Roasted Vegetable Baked Penne
$11.34 recipe / $1.42 serving
This was actually supposed to be a baked ziti, but it turns out ziti is just about impossible to find in grocery stores right now,...
Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Feta
$2.31 recipe / $1.16 serving
Here’s a little quickie for you this weekend! I’m always looking for ways to use up the odds and ends of my fresh spinach,...
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
$3.21 recipe / $0.80 serving
Remember ten years ago or so when cauliflower suddenly got super popular and everyone was using it in place of every carb imaginable? And...
Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
$4.97 recipe / $1.24 serving
If ever there was a meal-worthy soup, it would be Broccoli Cheddar! This bowl full of colorful, chunky vegetables and a super thick cheesy...
Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet
$7.21 recipe / $1.80 serving
Hello, new favorite! I think of this Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet kind of like “jambalaya light”. It has similar flavors and ingredients as...
The Bagel Lunch Box
$5.32 recipe / $1.33 serving
Here’s another quick lunch box idea (or meal prep breakfast idea) for you! While this one isn’t completely no-cook because it contains a hard...
Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew
$9.88 recipe / $1.65 serving
Y’all. I am SO ready for sweater weather and cozy slow cooker stews! To kick the season off, I made this super simple Slow...
How to Freeze Bananas
I was freezing some of our brown bananas the other day and decided to take a few snapshots of the process and do a...
Chocolate Banana Muffins
$3.97 recipe / $0.33 serving
What to do with browning bananas? It’s the question that never stops needing to be answered. The other day I was about to make...
Quick Garlic Butter Shrimp
$4.37 recipe / $2.19 serving
As I mentioned last week, I’ve been experimenting a with shrimp a little more lately. Why? It’s super fast and easy to cook, and...
The Peanut Butter Lunch Box
$4.57 recipe / $1.14 per serving
Continuing on with the series of no-cook lunch boxes, I bring you The Peanut Butter Lunch Box! This one is so simple, yet I...
Pesto Shrimp Pasta
$$8.07 recipe / $2.02 serving
I’ve been experimenting with shrimp a lot lately. Yes, it can be a little on the expensive side, but if you pair it whith...
One Pot Lemon Artichoke Chicken and Rice
$7.39 recipe / $1.85 serving
As this unusual summer draws to a close, it’s time to start moving into new routines for fall. Having a routine dinnertime can be...
Mediterranean White Bean Salad
$4.87 recipe / $1.22 serving
You can never have enough easy side dish recipes, am I right?? I like to keep my side dishes simple so they don’t steal...
The Tuna Salad Lunch Box
$7.68 recipe / $1.92 serving
Here’s another no-cook cold lunch idea for you! Tuna salad is a classic cold lunch item, but you can’t prep a few days worth...
Classic Tuna Salad
$5.20 recipe / $1.30 serving
With so many people going back to work but without the luxury of being able to use their break room microwaves or refrigerators, classic...
Beef Taco Skillet
$6.30 recipe / $1.58 serving
Sometimes I just throw random leftovers into a pot or skillet and just see how it turns out. 😜 But you can’t really go...
The Cheese Board Lunch Box
$7.45 recipe / $1.86 per box
Continuing on with my no-cook lunch box series, today I bring you The Cheese Board Lunch Box! This one goes out to everyone who...
Creamy Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli
$5.48 recipe / $1.37 serving
I’m all about the quick skillet meals because, let’s face it, sometimes after a long day of work you don’t really want to cook...
5 Templates for Easy Vegan Dinners
The older I get the more I love meals where I can just throw whatever I have into one pot, bowl, or skillet. I’ve...
The Hummus Lunch Box
$8.04 recipe / $2.01 serving
Are y’all ready for the next installment in the no-cook lunch box series? The Hummus Lunch Box is a classic, one that I’m sure...
Gochujang Ramen with Tofu
$2.26 recipe / $1.13 serving
I love good quality food, but I also have a small place in my heart reserved for convenience foods like instant ramen or frozen...
Black Bean Burgers
$2.57 recipe / $0.43 serving
Super flavorful Homemade Black Bean Burgers are as easy as combining black beans together with a slew of flavorful ingredients, like garlic, red onion,...
The Pizza Roll Up Lunch Box
$5.64 recipe / $1.41 serving
The heat is getting to me, y’all! So last week I sat down and brainstormed some no-cook lunch boxes, or meal preps that I...
Crunchy Cabbage Salad
$3.01 recipe / $0.51 serving
I ate my teriyaki meatball bowls all week as meal prep and absolutely loved them, but I desperately need another vegetable side to balance...
