I used to hate chicken wings. But, OMG, I think I'm officially a convert. These crispy, oven-baked honey mustard wings are so seriously delicious that I've craved them every day since I first made...
Garlic Powder
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...
Marinated cauliflower salad is a crunchy and colorful "refrigerator salad" that's is the perfect winter side dish or meal prep salad.
You can never have too many easy side dish recipes in your back pocket, which is why I've been playing around a little with mashed cauliflower. Mashed cauliflower is easy, flexible, you can flavor...
One of my favorite simple dinner "formulas" is two roasted vegetables and a meat. It's just so simple and when I can cook them all on one sheet pan, it's even better. For this...
Thanksgiving is probably going to look a little different for a lot of us this year, but we can still celebrate, enjoy good food and each other's company in new and creative ways. Since...
I don't know about you, but I need a good salad right about now. I've been kind of over doing the comfort foods lately and my body is like, "pleeeease, can I have some...
Simple homemade sauces (or glazes) are your secret weapon in the kitchen. They’re the easiest way to turn a boring piece of meat into something really mouthwatering and amazing. Case in point: Honey Mustard...
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...
Remember ten years ago or so when cauliflower suddenly got super popular and everyone was using it in place of every carb imaginable? And then the supply and demand got all out of whack...
If ever there was a meal-worthy soup, it would be Broccoli Cheddar! This bowl full of colorful, chunky vegetables and a super thick cheesy “broth” are sure to leave you warm, happy, and satisfied....
Hello, new favorite! I think of this Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet kind of like “jambalaya light”. It has similar flavors and ingredients as jambalaya, but it’s a slightly scaled back, simplified version, perfect...
Craving BBQ, but don’t have a pit? These Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches only take about 30 minutes to make and cost only a couple of bucks a piece, making them a really fast, inexpensive,...
Are you ready for a dinner that is seriously easy and is so good that it will make you go weak in the knees? Just wait until you try this Blackened Salmon with Zucchini....
We get a lot of feedback from readers who are trying to cook for families who all have different dietary needs and preferences, especially families with both vegetarians and meat eaters. So I wanted...
Creamy, tangy, and filling, these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are an awesome comforting weeknight dinner. Whether you cook a couple of chicken breasts up quickly in a skillet, or use pre-cooked chicken like rotisserie...
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...
It’s almost Friday, so I’m going to throw a quick little pizza recipe at ya! BBQ Chicken Pizza is such a classic with its sweet, tangy, and salty BBQ sauce, bits of juicy chicken,...
This Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese is totally indulgent. It’s like your favorite restaurant appetizer turned into a meal (because you were going to eat that spinach artichoke dip as your meal anyway, right?). I’ve...
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...
This is kind of just like a basic Italian pasta salad, but I’m calling it “Pizza Pasta Salad” because this is how I use my leftover pizza toppings. Haha! When you buy a jar...
Y’all know I’m obsessed with meatballs, right? They’re just so easy, delicious, and something that I’m always in the mood for. So, when I got an unexpected pound of ground chicken in my Instacart...
We’re kind of coming full circle here, with Budget Bytes. I started this blog as a log of what I was cooking up in my kitchen with my limited budget and over the years...
Ahhh, red beans and rice. This classic dish has been filling hungry bellies on a dime for centuries. It’s rich, flavorful, has a TON of fiber and protein, makes a ton of freezer-friendly leftovers,...
Taco bowls, burrito bowls, whatever you want to call them! I went with taco bowls this time because of the homemade taco seasoning used on the roasted cauliflower, plus the fresh toppings like tomatoes...
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...
Sheet pan meals are my savior. There’s really nothing easier than roasting vegetables in the oven, and it happens to make them taste really good, too. Add a little meat to the vegetables and...
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, then you know how I love to meal prep my breakfast. It’s just so much easier to spend a little time on the weekend to...
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...
Making breakfast an event on Sunday is one of my favorite things. I’d much rather make something from scratch at home (in my PJ’s) than go wait in line for 45 minutes at a...
