One of my favorite techniques for stretching my food budget is substituting half of the meat in my meals with beans. So, when I got an email from one of my readers, Lori, with...
Meat Recipes
Learn to use meat wisely in your weekly menu without breaking your budget. These meat recipes combine beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and more with less expensive ingredients to stretch your budget without breaking the bank. Brows the meat recipes below to find your favorites! Pictured: Beef Kofta Meatballs with Roasted Vegetables.
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Hello! I just got back from an extremely restful, yet indulgent, beach vacation. The sea was beautiful and the food and drinks were even better. I have to admit, my friends are far better...
Welcome to another episode of “How can so few ingredients make such a delicious meal?!” Skillet meals are a miracle, my friends. And this Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo is the perfect example. They’re...
Oops, do I make too many taco dishes? NOT POSSIBLE. Okay really, I’m sorry if you’re not as into tacos as I am, but I just can’t help it. Today I was craving the...
I still had a few carrots in my fridge and half of a rotisserie chicken, so I decided to mix them up into a delicious chicken Caesar salad and stuff them into a wrap....
While I love cooking from scratch, there are always those nights when all I have the energy to do is grab a few grocery store staples and throw them together for a quick meal....
I love absolutely love that “flame licked” flavor that grilled food has. Unfortunately, I don’t have a grill, so I’m left trying to recreate that flavor with my oven (I don’t really want to...
It’s hot outside, y’all. Too hot to turn on the oven and make my AC work overtime. So, today I let my slow cooker do all the work and it made me this wonderfully...
While I was scrolling through Pinterest last week I saw a photo of Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and my mouth started to water. I knew that’s what I had to cook next. But when...
I’ve wanted to make a BBQ Chicken “bowl” meal for a couple weeks now. I love bowl meals because they are easy to prepare, hold up well in the fridge, and offer a great variety...
For the past year or so I’ve been working on the side making step by step photo tutorials for Food.com. Ever since I made this basic meatloaf tutorial, I’ve wanted to make it again and...
Pork chops, meet blackberry sage pan sauce. Pan sauce, meet pork chops. I just know you two will get along beautifully and live a long, happy life as blackberry sage pork chops (until I eat you, anyway)....
Earlier this week I made a big batch of sunny and fresh Cumin Lime Coleslaw, but I didn’t intend to just eat coleslaw all week. So, I used the coleslaw to top these super...
Chicken thighs are a favorite of mine because they’re inexpensive, easy to prepare, tender, juicy, and quite versatile. So I was really excited when they went on sale last week. I’m always looking for...
I’m so over the cold and dreary weather. How about you? With the arrival of this latest arctic blast, I felt myself craving a warm, rich bowl of chili, but I didn’t want to spend...
Happy Mardi Gras!! It was an icy cold and grey morning here in New Orleans, so instead of going out and enjoying the parades, I decided to take it easy, stay warm, and cook up a...
Hooray for simple dishes! I came across this post for Tomato and White Bean Stew with Chicken Sausage on Domesticate Me the other day and thought, “What a wonderfully simple and delightful dish! I...
Slow cooked shredded meat is one of my all-time favorite things. I was craving beef this week, so I decided to make a new version of shredded beef that could be used in burritos,...
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...
Whoa. Just, WHOA. I’ve never smelled anything as lovely and drool-inducing as the scent in my house the day I made this Slow Cooker Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew. It was absolutely incredible. It had...
Ever since I discovered how delicious pasta is when cooked in broth instead of water, I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of different ways to play up this simple trick. By simply changing up the...
Ooooh wow, my house smells like a spice market! While working on a freelance project this week, I came across this Five Spice Chicken cooked in a rice cooker, and it looked so good...
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...
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. **UPDATE: Well, I overlooked the fact that you can’t buy rotisserie...
This Penne Pasta with Sausage and Greens one of my favorite “sweep the kitchen” recipes. It’s a no brainer pasta and sauce dish with a little Italian sausage and whatever frozen greens I happen...
