture: crispy outside, tender inside and ready without ordering a bucket of chicken. For busy nights, this is the dinner that can make staying home still feel like a treat.
Crispy chicken in the airfryer, the ultimate quick and easy meal!
To obtain a chicken that is both moist and crispy, nothing is better than cooking it in the Air fryer ! It's THE simple, effective and healthy method to prepare your meal for the whole family . Here we have marinated it simply with olive oil and...
Make it feel like a takeout meal by serving it with a quick sauce, salad, coleslaw, roasted potatoes or wraps. The important part is the texture: crispy outside, tender inside and ready without ordering a bucket of chicken. For busy nights, this is the dinner that can make staying home still feel like a treat.
How to make these takeout-style dinners cheaper
The secret is to stock ingredients that can answer more than one craving. Tortillas can become pizzas, wraps, quesadillas or quick sandwiches. Cheese can work for pizza, wraps and crispy chicken toppings. Noodles can become peanut bowls, stir-fries or soup-style dinners. Chickpeas can become curry, salad or roasted snacks.
Also keep sauces simple. A good tomato sauce, yogurt sauce, burger-style sauce, soy-based sauce or peanut sauce can make basic ingredients feel like a real meal. The sauce is often what makes homemade food feel close to something you would order.
Cheap does not have to mean boring. It means using repeatable ingredients in smarter ways.
Also keep sauces simple. A good tomato sauce, yogurt sauce, burger-style sauce, soy-based sauce or peanut sauce can make basic ingredients feel like a real meal. The sauce is often what makes homemade food feel close to something you would order.
Cheap does not have to mean boring. It means using repeatable ingredients in smarter ways.
The takeaway
The easiest way to eat out less is not to force yourself into bland “budget meals.” It is to make home versions of the foods you already crave: pizza, burger wraps, noodles, curry and crispy chicken.
These five dinners work because they are quick, cheap and familiar. They answer the same desire that usually leads to ordering food, but with more control over cost, portions and ingredients.
Keep the basics ready, choose the craving, and make the home version before the delivery app wins.
These five dinners work because they are quick, cheap and familiar. They answer the same desire that usually leads to ordering food, but with more control over cost, portions and ingredients.
Keep the basics ready, choose the craving, and make the home version before the delivery app wins.
Juliette HessI have been creating culinary content for Petitchef since 2017.
I love travelling and discovering new dishes, trying out new food trends and exploring new restaurants.
I’m a huge fan of pasta and noodles in all their forms ❤ from udon noodles to tagliatelle, I love cooking them and even making them from scratch!
I’m currently preparing, filming and photographing your next recipe, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
I love travelling and discovering new dishes, trying out new food trends and exploring new restaurants.
I’m a huge fan of pasta and noodles in all their forms ❤ from udon noodles to tagliatelle, I love cooking them and even making them from scratch!
I’m currently preparing, filming and photographing your next recipe, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
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