This easy cinnamon puff bread recipe makes a yummy after school treat that the kids will love! It’s quick and easy to make with ingredients you already have on hand. You can find this recipe in Volume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
Fluffy, buttery, and topped with a sweet cinnamon-sugar crust, this Easy Cinnamon Puff Bread is a comforting treat that comes together with simple pantry ingredients. The dough is cooked briefly on the stovetop, then beaten with eggs until smooth and creamy. Baked until golden and puffed, the result is a light and airy bread with a deliciously crisp, sugary topping. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon snack, this crowd-pleasing recipe yields 4–6 servings and takes just about 30 minutes in the oven. No kneading or rising time needed — just mix, bake, and enjoy!
This easy cinnamon puff bread recipe is from volume 1 of our cookbook:
Here’s a delicious and easy spinach casserole recipe! This is a yummy comfort food recipe that Mike has loved since he was a child. It is not as cheap as a lot of our recipes, but is so tasty, it’s definitely worth it for a great side dish!
This easy beef and noodles recipe is a quick and easy family dinner recipe you can make in just a few minutes with leftover pot roast or other leftover cooked beef. Families and kids love this recipe and it’s so super simple to make!
I like to plan ahead and start by making our easy slow-cooked pot roast recipe and then use the leftover roast to make 3 or 4 more meals like this easy beef and noodles recipe! This is an easy way to plan a bunch of meals for a week where you can easily reduce the amount of work you have to do to prepare meals for the family.
If I don’t feel like eating beef for a lot of meals, I will often make the roast and freeze the leftovers in smaller portions in ziploc bags so I have it on hand to quickly dump into a fast and easy recipe like this beef and noodles.
If you don’t have leftover pot roast, you can use other kinds of leftover cooked beef, too. If you have any beef you need to use like round steak or stew meat, you can cook it, chop it into small pieces and use it for this recipe. You can even use leftover cooked ground beef.
I usually make this recipe with just the beef and noodles because it is easiest and even picky eaters will love it, but to make it a little more fancy, you can add 1 can or package of sliced mushrooms with the meat and garnish with parsley. This is perfect for adults and less picky kids.
This easy beef and noodles recipe is from volume 1 of our cookbook:
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Other tasty recipes related to this beef and noodles recipe:
Here are a bunch of homemade apple recipes to help you make delicious treats like pies, snacks and applesauce while using all of those extra apples!
18 Of The BEST EVER Homemade Apple Recipes!
I’ve always dreamed of having an apple tree in my backyard. You know the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Now that I actually have my own apple tree, I stand in my yard watching the apples piling up around me thinking, “Oh no — What do I do with this mess now?”
If I could make gasoline out of apples, I could retire, but since that is not an option and my frugal mind will not allow me to waste one apple, I have had to come up with some homemade recipes for yummier “apple disposal” methods.
If you find that you have a few dozen more apples than you know what to do with, these homemade apple recipes from Dining On A Dime Volume 1 will help settle your frugal dilemma.
Tips for Using Apples:
When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces for this easy apple recipe: Place in a microwave safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp. each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
Slice apples and use in pancakes or waffles and other homemade apple recipes.
To freeze apples: Peel, slice and core and then store in 2 cups portions in freezer bags.
Use soft apples in cooking.
Cut into small pieces and add to salads with a fruit based dressing.
Here is my best apple pie recipe and as a bonus I will give you a recipe for French apple pie. You use the French apple pie when you have only 1 crust for the bottom and need something to top it with. It is a cross between a pie and apple crisp.
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For a good excuse to give yourself a break, make a cup of tea or coffee, put up your feet and enjoy one of these yummy muffins from this easy applesauce muffins recipe. As an added bonus, your family will love the smell when they walk in the door!
Buttermilk and sour milk are versatile ingredients that add flavor and richness to a variety of dishes! In this guide, you’ll find 10 easy and creative ways to use buttermilk and sour milk in your cooking.
Readers’ Homemade Buttermilk Questions Answered
We get many questions about buttermilk and our homemade buttermilk recipelike, “How do I use homemade buttermilk?” “What if I don’t have any buttermilk to start it?” and so on, so I thought I would try to clear up some of the confusion about making your own buttermilk today.
Yes you can freeze buttermilk. It is like milk though you must shake it well after freezing because it separates. You may not want to use it for drinking though because texture is different.
Dried buttermilk in the can works great. I use it all the time. It has an almost forever shelf life if unopened and it lasts almost as long when opened.
You can use buttermilk in place of milk in recipes but you must be careful if those recipes have baking powder in them. It messes up the leavening in the recipe. If you want, you can still use it. You just need to replace each 2 tsp. of baking powder with 1/2 tsp. of baking soda.
You can interchange yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk in most recipes. If you need your recipe to be looser, you can use 1/4 cup milk plus 3/4 cup yogurt or sour cream in place of buttermilk.
Let 2-3 tsp. of lemon juice or vinegar set in a cup of milk for 10 minutes to make sour milk. Be sure to put the vinegar or juice in the cup first and then add enough milk to make a cup.
Buttermilk and sour milk really shouldn’t be interchanged if you can help it. You can do it but it will sometimes change the texture of what you are making.
-Jill
Today I made some homemade buttermilk. Homemade buttermilk is the simplest thing to make! I had some milk that was left out and became sour. Mike in his ever efficient manner made sure that we all knew it was sour. (see picture :-)
At the grocery store today, I found some buttermilk marked down for .39 so I grabbed it up and made some buttermilk. It will be done in the morning, just in time for pancakes. Here’s the buttermilk recipe if you would like to try it. It works best with whole milk but it will work with skim. It will just be runnier. This time I just dumped the buttermilk into the milk container because I had already used some of the milk for biscuits.