After going through a week of hunger in week one of the SNAP Challenge, I knew I had to rethink my strategy. Luckily, the hunger allowed me to pinpoint certain ingredients that really keep me...
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. Whew. I meant to post this days ago, but this week...
Stuffed bell peppers are awesome, but I always find them slightly awkward or difficult to eat. Can’t I just throw the ingredients in a bowl and eat it with a fork?! (I feel that...
If you think a salad can’t fill you up, think again. This awesomely crunchy and flavorful salad has chicken, almonds, and lots of fiberlicious kale and celery to keep your belly full. And flavor?...
I’m loving these one skillet meals not only because they’re so easy to make, but because they’re so easy to eat. Instead of filling my plate with a main dish and a couple of sides,...
I’m continuing my quest to use up items in my pantry and freezer, which led to this delicious Blacked Tilapia. A while back I bought a bag of 12 individually wrapped tilapia filets for...
I’ve gotten a little lax with my grocery spending lately, so during the month of June I’m making it my mission to use up as many things in my pantry and freezer as possible....
So, you remember how much you love those Taco Chicken Bowls? And how they’re so easy because you just pour everything into the slow cooker and press go? Well guess what… You can do...
I’m really digging these one pot pastas lately. It’s so nice to just cook everything in one pot and have less to wash (especially when you don’t have a dishwasher, like me!). Not to...
Say what?! Yes, beef and pineapple. A little savory, a little sweet, and a little spicy. Those three things are all you need to make something seriously WOW-worthy. These super simple enchiladas are stuffed...
Jambalaya is one of the easiest, filling, and inexpensive dishes you can make. Just ask anyone from Louisiana—we live off the stuff. Flavorful sausage, savory aromatic vegetables, and rice all cook together in one...
Guess what time it is? Comfort-food-o’clock! And what makes better comfort food than a rich creamy pasta dish, like this One Pot Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff? This is yet another “better than the box” meal. It’s...
Hooray for quick skillet dinners! This one is so fantastically easy that it kind of feels like cheating. Between the Italian sausage and marinara sauce, the dish has all of the seasoning built in,...
(a.k.a. ANGRY BIRDS) I got an email a while back from a reader who wanted to know how to make arrabbiata sauce, so I set out to find out how to do so. I...
Every once in a while I get a very specific craving for a burger. Not just the patty itself, but the bun, tomato, and the whole deal. I wanted to do something a little...
The reign of sriracha is not over yet. The price for a bottle of this magic sauce remains stable at my local grocery store, so panic is averted for now. I fell in love...
One of my all-time favorite recipes is Oven Fajitas. It’s easy, flavorful, and healthy. So, I decided to try the same concept with different flavors. For this version, I chose Greek inspired vegetables (bell pepper,...
How fitting that just days after I make these scrumptious sriracha glazed turkey meatballs, the Huy Fong Foods factory is in danger of temporary shutdown. So, you know what that means? You better make these...
So, it finally got cold here. Like, I actually had to wear a sweater when I left the house the other day! :o That made me crave chili. Warm, hearty chili… But of course, I...
I had some split pea soup from the hospital cafeteria the other day and while it was satisfying, something about it just didn’t taste genuine. So, I thought it was time to make some...
It’s time to stock my freezer with some portions of homemade chicken soup for the cold winter ahead. I’ve made a classic chicken noodle soup in the past, but I wanted to try a...
My love for quesadillas is right up there with pizza. They’re like brothers from a different mother. Both combine melty cheese, crispy bread, and whatever other creative combination of ingredients you can think of....
I’ve been a little under the weather this weekend, so you know what that means? COMFORT FOOD! Fast and easy comfort food… Because I’d really like to crawl back under my blanket and get...
Chicken and pumpkin? Sounds weird, right? Well just wait until you taste it… I made this simple pumpkin soup ages ago and decided to make a newer, better, more powerful version today. I took...
