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 by how to even begin to cut into one of...
How-To
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 me (prices vary quite a bit from location to location,...
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 so many different meals. But there’s a little more to...
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 recipe, it can seem like a foreign language. Cutting vegetables...
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 the perfect final touch to just about everything. The problem...
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 was enough to make me stick to just eggs and...
Whether you’re trying to spend less money (oh, hey! 👋), eat healthier, get more organized, or just make better use of your time, meal planning can help you get there. I recently released...
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 of fluffy, cloud-like whipped cream. And not just any whipped...
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 dishes with one stove and still have everything hot and...
There’s nothing quite like fresh pineapple. It’s tangy, sweet, and goes equally as well with savory dishes as it does desserts. And while canned pineapple can work in a pinch for some recipes, fresh...
Confession time: sometimes I actually like instant ramen. You know, those cheap little packets of salty noodles that only cost 30¢? I don’t eat them often, maybe once per year, but when I get...
Reducing waste in the kitchen is one of the most important ways to keep your food budget in check. Tossing uneaten food into the garbage is just as good as throwing handfuls of cash...
One of the biggest hurdles most people encounter when contemplating a vegetarian lifestyle, or even just practicing a “meatless Monday” is the question, “Where would I get my protein?” So I wanted to write...
I always get requests to make spaghetti squash recipes, but never get the chance because spaghetti squash is always so expensive around here. But the other day I happened upon a spaghetti squash sale for...
Basic spice blends can be super helpful when trying to pull together a quick weeknight dinner. They can transform boring meat or vegetables into something new and crave-worthy, and pull you out of your...
Okay, I’ve got a quick tip for you today that I hope will as life changing for you as it was for me. Here it is: you can freeze whole citrus. Say whaaaaa? If you’re...
The other day I got a request to create recipes for some simple seasoning blends, like garlic herb. I thought that was a fantastic idea, since having simple blends like this in your arsenal...
Soft boiled eggs are my new obsession. The whites of the eggs are firm, but the yolk stays in a silky, creamy, liquid gold state that is a little like a cross between butter...
The other day I decided to take a look at the “freshness” date on my pumpkin pie spice… Let’s just say that it probably hasn’t been fresh for quite some time. I swear I...
When I started Budget Bytes I lived in a tiny apartment with an equally tiny kitchen, that had only about 12-inches of counter space. The apartment was built in the 30’s and I always...
You might wonder why you would go through the trouble to make your own breadcrumbs when they’re already insanely inexpensive to buy in the store. Well, there are two really good reasons, if not...
I used to be a “packet seasoning” junkie. Store bought taco seasoning seemed so easy. But really, if you have a decently stocked spice cabinet, making your own homemade taco seasoning takes five minutes,...
I made a pot of my basic chili a few weeks ago, which uses my homemade chili seasoning, so I wanted to post the homemade chili seasoning blend by itself to highlight the fact that...
Meal prepping is the hottest food trend lately, and frankly, I couldn’t be happier! I’ve been meal prepping for years simply because it’s a great way to save time, money, and reduce waste in the...
One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is that eating healthy is really expensive. Well sure, it can be, if you don’t shop smart. But that’s why I’m here. I’ve scoured the markets, made...
Have you ever followed a recipe “to a T” only to have it end up a complete disaster? Yeah, you’re not alone. It’s happened to all of us… maybe even multiple times. ;) No...
As I mentioned in my recipe for Maple Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes, using brown butter is like taking a magic wand to your recipe and adding that special je ne sais quoi that takes...
I often run into the “red onion dilema” when making a recipe. You see, a few slivers of fresh red onion can truly transform a recipe (see Thai Curry Vegetable Soup and Slow Cooker...
I totally don’t utilize potatoes enough in my kitchen. They’re cheap and can be used about a bazillion different ways. So, when someone asked me for a tutorial on how to make crispy hash...
So last November, Black Friday to be more specific, I bought myself a little present. I impulse bought an Instant Pot, at a hefty 35% discount, I might add. I’ve been experimenting with the...
Grains are extremely versatile. They provide a blank slate upon which you can build any meal, savory or sweet. This week I decided to experiment with a new grain, farro. Farro is becoming more...
If you’re a long time follower of Budget Bytes, you know that my freezer is my best friend. I use it to freeze leftover ingredients, leftover portions of cooked meals, and to stock up...
Stovetop popcorn is, was, and will always be one of my favorite budget-friendly snacks. It takes only minutes to make, can be flavored with hundreds of different ingredients, both sweet and savory, and it...
Happy Friday! I’m sure you’re busy getting your big Friday night plans together, so I wanted to leave you with this quick how-to (new recipe tomorrow). If you’ve followed Budget Bytes for a while,...
If you follow me on social media (especially Instagram or Twitter) then you’ll know that I recently purchased my first set of cookware in about 15 years. It was a major purchase and I...
For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here. For week 4 of the SNAP Challenge, I purchased a rotisserie...
Tahini (sesame seed paste) is something that has grown on me over the years. I first used it to make my own homemade hummus, then soon found myself sneaking a taste straight off the spoon while...
After almost five years (!!) of experimenting with food through Budget Bytes, ginger has become one of my all time favorite ingredients. It was completely new to me when I started the blog, but...
There is one thing I really, really hate and that’s touching raw chicken. I won’t go into details, but I’ll just say that I try to do it as little as possible. If you’re a...
Salad bars aren’t for everyone. They’re insanely convenient, but the pricing can be tricky and you really have to be careful about which salad bars are clean, safe, and properly tended. I’m not going...
Rice is a poor man’s best friend. It’s inexpensive, filling, a blank slate for flavor, and can be added to almost any meal to bulk it out. But guess what? When I come home...
Roasted red peppers are one of my favorite things on earth. They’re sweet, smokey, and full of flavor. I like to blend them into hummus, toss them onto pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and more. The...
Baked potatoes are amazing, right? They’re yummy, filling, super inexpensive, and a blank slate for whatever flavors you want to add. The only problem is that they take forever to cook and I never...
Let’s talk about buttermilk for a minute. Over the past year or so I’ve slowly become convinced that buttermilk is one of the most underrated ingredients at the grocery store. It used to be...
I’m going to start this by admitting that this is the VERY first time that I’ve ever made my own chicken broth. I’ve been meaning to for years… and it’s almost hypocritical of me...
I know many of you Budget Byters already cook your own beans but I wanted to make this post for all of the newbies out there. Beans are one of the most economical and...