-Tawra
One of our readers asked why it is okay to set out buttermilk and let it sour, but the sour milk in her child’s sippy cup is bad for her child.
Many people think sour milk and buttermilk are the same but they are different.
Buttermilk used to be the watery stuff leftover from making butter. These days, it is made by adding a lactic acid bacteria to regular pasteurized milk.
Sour milk is made by adding vinegar and lemon juice to regular milk to make it sour.
Spoiled milk is milk that has just been left out and has gone bad, like the milk in a child’s sippy cup.
To make homemade buttermilk, the recipe says to add 1-2 cups of buttermilk you already have to regular milk and let it sit out. The acid bacteria in the original buttermilk is what makes the difference. This isn’t a perfect example but it is kind of like the good bacteria and the bad bacteria in your stomach. You need the good bacteria to kill off the bad and to keep you healthy. It is the same type of thing. The bacteria in the buttermilk that you add to the milk keeps the bad bacteria at bay. Regular milk gone sour doesn’t have that acid in it, so you get nothing but bad bacteria in spoiled milk.
The same is true with sour milk. Vinegar or acid kills bad bacteria in the milk. That is why canned pickles last so long– because the acid in them keep the bacteria away longer.
You can interchange buttermilk and sour milk in a recipe but there is a difference between the two. Often, the difference is in the texture, so when a recipe calls for buttermilk I usually try to use buttermilk and not just make my own sour milk with vinegar (although I do use sour milk in some recipes).
Buttermilk pancakes or biscuits come out slightly fluffier using buttermilk than when you substitute sour milk. That’s why they’re not called Sour Milk Pancakes. ;-)
Here’s how to store food on a budget for as little as $5 per week! A home stockpile is not just for emergencies. It is one of the BEST ways to save money on groceries because you can always shop for food at the best prices Here’s how to do it!
How To Store Food On A Budget For $5 Per Week
I have lived through extreme poverty, job loss, sickness, 12 moves, the births of 4 babies and low paying jobs, so I know how important it is to learn How to Store Food On A Budget! One of the most loving things you can do for you family is to have a stockpile of food always on hand.
Not only is a food stockpile great for emergencies, but it is so EASY! I mean SUPER EASY! It makes my life so much more hassle free because I’m not running to the grocery store every time I need something. I am able to save much more on my grocery bill by planning ahead.
Here are my top 6 tips for How to Store Food On A Budget. You can do it starting with just $5!
Start slow. Start with just 1 week extra of food. Then work your way up to 1 month, then 3 months, etc. until you have a year’s supply of food.
Figure out how much you need. If you have a family of 2, your stockpiling is going to be totally different than it is for a family of 6.
Don’t buy 15 jars of peanut butter when you have 2 kids that eat 1 jar every month. Buy just the amount that you will use. You don’t have to figure out an entire year’s worth of food at once. Just do a month or two at a time as you build your stockpile.
Buy ONLY foods you normally eat. We hate the taste of brown rice, so I buy white rice instead -brown rice doesn’t store well anyway. Instead of thinking of it as a stockpile, think, “This is my mini grocery store at home.”
DON’T BUY IN BULK! Yes, it’s in caps for a reason. The “prepper” tip to buy in bulk is seen all over the internet, but it’s a really stupid thing to do! Why? Food stays fresher the longer it is in its original package, so don’t buy huge bags of grains like rice and flour. Buy them in smaller bags so you can open them as needed. Do you know how long it would take to use up a 25lb. bag of rice? That is 100 servings of rice. If you have a large family it would go quick, but if it’s just you and hubby, it would take you a long time to eat it! Don’t buy in bulk!
$5 a week? Yeah right! No really, you can do it for $5 a week! How?
Watch sales. If something comes up on a great sale or on clearance, buy as many as you can afford.
Just start! Just get something. For $5, you can get 2 bags of beans and 2 bags of rice that will feed your family for at least a week. You could get 5 cans of fruit for $1 each. Or you could get 1 can of canned meat that would be protein for 1-2 days.
To get started, just start. At first, you are just getting some food for survival. Then, as you build your stockpile, you will be using it for your daily cooking.
Where do you store it? Anywhere you can! I have. spare room in my basement where I store our stockpile, I mean mini grocery store, :-) but you can store it anywhere. At our old house, I had 3 shelf units in my basement.
Some other ideas for stockpile storage are:
pantry (make sure it’s organized and stocked)
closets
under beds
under couches
small nooks
under stairs
as furniture (use an empty trash can and put a circle wooden top with a table cloth for an end table)
“I don’t have room for a year’s worth of food!!!” That’s fine!!! Don’t worry! Just stock up as much as you can. I know a single woman who has a great stockpile of food in just a 4×4 area in her basement.
Use it! Then, as you need items to use daily, bring them up to your pantry. Add the used items to your shopping list and restock the stockpile the next time you go to the grocery store. Make sure to add the new things to the back of the stockpile and use the older ones.
This easy no knead bread recipe is a tasty homemade 4 ingredient bread you and your family will love! The simple recipe is perfect for first time or experienced bread makers.
Who doesn’t love homemade bread? Especially rustic artisan bread! Some bread recipes are complicated and difficult top make, but this no knead bread recipe is both easy and delicious! It turns out a wonderful rustic bread with a firmer crunchy outside, but is delightfully soft on the inside!
If you don’t know how to make homemade bread, try this easy recipe! And if you already know how to make bread, this recipe is a basic no-nonsense recipe that won’t take all of your time so you can move on to other things!
No Knead Bread In A Dutch Oven
If you like, you can make this easy no knead bread in a Dutch oven with a few easy modifications. Instead of rising the dough as in the main recipe, simply follow these instructions:
To rise, place dough in a parchment paper lined bowl (not wax paper) and cover with a towel. Let stand on countertop for about 35 minutes.
