Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Italian Grilled Cheese is a tasty and grown-up variation on the traditional grilled cheese sandwich. Delicious served with a cup of Tomato Basil Soup.
Recipes
Enjoy The Budget Diet’s Recipe Index – it’s your source for frugalicious and fast recipes! These cheap and easy recipes are neatly categorized, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. If you see an asterisk (*), these are my most popular recipes according to Google and Pinterest. Please take the time to rate any recipes you try…thanks and happy cooking!
Appetizers / Snacks
- Baked Tortilla Chips (made with leftover tortillas!)
- Black Bean Salsa
- Brown Bag Popcorn
- Buffalo Turkey or Chicken Dip
- The Cheese Dip That Will Make You Famous*
- Easy Hummus Recipe
- Granola Bars
- Halloween Snack Mix
- Queso*
- Pepperoni Pizza Bites
- Pepperoni Rolls*
- Praline Brie
- Salsa
- Special Pretzels
- Texas Trash Warm Bean Dip
- Ultimate Nachos
- White Chocolate Crunch Snack Mix*
Beverages
- Alcoholic
- Non-Alcoholic
Breads
- Beer Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Olive Oil Bread Dipping Spice Mix
- Pizza Crusts
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling*
Breakfast / Brunch
- Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake*
- Homemade Granola
- Instant Oatmeal Packets – Make Your Own
- Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
- Migas (poor man’s eggs!)
- Pancakes and Syrup
- Spinach Quiche
- Homemade Strawberry Jam
Salads
- Coleslaw Dressing
- Greek Spinach Salad with Homemade Dressing
- Rotisserie Chicken Salad
- Southwest Salad
- Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Peaches and Poppyseed Dressing*
Soups
- Black Bean Soup* (vegetarian)
- Chicken Chili*
- Chili
- Corn Chowder (vegetarian)
- Taco Soup (vegetarian)
- Tomato Basil Soup – a low fat version of LaMadeleines
Sandwiches
- Cajun Firecracker Sandwich
- Chicken Bruschetta Open-Faced Sandwich
- Chicken Sandwich
- Chicken Wrap
- Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches*
- Honey Mustard Chicken Club Sandwich
- Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Pimiento Cheese
- Slow Cooker Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
- Thanksgiving Grilled Cheese
- Tomato Sandwich
- Wafflewich
Main Dishes
- No Recipe Required Dinner Ideas
- Beef
- Burrito Bar
- Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice
- French Bread Pizza
- Taco Meat
- Poultry
- BBQ Chicken – 2 Ingredients
- BBQ Chicken Pizza*
- BBQ Turkey Pizza
- Chicken Parmesan Pizza
- Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole*
- Crock Pot Chicken Tacos*
- Crock Pot Fajitas
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Easy Moo Shu Chicken
- How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in a Crock Pot
- King Ranch Chicken
- Rotisserie Chicken – 5 Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas That Start with a Rotisserie Chicken
- Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie
- Pork
- BBQ Pizza
- Crock Pot BBQ
- Crock Pot Pork Carnitas Tacos*
- Pepperoni Rolls*
- Seafood
- Easy Fish Tacos with Corn Salsa
- Vegetarian
- Black Beans and Rice
- Black Bean Tart
- Burrito Bar
- Cheese and Corn Quesadilla Recipe
- Crock Pot Pinto Beans & Rice
- Fettucine Alfredo
- Lazy Day Lasagna
- Mediterranean Bowl
- Mediterranean Pizza*
- Mexican Pasta
- Mexican Pizza
- Pesto Naan Pizza
- Pesto Pasta with Cannellini Beans
- Portobello Mushroom Tacos
- Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
- Simple Summer Pasta
- Spinach Enchiladas
- Spinach Quiche
- White Pizza
- Crock Pot
- Crock Pot BBQ
- Crock Pot Pork Carnitas Tacos*
- Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches*
- Crock Pot Chicken Tacos*
- Crock Pot Fajitas
- Crock Pot Pinto Beans & Rice
- Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice
- Crock Pot Refried Beans
- How to Cook Beans in a Crock Pot
- How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in a Crock Pot
- Slow Cooker Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
Side Dishes
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Better Than Baked Potatoes
- Black Beans
- Crock Pot Refried Beans
- Easy Mexican Rice Recipe
- Macaroni & Cheese (quick!)
- Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese*
- Stuffing
Desserts
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Homemade Caramel Sauce*
- Homemade Popsicles
- Hot Fudge Sauce*
- Individual Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake (a.k.a. Pumpkin Dump Cake or Pumpkin Cobbler)
- Cakes
- Carrot Cake*
- Best Cheesecake Ever*
- Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake
- Chocolate Kahlua Cake
- Cookie Cake
- Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake* (as good as The Cheesecake Factory!)
- Strawberry Cake (a pretty pink cake!)
- Texas Sheet Cake (chocolate cake!)
- Tres Leche
- White Texas Sheet Cake*
- Pies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Cookies and Cream Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
- Frozen Lemonade Pie*
- Fudge Pie*
- Key Lime Pie*
- Key Lime Tarts
Cookies & Candy
- Best Fudge Recipe
- Brownie Bites
- Brownie Mix
- Butterscotch Peanut Butter Cookies – The Best Peanut Butter Cookie*
- Candy Corn Haystacks
- Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies – THE BEST!*
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies*
- Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
- Chris’ Outrageous Cheesecake Bars
- Christmas Oatmeal Cookies
- Cookie Dough Truffles
- Cookies & Cream Brownies
- Cookies & Cream Cookies*
- Cream Cheese Cookies
- Eggnog Fudge
- Everything Cookies
- Fast Fudgy Brownies
- Ginger Snaps
- Gooey Butter Cake with variations*
- Halloween Bucket Brownies
- Key Lime Cookies
- Mocha Snowballs
- Orange Coconut Cookies (no bake)
- Oreo Balls
- Oreo Ghosts
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peppermint Brownies
- Pumpkin Bread Truffles
- Pumpkin Fudge
- Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats
- Rolo Pretzel Turtles
- Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
- Spice Cake Bars
- Thin Mint Cookies (just like Girl Scout cookies)
- Tiger Butter Fudge
- Toffee Bars – Saltine Toffee
- Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Miscellaneous
10 Minute Taco Soup – Vegetarian
Just 6 ingredients for this vegetarian 10 minute Taco Soup that will taste like it simmered all day! If you’re not in the mood for a meatless meal, add some chicken!
Homemade Granola
I’m always tempted by the homemade granola samples at Whole Foods until I see the price! Thankfully, I’ve created a quick and easy homemade granola recipe that tastes just as good for a fraction of the price. When you make your own granola, you can create different fruit and nut combinations to make the granola … Read more
Black Beans and Rice
A delicious 10 minute vegetarian recipe that’s perfect for Lent or your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!
Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice
An easy Red Beans and Rice Recipe that’s frugalicious, fast and perfect for Mardi Gras! If you want to reduce your prep time to just 5 minutes, opt for the frozen chopped bell pepper, frozen chopped onion and dried minced garlic. Photo courtesy of nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter lover, you’ve hit the jackpot! This divine no-bake dessert can be whipped up in no time especially if you substitute a ready made crust. If you use a ready made crust, you will get 2, 9″ pies vs. 1 super thick cheesecake like pie if you make my … Read more
Cookies and Cream Pie
Cookies and Cream is one of my favorite ice cream flavors, so I’m forever creating Cookies and Cream desserts! My latest creation is Cookies and Cream Pie – it’s rich and fudgy with chunks of Oreos and Hershey’s Cookies n Creme drops. Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce recipe
Best Fudge Recipe
Chocolate is for Lovers Week continues on The Budget Diet, and if you’re looking for a quick and easy chocolate treat…make heart shaped fudge! If you’ve never made homemade fudge, this is the recipe to try! It’s easy, foolproof and only takes 10 minutes…no candy thermometer required! The average price per pound of fudge from … Read more
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
Today kicks off “Chocolate is for Lovers” week on The Budget Diet! Each day, I’ll feature a frugalicious chocolate treat perfect for Valentine’s Day! Lucy from Peanuts said it best, “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt! Give this 10 minute hot fudge recipe a try, and … Read more
Pepperoni Rolls
Don’t settle for chips and dip at your Super Bowl Party…wow your friends with super easy, super yummy and super cheap Pepperoni Rolls! These are always a favorite with teens!