I came up with this recipe because I had half of a flank steak in my freezer that I needed to use up. As usual, I bulked up the meat with beans, rice, and...
oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! This Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta has me excited. I’m not a person that goes crazy over anything that has shrimp in it, but this Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta...
I caught a few minutes of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn the other night and was reminded of how much I love stories like that and The Grapes of Wrath. They really make me...
Need something easy and flavorful to throw on the grill this weekend? This Greek Marinated Chicken is it. The marinade for this chicken (similar to what I used for this Chicken Shawarma ) takes...
If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest, any time at all, you’ve surely seen a pin for Maple Dijon Chicken. Pretty much every blogger out there has made it and it has been pinned to...
This is the last installment in the shredded beef series. Although this recipe ended up being something quite different than I intended (thanks to my chronic absent mindedness), it still ended up super delicious!...
I’m crazy about BBQ sauce, so the first thing I wanted to make with my Multi-Purpose Shredded Beef was something drenched in that sweet, tangy sauce. Sure, I could have just piled the BBQ...
Today I made a big batch of shredded beef as a “base recipe” for which I’ll provide various uses throughout the next week or two. This is a basic shredded beef with neutral, plain...
Oh the mighty banh mi. It’s one of my favorite foods in the entire world. It’s truly the perfect sandwich. If you’re unfamiliar with banh mi (Vietnamese submarine sandwich), check out this excellent little...
I think we’re experiencing one of the last cold spells of the year here in Louisiana, so I wanted to make one last hearty, soul-warming soup. This Navy Bean Soup was incredibly easy, but...
The slow cooker wins again! This incredibly easy recipe boasts big flavor and very, very little work. Just mix up a fragrant spice rub in your blender, slather it over the chicken, and then...
Oooh, these Easy Oven Fajitas are my new favorite thing!! I love fajitas, but have had a hard time replicating their smoky goodness at home. I don’t have a grill or a cast iron...
I was really craving some chicken salad this week, so I set out to find a new twist on the old classic. I knew I wanted cranberries, so I took quick inventory of my...
I’m still all about these easy, one dish dinners. This one is very similar to the ultra popular Taco Chicken Bowls, but it’s made in the oven and takes about an hour, as opposed...
I saw this recipe over at Kevin & Amanda the other day and immediately knew that I wanted to make it. Of course, I made some changes to fit the ingredients I had on...
What’s better than pizza? Pizza in a different shape! Okay, so stromboli isn’t exactly like pizza, but it’s pretty darn close. It’s like a sauce-less pizza rolled up into a delicious coil… and I...
2013 is going to be GREAT, I can feel it! This is the first recipe of the year and I already know that it’s going to go on next year’s “best of” list! It’s...
This Soy Dijon Pork Tenderloin is kind of an accidental fancy pants recipe, but sometimes you need to pull out your fancy pants and show them off. So, here’s a good reason to. I...
This is a super easy, quick fix for dinner. I made the basic version with just chicken, pasta, sauce, and cheese, but you could get really creative with the add-ins. Try black beans, corn,...
This recipe comes courtesy of my dear friend, Ashley. She was looking for something to cook for dinner one night and decided to type the ingredients she had on hand into google (I think...
I know, I know, I just made a chicken soup-type dish. Well, sometimes you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got. I have a ton of chicken in the freezer, I had some chipotle peppers...
This recipe was born out of a craving for my mom’s meat pies, which I haven’t had in YEARS (like, 15 at least?). I don’t have the recipe, I just remember that it was...
Every now and again I get a pretty strong craving for canned tuna, but there are two problems with that: 1) canned tuna has gotten quite expensive and 2) All that mayo can be...
I never really understood the point of baking spaghetti… it just seemed like an extra step that stood between me and eating it. But, there’s something about a hot, cheesy casserole straight out of...
Quesadillas might be one of my favorite foods. That and pizza. Why? Because you can put just about anything inside and the outer crispy tortilla shell somehow makes everything a million times better. For...
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...
