I bought a little jar of pesto recently and have been having fun finding ways to add it to everyday recipes. Yesterday I noticed a half bag of macaroni that had been sitting in my...
Parmesan
This creamy, cheesy hot corn dip will be the star of the show at your next party, gathering, or BBQ. Easy to double for larger crowds!
Lemon Parsley Pasta is bright, garlicky, and full of rich Parmesan flavor. It makes a great side dish or bed for chicken or fish.
I absolutely love spinach pie. It’s rich, but not quite as heavy as a quiche, it has a deliciously flakey crust, and it works as a savory breakfast, brunch, or just anytime meal. It’s so...
Marinated cauliflower salad is a crunchy and colorful "refrigerator salad" that's is the perfect winter side dish or meal prep salad.
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...
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...
Easy wins again! I’m on day 6 of an 8 day work week, so that means two things: I’m tired and I’m hungry. Quick skillet pasta dishes like this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta are perfect...
Y’all know I love one pot pasta meals, and I know a lot of you do too. They’re quick, easy, and pack a lot of flavor into only one little dish that needs to...
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...
This One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta was inspired by those little packets of powdered pasta sauce mix I always see in the grocery store. While those little packets are probably great for camping,...
I’ve made kale pesto before (Kale Pesto Pasta), but I felt like the pesto needed a post itself. I often find myself with leftover fresh kale (why does it come in such HUGE qantities?),...
Off the record, I call this one “poor man’s Caprese salad” because it’s based on Caprese salad, but with all the budget swaps I’ve made, I don’t think I can get away with calling...
This Spicy Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Kale is a variation on one of my favorite fast weeknight dinners, pasta + parmesan + vegetable. If you’re a Budget Bytes veteran you probably have this...
It’s no secret that I love spinach artichoke dip and I’m always looking for ways to make it into a legit dinner, instead of just an appetizer that I accidentally over-indulged in. For this...
SPRING IS HEEERRRRREE! (Read that in Oprah’s excited yelling voice). As soon as that sun starts to shine and the days get a little longer I feel every cell in my body wake up...
This salad is totally giving me life right now! While I love the warm comforting foods of winter, after a few weeks of all those heavy roasted and stewed foods I start craving fresh...
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...
Today is the most fall day of all fall days. The fall colors are at their peak here in Nashville, the air smells like wet leaves, it’s a little overcast and spooky looking, and...
What do you do for self care? I think most people avoid cooking themselves a good meal as part of their self care routine because it sounds like a lot of work, but recipes like...
I’m a big fan of savory breakfast dishes and this Spinach Mushroom and Feta Crustless Quiche might be my new favorite! It’s very filling (without giving me a carb-hangover), and it’s chock-full of vegetables. There...
Peas are totally underrated. They’re inexpensive, easy to cook or add to recipes, and packed with both protein and fiber. So they’re an excellent item to keep on hand in your freezer to whip...
My brain is a couple months ahead and I’m so ready for summer, so I’m going to break out a couple summer vegetable recipes now instead of waiting. I just can’t wait any longer....
This Tuscan White Bean Pasta is definitely my type of recipe. It’s quick, uses a lot of fresh ingredients, is very filling, and flavorful. This pasta packs protein (white beans and parmesan), veggies (tomatoes...
Where did last week go? I didn’t get to cook much as I’d have liked last week, so I found myself with a refrigerator full of miscellaneous ingredients that I wasn’t quite sure what...
Yeah, Double Spinach Artichoke Dip because if I’m going to eat something this rich and creamy I’m going to make sure I eat a pound of spinach while I’m at it. 😂 Most people have...
I’m the type of person who could just eat marinara sauce with a spoon. I love it just that much. BUT that feels kind of weird so I try to find other vehicles to...
My freezer is way too full right now, you guys. So, the other day I set out to use up some of my frozen goods, and ended up making this Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Crustless...
