Budget Meal

Name: Mississippi Roast (without added butter)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3-4 lb Chuck Roast, excess fat trimmed; 10 Pepperoncini peppers; 1/2 cup juice from pepperoncini peppers; 1 (1 ounce) packet Ranch seasoning; 1 (1 ounce) packet Onion soup mix; 1/2 cup Beef stock (or water)

Ham and Cheese Crescent Ring

September 9, 2019 by Sarah 1 Comment

Ham and cheese baked in crescent roll ring sprinkled with pretzel salt on a baking sheet

Ham and Cheese Crescent Ring is what’s for dinner tonight! On the table in 20 minutes and sure to please even my pickiest eater, it’s a go-to in our household. I’ll say it. Sometimes you just have to make a meal you know your kids will love. Nutritionally sound? Could be better. Organic? Definitely not. Quick, easy, and something they will actually eat? Ding, ding. We have a winner.

My daughter couldn’t help but be nosy as I was putting this Ham and Cheese Crescent Ring together. And isn’t that really the point of it all? I don’t know about you, but I hate wasting time on a meal she inevitably won’t eat. Of course, I still mandate a “thank you” bite, but I would much rather prefer she enjoy what I put in front of her without fuss.

daughter standing in kitchen holding a slice of ham helping assemble ham and cheese crescent ring

Aside from being kid-friendly, you can switch out the ingredients for a boatload of combinations. Switch out the ham and cheese for chicken, bacon and colby jack cheese. You can even spread on some ranch dressing before adding the filling. Ooh, what about taco meat with cheese and salsa. Ok, I’m totally doing that next time.

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Savory Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love this Fall

July 31, 2019 by Sarah Leave a Comment

photo collage of savory pumpkin dishes with title text

Fall is right around the corner, and I couldn’t be more excited. Sweater weather, boots, and fall flavors… What’s not to love?!? I know you’re all thinking I’m talking about Pumpkin Spice anyway, but I’m actually excited to use pumpkin in savory recipes, too. Add a cup on apple cider and I’m all set!

From Instant Pot pasta recipes to soups and chili, you can use cubed pumpkin or pumpkin puree in a variety of ways. When it’s all done, roast up the pumpkin seeds, too.

To make your own pumpkin puree, cut your pumpkin (pie pumpkin is best for eating) in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until you can insert a knife easily through the skin and meat. Allow the pumpkins to cool, then scoop out the meat and blend in a food processor adding a little water or vegetable stock as needed for the consistency you want. This puree can be used as the base for both sweet and savory recipes.

Let me know in the comments which one of these dishes you are most excited to try. I wouldn’t leave you hanging without at least one dessert recipe, too. Check out this one over at my friend June’s blog, Practically Homemade.

Savory Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love this Fall

Fall is my favorite season. Not just because of the weather and leaves changing to gorgeous colors. I LOVE the flavor of fall! I've compiled 15 savory pumpkin recipes for you to try this fall. Let me know what you think!

Chipotle Pumpkin Veggie Burgers

Photo Credit: theforkedspoon.com

Instant Pot Pumpkin Black Bean Chili Mac {GF, DF, V}

Photo Credit: flavorthemoments.com

Pumpkin Curry With Coconut Rice

Photo Credit: www.oursmallhours.com

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Quinoa Salad

Photo Credit: www.abakingjourney.com

Instant Pot Pumpkin Hummus

Photo Credit: recipesfromapantry.com

How to Make Perfect Pumpkin Seeds

Photo Credit: homecookingmemories.com

Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe for an Easy (and Fast!) Meal

Photo Credit: www.attainable-sustainable.net

Pumpkin mushroom bowls + brown rice

Photo Credit: ahedgehoginthekitchen.com

Southwest Roasted Pumpkin Soup | Blender Babes

Photo Credit: www.blenderbabes.com

Pumpkin Penne Pasta with Sausage, Greek Yogurt, and Thyme - The Artisan Life

Photo Credit: natashalh.com

Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Photo Credit: www.housewivesoffrederickcounty.com

Hearty Pumpkin Chili Recipe

Photo Credit: www.theflyingcouponer.com

Instant Pot Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo (vegetarian) - Imagelicious.com

Photo Credit: www.imagelicious.com

Beef, Beer and Pumpkin Stew

Photo Credit: daisiesandpie.co.uk

Pumpkin and Shrimp Soup Recipe (Camorão na Moranga)

Photo Credit: www.splendry.com

For even more flavors of fall, try my Apple Blondies!