Place Dutch oven with lid into a cold oven and preheat to 450°. When oven reaches 450°, carefully lift the parchment paper and dough and place gently into the hot pot. (Parchment paper goes in the pot too.) Cover and bake 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid and parchment paper. Return, uncovered, to oven and bake 10-15 more minutes. Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
This artisan no knead bread recipe is from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Volume 2:
This homemade all purpose cleaner recipe makes my absolutely favorite cleaner for my house! I pretty much use this cleaner for 90% of the cleaning done around my house. I just use the Dawn but if you need something a little stronger you can use ammonia. It’s in volume 1 of our cookbook and I just love the way it makes everything from windows to sinks and toilets shine!
All Purpose Cleaner Recipe #2 – (My newer version.)
This disinfecting cleaner is the one I prefer and use most often. It is the same as the all purpose cleaner above except that it includes alcohol for disinfecting.
This easy fish tacos recipe makes a delicious and simple-to-make dish that combines the flavors of flaky fish, zesty toppings, and soft tortillas. This recipe makes a quick and satisfying meal that you can enjoy anytime!
Dive into these delicious and budget-friendly Easy Fish Tacos! Fish tacos are a delicious and easy-to-make dish that combines the flavors of flaky fish, zesty toppings, and soft tortillas. You don’t have to spend a lot eating out to experience this tasty Mexican-themed meal! This recipe is perfect for those looking for a quick and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed any day of the week.
This recipe is easy to adapt to your own taste or the taste of your guests by adding or omitting certain toppings. It includes a fish taco sauce recipe, but if you prefer, you can use your favorite salsa or hot sauce instead.
If you’re gluten-free, you can eat these fish tacos with corn tortillas.
Ingredients You Will Need For The Fish Tacos Recipe
To start, gather the following ingredients: fresh white fish fillets (such as cod or tilapia), flour or corn tortillas, and the toppings of your choice, like shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, your choice of cheese and lime wedges.
For the fish taco sauce, you will need mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic powder, Sriracha sauce and cilantro.
Preparing The Fish Tacos
Begin by mixing the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Then place the fish in the marinade for 15 minutes or more.
While the fish is marinating, mix the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the fish fillets in the pan, along with the marinade and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.
Next, warm the tortillas. You can do this by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving them for about 30 seconds, or by heating them directly on a dry skillet for a few seconds on each side. This will make them pliable and easier to fold.
Assembling The Fish Tacos
Now it’s time to assemble the tacos. Lay a tortilla on a clean surface and place a few pieces of the cooked fish in the center. Top the fish with shredded cabbage, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, cheese and sliced avocado and fish taco sauce. Serve each taco with a lime wedge or squeeze lime juice over the toppings for an extra burst of flavor. If desired, add a dollop of sour cream.
Once all the toppings are added, carefully fold the tortilla in half, creating a taco shape. Repeat this process until all the fish and toppings are used.
Serve the fish tacos immediately, while the tortillas are still warm. They can be enjoyed on their own or paired with a side of Mexican rice or refried beans for a complete meal. The combination of the flaky fish, crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, and tangy lime creates a delightful explosion of flavors and textures in every bite.
If you prefer, you can serve the fish and the toppings and let your family or guests build their own tacos. Be sure to serve right away so they don’t get cold.
This easy fish tacos recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight or weekend dinner or for entertaining guests. It can be easily customized to suit individual tastes by adding or omitting certain toppings. Whether you’re a seafood lover or just looking to try something new, these fish tacos are sure to become a favorite in your household.
Side Dishes For This Fish Tacos Recipe
These easy fish tacos are tasty just as they are, but if you’d like to make it a meal, here are some simple sides that go well with the tacos:
This garlic mushroom chicken recipe makes an easy and delicious restaurant-quality meal your family is sure to love! Boneless chicken, fresh mushrooms and garlic, seasoned to perfection make this a tasty recipe you will want to add to your list of favorite recipes. It’s easy to make in 10-15 minutes.
When you have a lot on your plate during busy evenings, making a delicious meal that the entire family will enjoy is probably high on your list of priorities. However, finding the time to prepare it can be a challenge.
That’s where this one pan garlic mushroom chicken recipe comes in – it’s going to transform your meal times! Juicy chicken thighs seasoned with herbs, and cooked with mushrooms and garlic is super tasty and so easy to prepare.
A one pan dish is simply irresistible. Not only does it make cleaning up a breeze, but it also allows all the flavors to meld together for a truly delectable dish. Chicken thighs are the perfect choice for this recipe, as they are incredibly flavorful and more succulent than chicken breast. Everything you need to make thois mouth-watering garlic mushroom chicken recipe is right here, so get ready to create it!
This recipe calls for boneless chicken thighs, but you can use any chicken you like. Chicken thighs are much less expensive and much more flavorful, so if you haven’t tried them, now is the time! If you use boneless chicken, you can just toss it in the pan and start to cook, but if you prefer smaller pieces, you can cut it into smaller pieces before you start.
If you’re starting with frozen chicken and you want to cut it into smaller pieces, it is easier to cut if you cut it before it is fully defrosted.
Ingredients needed for the One Pan Garlic Mushroom Chicken
1lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (around 6 fillets) – Chicken thighs work best because they have so much flavor, but you can easily use other chicken including boneless chicken breast or whatever bone-in chicken you have on hand.
Seasoned salt
Dried thyme – You can use a dried version of the fresh herb if you like, but thyme in the seasoning bottle works just fine.
Dried rosemary
Olive oil
Butter
Sliced mushrooms
Minced garlic
Fresh chopped parsley
How to make the One Pan Garlic Mushroom Chicken
Now that you have got all of the ingredients together it is time to make the dish.
