Warm Sangria
I love serving a signature cocktail at a party – it’s festive and frugal! Warm Sangria is a great choice for a Christmas Party or any cold weather event. Added bonus – the aroma of the mulling spices will fill your home!
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
White Chocolate Crunch Snack Mix
This is my go-to recipe for a quick and delicious snack mix. It’s always a hit at parties, and it looks great wrapped in cellophane bags for hostess or teacher gifts. Add a festive touch by changing the colors of the m&m’s to match the season or use Reeses Pieces in the fall. White Chocolate … Read more
Love Those Leftovers – Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie
Rather than putting away your Thanksgiving leftovers in lots of little containers, assemble this Thanksgiving Shepherds Pie, and you can just pop it in the oven over the weekend for a quick and easy dinner. Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie has become a tradition that my family looks forward to each year! You’ve got to love those … Read more
Love Those Leftovers – Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
If you have leftover mashed potatoes after Thanksgiving, try this frugalicious and fast recipe for Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes! Put your leftover mashed potatoes to good use and serve Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes for dinner! Serve with a cup of applesauce on the side.
Pumpkin Cheesecake – As Good As The Cheesecake Factory!
Pumpkin Cheesecake is my favorite fall dessert and ideal for your Thanksgiving dinner! This Pumpkin Cheesecake is frugalicious (frugal and delicious) because it will cost you less than $10 to make. Compare that to just under $50 for The Cheesecake Factory’s Pumpkin Cheesecake, and yes – it’s as good as The Cheesecake Factory! Actually it’s … Read more
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe – A Low Fat Version of La Madeleine’s
I love, love, love La Madeleine’s Tomato Basil Soup, BUT I don’t love the calories and fat! Did you know that La Madeleine’s Tomato Basil soup boasts 340 calories and 32 grams of fat in just 1 cup? (source: Livestrong.com) I was on a mission to create a tasty, creamy, low fat version of La … Read more
Candy Corn Haystacks – A Quick and Easy Halloween Treat
Need a quick and easy Halloween treat to take to a party? Candy Corn Haystacks have just 5 ingredients, and you can whip them up in no time! A quick and easy Halloween or Fall treat with just 4 ingredients. If you’re looking for another quick and easy Halloween Treat, try Halloween Snack Mix or … Read more
Halloween Snack Mix
Looking for a quick and easy snack to take to a Halloween party? You can whip up this sweet and salty Halloween Snack Mix in 10 minutes, so what are you waiting for…get cooking! Be warned…it’s ADDICTIVE!
Pumpkin Fudge Recipe
This Pumpkin Fudge Recipe has been a work in progress for about a month! My family has enjoyed taste testing many variations, and this one’s the winner! Pumpkin Fudge is a quick, easy recipe that’s great to bring to a Halloween party, tailgate party or even Thanksgiving. A rich and creamy fudge perfect for fall!
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
What is it about fall that makes me crave pumpkin desserts like Pumpkin Crunch Cake? A pumpkin dessert baking in my oven is the best aromatherapy, and when it’s done, Pumpkin Crunch Cake is dessert therapy! Pumpkin Crunch Cake is what I like to call this delicious concoction, but it’s also known as Pumpkin Dump … Read more