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...
Holiday Recipes
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 because they’re not too sweet. They’re rich, buttery, and nutty,...
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 to enjoy the day, too). I like to take super...
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...
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 also super simple to prepare, which gives them a permanent...
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 sense to take a few shortcuts. One shortcut I like...
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 pumpkin purée on the store shelves. So I didn’t want...
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), they hold up well to reheating (perfect for meal prep),...
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. It’s like boom-boom-boom-boom! So I thought I’d get started with...
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 a dose of extra nutrients. And in the case of...
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...
Whyyyy don’t we have smell-a-vision yet? I feel like if you could smell this Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata as it baked, it would be a total game changer. Forget photos, just smell it....
Raise your hand if you’ve got a “friendsgiving” gathering to attend this weekend! 👋 Friendsgivings are becoming more and more popular, which is awesome from a budget standpoint, since they’re often conducted more like...
Okay guys, I’m going a little out of my price comfort zone for this one because it’s so good that I have to share. And you may very well be able to make this for...
Whether you want to call these mini pecan pies or giant pecan tassies, they are the perfect little pre-portioned dessert for holiday gatherings (or for keeping in your freezer for when you want a...
Raise your hand if you have multiple Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving gatherings to attend this year. 👋 Well you can’t make a turkey for all of them, so how about bringing these fun Turkey and Stuffing...
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...
Green Bean Casserole is a Thanksgiving classic, but one that originated in the mid-20th century, when recipes were rife with canned goods and other processed food products. Now, more than 50 years later, tastes...
I’m totally getting my autumn-vibes on this weekend with these Streuseled Sweet Potatoes. They’re a super simple dessert that is almost like a deconstructed sweet potato casserole. Because it’s so simple you can have...
It’s been a long time since I’ve baked bread, but this week I needed the therapeutic ritual to help slow my mind. I decided to make a variation on basic dinner rolls because turkey...
Sweets are not my strong suit, so when another blogger offers to let me publish one of their cookie recipes, I’m all about it. Because I know you guys like cookies, right? These Chocolate Glazed...
It’s party season! Between Thanksgiving and the New Year I feel like every weekend is booked up with parties, parties, PARTIES. So, I’d love to give you at least one idea for easy party...
Who needs a salad after all that food Thursday?? (👋 Hi, me!) Today I whipped up this super simple Warm Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad to fill the vegetable void I was feeling. Brussels sprouts...
Okay, one last Thanksgiving post before the big day! I couldn’t let this year get away from me without making some stuffing (yeah, my yankee blood still calls it “stuffing” and not “dressing” like...
I guess I take pleasure in the little things because I was most excited about this Simple Cranberry Sauce out of everything that I cooked today. The simplicity of this sauce is unreal especially...
Let me introduce you to a little magic called brown butter. If you thought butter makes everything better, wait until you try the nutty, caramel-scented version of butter. It takes just a few minutes to make,...
My favorite thing about “holiday food” is cranberries. I love cranberry sauce, cranberry relish, cranberry muffins, cranberry everything. I think they’re incredibly beautiful and I love their super tart-tangy flavor. So, when I saw this...
I don’t know if you know this, but I avoid mashed potatoes like the plague. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat them, but I just hate to make them. Part of that reason is...
OMG. Y’all. Stop everything. This is important. I knew I loved cornbread, but I didn’t know I could love it this much. I decided to add some sweet potato mash to my Everyday Cornbread, plus...
Cornbread is a highly underrated side dish. You can whip up this deliciously sweet and moist homemade cornbread recipe with just a few pantry staples, and it makes a perfect side dish for breakfast,...
It’s Christmas cookie time! Every year I make at least one type of Christmas cookie. It’s a fun tradition and they make an easy, super inexpensive gift (who doesn’t like cookies?!). This year I...
Soooo, are you sick of turkey and stuffing yet? I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday, but I also hope that none of those tasty leftovers end up in the trash. Don’t forget...
Last week my sister was like, “Hey, are you coming here next week for Thanksgiving or what?” and I was all like, “Next week?! What do you mean, there’s at least another month before...
Cranberries are the new pumpkin. I want fresh cranberries in everything lately. I had half of a bag of cranberries stashed in the freezer and almost made a second batch of Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal,...
It’s almost turkey day! I won’t be cooking a huge spread myself, but I wanted to compile a list of my favorite Thanksgiving options from years past. Hopefully this list will help you get...
Okay, new rule: These Candied Almonds are NOT allowed in my house. I’m bringing them with me to work tomorrow. Hopefully I can survive the night without eating them all. These are some dangerous...
I couldn’t let the season go by without making at least one Christmas cookie. But what kind? There are bazillions of delicious Christmas cookies out there! I decided to get all nostalgic and make...
You need to make this for dessert on Thanksgiving this year. Trust me. This bread is really easy to whip up (who needs something complicated on Thanksgiving? NO ONE), is super delicious, and totally...
I made an impulse buy the other day… one of those little packets of Mexican hot cocoa mix. I constantly crave hot cocoa this time of year and I’ve always wanted to try Mexican...
During the four weeks of giveaways, I posed the question, “What is your favorite Christmas cookie?” Classic sugar cookies were definitely the number one answer, but coming right behind behind were gingersnaps and snickerdoodles…...
Ever since the magical experience of the pumpkin pie baked oatmeal, I’ve been experimenting with other flavors and varieties of baked oatmeal. I made this one last week and while it wasn’t quite as...
Fresh cranberry sauce is one of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving foods. I love the tangy-sweetness and how it juxtaposes all of the other savory Thanksgiving dishes! I eat it on my turkey and on...
Alright, I’m going to tell you a secret… I hate, HATE, cooking whole birds. I’m not sure what part I hate the most, but I just don’t enjoy it… which kinda puts a damper...
In hope of good luck and prosperity in the new year, I cooked up a pot of black-eyed peas yesterday. Eating black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread on the first day of the new...
I was at the grocery store the other day and almost got sucked into buying a small boule of cranberry walnut bread for $1.99. It just looked soooo good. My hand was literally on...
It’s gift giving season and there has been a lot of talk on Budget Bytes Facebook about making gifts to give. These Cinnamon Spice Biscotti make a great gift that can be wrapped up...
What makes a gravy? Well, its basically a liquid thickened by roux (flour particles coated with fat). You can use any liquid (broth, milk, cream) and you can use any fat (meat drippings, butter,...
Once again, I thought last year’s cranberry sauce couldn’t be topped and so I was just going to remake it again this year… until I remembered that I had some red wine stored in...
Last year for Thanksgiving I made an apple walnut stuffing that was *out of this world* good, despite using a boxed mix. I was so happy with that recipe that I really didn’t plan...