This recipe serves 4, but you can easily double or triple it if you like. The full recipe is below, but here’s a summary of the steps:
You will start by sprinkling seasoned salt on the chicken. Then cook the chicken in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat, until it is browned on each side and no longer pink in the center. When the chicken is done, set it aside.
In the same pan, melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Stirring regularly will prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan.
Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, and rosemary andsauté until fragrant (about 1 minute). Make sure you keep on stirring so that the herbs and seasonings don’t stick to the pan.
Return the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serve immediately with your chosen side dish. There are some suggestions further down the article.
Recipe notes and tips
Here are some simple suggestions and notes to help you make this recipe perfectly on your first try.
Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through. You don’t want any pink and the juices should run clear.
This recipe works well as a slow cooker dish. You could add all of the ingredients in the morning and let them cook on high for 4 hours or 6-7 hours on low.
Gather all of the ingredients together before you start making this dish. This will make the recipe much faster and easier to prepare.
This recipe calls for a large pan or skillet, but it’s fine to prepare it in a cast iron casserole dish if you prefer. If you happen to have an electric skillet like grandma used to use, it would also be perfect for this recipe.
Variations to try
If you want to know how a recipe is really supposed to taste, it’s best to make it according to the recipe directions the first time, but this recipe is easy to modify and adapt according to your family’s tastes. Here are some easy variations that you might want to try.
You could add some other vegetables to the pan. Things like bell peppers, green beans, and zucchini will all work well with this dish.
Add some chopped bacon to the dish and fry before adding the chicken and mushrooms. It will add a depth of flavor.
If you have bacon grease, you might try sauteeing the mushrooms in bacon grease instead of butter. Bacon grease also gives the robust flavor that bacon adds but is less expensive than bacon.
(Note: Any time you cook bacon, store the bacon grease in a jar in the refrigerator to use in recipes like this. You can add new bacon gerase to the same jar and it will last a long time in the refrigerator.)
You could stir in some cream cheese or whipping cream to make a creamy sauce. This would make a perfect sauve if you want to serve it over some pasta or rice. You could even turn this meal into a pot pie filling if you have leftovers.
This recipe would work well with steak. You need to adjust the cooking time and cook the steak to your liking, and then cook the rest of the dish as the recipe suggests.
You could also cook this with turkey, ground beef, or pork. You will just need to adjust the cooking times accordingly.
This recipe is a good way to use leftover meat. If you have leftover boneless chicken from a previous meal or from a barbecue, warm it in the skillet and then continue with the recipe as written. If you have leftover bone-in chicken, you can pull the chicken off the bones and heat it in the skillet before adding the mushrooms.
If your family refuses to eat leftovers, this recipe is perfect for re-purposing the leftovers. They will love it and they won’t even know the meal started with leftovers!
FAQs
Here are some of the more common questions we get about this one-pan garlic mushroom chicken recipe:
What sort of pan is the best for this one-pan dish?
This recipe calls for cooking the chicken in a skillet or a casserole dish you can use on the stove. if you have an electric skillet, it will also work well. If you don’t have any of these, a normal saucepan will work, but will be a bit more challenging.
Can you make this recipe ahead of time?
This garlic mushroom chicken is best if you prepare it just before serving it. That way, it will taste more like a fresh restaurant-prepared meal. If you like, you can prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time so that it is easy to bring them together when you’re ready to make the recipe.
What should I do with leftovers?
Let the leftovers cool completely and then add them to an airtight container before storing them in the refrigerator. It will last up to three days. My husband would eat the leftovers for lunch, but if you have a lot of htis dish left over, you can turn the leftovers into an entirely different meal by adding a few additional ingredients or by preparing it differently, like using it as a filling for a pot pie.
If you made the recipe exactly according to the instructions, you could make the leftovers with one of the above variations to make it seem like a completely different meal.
What should I serve with the one pan garlic mushroom chicken recipe?
This dish is so versatile that you can serve it with virtually anything you can imagine. Here are some easy .sides you might like to try:
This easy guacamole recipe is super tasty and you can make it for a fraction of the cost of buying at a restaurant or pre-made at the store! If you find avocados on sale, you can easily make a bunch ahead of time and freeze in freezer bags the amount you would be likely to use at dinner. Homemade guacamole is a wonderful addition to any Mexican styled food or you can eat it with tortilla chips as a tasty snack.
This easy guacamole recipe is from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Volume 2.
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Easy Guacamole Tips:
If you find avocados on sale, you can make a lot of homemade guacamole all at once, put the guacamole in smaller portions in ziplock bags and freeze. (I occasionally find fresh avocados on sale for 3 for $1.00.) When you’re ready to use, simply defrost and serve.
If you slice the avocado in half and then make crosswise cuts in the avocado while it is still in the skin, it is easier to scoop. (It comes out in little cubes.)
When you cut the avocados, if there is a brown spot, cut it out and discard.
The lime juice is primarily to keep the guacamole from browning, but as long as it is being refrigerated, if it turns brown in the first day or 2, it is usually still good, even though it is no longer pretty.
This easy gluten free brownies recipe makes delicious gluten free brownies that taste even better than your favorite regular fudge brownies! Now you can enjoy the delicious brownies you have been missing, even when you have to eat dairy free and gluten free! Unlike other gluten free brownies recipes, these brownies actually taste great! They are simply to die for!!
This gluten free brownies recipe tastes amazing! When I had to go gluten free, it was so difficult to give up some of my favorite baked treats, so I went to work perfecting tasty gluten free versions of some of my favorite recipes.
This easy gluten free brownies recipe actually tastes good… ok, it tastes GREAT! When my husband tried it, he was surprised how great it tasted because it was even better than our super popular “regular” fudge brownies recipe!
This gluten free brownies recipe is just one of the delicious recipes in our Dining On A Dime Gluten Free Dairy Free Cookbook! If you have to eat gluten free and/or dairy free, you definitely need to get a copy of this cookbook!