Hey guys, I’ve got a “cheat” recipes for you today. This Easy Cheesy Broccoli rice is what I make when I’m too impatient to make a full blown Broccoli Cheddar Casserole. This is what...
Stress eating, what? Who, me? Noooo, never. Okay, maybe. As the countdown to my move out of state begins and everything seems to be going haywire, I find myself needing a little comfort food....
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...
You guys, I can’t stop with cold pasta dishes this summer! It’s all I want to eat! I had a half bunch of kale leftover from another recipe this week, so I decided to...
When I took stock of my refrigerator the other day I noticed I had quite a bit of miscellaneous cheese hanging out waiting to be eaten (does this happen to anyone else??). I don’t...
Two things that are always in my refrigerator and freezer are eggs and frozen spinach. I haven’t had creamed spinach in quite some time, so when I decided to make some the other day I...
Stop everything and listen closely. I’ve been making new recipes every week for over seven years and can honestly say this One Pot Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta is one of the best things...
I had a completely different plan for cooking today, but you know what? In the end I decided I just wanted some comfort food. This Cheesy Rigatoni Skillet is just another version of my favorite easy...
It’s been a long time since I made bread and I the other day I got that itch! This time I decided to whip up a batch of my (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce...
Oh how I love my dark leafy greens! When I saw that lacinato kale was on sale at Whole Foods again this week, I had to indulge. I used the “sale kale” (haha) to...
Ahhh creamy carbonara! It’s the original poor man’s pasta with its bare bones ingredient list and rich, belly satisfying flavor. But, as times change so do the availability and prices of ingredients. The once...
I was in the mood for lasagna this week, but it’s already in the 80’s here in New Orleans, so I decided to make a garden vegetable lasagna soup instead. Lasagna soup is great...
Canned salmon is a great shelf-stable way to get your inexpensive way to work a little more fish into your diet. I love the convenience of canned fish. No cooking necessary, it’s there when...
It’s kind of amazing how serendipitous grocery sales are sometimes. This week I had a really strong craving for oven baked French Fries and then I get to the store and find russet potatoes...
As this past week came to a close, I still needed one more quick recipe to fill out our menu. I had already used up all but $7 of my $40 weekly grocery budget,...
This is a busy time of year, maybe even the busiest. Between shopping, holiday parties, and visiting family, no one really wants to spend a ton of time in the kitchen. Sooo, this week...
Broccoli is a great all-purpose side dish, but when it’s not seasoned properly it can be kind of boring. When it comes to vegetables, broccoli included, you can never go wrong with a healthy...
This Garlic Parmesan Polenta was actually going to be part of a separate recipe, until I realized just how versatile it is on its own. Once I realized how many different ways the fried...
Okay, this one is a bit of a splurge, especially considering my tight September Challenge budget, but after last week’s meat heavy menu I was craving bright fresh flavors. This Parsley Pesto Pasta is...
One of the things I’ve learned about eating on a budget is that simple recipes win. The fewer ingredients you need, the fewer ingredients you need to buy, and that generally helps keep that...
You know you’re on to something good when you’re cooking vegetables, but it smells like there’s a pizza in the oven. And for some reason, this Smoky Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower smelled exactly like pizza. I guess...
My freezer is lookin’ a little bare these days, so it’s time to start making some stuff that I can freeze portions of for nights when I just want to pop something in 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....
When in doubt, pasta + Parmesan + vegetable = a really good meal. For this version of that quick dinner classic, I added some mushrooms for extra umami, garlic because you gotta have garlic, and...
I’ve been making so many “one pot” recipes lately that I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve made a good ol’ side dish. Well, I had a bag of orzo sitting in my...
So many of you asked about the pretzels pictured in my How To Start a Food Blog post, that I decided to do a spin off for you (the original pretzel tutorial is for...
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...
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...
Okay, so it’s not really alfredo because it doesn’t even have any cream, but it’s close enough that I’m going to call it that. This fake-out alfredo is a little lighter and doesn’t hit your...