Sesame Ginger Dressing
$2.03 recipe / $0.20 serving
This Sesame Ginger Dressing is probably one of the most addictive homemade dressings I’ve ever made. It’s sweet, salty, tangy, and has a super...
Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
$7.04 recipe / $1.76 serving
Craving BBQ, but don’t have a pit? These Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches only take about 30 minutes to make and cost only a couple...
How to Cut a Watermelon
Summer is in FULL SWING and one of the most wonderful simple pleasures of summer is fresh cut watermelon. If you’re a little intimidated...
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
$3.24 recipe / $0.54 serving
This dessert-like banana bread baked oatmeal is rich, sweet, hearty, and totally breakfast worthy, thanks to hearty oats and the natural sweetness of bananas....
Blackened Salmon with Zucchini
$13.30 recipe / $3.33 serving
Are you ready for a dinner that is seriously easy and is so good that it will make you go weak in the knees?...
Summer Sweet Corn Salad
$7.67 recipe / $0.96 serving
Fresh sweet corn is one of my favorite things about summer. It’s so sweet and juicy when it’s fresh, and the smell of the...
Sesame Cucumber Salad
$2.44 recipe / $0.41 serving
This salad is one of the very first recipes I ever posted on Budget Bytes. Like, way back when I was still taking photos...
Jerk Seasoned Collard Greens
$4.10 recipe / $0.51 serving
When lockdown started a few months ago I focused on buying vegetables that would last a long time in my fridge or pantry so...
Quick BBQ Chicken
$4.98 recipe / $1.25 serving
We get a lot of feedback from readers who are trying to cook for families who all have different dietary needs and preferences, especially...
Pico de Gallo
$2.59 recipe / $0.22 serving
Pico de gallo is one of my favorite fresh summer condiments because it only takes a few minutes to make and it’s just so...
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
$11.32 recipe / $1.89 serving
Creamy, tangy, and filling, these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are an awesome comforting weeknight dinner. Whether you cook a couple of chicken breasts up...
Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes
Whether you call it a “make-ahead breakfast” or “breakfast meal prep,” having breakfast already made and ready to be eaten on busy mornings is...
Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
$1.87 recipe / $0.31 serving
Canned green enchilada sauce is just kind of sad. It’s watery and usually not very flavorful. Authentic green enchilada sauce is a little bit...
BBQ Chicken Pizza
$5.43 recipe / $1.36 serving
It’s almost Friday, so I’m going to throw a quick little pizza recipe at ya! BBQ Chicken Pizza is such a classic with its...
Homemade Pizza Dough
$0.62 recipe / $0.16 serving
I know it sounds cheesy, but pizza really is my favorite food. It has endless possibilities and usually includes my favorite things: bread, tomatoes,...
Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
$3.63 recipe / $1.82 serving
This Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese is totally indulgent. It’s like your favorite restaurant appetizer turned into a meal (because you were going to eat...
Comeback Sauce
$1.03 recipe / $0.21 serving
Earlier this week I made some amazing steak fries and I needed a dipping sauce for them that was equally as epic. Plain old...
Oven Baked Steak Fries
$0.94 recipe / $0.47 serving
Who needs a little comfort food these days? Yeah, me too. I had some leftover russet potatoes the other day and I knew exactly...
Cottage Cheese Crab Bowl
$1.21 each
Every now and then I like to share things with you that aren’t exactly “recipes” but are just the random bowl meals that I...
No-Knead Focaccia
$1.31 recipe / $0.11 serving
Once you try focaccia, you’ll never go back to plain bread! This hearty No-Knead Focaccia is coated in olive oil and herbs, making every...
Spinach Stuffed Portobellos
$7.23 recipe / $1.81 serving
If you’re looking for a meatless main dish this summer, you’ve got to try these Spinach Stuffed Portobellos. They’re super easy, a little like...
How To Calculate Recipe Cost
The recipe cost breakdowns are a big part of Budget Bytes. And while you’re not likely to have the exact same food costs as...
Honey Vanilla Cottage Cheese Fruit Dip
$0.94 recipe / $0.24 serving
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ve fallen in love with a new budget ingredient: cottage cheese. A lot of people are turned...
One Pot Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
$4.22 recipe / $1.06 serving
Y’all know I love one pot pasta meals, and I know a lot of you do too. They’re quick, easy, and pack a lot...
How to Make Baked Potatoes
$1.26 recipe / $0.31 each
Let’s talk about baked potatoes for a second. This simple food is waaaaay overlooked. They’re inexpensive, simple to make, and can be turned into...