This easy gluten free brownies recipe is from our Dining On A Dime Gluten Free Cookbook:
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Gluten Free Brownies Add-Ins
You can add any of these optional items to these gluten free brownies recipe. I included dairy free ingredients in case you are dairy free.
nuts
dairy free chocolate chips
dairy free white chocolate chips
or top with:
dairy free chocolate chips
crushed gluten free cookies
dairy free whipped cream
dairy free ice cream
These brownies are super delicious as-is, but if you want to go all-out making it a fancy dessert, top them with ice cream for a brownie sundae and cover in chocolate sauce! If you’re dairy free, make sure to use only dairy free ice cream and chocolate sauce.)
Gluten Free Brownies Tips
These BROWNIES ARE AMAZING!
You can easily double the gluten-free brownies recipe to make a double batch of tasty brownies! If you like, top the brownies with your favorite frosting. Any flavor works, but why not add a chocolate or fudge frosting? What could be better than fudge brownies with chocolate? Oh yum!
This gluten free brownies recipe is the perfect size because it makes a 8×8 pan. Just perfect for everyone to have some and leftovers for lunch the next day, but not so big that you blow your diet eating the entire pan in one sitting. (who me? :-)
This brownies recipe can easily be made in one bowl. I hate to create a crazy amount of extra work in the cleanup, so I do my best to use just one bowl to prepare these brownies. I’m all for fewer dishes!
Here is a perfect chocolate frosting recipe you can make to top these brownies!
I make the quickie version of chocolate frosting with a secret ingredient!
To make quickie frosted brownies, I start with the gluten free brownies recipe. Then, I add chocolate chips to the recipe and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top after I take the brownies out of the oven, whole they are still piping hot. (If you’re dairy free, be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips.) Then when the chips are melted, I spread the melted chocolate chips over the top for an “over the top” double chocolate brownie.
Here’s the reaction from a couple of our readers:
Annjanette C. Just the BEST BROWNIES EVER!!! My granddaughter always wants to make these when she visits!!!
Tammy B. This is the only recipe I ever use. Everyone loves these brownies!
From: Vonna
I wanted to add a tip for cutting brownies. When you cut brownies, if you use a plastic knife, your brownies won’t “tear” apart like they sometimes do. This even works (but not quite as well) on warm brownies.
This easy homemade enchiladas recipe is one of my husband Mike’s favorite recipes! He loves all things Mexican food and this recipe is popular in our home. It’s in the top 3! It’s in Volume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
If you need a meal that is quick and easy to prepare this is one of my go to recipes! Of course you can make it easier by using Mexican cheese and just sprinkle some onion and garlic powder inside and it’s even quicker.
You can mix and match this recipe any way you want also. Just put some shredded leftover chicken in for chicken enchiladas or add green peppers, cilantro anything you would like for you taste. Easy and adaptable for every family!
This easy homemade enchiladas recipe is from our cookbook:
This Easy Spanish Rice Recipe makes a nice side dish to go with enchiladas and other Mexican food favorites. Serve with Refried Beans for a complete meal!
This easy Spanish Rice recipe makes the perfect side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal. Fluffy, flavorful, and made with simple pantry ingredients, it’s a great way to elevate your enchiladas, tacos, or burritos. The rice is cooked with, garlic, spices, and a rich tomato sauce for a savory, slightly tangy flavor that complements spicy dishes beautifully. Whether you’re serving it alongside refried beans or enjoying it on its own, this Spanish Rice is sure to become a family favorite. Best of all, it’s quick to make and adds the perfect touch of authentic flavor to any meal!
This Spanish Rice Recipe is from volume 1 of our Cookbook! Check it out here!
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This Spanish rice recipe is perfect served with these recipes!
This Easy Sopapilla Recipe makes it easy to make this fried puff pastry popular in Mexican restaurants. They’re especially delicious with honey! Our kids just love them and they’re always a special treat!
Sopapillas are a beloved treat in many Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico and the southwestern United States. These light, golden pillows of fried dough are typically enjoyed drizzled with honey and cinnamon, dusted with powdered sugar, or even filled with savory ingredients. Whether served as a dessert or a snack, sopapillas are a delicious way to end a meal or satisfy a sweet craving. This recipe will guide you through making traditional sopapillas that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
This recipe makes a lot of dough. You can save some of the sopapilla dough in the refrigerator and use the dough for another night of sopapillas. In our family, we usually get 2-3 nights out of 1 batch of sopapillas.
As you follow the sopapilla recipe, be sure to roll them thin enough. If the first one or 2 don’t puff very much when you put them in the oil, you probably need to roll them thinner.
This Easy Sopapilla Recipe is from Volume 1 of our cookbook:
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These Sopapillas go great with other Mexican food:
These easy apple crisp recipes make cheap and tasty desserts that are quick and easy to make! These apple crisps and cobblers great for holiday parties or for a special treat and families and kids love them!
Easy Apple Crisp Recipes – Apple Crisp, Peach Cobbler And More!
In this post, you’ll find lots of easy apple crisp recipes and variations on fruit cobblers and crisps, including 2 kinds of quick and easy apple crisp recipes! These recipes can all be adjusted to your taste, so if you prefer a peach cobbler, a cherry cobbler or some other variation, one of these easy apple crisp and fruit cobbler recipes is sure to fit the bill!
This Easy Apple Crisp Recipe is from Volume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook:
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Homemade apple crisp is always a yummy family favorite and this quick and easy apple crisp recipe will help you make it in a snap! It’s great for unexpected company!
Here’s a delicious quick and easy apple crisp recipe. Apple crisp is a great alternative to apple pie when you just don’t have enough time to put a complete pie together. Just keep the ingredients in your pantry for a fast dessert when unexpected company shows up.
