What to do with browning bananas? It’s the question that never stops needing to be answered. The other day I was about to make a batch of my Yogurt Banana Bread with some over...
Sugar
This salad is one of the very first recipes I ever posted on Budget Bytes. Like, way back when I was still taking photos with my pre-smart-phone era phone. Yikes! Because this Sesame Cucumber...
I know it sounds cheesy, but pizza really is my favorite food. It has endless possibilities and usually includes my favorite things: bread, tomatoes, and cheese. And when you make your pizza dough from...
I’ve been even more diligent about keeping my food waste low since the pandemic started, since our visits to the grocery store are few and far between. So when I was taking stock of...
Depression as in The Great Depression, not depression as in “this cake will cure your depression.” 😅Since a lot of us are experiencing ingredient shortages right now, I thought there was no better time...
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...
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...
Some nights you just need something warm, comforting, and easy to help melt off the stresses of the day, like a big bowl of chili. And maybe some cornbread, too, for good measure. This...
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...
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...
Do you need a Sunday baking project? Sure you do. Who doesn’t need something to bake while they’re chillin’ on a Sunday afternoon? Well, these Blueberry Lemon Curd Shortcakes so easy that I don’t...
I’m not sure there is anything more summery than this Cucumber Mango Salad. It perfectly marries sweet, sour, and spicy flavors with that whoosh of cucumber freshness, for a light and refreshing summer side...
Luscious might be an understatement. It’s kind of mind blowing how four of the most basic ingredients in your kitchen can make something so beyond delicious as this homemade lemon curd, but somehow they...
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...
I don’t make dessert often, and when I do, I tend to make things that are not too-too sweet. Things that could easily double as a breakfast, like this Lemon Blueberry Cornbread Skillet. Using...
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’ve been a little obsessed with Dutch Baby Pancakes lately. They’re just so easy and fun that they make the perfect weekend breakfast splurge. And I’m all about doing up breakfast big on the...
Are you ready for the easiest of easy stir fry dinners? This Salad Bar Vegetable Lo Mein is the perfect no-brainer dinner for when you can’t be bothered to even think about cooking, or...
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...
How many half-used bottles of condiments would you say you have in your refrigerator at this very moment. Five? Ten? Twenty? I don’t know how many I have but I know it’s too many. So...
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...
It’s been almost five years to the day since I first posted this Easy Sesame Chicken, and I felt it was about time for me to pay it a visit. I’ve learned a lot...
This super fresh and vibrant Cowboy Caviar combines two types of beans, colorful summer vegetables, and a sweet and tangy lime dressing for a bold and versatile dish that you’ll find yourself making over and...
I love using parsley as a base for my salads because it’s inexpensive, flavorful, full of nutrients, and it holds up well in the refrigerator, even when dressed! It might take a minute to...
There’s nothing like fresh bread with dinner, but I don’t know anyone who has time to make a fresh yeast rolls every night. So for the nights when you’re short on time, these Rosemary...
I apologize ahead of time for showing the easiest and probably the most decadent dessert ever. These Peanut Butter Fluff Cups are a smaller batch version of the popular no-bake peanut butter pies. It’s basically...
I’m usually terrible at desserts, unless it’s something insanely simple, like strawberry shortcake. Luckily, simple doesn’t mean unimpressive. All you need to make these cute, instagram-worthy little strawberry shortcake stacks are a few pantry staples...
I’ve tried making a Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal a few times in the past, but I’ve never gotten it quite right until today. It has been a long time in the making, so I’m...
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 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...
If you know me, you know that I’m obsessed with cornbread. It’s one of those super simple recipes that only takes a few minutes to whip up, uses only pantry staples, goes with just...
At the local coffee shop that my boyfriend frequents there’s a large case full of homemade biscotti near the cash register. Every time I’m in there with him my eyes are drawn to the big apricot...
I’m not done with cabbage yet! Hahah, okay, I really am sorry about all this cabbage lately, but I still had half a head in my fridge and a thoughtful reader emailed me a...
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...
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...
A couple weeks ago I got an email from fellow cookbook author, Anne Byrn, who I had worked with a couple years back when she was passing through town promoting one of her cookbooks....
As much as I love my original Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe, I love this savory Hatch Chile Sweet Potato Cornbread even more. I love Hatch chile season because the grocery stores in New Orleans roast...
I often run into the “red onion dilema” when making a recipe. You see, a few slivers of fresh red onion can truly transform a recipe (see Thai Curry Vegetable Soup and Slow Cooker...
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).
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...
Confession time: I’ve been spending way too much on sushi lately. So, I decided to revisit one of my very first Budget Bytes recipes from way back in 2010, Sushi Bowls. For most people, making sushi at...
I love using just a small amount of bacon to add BIG flavor to a recipe. The tangy mustard vinaigrette in this German Potato Salad is the perfect example. The bacon fat adds body...
Forget pies, y’all. Cobblers are where it’s at. This Lemon Berry Cobbler is probably one of the easiest, most satisfying desserts you can make. The bottom fruit layer only takes about a minute to...
And now for the much anticipated Naan recipe! If you’re unfamiliar with naan, it is basically just an Indian style flat bread. Okay, maybe it’s not “just” flat bread. This stuff is AMAZING. It...
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...
I don’t make muffins often, but when I do I want them to be big, fluffy, and totally epic like the ones you get at a bakery. And since these Triple Berry Oatmeal Muffins...