Pizza Pasta Salad
$7.98 recipe / $1.00 serving
This is kind of just like a basic Italian pasta salad, but I’m calling it “Pizza Pasta Salad” because this is how I use...
How to Slice, Dice, and Mince
If you’re learning how to cook for the first time, you’re not alone. When you first dive into cooking and trying to follow a...
Yogurt Banana Bread
$3.68 recipe / $0.46 serving
I’ve been even more diligent about keeping my food waste low since the pandemic started, since our visits to the grocery store are few...
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
$8.34 recipe / $2.09 serving
My boyfriend saw what I was cooking and said, “What is this, the “Hungry Man” edition of Budget Bytes? 😆 What can I say,...
No-Yeast Pizza Dough
$0.92 recipe / $0.23 serving
Desperate times call for desperate measures. There’s nothing quite like a perfectly light, chewy, and crispy traditional pizza crust made with yeast, but right...
Chimichurri Chickpea Salad
$4.85 recipe / $0.81 serving
We’re still experiencing a lot of grocery shortages in the middle of this pandemic, but when I ventured out to the grocery store this...
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
$7.57 recipe / $1.89 serving
Y’all know I’m obsessed with meatballs, right? They’re just so easy, delicious, and something that I’m always in the mood for. So, when I...
200+ Recipe Ideas for Pantry Staple Ingredients
A couple weeks ago I polled my Instagram followers to see what pantry staples they bought to sustain them through this period of social...
Chocolate Depression Cake
$2.41 recipe / $0.27 serving
Depression as in The Great Depression, not depression as in “this cake will cure your depression.” 😅Since a lot of us are experiencing ingredient...
How to Freeze Green Onions
I use green onions a lot in my cooking. I find they offer a great pop of freshness, flavor, and color to recipes, making them...
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad
$4.84 recipe / $1.61 serving
I was lucky enough to get a bunch of fresh broccoli last week, so I wanted to share this super simple salad that I...
Long Lasting Produce to Stock Up On During Isolation
One of my main goals when I started Budget Bytes 11 years ago was to be able to maintain a well rounded diet with...
Vegetable Fritters with Garlic Herb Sauce
$3.19 recipe / $1.06 serving
We’re kind of coming full circle here, with Budget Bytes. I started this blog as a log of what I was cooking up in...
Freezer Breakfast Burritos
$11.29 recipe / $1.41 each
I’m a huge proponent of batch cooking and stocking your freezer with portioned meals that you can just grab-reheat-and-go! Not only are these make-ahead...
Sesame Tuna Salad
$3.09 recipe / $1.55 serving
Canned tuna is a lot more versatile than I think many people realize. In other words, there’s a lot more you can do with...
15 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness
I’ve had an increase in requests for pantry staple recipes over the past week, mostly due to fears over the need for social isolation...
Chunky Ham and Bean Soup
$6.70 recipe / $1.68 serving
Soup season is already on its way out, but I couldn’t resist one more warm and cozy pot of goodness. For this super easy...
Turkey Taco Skillet
$6.71 recipe / $1.68 serving
I’ve probably made a hundred iterations of the bean-salsa-corn combo over the years, and yet I still keep making more. Why? Because it never...
Turkey Chili Smothered Sweet Potatoes
$9.26 recipe / $2.32 serving
Sweet potatoes and chili are totally made for each other. The subtle sweetness of the sweet potatoes perfectly contrasts the smoky, spicy flavor of...
10 Simple Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
To DIY or not to DIY, that is the question. Whether you want to make your own homemade salad dressing because it’s more delicious,...
White Beans with Mushrooms and Marinara
$6.54 recipe / $1.64 serving
The other day I was scrolling through Pinterest and an image of some cheesy, tomatoey gnocchi made me stop in my tracks and drool...
Roasted Carrot and Feta Salad
$2.49 recipe / $0.41 serving
I always hear people talk about how expensive vegetables are, and that’s why it’s impossible to eat healthy on a budget. Au contraire, mon...
Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice
$9.75 recipe / $1.63 serving
Ahhh, red beans and rice. This classic dish has been filling hungry bellies on a dime for centuries. It’s rich, flavorful, has a TON...
Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls
$8.31 recipe / $2.08 serving
Taco bowls, burrito bowls, whatever you want to call them! I went with taco bowls this time because of the homemade taco seasoning used...
Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet
$7.12 recipe / $1.78 serving
It’s almost Friday and it’s this part of the week when my cravings for comfort food really start kicking in. It doesn’t help that...