It’s also a nice addition to any family dinner and kids and families love it. Apple crisp makes an easy after school snack and great potluck dish. I often use dehydrated apples if I have them on hand. Just boil the dehydrated apples in some water and then when softened drain off the water and use instead of pie filling.
This homemade apple breakfast cobbler is another yummy apple crisp recipe you can toss in the crockpot the night before and have a great breakfast in the morning! It’s great any time, but sets an especially good mood when served during the holidays!
Homemade Apple Breakfast Cobbler Recipe
Didn’t grandma tell you there’s no better way to start your cold winter morning than with a hot bowl of cereal? Here is a quick and easy apple crisp recipe that will be ready and waiting in the morning for you when you get up.
Try these 10 easy spring cleaning tips to help you keep your home in order without going crazy! They are short tips for quick things that need to be done but are often forgotten.
Spring Cleaning Tips
Clean your coffee pot and sink drain. Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar into the coffee pot and run it through as if you were making coffee. Repeat a couple of times using the same vinegar.
Pour 1/4 cup baking soda down your drain. Then pour the used vinegar from the coffee maker down the drain. Let it sit for a minute or so.
Next, pour 1-2 pots of water through the coffee maker to wash out the vinegar. When each pot of rinse water from the coffee maker is done, pour it into the drain. You now have a clean coffee pot and a clean drain.
Clean and take care of all your small appliances. Cleaning and caring for them really does make them last longer.
Toasters – There is a little door on the bottom of your toaster that catches the crumbs. Open and clean out the crumbs once in a while. (UNPLUG THE TOASTER FIRST!)
Hand mixer – Wipe down your hand mixer after each use.
Iron – Run your iron over a dryer sheet to remove anything gummy, including fusible web or spray starch. I also keep a couple of packages of alcohol hand wipes by my iron and use them for an instant cleaning (after it cools).
I iron a lot so I use the small tubes of iron cleaners that Faultless sells. I do this about twice a year. In most places, it is found by the irons, cleaning products or where ironing board covers are found. More often than not, they are displayed hanging on a plastic strip.
Blow the dirt off of your fans, computers, or air purifiers. (You can buy cans of air for use with computers at office supply stores. These can be used to blow dirt off of other hard to clean items, too. I used to use an air compressor to blow the dirt off of house fans and heating grates.)
Two weeks before Christmas and birthdays, go through and remove several of your children’s toys, since they will soon be replaced. Let the kids play with only half of the new toys each holiday and save the other half for them to play with later.
If an old porcelain sink is marked with metal scratches, use 400 grit wet/dry sand paper and lightly sand the markings out. I also love using Comet on my old porcelain sinks on a regular basis. This usually keeps the scratches down. Of course, prevention is the best. When you are scrubbing a pan or something metal, lay a dish rag down to set it on first.
Save brown paper bags and use them for trash sacks, wrapping paper, drawing paper for the kids, oil leaks under cars, etc.
If you have a sisal rug or one like it that slides all the time, use rows of acrylic chalking about 6 inches apart on the back of it to prevent it from moving around. Let it dry then flip over.
To repel mosquitoes, stuff a dryer sheet in your back pocket.
Replace the glass or plastic pitcher part of your blender with a mason jar.
The bottom part of a blender pitcher unscrews (the part with the blade, the rubber gasket and the screw on base). If you remove these parts from the glass jar, you can screw on a mason jar, in the blender pitcher’s place. If you do this, make sure you use a larger mason jar than your contents require — like a 1 quart jar if you’re going to be blending a pint to a pint and a half.
You would just put it on there and and turn the blender upside down to blend. Then everything is in the jar after it’s blended. Turn the jar back right side up when you are done and unscrew the blender base, and put a regular mason lid on your jar.
This is the BEST banana cake recipe in the world!! It’s moist, delicious and it’s a great way to use up those bananas that are starting to turn! I have taken this easy banana cake to get togethers and it is gone in 5 minutes!
This easy caramel popcorn recipe is a family favorite—sweet, crunchy, and way better than store-bought. My kids and family love it and so will yours! Perfect for movie nights, parties, or a simple after-school treat!
If you’ve been craving that sweet, crunchy caramel popcorn but don’t want to spend a fortune on store-bought bags, you’re in the right place! This easy caramel popcorn recipe is quick, easy, and tastes a hundred times fresher than anything you’ll find at the store. My family can’t get enough of it—it’s perfect for movie nights, holiday parties, football gatherings, or just an after-school snack that disappears way too fast.
I’ll show you how to make the classic caramel popcorn along with a nutty caramel version and a warm sugar-and-spice popcorn that’s perfect for cozy snacking. Once you try it, you’ll never want to go back to the bagged kind!
The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe!
Below are some great snacks for any holiday party, football get together or just curled up on the couch watching TV.
Peanut Caramel Popcorn (just like Cracker Jacks)
1 cup margarine 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla 6 qts. popped corn 1/2-1 cup peanuts
Melt margarine in large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Gradually pour over popped corn and peanuts. Mix until coated. Makes 6 quarts.
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Popcorn
1/4 cup butter 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 cup walnuts 1/4 cup peanuts 8 cups of popped corn
In a microwave container, melt butter and add sugar and spices. Add nuts and coat well. In a large bowl place popped corn and pour in butter and nut mix, tossing to coat everything well.
For more quick and easy recipes like this homemade caramel corn recipe, check out our cookbooks!
Here are 3 delicious and super easy chicken crockpot recipes your family will love! Less than 5 minutes prep, toss it in the crockpot and have a tasty family dinner!
3 Super Easy Chicken Crockpot Recipes
Here are 3 easy chicken crockpot recipes your family will love! These chicken recipes are perfect to make for dinner on busy days. You can take 2 minutes to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning and by dinner time, you will have a tasty family chicken dinner ready to eat.
