It’s funny how oats have been pigeonholed for use in mostly sweet dishes in the U.S. We tend to eat oats sweetened at breakfast, or as part of delicious crumbly desserts, but oats do...
Recipes under $3
This sweet, spicy, and sticky honey sriracha tofu is addictively delicious! Add it to salads, bowl meals, noodles, wraps, and more.
Pesto has been a champion ingredient in my kitchen for a while. Although it is a slightly more expensive item, a little bit goes a long way toward adding flavor to a meal. This...
I don’t do desserts too often, and when I do they’re usually made with simple pantry staples that I know I’m already going to have on hand. These super easy Raspberry Oatmeal Bars are...
This Ranch Broccoli Pasta just takes minutes to make and is full of deliciously creamy, tangy, herby ranch flavor!
This super simple homemade ranch seasoning makes great ranch dressing and can also be used to season, meat, vegetables, pasta, and more.
This simple homemade Italian Dressing is a zesty mix of flavorful herbs, savory Parmesan, and bright lemon to complement any salad.
Oven roasting is hands down my favorite way to prepare vegetables and that includes fresh summer sweet corn. Roasting the fresh ears while still in their husks keeps them ultra sweet and juicy, plus...
This Curry Chickpea Salad is a fast and easy no-cook lunch that's perfect for summer. Light, fresh, filling, tangy, and flavorful!
Fresh and juicy summer sweet corn makes the best corn salsa for topping tacos, salads, bowl meals, or dipping with your favorite chips.
These easy Sandwich Rounds are made with a simple no-knead dough and topped with a healthy dose of “everything but the bagel” seasoning!
This Chocolate Coffee Breakfast Smoothie is a dessert-worthy treat and a sneaky way to add an extra dose of vegetables to your day.
This super cute Funfetti Mug Cake is the perfect single-serving dessert for when you need something sweet and fast! It only takes five minutes and seven simple pantry staple ingredients!
An easy, no-fail method for making homemade hollandaise sauce in just minutes. Anyone can make this rich and creamy lemon butter sauce!
Just a few simple ingredients come together in this Classic Three Bean Salad to make an easy summer side dish, perfect for BBQs and potlucks!
Scones are my bakery treat of choice to have with coffee. Why? Because they’re not too sweet, they’re not too rich, and they’re not too heavy. Especially when they’re dotted with juicy blueberries and...
Pizza melts are like a cross between your two favorite comfort foods: pizza and grilled cheese. They're fast, easy, and the perfect quick meal!
Make this easy Country Sausage Gravy from scratch in under 20 minutes for a hearty southern style breakfast at home.
These southwest inspired tortilla baked eggs make an easy and delicious weekend breakfast with plenty of room for customization!
Cinnamon Pecan Cauli oats combine riced cauliflower with rolled oats for an extra dose of vegetables and texture with your breakfast!
This super fast and easy dressing has bold flavors of garlic, lemon, and nutty tahini. Drizzle over salads, roasted vegetables, and more!
This tangy and slightly sweet tomato basil vinaigrette only requires a few simple ingredients and tastes great over salad and pasta alike.
This rich and creamy smoothie has a natural and subtle sweetness, a creamy texture, and tons of protein and plant fiber to keep you full.
Southwest Cauliflower Rice is a quick, easy, and flavorful side dish that can also be spruced up and turned into an entire meal!
Big homemade weekend breakfasts are one of my favorite things ever and no weekend breakfast is complete without homemade biscuits. These butter biscuits are my “basic” biscuit recipe that I’ve been using for years....
Lemon Parsley Pasta is bright, garlicky, and full of rich Parmesan flavor. It makes a great side dish or bed for chicken or fish.
“What should I serve on the side?” is one of the most common questions I get. So it’s never a bad idea to have an arsenal of simple side dishes that you know how...
When you just want enough deviled eggs for one or two people, make these fast and easy small batch deviled eggs!
I used to really hate coleslaw until I made my own homemade coleslaw. It’s so fresh, crunchy, and creamy, and not at all gloppy or heavy like the storebought stuff. AND you can make it...
This Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen is an easy way to upgrade this inexpensive convenience food. It's super quick, filling, and can be customized a hundred ways.
I’m a true believer that side dishes should be as simple as possible. Save your time and energy for that amazing main dish and don’t let the sides overshadow its glory. ;) The magic...
