Growing up we called these cookies “chocolate gingersnaps” but they’re not like a crunchy gingersnap at all, they’re actually a classic soft and chewy molasses cookie full of warm spices and chunks of melty...
Brown Sugar
Make these easy scaled-down recipes for turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more to make a classic Thanksgiving dinner for two.
Make your Thanksgiving dollar go further by using simple pantry staples to make these adorable and affordable Mini Pumpkin Pies!
This pumpkin smoothie was one of my first experiments with pumpkin purée TEN years ago. I had a little bit of pumpkin leftover from another recipe and thought, “Hey, can I put this in...
This Easy Apple Crisp is a simple dessert that is warm, cozy, and sweet. It's the perfect dessert for chilly fall evenings.
Creamy mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil, and a light drizzle of tangy balsamic glaze make this easy Caprese pizza phenomenal!
A simple homemade balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction is super easy to make and tastes great drizzled over vegetables, meat, and more!
This classic meatloaf recipe is just like the traditional meatloaf grandma used to make. Tender and juicy with the perfect tomato glaze!
Cook all of your pancakes at once as one large oven pancake to make sure everyone gets a hot and fresh slice at the same time.
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...
Cinnamon Pecan Cauli oats combine riced cauliflower with rolled oats for an extra dose of vegetables and texture with your breakfast!
These Peanut Tofu Noodle Bowls feature light and airy rice noodles, cold crunchy vegetables, and a deliciously bright peanut lime dressing.
Salmon is a bit on the expensive side, but it’s a really nice “sensible splurge” to have on special occasions or when you want to treat yourself. Fish can be intimidating if you’ve never...
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.
Balsamic roasted mushrooms are an easy side dish or appetizer, soaked in garlic, herbs, and tangy balsamic vinegar for maximum flavor.
Roasted pork loin is probably one of the easiest (and inexpensive) main dishes you can make. Just add a little seasoning, pop it in the oven, and let it do its thing. The only...
Here's a little quickie for you this weekend! This super simple tofu stir fry is a riff off of my favorite Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry. It's super fast, super easy, and endlessly customizable....
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...
Have you ever had a recipe call for just a partial can of pumpkin purée? And then you’re like, “well, what am I going to do with the rest of this??” Instead of searching...
This dessert-like banana bread baked oatmeal is rich, sweet, hearty, and totally breakfast worthy, thanks to hearty oats and the natural sweetness of bananas. So if you’re tired of using your brown bananas for...
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...
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 Bake Strawberry Cheesecake is sure to make the day a...
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. My newest creation, Crunchy Chicken Ramen Stir Fry, is kind...
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 the demand is low but supply is relatively stable, the...
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 many different flavors. Plus, I just kind of think meatballs...
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...
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 this week I decided to just go ahead and turn...
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...
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),...
Pan sauces for the win! Making a quick sauce in the skillet after browning meat is one of the easiest ways to make a really spectacular meal. Those little browned bits on the skillet...
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...
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...
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 the crushing heat and my desire for all things fall...
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...
Easy dinners are my jam! I love these Sweet and Sour Pork Chops because they’re a super fast alternative to take out, they require NO chopping, you need only a few pantry staples to...
Once upon a time I considered buying an ice cream machine. I’m really glad I didn’t because this simple no-churn ice cream method is almost effortless and creates ice cream that is every bit...
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 love taking advantage of all the fresh produce in summer and all the color and texture it brings to my plate! This week I played around with eggplant, which has a unique almost...
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...
It’s been a while since I’ve made something that was just a straight up simple comfort food, and after a super long week comfort food was definitely in order. These BBQ Beef and Beans...
This might be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. And I only happened upon the combo by chance because I had leftover Peanut Lime Dressing and a random sweet potato in my...
This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad is the perfect meal prep for summer! No need to reheat, it’s light but filling, and the flavors are oh so fresh. It’s topped off with a homemade tangy,...
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...
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...
