Budget Friendly Meals | BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Guacamole Dip

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I know you all love finding tasty, simple, budget friendly meals for weeknight dinners. I know I do! So, I thought I'd share this simple meal with you guys I was able to create for under $20 (with plenty of ingredients to spare by the way)! Can you believe this is the first summer since we've lived in our house that we've really used a grill? I know, I know we were definitely missing out! Easy clean up, the hubs does the outside work, I do the inside and the meal is ready in nearly half the time and for a busy family like us who typically doesn't hit the door until 6pm or later that is a huge advantage. Fortunately for us, grilling season doesn't end in Mississippi until pretty much December. So, today I'm going to share with you a recent meal we made that isn't just your typical grilling go-to. BBQ Chicken Tacos!



INGREDIENTS:
(makes enough for 3-5 people)

• Boneless Chicken Tenders
• Kraft BBQ Sauce (we used Hickory Smoked)
• 1 Medium Onion
• Shredded Lettuce
• Velveeta Shredded Cheese
• Salt and Pepper for additional seasoning for Chicken (optional)
• Kraft Ranch Dressing (optional)
• Creamy Guacamole Dip/Sauce (recipe found below) 
• Wheat (or whatever kind you like) Tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Brush Chicken Tenders with BBQ Sauce and Grill apprx. 5-6 minutes on each side. Chicken should always be cooked to 165 degrees. Brush additional BBQ sauce onto tenders while they remain on the heat. 
• Slice Onion in rings and place directly on the grill. Brush with a little Olive/Vegetable Oil if you'd like. 
• Once Chicken is done remove from grill and heat tortillas for 2-3 minutes making sure to remove them before they become crisp. 
• Dress Taco as desired! 

I don't know if it can get more simple than that! We all like ours different ways. Ranch and BBQ Chicken just pair perfectly for me so adding a little Kraft Ranch Dressing makes it just a smooth Southwest taste without being tangy. I added Velveeta shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, and some left over tomato from the Creamy Guacamole Dip, which I used to dress another taco as well as dip my tortilla chips in as a side. 

This dip can be made from scratch, but I just love the Marketside Guacamole you can buy in the individual packs at Walmart. I just used two packs and had 4 left over for other meals and snacks. . . which reminds me I still have two left! I know what I'm eating for dinner (hashtag pregnancy cravings)! Okay back on track. here's how I made the Creamy Guacamole Dip.

INGREDIENTS:
(this made way too much so feel free to cut in half for one dinner)

• 1/2 Cup Miracle Whip 
• 2 Marketside Individual Guacamole Packs (2 oz. each) - Mild
• 1 10oz can diced tomatoes and green chillis (drained well) - Mild
• Red Pepper Flakes*
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder*

INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a small bowl stir first 2 ingredients well.
• Add in tomato and green chillis a large spoonful at a time. Stir until you have a consistency you prefer.
• Add Red Pepper, Black Pepper, and garlic powder to taste. 

* I bought mild in consideration of my two year old, but decided I wanted it spicier hence adding the garlic and red pepper flakes. I could have always just set aside a little for him. If you buy the medium or spicy tomatoes and guac you will not need to add the spices for a little kick!  I wanted a little kick though!

As you can see I used the creamy guacamole for a sauce as well as a dip! I really liked it on my taco. It definitely gave it that kick I was looking for to make this a more southwestern meal! My husband went for the ranch dressing topping with grilled onions on the side. My son... he may have just eaten chips. He gets so distracted when we eat outside!

Just a side note: We spent a total of $19.63 on this meal by shopping at Walmart.

With the Kraft BBQ Sauce, Miracle Whip, and Velveeta all being on Rollback, it definitely made this an affordable meal (especially needed around the 1st and the 15th...amiright?) and we can of course use all of them for other meals because there was plenty left over! I actually used the Guac and Velveeta in a 7 - Layer Mexican Dip for the little Fiesta we had for my parents' birthdays (hoping to share that with you soon too)! 

What are some of your favorite budget friendly meals?