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
$10.23 recipe / $1.71 serving
This Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili is the perfect example of why people love slow cookers so much. You literally just dump everything in...
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake for Two
$3.68 recipe / $1.84 serving
Valentine’s Day is coming and and whether you’re going to be celebrating with your honey, your bestie, or your selfie, this super easy No...
Simple Sesame Rice
$1.11 recipe / $0.28 serving
Sometimes you just need something simple to flesh out your meal, to bulk it up without adding a lot of work, or without adding...
Crunchy Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
$7.10 recipe / $1.78 serving
I’m all about quick stir fry dinners because they’re easy, you can work a LOT of vegetables into them, and they’re just plain delicious....
Garlic Herb Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip
$0.84 recipe / $0.21 serving
I’m continuing my new love affair with cottage cheese and experimenting with all the fun things you can do with this inexpensive source of...
Roasted Broccoli Pasta with Lemon and Feta
$3.69 recipe / $0.92 serving
Keep it stupid simple. That saying applies to so much in life, including food. One of my favorite “stupid simple” meals is buttered pasta...
Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
$1.92 recipe / $0.48 serving
Big weekend breakfasts are my favorite “me time”. They’re lazy (always in my PJs, always), cozy, relaxed, delicious, and just so much less expensive...
Indian Style Creamed Spinach
$5.35 recipe / $1.34 serving
This Indian Style Creamed Spinach is a bit like Palak Paneer, but without the paneer. …because my homemade paneer didn’t turn out. 😅 But...
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
As much as I love bacon, I used to avoid it because the though of sputtering hot bacon grease getting all over me and my kitchen...
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
$9.22 recipe / $1.15 serving
Homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods. Not only is it incredibly easy, but even just the...
Simple Creamy Coleslaw
$1.63 recipe / $0.41 serving
I never knew I was a coleslaw person until I made it myself. I had eaten it plenty of times at restaurants, never once...
6 Easy Ways to Use Leftover Vegetables
Did your New Year’s resolution include eating more vegetables? It’s a fantastic goal and one I get behind anytime of year, but there’s definitely...
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
$1.74 recipe / $0.44 serving
I don’t do side dishes often (I’m more of a “bowl meal” type person), but when I do, I make sure to keep them...
Swamp Soup
$7.22 recipe / $0.90 serving
Despite its “swampy” appearance, this soup is simply one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. If you like tomato soup, you’ll adore Swamp...
Smoky Roasted Sausage and Vegetables
$7.87 recipe / $1.97 serving
Sheet pan meals are my savior. There’s really nothing easier than roasting vegetables in the oven, and it happens to make them taste really...
Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls 6 Ways
Food trends are one factor that can have a big impact on ingredient costs. It’s all about the laws of supply and demand. If...
Top 20 Recipes of 2019
It’s that time of year again! Time to look back and reflect on everything that happened. I like to do an end of the...
Spinach and Artichoke Wonderpot
$9.07 recipe / $1.62 serving
What is a Wonderpot? It’s a pasta dish that cooks all in one pot (a.k.a. One Pot Pasta) with vegetables, aromatics (garlic, onion), and...
Lentils with Creamy Mushroom Gravy
$5.09 recipe / $1.27 serving
Ever since I added coconut milk to my ramen broth, I haven’t been able to stop adding coconut milk to all of my savory...
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
$2.33 recipe / $0.39 serving
Mashed potatoes are pretty freaking fantastic. They’re warm, comforting, and really quite versatile. You can eat them as a side dish, as a base...
Meal Planning 101 – How to Make a Meal Plan That Works for YOU
Whether you’re trying to spend less money (oh, hey! 👋), eat healthier, get more organized, or just make better use of your time,...
Chili Cornbread Skillet
$7.49 recipe / $1.25 serving
Some nights you just need something warm, comforting, and easy to help melt off the stresses of the day, like a big bowl of...
Cinnamon Pecan Sandies
$4.86 recipe / $0.20 per cookie
I’m not a huge cookie person (I’d rather have a chunk of cheese 🧀), but I looooove pecan sandies! I think I love them...
Vegetable Barley Soup
$6.67 recipe / $1.11 serving
Can’t stop, won’t stop with the yummy soups over here! Soup is easy, soup is filling, soup is an easy way to pack some...
Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
$8.86 recipe / $2.22 serving
I’m kind of obsessed with meatballs. They’re easy to make, filling, they pack well for lunches, are freezer-friendly, and can be paired with so...