This tangy and creamy avocado dressing is great drizzled over salads, sandwiches, wraps, bowl meals, nachos, tacos, fresh vegetables, and more.
Add some extra umami heat to your lunch with this simple and tasty gochujang tuna salad.
You guys know how I love using leftover odds and ends in my fridge to make delicious meals on the fly, right? Well these tasty little eggs baked in a tortilla shell are my...
Honey + Balsamic Vinegar + Butter = Heaven. It’s sweet, tangy, and rich, all at the same time. You already know that I love roasted vegetables, but drenching roasted vegetables in a honey balsamic...
I’m all about keeping my side dishes as easy as possible. I want my main dish to be the star of the show, and I don’t want to spend tons of time or energy...
I’m constantly looking for new ways to use my favorite (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce in recipes because it’s just SO good. So, the other day I was thinking, “Hmmm, I wonder if I...
It’s not even Halloween yet, but it’s never too early to start planning for Thanksgiving, so I’m going to throw you this little tip to save for later. There are so many moving parts...
One of my go-to side dishes is steamed green beans. Why? Because they’re so fast, they’re uncomplicated, delicious, and you can make them several different flavors to match your main dish. They’re just the perfect...
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, and Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Feta is one of...
I love good quality food, but I also have a small place in my heart reserved for convenience foods like instant ramen or frozen pizzas. I don’t indulge in them often, and when I...
Super flavorful Homemade Black Bean Burgers are as easy as combining black beans together with a slew of flavorful ingredients, like garlic, red onion, cumin, cilantro, and sriracha. A little egg and breadcrumbs help...
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 “zingy” fresh ginger bite. It’s one of those dressings that...
This salad is one of the very first recipes I ever posted on Budget Bytes. Like, way back when I was still taking photos with my pre-smart-phone era phone. Yikes! Because this Sesame Cucumber...
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 fresh and vibrant. The flavor just screams “summer!” I’m always...
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 of a project, involving roasting fresh tomatillos, onions, garlic, and...
I know it sounds cheesy, but pizza really is my favorite food. It has endless possibilities and usually includes my favorite things: bread, tomatoes, and cheese. And when you make your pizza dough from...
Earlier this week I made some amazing steak fries and I needed a dipping sauce for them that was equally as epic. Plain old ketchup was just not going to do, so I made...
Who needs a little comfort food these days? Yeah, me too. I had some leftover russet potatoes the other day and I knew exactly what I was going to make with them. Thick cut,...
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 make out of things found in my fridge. I’ve discovered...
Once you try focaccia, you’ll never go back to plain bread! This hearty No-Knead Homemade Focaccia is coated in olive oil and herbs, making every bite full of delicious flavor. And the best part?...
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 off by the texture of cottage cheese, but when you...
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 now we have to make do with what we’ve got...
Depression as in The Great Depression, not depression as in “this cake will cure your depression.” 😅Since a lot of us are experiencing ingredient shortages right now, I thought there was no better time...
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 it than just mixing with mayo and slapping it between...
Sometimes you just need something simple to flesh out your meal, to bulk it up without adding a lot of work, or without adding a lot of $$$. Rice is my favorite ingredient for...
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 protein. I know a lot of people just can’t stand...
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 than going out to brunch. Not to mention, no waiting...
I never knew I was a coleslaw person until I made it myself. I had eaten it plenty of times at restaurants, never once having been impressed, and always wondering what the appeal was....
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 simple. If I’m already going through a lot of trouble...
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 to a bowl meal, and you can flavor them with...
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...
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 Budget Bytes over the past ten years, but this week...
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 few months into my blogging journey. When October 1st hit...
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 from eating two cups of candied walnuts at once, but...
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 not making a lemon tahini dressing. But anyway, it’s so...
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 just piling whatever I have leftover in my fridge into...
I whipped up a quick small batch of these easy baked homemade croutons this past week when I made my Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup and I thought, “I really need to share how...
I went all Splurgy McSpurgison on this Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but you know what? It was so worth it. And still a fraction of what it would cost to buy a fancy schmancy...
This past week I was talking to a reporter from MarketWatch and as I told the story of Budget Bytes I joked about being a broke college graduate and not wanting to eat canned...
With as many beans as I eat, it’s about time I started using putting the aquafaba to good use. I’ve been playing around with aquafaba for the past couple of months and I think...
One of my biggest pet peeves is having a million half-used condiments in my fridge. So if I can quickly whip up a homemade sauce with pantry staples, I’m going to do that before...