Making sure I get vegetables into my diet takes daily effort. But one thing I know for sure is that if I have them prepped, I am 1000x more likely to eat them. So...
Ever since I made that Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing a couple weeks ago I’ve been using everything and anything as a vehicle to get it in my mouth. 😅 One of my favorite vehicles,...
A few months ago I made a batch of Honey Mustard Sauce and I literally could not stop dipping broccoli florets into it, so I knew right away that I just needed to make a...
I made the most amazing Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing this week and I have a looooong list of foods that I can’t wait to pour it over, but my first choice was this light...
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...
One of the coolest things about having been blogging for over ten years is seeing how my cooking style and skills have changed through this experience. One of my first recipes to go viral...
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...
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...
I bet you’ve never had a spicy chicken sandwich with yogurt in it before! Sounds weird, but stick with me. I love using basic pantry staples in fun new ways, so when Stonyfield Organic...
If you need one more fresh summertime salad for this Memorial Day weekend, I’ve got ya! This light and fresh Cucumber and Black Bean Salad is the perfect side for all your summer grilling,...
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 didn’t grow up eating fast food, so I’ve never really been a chicken nugget person, but the other day, out of the blue, I got a massive craving for them. So I thought,...
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,...
New day, new burrito bowl! Seriously though, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of burrito bowls, or run out of fun variations on the burrito bowl theme. This week I made my burrito...
Cabbage and noodles is one of those super simple, no-frills comfort foods. The flavors aren’t complex or even particularly special, it’s just straight up satisfying and comforting. A lot of people add a little...
One of the best parts about recipe testing is that when you stumble onto something good you have a great excuse to make it over and over again while you tweak the details. I’ve...
This is like, “the week of quesadillas” at my house. LOL. When the concept for these super easy creamy quesadillas first came into my head I couldn’t decide whether to make them with chicken...
Y’all know how I love a good quesadilla, right? My unofficial motto is, “everything is better in a tortilla with cheese.” I have several awesome quesadilla recipes on the website already, but I wanted...
My interest in canned salmon has recently been reignited, so I decided to start playing around with it again. I figured a good salmon burger would be a great place to start, but I...
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...
These Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Lime Crema are the perfect meal prep item, since they’re already pre-portioned and ready to go. There are a lot of options for toppings and seasonings with this...
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....
Y’all know I’m all about the bowl meals, right? It’s pretty routine for me to just go into my fridge, grab whatever odds and ends I have, and throw them into a bowl for...
I don’t know what it is with me and meatballs lately, but here we are again. #sorrynotsorry This weekend I made these deliciously Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs, which are a fun way to change...
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...
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 been a while since I’ve made a one-pot pasta! But this weekend I got a craving for a creamy, smoky, spicy, easy one pot dish, so I set to work! This One Pot...
“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...
I’ve been craving meatloaf for weeks, but I was a little reluctant to make a classic meatloaf because there are a million and two recipes for “classic meatloaf” out there, all of which claim...
One of the first recipes that I wanted to try to make in my rice cooker is Spanish Chickpeas and Rice, and I finally got a chance to do so this week. This simple...
I’m coming around to the idea of baked chicken breast, guys. I used to be dead set against baking chicken breast because they always turned out so bland, blonde, and just bor-ing. BUT if...
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...
There’s a restaurant in my neighborhood that has a vegetarian Nashville Hot “Chicken” Sandwich made with tempeh that is sooo good even though it hurts sooo bad. Spicy food lovers, you know what I’m...
Now that it’s officially fall, I think we could all use a good primer on how to make a basic pot of chili. I have several chili recipes on this website, but this basic chili...
Another day, another salad! I try to make some sort of salad each week that I can build meals on or just eat as a quick meal on its own when I’m on the...
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...
I’ve been super into meatballs lately. Now that’s a something I never thought I’d type. But it’s true. Meatballs are easy, flavorful, filling, and you can serve them in more ways than just with...
Yeah, I know, it’s 90 degrees outside and most people don’t want to be eating chili right now, but I’m a year ’round chili eater. Especially back in the day when I worked in...