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,...
I love scones because they’re only ever so slightly sweet, go great with coffee, and they freeze really well. So, I can whip up a batch, then toss them in the freezer after they...
There’s nothing that says “summer” like ooey, gooey s’mores cooked over an open campfire. But for city and apartment dwellers, that summer treat might just be an ancient childhood memory. Until now. Say hello...
I’m an equal opportunity pizza lover. I love fancy hand tossed pizza as much as I love a $3 frozen pizza. I love thick pizza crust, thin and crispy pizza crust, and everything in...
I made some awesome Black Bean Chili the other day and what goes great with chili? Chocolate! In the spirit of not wanting to “accidentally” eat an entire pan of brownies, I decided to make...
I haven’t baked any bread in a long time, mostly because I don’t eat bread very often lately. I do love to bake, though, so when I came across this recipe for No Knead English Muffin...
Do you ever have that moment in the grocery store when you’re like, “I wonder if I should get some dessert…” and then you decide against it because you’re trying to be all good...
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...
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...
I used to really dislike corn, but I think that’s because I never had it prepared in a decent way. Ever since learning to roast corn in my oven, I’ve kind of fallen in...
I love scones. They’re super fast to make, can be flavored with either sweet or savory ingredients, and make a quick “bread” option for dinner (they go especially well with soup, stew, or chili). I’ll never...
I’m kind of breaking my own rules with this post, but let me explain. If you’ve been following my blog for a while then you know that I never do promotional, affiliated, or underwritten posts....
I gotta give a big shout out to Neil, whose tweet inspired me to try again with a recipe that I completely failed with the first time around. Neil tweeted about an amazing vegetable...
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 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...
I was craving some oatmeal raisin cookies the other day when it hit me that pumpkin would probably taste pretty freaking good in an oatmeal cookie. So, I went to buy the ingredients. Then...
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...
Okay, this one was kind of a candy making FAIL, but I’m still posting it because even in its failed state it was so good that I couldn’t stop munching on it. Why was...
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...
Last night I was hit with a sweet tooth. It doesn’t happen often, so I was completely unprepared. This morning I took action. I like to make things like scones to keep in the...
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...
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 usually like to make my own version of recipes, but every now and then I come across a recipe that just looks too perfect to change. This recipe for Lemon Pudding Cakes that...
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...
Will I ever get tired of baked oatmeal? Probably not. It’s easy, cheap, deceptively filling, and I can cook it one day and then eat it throughout the rest of the week. I love...
Do you want evidence that this recipe is good? How about the fact that I’ve been eating it for lunch AND dinner for the past three days straight, and I still wanted a piece...
During the hot summer months all I ever want to eat is lemon raspberry slushies. There’s something about that sweet tart flavor that I find ultra refreshing. Lemon raspberry muffins are also pretty tasty,...
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...
When someone suggested that I make soda bread for St. Paddy’s day, I have to admit, I cringed a little. I tried making soda bread once, maybe twice, about ten years ago and it...
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…...
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...
I’ve made pizza sauce before but I wanted one that was even thicker and richer because I had some big plans to dip things in it (and by “things” I mean pizzadillas). Dipping sauces...
This recipe comes courtesy of one of my wonderful readers, Diana. I was intrigued by this recipe for multiple reasons. I remember when I was a teenager I had found a recipe similar to...
Nom nom nom… (I’m eating one of these as I type this blog post) So, I’m usually not that into muffins because they really just seem like cupcakes in disguise. Morning glory muffins, on...
I’m all about making a special meal at home for Valentines Day rather than fighting the crowds at the restaurants. Cooking together is more intimate, special and is some of the best “quality time”...
Oh the fascinating world of flat breads… Although the ingredients for this Homemade Pita Bread are different from my Homemade Naan, the execution is almost exactly the same. The only difference here is that you...
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...
I was really really excited when I saw this post over on Judicial Peach the other day. Homemade chai is something that I’ve been wanting to make for quite some time. Never did I...
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...
Ahhh, I love Fall! Pumpkins, gourds, costumes and lots and lots of goodies! I found this recipe the other day and knew that it would be perfect for getting me in the mood for...
What happens when you’re craving something sweet while watching Anthony Bourdain travel around India? You start googling saffron rice pudding recipes. I found a few recipes that I liked (this one) but since I’m still...
What would life be like without salsa? I don’t know and I don’t care to imagine it that way. I’m a salsa lover through and through. I could eat it straight with spoon, I...
It is time, once again, for me to give in to my cravings… I’ve been craving something cakey, something flakey, something sweet but not too sweet… I’ve been craving a scone! After doing my...
I’m an English Muffin fanatic. They’re complete breakfast heaven to me, especially when turned into a breakfast egg sandwich. I vaguely remember baking my first batch eight or nine years ago and as far...
Why haven’t I made these before? I have seriously been missing out on some extra enjoyable morning coffee time! I will, without a doubt, be making these on a regular basis.
Is it breakfast or is it dessert? I don’t know, I suppose that’s up to you but bread pudding (for those of you who don’t know) is pretty much like french toast but in...
I saw this recipe that Gonna Want Seconds had posted to Tastespotting recently and I knew that I needed to make them soon. My mom used to make lemon bars for us growing up...
I saw these Ricotta Cookies yesterday morning on Tastespotting.com and they looked so scrumptious that I bumped one of my planned recipes in favor of this one. The cookies are great because they are...