These chicken crockpot recipes are perfect for families with kids because they don’t have any crazy ingredients that picky eaters will eye suspiciously! Even though they are tasty, they are simple and versatile enough to serve with a wide variety of sides and vegetables.
We most often serve these recipes with rice and an easy vegetable, but you can also serve with other things like potatoes, pasta or bread.
Since I’m often in a hurry and don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, I will usually microwave a fresh frozen vegetable like broccoli, green beans or mixed vegetables, along with the rice. You might also want to serve with a side salad or a sliced veggie tray. For veggie trays, I will usually serve bably carrots, sliced cucumbers, peppers and whatever else I have on hand. And don’t forget – If you have fresh garden vegetables, use them as a side!
You can also mix and match things that seem to go with the theme of the chicken recipe. For example, if you’re serving the salsa chicken, you could serve with Spanish rice, beans, sopapillas or any other Mexican-themed sides.
If you’re serving the barbecue chicken, you might want to serve it with corn on the cob, broccoli and cornbread. The barbecue chicken is also great shredded and served on buns as barbecue chicken sandwiches. After cooking it on the crockpot, the chicken shreds easily by pulling it apart with 2 forks. Then throw some french fries or tater tots in the oven and serve with salad or a veggie tray.
These easy chicken crockpot recipes also make great leftovers! You can shred the leftover salsa chicken to serve the next day in chicken tacos or you can use leftover barbecue chicken for chicken sandwiches. The leftovers from these crockpot chicken recipes are super easy to use to make many other recipes, so don’t tell the family they are eating leftovers. You’re just planning ahead for additional meals to save time!
Fall is officially here, and this collection of 20 of the BEST pumpkin recipes features everything from tasty pumpkin cheesecake and fudge to creamy pies and no-bake treats. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or looking for a quick, cozy dessert, there’s sure to be a pumpkin recipe here that hits the spot!
If you’re craving all things pumpkin spice this season, you’ll love this collection of our 20 best pumpkin recipes! From quick mug cakes and moist pumpkin breads to creamy pies and easy no-bake desserts, there’s something here for every craving and every occasion. These recipes are simple, budget-friendly, and perfect for bringing that cozy fall flavor into your kitchen—whether you’re baking for your family, hosting a get-together, or just want a sweet treat with your coffee. No matter how you enjoy pumpkin, you’ll find a new favorite in this post!
Some of these recipes are from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Volume 1 so if you love them a much as we do, grab a copy so you can have them all the time!
You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin! Do not use on a pumpkin that has been carved and sitting out for several days.
To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor or blender. Mix with a little salt.
To freeze pumpkin puree. Put 1-2 cups in freezer bags along with spices and use in pies.
To use pumpkin puree for recipes: Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so in order for your recipe to come out correctly, you MUST strain it.
A 5 lb pumpkin makes about 4 1/2 cups of mashed (pureed) pumpkin. a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin equals about 2 cups of mashed pumpkin. So if the recipe calls for a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin use 2 cups.
This easy chocolate zucchini cake recipe is moist, chocolatey and oh so delicious! There can’t be any better way to eat vegetables than with chocolate! Who knew that zucchini could be so good!
Even though it looks like there are a lot of ingredients, this chocolate zucchini cake recipe is actually easy to make with about 10 minutes’ actual preparation time. It’s so delicious, you would never know you were eating vegetables!
If you’re looking for an even easier option, I’ve also included a version that starts with a cake mix for quicker prep and even less effort!
This time of year, zucchini is plentiful and abundant. It’s great to eat fried in a little butter with sliced onions in a frying pan, but after a while, it’s easy to get tired of eating zucchini the same old way every time!
Using the zucchini to make the cake makes this chocolate zucchini cake super moist and you might be surprised that there is no zucchini taste. My husband was suspicious when I started baking with zucchini as a base, but one day I made this chocolate cake without telling him it was zucchini and he’s been a fan ever since!
The cake recipe calls for medium sized zucchini. Medium and small zucchini are a little bit sweeter and more moist than very large zucchini, which can get a little bit woody, so whenever possible, medium and small zucchini are preferred.
You’ll need to shred the zucchini for this chocolate zucchini cake recipe, but it’s easy. You can use a food processor, but I usually just use a box grater because I hate to have to clean the food processor parts!
You don’t need to peel the zucchini before shredding it. The skin won’t affect the taste and including it leaves some of the healthy stuff because after all, chocolate cake should be healthy! ;-) I usually wash the zucchini, cut off the stem and blossom end and then shred it.
This recipe calls for baking the chocolate zucchini cake in two 9 inch round baking pans. You can frost them individually and have 2 cakes or if you prefer, you can make a double layer cake. To do that, frost the top of one layer and then set the second layer on top, frosting the top and sides of both layers. Be sure to let the cakes cool completely before frosting them.
And if you’re going to make a deliciously decadent chocolate cake with chocolate chips, making a layer cake would definitely be more impressive!
If you like this chocolate zucchini cake recipe, you might like these other delicious and easy zucchini recipes:
For more quick and easy recipes to help you save money making easy meals, check out our cookbooks:
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Looking for an even easier way to make zucchini cake? This next recipe is a super simple version that starts with a cake mix! If you love easy cake mix recipes, this one saves you even more time …and the results are just as tasty!
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Looking for quick, show-stopping desserts? These super easy canned cinnamon roll recipes take store-bought rolls to the next level! From gooey Easy 5-Ingredient Caramel Pecan Rolls to sweet Apple Fritter Bake, sticky buns, and classic Monkey Bread, each treat is a delicious canned cinnamon roll hack that makes busy mornings or last-minute desserts a breeze.
Discover simple tricks and creative twists that show you how to make canned cinnamon rolls better——perfect for busy mornings or last-minute desserts!