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a “one pot” recipe, but I’m really excited about this one. This One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice is incredibly easy, requires very little chopping, and is one...
It’s almost grilling season!! I kind of want to make weekend grilling a thing at my house this year, so I’m testing some recipes. I already have some fun burger recipes on the site,...
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!...
Move over sriracha, gochujang is having a moment in the American food scene, and I’m really happy about it. These Gochujang Mushroom bowls feature sweet and spicy gochujang marinated mushrooms, quick pickled cucumbers, crunchy...
I seriously never get tired of super easy stir fry dinners! I mean, what’s not to love? Only a few ingredients, you can work in a TON of vegetables, and they’re super fast! Using...
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...
It’s only been two days since the Vegetarian Challenge ended, but my stomach is already like, “Whoa girl, take it easy. I thought I told you before not to change things up so suddenly!”...
While planning my menu for week 3 of my Vegetarian Challenge, I took inventory of my pantry and noted that I still had about two pounds of potatoes left over from week one that...
Happy New Year! My 31 Day Vegetarian Challenge officially starts today and I have to say, the first recipe I made for the challenge, Sweet and Spicy Tempeh Bowls, is pretty killer. I chose...
Hi, my name is Beth and sometimes I eat weird things. But if ten years of blogging has taught me anything it’s that a surprising number of you also like to eat weird things....
I found myself with a handful of leftover vegetables in my fridge this week, so you know what that means—STIR FRY TIME! I went extra tropical this time, to escape these winter blues, with...
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...
I’ve been playing with my rice cooker again! This time I took this classic fall comfort food, scaled it down and scaled it back to make it as easy as possible, and cooked it...
I’m already declaring THIS my favorite recipe of the winter of 2018/2019, and we haven’t even gotten to winter yet! That’s just how excited I am about this Vegan Winter Lentil Stew. I’ve made...
I’ve been craving meatloaf for weeks, but I wanted something a little ✨different✨. So, I decided to throw just a little spin on the classic and make this cheese studded Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf. This...
Now that it’s officially fall, I think we could all use a good primer on how to make a basic pot of homemade chili. I have several chili recipes on this website, but this basic...
My Glazed Pork Chops recipe has been viral for several years because it’s ridiculously easy, super tasty, and the sweet and spicy glaze helps keep the pork chops nice and moist. While I’ve often told people...
Rice cookers are a convenient and inexpensive way to cook food for those confined to small spaces or without access to conventional kitchens, so I’m going to develop a few recipes specifically for rice...
This Easy Sesame Chicken is seriously so easy that you’ll be tempted to toss those take-out menus. The delicious sauce takes only a few ingredients, all of which you can keep on hand indefinitely...
Having an arsenal of quick-to-assemble sauces made out of pantry staples can absolutely save you on those nights when you forgot to plan ahead. Simple sauces are the key to transforming refrigerator leftovers or...
I was having one of those days today, y’all. The kind where your have a mile long to-do list but your body is just telling you to curl up and watch Netflix all day....
I’ve actually made this Smoky Chicken and Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potato Meal Prep three times in the last month and a half (and I’m still not sick of it), so it’s about time I posted...
Don’t you just love how I post a pasta recipe immediately after the blog post where I say I’m trying to break my addiction to pasta? 😂 We’re all human. Anyway, This week I...
Hey guys! As I mentioned on Instagram earlier this week, I won’t be doing a meal prep post this Sunday because I wasn’t able to cook anything all week and I want to get...
What do you do when you’ve got a lot of apples on your hands and they’re looking like they might not have that much longer to live? Make Slow Cooker Hot Buttered Apples! 👏👏👏
It’s cranberry season!! I get just about as excited for cranberry season every year as I do for pumpkin season in early October. I just love those tart little berries more than I can...
Are y’all ready for this? …No, no, I don’t think you are. Okay, if you insist. But if your head explodes upon contemplating the deliciousness of these Apple Spice Pork Chops, don’t say I...