Cooking a whole bird is probably my least favorite task in the kitchen. Something about it just makes me want to moan and groan and … well, just find someone else to do it!...
But Mom! Everyone else is doing it! I don’t know who the first person was to stuff pasta shells with taco fillings, but it’s definitely a good idea. I kept seeing taco shells around...
Funny story – I was going to make this honey balsamic chicken with chicken thighs, but they were $3.49/lb. and the boneless, skinless chicken breasts were on sale (again) for $1.99/lb… so… yeah. Chicken tenders...
I was definitely slow to get on the curry bandwagon. In fact, I distinctly remember not liking curry spices for the first 20 years of my life. Luckily, people grow and change over time...
Meatloaf isn’t pretty. Let’s just get that out on the table. It’s so ugly, in fact, that I couldn’t stop giggling while taking these pictures. All I could think about were those silly post...
A week or so ago, I got a wonderful email from a fellow New Orleanian (is that a word?) who said she had seen some yummy looking tandoori chicken nuggets at Whole Foods and...
WARNING: Comfort food ahead! This dish contains pasta, beef, and cheese. It’s hearty and delicious. Proceed at your own risk! ;) Say you grew up on Hamburger Helper (no shame), but now that you’re...
These might be the easiest pork chops I’ve ever made. …and the most tender. …and maybe they might be tied with the Glazed Pork Chops for best tasting. This orange molasses marinade was a...
Inspired by this recipe that showed up in my mail box last week, I decided to pair two of my favorites, kale and chorizo, into one easy breakfast frittata! I also bought my first...
So, I got a really excellent deal on chicken thighs this week – $0.99 / lb. Ironically, the regular 2 lb. package was the same price as the large, 5 lb. “value pack.” No...
Let me first say that I’m sure this is probably not authentic Chicken Yakisoba. I’ve never actually eaten this classic Japanese street food on the streets of Japan, but I have seen Mark Bittman...
Betcha didn’t think you could eat shrimp on a budget, did you? Well, if you use the basic Budget Byting principle of combining an expensive ingredient (like shrimp) with less expensive ingredients (like rice...
Here’s to quick & delicious dinners! This Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta is another dish that can be whipped up in practically the same amount of time that it takes to boil the pasta. You...
Due to poor planning on my part, I only came out of this weekend with one recipe to post… but boy, oh boy, is it a GOOD one!! These little individual Thai chicken pizzas...
Ever since making the Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Chicken Thighs, I’ve kind of fallen in love with baked chicken thighs. They’re super easy, the flavor possibilities are endless, they’re juicy and tender, and they’re usually...
So, my appetite has been pretty wonky lately and all I’ve wanted to eat is burritos. I love a good burrito. I mean I LOVE them… and it’s all to easy to waltz right...
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...
I fell in love with Indian food last year and have craved it ever since. I’ve experimented here and there but it’s still completely uncharted territory to me. I recently discovered the show Spice...
Believe it or not, in the 2.5 year history of this blog, I have never made a basic chicken noodle soup. Well, I almost made it this weekend until I went perusing through my...
I made this Chicken and Apple Salad on a total whim today and I’m SO glad I did. It is so delicious that I want to eat it every day for the rest of...
“Huh-wha? Coffee rubbed pork?” Yep, that’s what I said. I made a killer seasoning rub out of coffee (ground to a powder), brown sugar, cayenne, and the usual suspects (salt, pepper, garlic). Slow cooked...
One of my wonderful readers recently asked for more fish recipes. I fully intended on doing cod or some other type of fish that I had never cooked before, but when I got to...
Why am I making stews in the middle of summer? I don’t know. It just sounded tasty… and making hot food in the middle of summer never really bothered me much. So, if it’s...
This might be a new favorite. It was just SO easy and delicious. You can make this recipe with a pork tenderloin if desired but the pork loin filet that I bought was almost...
I first became interested in chicken adobo when I saw a recipe for it using a slow cooker. It looked delicious but completely different than the adobo that I was familiar with. I thought...