If I’ve said it before, I’ll still say it 100 times more, simple pan sauces are life! 🙌They’re the fastest, easiest way to create a flavorful meal from a simple cut of meat. This...
Salsa is my secret weapon on busy nights. It’s a one stop shop for adding tons of flavor, without having to dice, chop, and measure out a million ingredients. Everything you need is inside...
Are you ready for another almost-no-cook summer dinner? Yeah, me too. I love these Spiced Chickpea Tostadas not only because they are they light, cool, and refreshing, but they are the perfect “sweep the...
Forget cakes and cookies, mac and cheese is my comfort food of choice. And luckily, there is no shortage of variations on this classic, so it just never gets old. :) This White Cheddar...
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...
I’ve been experimenting with tofu a lot lately because it’s an incredibly inexpensive, and now quite readily available source of protein (okay, and also because it also happens to be the #1 searched word...
You guys, I am SO IN LOVE with this meal! Browned beef full of warm spices, a medley of roasted vegetables with caramelized edges, and a bed of warm rice makes a fabulously well rounded...
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...
It’s FRIDAY! And Fridays call for pizza. I haven’t had pizza in forever and I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to chew pizza with my new braces, but let’s be...
This salad is SUPER basic, but I literally ate it every day last week and will happily be eating it again all this week, so I think that alone makes it worth sharing. The...
Three things that I buy almost every week are fresh parsley, cilantro, and green onions. They’re almost always less than a dollar each , but add so much flavor and color to my meals, that...
Last week I got a message from a reader, Holly, looking for a from-scratch version of a bubble up casserole. If you’ve never heard of bubble ups before, they’re basically a casserole made out...
It’s about this time every year that I start craving fresh vegetables. Between all the holiday food, football food, and generally heavy, slow cooked winter dishes, I need something light and fresh! Unfortunately a lot...
I’ve really really been trying to curb my pasta dependency (addiction?) lately. One of the easiest ways to do that is to just swap vegetables for the pasta, but I’m not really into spiralizing or zoodles,...
This really has to be one of the fastest, easiest dinners EVER. I have been craving meatloaf lately, but decided to just go ahead and cook all my vegetable sides along with the loaves...
Bratwurst is something I only eat once in a blue moon but when I have it, OMG it’s soooo good. When my bratwurst craving came back this time I decided to try a little...
I got a really strong craving for my One Pan Roasted Kielbasa and Cabbage Dinner the other day, but instead of making it the exact same way, I decided to change it up and...
Summer calls for a lighter, fresher, more vibrant pizza. Earlier this week I splurged on some fresh mozzarella for my Kale Pesto Pasta and I wanted to make sure the rest of that delicious...
Years ago I tried my hand at Chicken Shawarma and the marinade that I made was so tasty that I swore I’d use it as a dip some day. Soooo, I finally did it. These...
I had half a pound of frozen shrimp (30/40 count) in my freezer leftover from making Blackened Shrimp Pasta, so I decided to try Blackened Shrimp a new way—Blacked Shrimp Tacos! Because tacos are always...
It’s Monday and I’m throwing caution to the wind. Sometimes you have to start the week out with a bang to make the weight of the long week ahead a little more bearable, you...
Someone emailed me recently and said that they use white beans in place of chicken in recipes and I was like, “Wait, whoa, why haven’t I done that?” I use black beans and lentils...
Yes, this cabbage is burned. But we’ll just call it “blackened cabbage” because it sounds nicer, good? No matter what you call it, I promise it is deeeeeeelicious. Let me just give you a...
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...
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...
The other day on Facebook I asked your opinion on “classic casseroles.” The response was almost unanimous—you love them, but would like to see versions made without as many canned ingredients or “cream of”...
This week I played around with the concept for my classic Taco Chicken Bowls and made a “green” salsa version, or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Bowls. Salsa is kind of a secret weapon when...
Remember that Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta that we all love because it’s so easy and delicious? Well, the other day when I was craving a creamy-pasta-comfort-food dinner, I decided to morph that recipe with another...