Mississippi Roast (without added butter!)

May 24, 2019 by Sarah Leave a Comment

pot roast with pepperoncini peppers on white plate with title graphic

Who doesn’t love a good pot roast? I love that you can throw it in the slow cooker or Instant Pot and forget about it. I was first introduced to Mississippi Roast, pot roast with butter, pepperoncini peppers, ranch seasoning and au jus seasoning, by a coworker. Don’t get it wrong, it tasted amazing! I wasn’t be biggest fan, though, that it called for a whole stick of butter!

In an effort to lighten up this dish, I tried making it without any butter and didn’t miss it at all. Rather than use powdered au jus seasoning, I used what I had on hand: a packet of onion soup mix. Guess what? It tasted amazing. You still get an amazingly flavorful “gravy” to spoon over melt-in-your-mouth pot roast.

Why Chuck Roast?

Chuck roast is the perfect cut for slow cooking because it falls apart and turns to butter. It also happens to be one of the more affordable cuts of beef roast. You can also use pork butt for this recipe as an even more budget-friendly option.

How to Serve It

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. It would also make perfect beef sandwiches. Pile it up on a hoagie roll and top with provolone cheese. Yum!

Yield: 6 servings

Mississippi Roast (without added butter)

Pepperoncini peppers, ranch seasoning and onion soup mix make the perfect sauce for this tender pot roast. Serve with mashed potatoes or on hoagie rolls with provolone cheese.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 lb Chuck Roast, excess fat trimmed
10 Pepperoncini peppers
1/2 cup juice from pepperoncini peppers
1 (1 ounce) packet Ranch seasoning
1 (1 ounce) packet Onion soup mix
1/2 cup Beef stock (or water)

Instructions

Place Chuck Roast in your slow cooker.
Add Peppers, Juice, Ranch seasoning, Onion soup mix and Beef stock or water.
Cover with lid and cook on Low for 8 hours.
Remove meat to a platter and shred with two forks. Return to slow cooker.

Notes

To cook in Instant Pot: Add all ingredients to Instant Pot. Seal and cook on High Pressure for 65 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, the release pressure. Shred meat and return to sauce.

Freezer Meal: For Freezer Meal prep, label a gallon-size freezer bag with slow cooker or Instant Pot cooking instructions. Place all ingredients in freezer bag. Seal, pressing to remove excess air from bag. Store in freezer up to three months. Thaw in fridge overnight when ready to cook.

Easy Homemade Mayonnaise

April 26, 2019 by Sarah Leave a Comment

One of the best ways to build a frugal pantry is to learn to make condiments yourself. Homemade mayonnaise is no exception. The ingredients are items that we usually already have in our pantry, and the recipe comes together in less than two minutes. I’m also a huge fan of knowing exactly what is in my mayonnaise.

Most store-bought mayonnaise contains lots of extra ingredients that act as stabilizers and preservatives. This recipe contains a whopping six ingredients including salt and water! With that, this recipe will last in the fridge for a week. If you’re anything like my family, that won’t be a problem. We’ve always making sandwiches for lunches or a batch of pimento cheese spread.

Flavor Ideas

Once you’ve prepared your basic mayonnaise recipe, feel free to play with adding herbs and spices to fancy it up. I love adding pureed roasted red peppers to make Red Pepper Mayo or stir in a tablespoon on prepared horseradish to give it a little kick. The possibilities are endless.

Paprika
Garlic Powder
Sriracha
Wasabi Powder
Honey or Maple Syrup
Black Pepper

Homemade Mayonnaise

Making condiments at home allows you to control the ingredients and customize the flavor. This basic mayonnaise recipe is the perfect foundation.