This easy homemade pizza recipe is easy to make using ingredients you already have at home! Don’t be afraid to try it! These instructions make it very easy! You’ll find everything you need to make delicious homemade pizzas, including a recipe for homemade pizza dough, along with lots of tasty topping options and other homemade pizza recipe variations you’re sure to love!
Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe And Tips
This homemade pizza recipe is so versatile and can be used for so many things.I especially like to make it to use leftovers. Don’t be afraid. Read this homemade pizza recipe all the way through because our pizza dough is easy! It uses only a few everyday ingredients and we include methods to make it that are as easy as stirring up muffins. Even if you don’t want to make your crust from scratch, read on because there are many good ideas for toppings and other things.
I am also including our homemade pizza recipe for dough and crust from our cookbook. Before you panic and stop reading, thinking it will be too much work, read on a bit and see if you don’t have a change of heart.
This pizza dough recipe can be made several different ways using the same ingredients. Each one will give you a different type of crust so keep trying the different ways until you find which way your family prefers.
3 Methods For The Pizza Dough
Method 1 – This first method is very fast and very easy. If you are a pizza gourmet, you may not want to go this direction but if you are a harassed mom who has to have dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less and have nothing in the house to eat, you will love this:
Mix the ingredients in the recipe below and knead about 10 times until smooth. Don’t let it rise. Just pat it into your pan. Add toppings and bake. Or you can make the crust first and let it sit rising four or five minutes while you prepare the toppings for it.
Method 2 – Mix the ingredients in the recipe using the original method or modify method 1 above by pressing or rolling dough on to pan and brushing with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and freeze. When you’re ready to use it, you don’t have to thaw it. Just bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
Method 3 – Mix ingredients, knead, place in a greased bowl, cover, and put in the fridge overnight. Roll it out and then let it rise about 15 minutes. Then top and bake.
To Make Your Homemade Pizza
Divide the dough in half for 2 medium pizzas or roll out the entire batch of dough for a 9×13 pan 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 5 minutes in an oven at 400 degrees so the dough does not become soggy.
Cover with pizza sauce. You can use a red pizza sauce like the recipe below or another sauce like an Alfredo sauce, garlic sauce or a tasty pesto. Add your choice of toppings and cheese. Bake at 400 degrees on a baking pan or pizza stone (like this one)* for about 15 minutes.
Pizza Toppings
For A Standard “Supreme” Pizza:
Red pizza sauce 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated pepperoni onions olives green peppers mushrooms sausage browned ground beef
If you prefer a different spin on your pizza, you can modify the homemade pizza recipe any way you like. Here are some delicious variations you might want to try!
White Pizza Sauce: One jar of Alfredo sauce or homemade Alfredo sauce in place of red sauce.
Greek Pizza: Black olives, artichoke hearts, red onion, and feta cheese
Hawaiian Pizza:Ham or Canadian bacon and pineapple
Meat Lovers Pizza: Sausage, salami, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon. Add any meats you enjoy.
BBQ Pizza: Use chunks of barbecued chicken with your choice of vegetables.
Garlic Pizza: Instead of a traditional tomato sauce, brush the crust with a mixture of olive oil and minced garlic. Then top as usual.
Philly Cheese Steak Pizza: Steak, mushrooms, onions with White Pizza Sauce
Mexican Pizza: Use refried beans for the sauce. Then top with hamburger, onions, jalapenos, cheddar cheese and, after cooking, top with lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and black olives.
Confetti Pizza: White Sauce, chicken, fresh spinach, tomatoes, garlic, onion, feta cheese and mozzarella
Special White Pizza: White Sauce, spinach, artichokes, tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms, fresh basil
Other Homemade Pizza Dough Uses
Breadsticks
Use a pizza cutter and cut the rolled out dough into breadsticks. Bake according to the recipe until brown. Then brush with melted butter with crushed garlic in it and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. You can make one of the spaghetti or pizza sauce recipes from Dining on a Dime, Cookbook, Volume 1 or use jar sauce to dip them in.
Dessert
Use a pizza cutter to cut as with the breadsticks but, before baking, roll in melted butter and a mix of cinnamon and sugar. When done, you could drizzle with vanilla icing or dip in applesauce.
Make Better Use Of Your Pizza Cutter!
One of our favorite tools in the kitchen is our pizza cutter. A pizza cutter is useful for so much more than cutting pizza! Here are some ideas to use that pizza cutter to make life easier!
Cut homemade noodles
Slice French toast into sticks or small pieces
Cut pancakes and waffles
Cut brownies
Corn bread
Fruit roll-ups (may have to oil lightly)
Hot dogs, link sausages
After a while, our pizza cutter wasn’t cutting so well. I realized it had been 10 years since I had bought a new one. Make sure you get a new sharp pizza cutter and that will make all the difference!
There are three pages in Dining on a Dime, Volume 1 including this homemade pizza recipe and ideas for making homemade pizza. Here are a few of them:
Other Useful Homemade Pizza Ideas:
If you have half of can of pineapple and a little bit of ham left, throw it on a crust with some cheese and you have a Hawaiian pizza.
Do you have a couple of hamburgers, hot dogs or pieces of chicken left from barbecuing? Then spread your homemade pizza crust with barbecue sauce, onions and cheese.
What about all of those garden veggies that you haven’t figured out how to use? How about a Garden Vegetable Pizza? Use zucchini, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers.
You can even make a homemade pizza recipe if you don’t have sauce. Just spread your crust with olive oil and minced garlic. Then top as usual. If you are out of pizza sauce and want to make your own, there are pizza sauce recipes in Dining on a Dime on pages 217 and 220. I have included one of them below.
For more easy homemade recipes like this easy homemade pizza recipe, check out our cookbooks:
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