I don’t want to rub it in your faces, but here in New Orleans SPRING IS HERE! That means that I want a lot of bright, vibrant flavors. These roasted potatoes with parsley pesto...
Can I talk about anchovies for a second without you running away screaming? K, good. Anchovies have a reputation in the United States as being this stinky pizza topping that nobody really likes, but...
I didn’t find out about National Kale Day until after the fact, but seeing pictures of delicious kale recipes all day made me really crave kale bad. What’s the fastest, easiest fix? Garlic Parmesan Kale...
Happy Fourth of July! I know most of you are out having burgers and beer (and I’m about to myself), but I had this Ham & Potato Frittata recipe waiting in the queue, so...
Last weekend I got an email from Robyn with a link to this really cool recipe over at Apron Strings. I love cooking pasta and rice in liquids other than water, so this idea...
My favorite recipes are those that feature just a few ingredients so that the subtle and intricate flavors are not lost. …not to mention, they’re just easier to make! ;) Nearly every time I...
THANK YOU, dear Anonymous, who left a comment on the (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce recipe last night about adding artichoke hearts and making a “pantry meal” out of the sauce! I wasn’t sure...
Can I single handedly undo all of the healthy things I accomplished with the Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos? Challenge accepted. (I know, it’s like I have split food personalities sometimes.) But how can...
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 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...
Okay, I know that practically every food blogger and their mother has posted a recipe Baked Zucchini Fries, but there’s a reason for that… THEY’RE REALLY GOOD. These baked zucchini fries have been on...
Who doesn’t love pesto, right? It’s rich, flavorful, and it can turn something completely boring (like pasta) into something spectacular. The only problem is that it’s full of expensive ingredients (fresh herbs, pine nuts,...
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, this isn’t really alfredo, it’s more of a (not) alfredo recipe… I’ve made too many alterations for it to truly be alfredo, but it’s still creamy and delicious! I mean, I love alfredo...
Taking advantage of seasonal produce is definitely one of the most important principles of budget byting. I mean, anytime you can get produce for under $1 per lb, you’ve just gotta do it! Butternut...
This post is dedicated to all of you who are still going out to eat at the Olive Garden. ;D This is a super simple, very flavorful pasta dish that will cost about the...
Stuffed zucchini are a popular dish in the Mediterranean region. I’ve wanted to make some for a while but this post on Green Light Bites really motivated me. Stuffed zucchini are usually filled with...
I got a request from Nelson (a BB reader) last week to make some homemade mac n’ cheese and what a fantastic idea it was. I really need some mac n’ cheese in my...
Today’s recipe is brought to you by the word mirepoix. Via wikipedia: Mirepoix (cuisine), a traditional French culinary combination of onions, carrots and celery aromatics. I felt it important to share this piece of...
One of the best recipes that I’ve made for Budget Bytes so far is the Italian Meatballs. They were unbelievably flavorful, they froze beautifully and were extremely versatile. I’ve wanted to make them again...
Here is another super easy dinner idea with endless possibilities for variation. I can’t exactly say that Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups are a “quick” recipe because it does have to bake a while but the...
You know how spinach artichoke dip is so good that sometimes you want to just order the appetizer as your meal and not share it with anybody? I hereby give you permission to. Well,...
So, I’m about to pack up all of my things and move to a new apartment in a new city. I thought I’d just cook up something simple and classic this weekend to cut...
I had been looking for a reason to make creamed spinach again and this week’s Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew gave me the opportunity. Creamed spinach is the perfect side dish to the beef stew...
I was really craving some red meat the other day and the first thing I wanted was meatballs. Of course, I didn’t have any meatballs so all I could do was sit there and...
It’s no secret that I don’t like seeing food go to waste. So, when I had a partial bag of potatoes left sitting on my countertop this week, I started looking for a way...