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Yield: 1 cup 1x
Category: Condiments
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

1 large egg yolk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola or avocado oil

Instructions

Place egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, water and salt into a wide-mouth mason jar.
Using an immersion blender or milk frother, blend ingredients while slowly streaming in oil.
Blend for 30 seconds or until fully incorporated and creamy.
Store prepared mayonnaise in the fridge for up to one week.

Notes

This recipe comes together very quickly when using an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can use a sturdy bowl and whisk. Be mindful to stream the oil in slowly when whisking by hand to ensure that the mixture emulsifies.

Keywords: condiments, pantry

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Best Cookbooks for Eating on a Budget

March 18, 2019 by Sarah 2 Comments

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. This site earns a small commission from Amazon purchases made using these links.

People often believe that cooking from a cookbook is going to be more expensive than a normal meal and in a lot of cases, this is true. It’s very easy to end up spending more money than you normally would when you’re making meals from cookbooks. Thankfully, there are a lot of budget-friendly cookbooks out there to pick from. These are great for students, small families, and big families alike. Here are a few of my favorites.

100 Days of Real Food: On a Budget by Lisa Leake

New York Times Bestselling author and food blogger Lisa Leake has come out with a budget-friendly version of her book and blog 100 Days of Real Food. It has a cost breakdown for every recipe which can be used as a rough estimate for how much your meal will cost. It also has an entire chapter dedicated to slow cookers!

Budget Bytes by Beth Moncel

This is a book that I use frequently for my own family. It’s written by Beth Moncel, a former broke college student turned food blogger and author with a degree in nutritional science and dietetics. She includes the price breakdown for each total recipe and serving, and includes some great instructions on how to stock your panty on a budget.

Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn

A mother of ten shares how she manages to feed her family on $800 to $900 a month. It has 200 delicious recipes along with expert tips on how to save money while grocery shopping. Even if you aren’t feeding a family of 12 this book is sure to save you money and keep you eating great food.

Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee

Eating vegan on a budget is possible! Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee are here to show you how in Frugal Vegan. The book teaches you how to avoid expensive perishable foods and special ingredients while still enjoying nutritious, filling food.

Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown

This is my absolute favorite cookbook to use on a budget! I find myself reaching for it any time I’m looking for a quick cheap and easy to cook meals. This cookbook was written with those on Food Stamps/SNAP in mind who only have budgets of $4 a day, all without relying on heavily processed foods. It is a New York Times Bestseller and IACP Award winner. It’s full of healthy cheap recipes with a ton of great options for variety. For every copy of this book sold, the publisher also donates a copy to a family in need.

Good Cheap Eats by Jessica Fisher

If you’re looking for a book filled with cheap meals that can be made in a short amount of time Good Cheap Eats is the book for you. It has more than 200 recipes in it that don’t have any artificial ingredients or processed foods. Jessica has also written a number of cookbooks and also maintains two blogs!

The Savvy Shopper’s Cookbook by Amy Sheppard

This book will take you through the process of shopping for groceries, giving you tips and tricks along the way to help you get great tasting food without breaking the bank. In it, you’ll find recipes like Moroccan Chickpea Curry, Steak and Potato Salad, and 15 minute Apple Crumbles.

Try my Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili for another budget-friendly meal.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

March 11, 2019 by Sarah Leave a Comment

We may have finally turned the corner on all of this winter weather, but I still make chili on the weekly. It really is the easiest dish and it tastes even better as leftovers! I decided to gussy up my usual chili recipe by adding diced sweet potatoes. They add a really interesting sweetness that balances the smokiness of chili. And we can’t ignore that it is a great way to bulk up the recipe and stretch your food budget. Feel free to cut down on the ground turkey and add even more sweet potatoes and/or black beans if you like.

This dish also freezes beautifully. Just cool completely before transferring to freezer containers. I always make a double batch of this so that we can eat leftovers for a couple of days and throw a batch in the freezer for a quick dinner. This will be INSANELY helpful now that we’re officially in softball season. My girl has her first practice with her new team tomorrow night.