You guys. This Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing is not fooling around! This tangy, dilly dressing is a variation of my plain Lemon Tahini Dressing from my Roasted Cauliflower Salad, which I already loved with...
Have you ever seen those packets of flavored tuna in the grocery store? They were on sale once and I got curious, so I bought a few. The idea was interesting, but the execution...
I’m not sure there is anything more summery than this Cucumber Mango Salad. It perfectly marries sweet, sour, and spicy flavors with that whoosh of cucumber freshness, for a light and refreshing summer side...
It’s grilling season, so it’s only natural (and about time) that I make my own homemade BBQ Sauce! This sweet, smoky, and tangy BBQ sauce takes only minutes to make and will take your...
If you want to change up your salad game, the easiest way is to use a new salad dressing. This Peanut Lime Salad dressing is sweet, savory, tangy, and creamy all in one! And...
I’ve had a lot of questions about how to use lemon curd since posting the recipe for Luscious Homemade Lemon Curd the other day. There are a million and one ways to use it,...
Luscious might be an understatement. It’s kind of mind blowing how four of the most basic ingredients in your kitchen can make something so beyond delicious as this homemade lemon curd, but somehow they...
Greek yogurt gets all the glory for being a versatile concentrated source of protein that can be used in either sweet or savory dishes, but it comes at a price. We’ve all been so...
I’ve never really been a ranch dressing person. And definitely not one of those “ranch dressing on everything” people. But then, last January while I was doing my Vegetarian Challenge, I got hooked. I...
While I was rummaging through my fridge for sauces to dunk my homemade baked chicken nuggets in, I realized the one sauce I really wanted was one that I didn’t have—Honey Mustard Sauce. Luckily,...
I don’t make dessert often, and when I do, I tend to make things that are not too-too sweet. Things that could easily double as a breakfast, like this Lemon Blueberry Cornbread Skillet. Using...
Watch out mug cake lovers, this might just become your new go-to! This Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake is like a short cut cinnamon roll with no kneading, no rising, and no rolling required!...
Welcome to another episode of Random Things Beth Makes with Leftovers in Her Fridge! This week it’s a super Quick Fix Broccoli Pesto Pizza that totally surpassed my expectations. I’m definitely going to be...
This Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad, is light, bright, filling, and just perfect for spring (please spring, come quickly). The dressing is creamy but still light, and is bursting with fresh vibrant flavors. This salad...
I’m going to start this by saying that I am not an expert baker. I really don’t bake often, but I started playing around in my kitchen the other night with a bunch of...
Salty-crunchy snacks are my vice. But since chips are silly expensive (IMHO), I keep popcorn on hand at all times. Popcorn only takes about 5 minutes to make and the flavor possibilities are endless. Nooch...
Many of my day to day meals are just a hodgepodge of random ingredients that I find in my fridge all thrown into a bowl or a wrap. While I don’t really consider these...
I’ve been a little obsessed with Dutch Baby Pancakes lately. They’re just so easy and fun that they make the perfect weekend breakfast splurge. And I’m all about doing up breakfast big on the...
One of my favorite things about winter is cranberry-orange everything. That flavor combo is like a little bright spot in the middle of the cold harsh winter, and I can’t get enough. I decided to...
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...
It’s a MIRACLE. Macaroni and cheese that is smooth, creamy, and gooey, is made in one pot, with only a few ingredients, and is every bit as easy as the blue box. I’m serious....
I know, I use smoked paprika in everything, but that’s because it makes everything so good. Especially when it’s combined with pure maple syrup, which kind of has a hint of smokiness itself. This simple smoked...
“Is butter a carb?” That quote kept running through my head as I was making (and devouring) these super fluffy Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes. It’s one of the best movie lines EVER and the...
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...
How many half-used bottles of condiments would you say you have in your refrigerator at this very moment. Five? Ten? Twenty? I don’t know how many I have but I know it’s too many. So...
There’s nothing better to keep you going through that late night study sesh than a warm bowl of rich and creamy mac and cheese, and luckily it’s incredibly fast and easy to make using...
I’ve made my own garlic bread in the past and it’s to die for, but when do I ever need a whole loaf at once? While I probably could eat a whole loaf, I...
It’s about time this awesome sauce got its very own post. Everything that I drizzle this Lime Crema on is elevated to “OMG” status. It’s just so freaking good. It only takes a few simple...