While red cabbage is still on sale for $0.50/lb., I’m just going to keep going with it! This super simple Sesame Slaw is fast, fresh, and a nice break from the heavy, cooked down...
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...
Y’all know how much I love slow cooked meat, right? It’s always so tender and full of flavor, yet nearly effortless. While I usually opt for a southwest blend of spices, a couple of...
Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope your weekend is off to a good start. I wanted to take a few moments to share a salad I made this week with some of the leftovers in...
I feel like I’ve stumbled upon gold with this recipe, guys. This Roasted Broccoli Salad with Almonds uses almost all ingredients that I keep on hand, and is so good that I was literally...
“Plus? What is this ‘plus’ business?” … I can hear it now. Well, the “plus” is LENTILS! *crowd cheers* Yes, these easy Homemade Sloppy Joes Plus have lentils for added fiber and to bulk them...
OMG you guyyyysssss… Orange chicken has been on my list for-ev-er and I finally got around to making it today and now I’m kicking myself for not making it sooner because this Easy Orange Chicken is...
The other day I got a message on Facebook from Tiffany exclaiming how much she liked my Easy Oven Fajitas and Oven Roasted Greek Stuffed Pitas and she asked if I could create a similar...
While checking the sale flyers for my grocery stores last week I noticed that Whole Foods had beef stew meat on sale for $3.99/lb. and I was ALL OVER that. I was finally able to...
You guys know that I love my bowl meals, right?? They have everything you need in one bowl, with more flavor, texture, and color than you can shake a stick at. But the more...
Last week I saw an amazing photo for some Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches from Carlsbadcravings.com and I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I wanted those sandwiches and I wanted them bad. But then...
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 freaking love sweet potatoes, so it was only natural for me to eventually make a Sweet Potato Casserole Baked Oatmeal. :) Sweet potatoes are fairly inexpensive because they’re very shelf stable, they’re packed with nutrients,...
I love taking concepts from old recipes and reinventing them into something new. For this Tomato Herb Rice with White Beans and Spinach I’ve taken my (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce and used it to...
I had a craving for the aromatic spices of Chinese five spice blend this week, so I picked up a pork loin, mixed up a super simple marinade with the five spice, and let...
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m just coming back from vacation and am totally craving “healthy” homemade food. So, I prepared these Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls to eat for lunch the rest of the week. They’re...
Welcome to recipe #2 in my vacation recipe series! All this week I’ll be posting all desserts, or food that is just for fun, because VACATION! Today’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars is the...
I’m all about the “sensible splurge” or letting yourself have a little fun once in a while to help prevent a deprivation induced breakdown. It’s like cheat day on your diet, but with your...
If you’re one that struggles to work vegetables into your diet (isn’t that pretty much all of us?) you’re going to love this Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry. It’s full of vegetables and absolutely addictive. And...
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Sometimes I get really excited about recipes. Can you tell? This Balsamic Chicken Skillet is one of those recipes. It’s just so freaking easy, the flavor is big,...
Did you know that the Dragon Noodle sauce also makes a great stir fry sauce? Truth. So when I saw that I still had a half pound of shrimp left over from my last...
My favorite thing to do with a recipe is to pare it down as far as possible while maintaining big flavor. I’ve made a lot of Asian inspired marinades and glazes over the years, but...
I did a bad thing. I’m trying to be all good and healthy, but I accidentally made this Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake this morning. Oops. Sorry (not sorry).
I’ve wanted to do a series on Dragon Noodle variations for a while. The wildly popular original Dragon Noodle recipe is so simple that it’s the perfect jumping off point for several interpretations. You’ve...
…And a fried egg. The fried egg (or soft boiled egg) is really an important part of this Sesame Noodles with Wilted Greens dish, but it just seemed like including it in the title...
How ’bout we make this Monday a little more delicious, huh? I present to you this decadent Bacon and Caramelized Pineapple Pizza, a sweet and salty lover’s dream. This pizza is sure to make...
