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...
Curried Cabbage
$3.95 recipe / $0.99 serving
There’s something super comforting to me about sautéed cabbage with butter and I eat it a lot in the winter months when cabbage is fresh...
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs
$6.03 recipe / $1.21 serving
Is there any food that isn’t good when drenched in garlic butter? It’s the easiest, most fool-proof way to make something insanely delish. So, because...
Country Breakfast Bowls
$7.76 recipe / $1.29 serving
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, then you know how I love to meal prep my breakfast. It’s just so much...
Smoky Black Bean Soup
$4.24 recipe / $1.06 serving
I hope you guys don’t get sick of all my soup recipes, because I pretty much live off of soup this time of year!...
Roasted Apple Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing
$5.86 recipe / $0.73 serving
My philosophy on Thanksgiving is to keep it simple. Simple is elegant, simple is cost effective, and simple is easy (because hey, the cook wants...
Mushroom and Spinach Pasta with Ricotta
$6.74 recipe / $1.69 serving
There’s something really special about the simplicity of pasta with butter, salt, and pepper. The creaminess of the butter and the little pops of...
Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli
$6.55 recipe / $1.63 serving
Have you ever tried Garlic Noodles? They’re a super rich, buttery, salty-sweet, umami filled dream. I usually serve them as a side dish, but...
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
$1.12 recipe / $0.09 serving
It’s the season for cozy mugs of hot cocoa, pumpkin pies, and other delectable desserts, all of which can benefit from a heaping spoonful...
Creamy Vegetable Wild Rice Soup (Vegan)
$7.93 recipe / $1.98 serving
Soup is such a great food. So easy, so filling (if you do it right!), a great way to use up leftover ingredients, and...
How to Make an Easy Thanksgiving Dinner for Beginners
Thanksgiving dinner is a daunting task, even for experienced cooks. It’s a bit of a logic puzzle figuring out how to prepare ten different...
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
$6.77 recipe / $1.13 serving
Whether you call them Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes or candied yams, these tender, sweet, and irresistible nuggets are the quintessential Thanksgiving side dish. They’re...
Chipotle Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad
$5.24 recipe / $1.31 serving
Just because it’s not summer anymore, doesn’t mean I stop rollin’ with my refrigerator salads! This Chipotle Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad is a...
Apple Walnut Stuffing
$3.74 recipe / $0.47 serving
I’m all about making things from scratch. When it makes sense. If you’re cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner by yourself, I think it makes...
Maple Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
$4.70 recipe / $0.59 serving
There are a million pumpkin pie recipes on the web. There’s even a perfectly good recipe on the back of every single can of...
Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
$5.53 recipe / $1.38 recipe
If you haven’t quite honed your kitchen skills, but still need a recipe to impress, this Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin is for you. It’s...
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
$6.37 recipe / $1.59 serving
You can never have enough all-purpose side dish recipes, like Balsamic Roasted Vegetables. These sweet and savory caramelized vegetables are versatile (use any vegetables),...
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
$5.90 recipe / $0.74 serving
We are rapidly descending into party season. There are Halloween parties, then Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving, Christmas parties, and then finally New Year’s Eve parties....
Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms
$6.13 recipe / $1.53 serving
Pan sauces for the win! Making a quick sauce in the skillet after browning meat is one of the easiest ways to make a...
Classic Baked Ziti
$12.16 recipe / $1.52 serving
As soon as the weather turns cool, I grab the cozy sweaters and start cooking the comfort food, like this Classic Baked Ziti. It’s...
Secret Ingredient Tomato Soup
$2.62 recipe / $0.66 serving
I don’t know if I’ve told you, but I’m a little bit of a tomato soup fanatic. I’ve made several tomato soup recipes for...
Sweet Potato Biscuits
$3.06 recipe / $0.31 each
It’s fall, and that means that I’m working sweet potatoes and pumpkin into everything. Why? They provide a subtle sweetness, a vibrant orange color, and...
One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
$10.41 recipe / $2.60 serving
This One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta was inspired by those little packets of powdered pasta sauce mix I always see in the grocery...
Easy Pumpkin Soup
$2.69 recipe / $0.67 serving
Y’all, I’m reaching waaaaay down into the Budget Bytes archives with this one. I first posted this Easy Pumpkin Soup in 2009, just a...
Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts
These crunchy little devils are dangerous. They’re addictively sweet, rich, crunchy, and nutty. I made this “small batch” recipe to not only keep myself...
Easy Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
$1.38 recipe / $0.23 serving
If you haven’t noticed, I make this Easy Homemade Vinaigrette with a lot of my salad recipes. It’s pretty much my go-to when I’m...
Autumn Kale and Apple Salad
$5.09 recipe / $1.27 serving
I’m moving forward full speed ahead with indulging my autumn obsession, despite the fact that it’s still 95 degrees outside. A good compromise between...
Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen
$2.75 per serving
I hope I’ve convinced you to experiment with leftovers in your fridge by now. Most of my favorite recipe creations have come from me...
Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
$6.45 recipe / $1.61 serving
One of the most frequent questions I get is, “what should I serve on the side?” To be honest, I don’t give a lot...
Garlic Butter Baked Cod
$3.56 recipe / $1.78 serving
Do you love garlic bread as much I as do? Like, do you keep it on hand in your freezer at all times? Then...
Mix and Match Meal Prep
A couple weeks ago I shared my current “mix and match meal prep” system on my Instagram stories and so many people messaged me...
Homemade Baked Croutons
$0.71 recipe / $0.18 serving
I whipped up a quick small batch of these easy baked homemade croutons this past week when I made my Rosemary Garlic White Bean...
Pesto Grilled Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes
$2.45 each
I went all Splurgy McSpurgison on this Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but you know what? It was so worth it. And still a fraction...
Homemade Kale Pesto
$3.30 recipe / $0.83 serving
I’ve made kale pesto before (Kale Pesto Pasta), but I felt like the pesto needed a post itself. I often find myself with leftover...
Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
$2.49 recipe / $0.62 serving
This past week I was talking to a reporter from MarketWatch and as I told the story of Budget Bytes I joked about being...
Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage
$4.11 recipe / $0.82 serving
Making breakfast an event on Sunday is one of my favorite things. I’d much rather make something from scratch at home (in my PJ’s)...
Blueberry Lemon Curd Shortcakes
$4.62 recipe / $0.77 serving
Do you need a Sunday baking project? Sure you do. Who doesn’t need something to bake while they’re chillin’ on a Sunday afternoon? Well,...
