Are you following me over on Instagram? I have a fun community over there where I share a lot of Reels demonstrating cooking hacks and cooking tips. Which insta are you following? I thought it would be fun to share what photos, reels, and videos are trending on our Instagram profiles once a month! These are your current favorites. Are you following all of our accounts? … [Read more...]
Stack the Savings on Your Holiday Baking + Mini Pumpkin Pies with Gingerbread “Dust”
STACK THE SAVINGS at Dollar General: Save big on holiday baking ingredients and supplies when you shop the amazing bundles + combine them with the $5 off $25 coupon on Saturdays! As you start to sketch out your holiday baking plan, I want you to add Dollar General to your list of stores to check for great prices on holiday ingredients. One of my go-to places for … [Read more...]
Deck the Freezer Party – Recipes & RSVP HERE!!
Holiday To-Do List Already Starting to Stress You Out?! What if you could prep SIX 5-Ingredient freezer meals in 30 minutes...before the holiday chaos begins?!? I'm Erin Chase and I'm here to show you how... Join me the week of NOVEMBER 1st for a few days of tips and tricks that will help you breeze through this meal prep! Each day throughout the Deck … [Read more...]
You Can Drive!! Happy 16th Birthday to $5 Dinners!
"MOM, when do I get my driver's license?" If the blog could talk... 16 short years ago I started this little blog thing here and named it $5 Dinners. I needed to lower our grocery budget and I needed to feed my people. So I started sharing all the recipes and things I was learning along the way. Here we are, 16 years later...in a similar economic climate as back … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Back to School Recipes List
Freezer Friendly Dinners, Lunchbox Ideas, School Snacks, Make-Ahead Smoothies and On-the-Go Breakfasts! It's that time of year again. The craving for routines returns. The school supply shopping, shoe shopping and new clothes shopping takes over. You spend more money than you want to, even with braving the crowds on tax-free weekend. And you STILL HAVE TO FEED … [Read more...]
“What am I going to do with my kids all summer?!” – 10 Solutions and a Printable Summer Activities at Home List
Are you starting to panic about summer activities at home? Worried that your kids will be staring at your face or at a screen for the next three months? In an effort to stop the "I'm booooooooored!" grumbling before it starts, I've been researching all things summer activities and wanted to share a few options and ideas that I have on my list with you! Summer … [Read more...]
NEW COOKBOOKS: Feeding Teenage Boys on a Budget + Teen Cuisine
Introducing Erin Chase's latest cookbook about feeding teenagers on a budget, plus the companion mini-cookbook that will teach your teens how to cook scrumptious recipes with "Shorts" videos! The idea for this cookbook came to me about 15 years ago...in a booth at a lunch in NYC with my cookbook editor. And the time to share it with you is now... So, yes...this is … [Read more...]
Erin’s “What I Like Right Now” List
Things I'm Crushing On (And Using All the Time) This Month Holiday 2023 FAVES … [Read more...]
VIRAL: Beef Ravioli Bake
I think Ravioli Bakes might be my new favorite dinner. I don't know why...they just seem so easy. Well, they are easy. The ravioli doesn't take any pre-cooking. You just add it into the dish, pour the sauce (in this case a beefy-spaghetti sauce) over the top, then pile on as much cheese as your waistline can handle. ;) Then, bake. And you end up with this. Now, there … [Read more...]
CHALLENGE: 5-Ingredient Freezer Meal Plan
How to prepare SIX meals in LESS THAN 30 MINUTES with this 5-Ingredient Meal Plan! I don't know about you, but it makes my heart happy when a recipe only needs a handful of ingredients. And when they are "normal" ingredients, too! You know what I'm talking about. Ingredients you often have in your kitchen, and are commonly found at a typical grocery store. So I made a … [Read more...]
Guacamole with Street Corn
If I started keeping track, I imagine I eat an avocado or guacamole at least 5 times a week. Sometimes I get guacamole at my fave tex-mex restaurant, sometimes I make my own, sometimes I get it on top of a Chipotle salad, sometimes I just scoop it right out of the skin with a little lemon juice and salt. I'm always looking to mix things up and keep the guacamole "fresh" and … [Read more...]
Erin’s Recipes from Big Bad Budget Battle
Get the Recipes Erin Cooked on Food Network's Big Bad Budget Battle WELCOME to my Big Bad Budget Battle Besties! I'm so glad you're here and I can't wait to connect with you and further help you on your journey to spending less money on groceries and cooking well on a budget. I am beyond tickled by the concept of the show, the opportunity to compete on the show, and … [Read more...]
RE-DESIGNED for YOU: The “20 Meals for $150” Plans
Save TIME, MONEY, and MORE with these amazing 20 Meals for $150 Plans! ELATED. ECSTATIC. STOKED. That describes how I'm feeling this week, as I re-share this amazing grocery saving and sanity saving resource with you! Many moons ago, I decided to make some updates to the "20 meals for $150" plans. I started creating them in 2013, and it was just time for a … [Read more...]
The Best Ever Make-Ahead Freezer Meals Cookbooks!
If you love getting ahead with dinner prep, and you love cookbooks, these Make-Ahead Freezer Meal Cookbooks are the books for YOU! The Freezer Meal Stereotype Often times when people think of freezer meals, they think of mushy casseroles. Or slow-cooker-only recipes. Or bland, tasteless, freezer burned meals. It is also the assumption that these bland, mushy … [Read more...]
Best Grocery Savings Mobile Apps
Check out the Best Grocery Savings Mobile Apps! These are also Erin's favorites. (She might be a bit biased about the first one!) MyFreezEasy With MyFreezEasy, it really is as easy as 1-2-3. Get organized, choose your recipes, use the shopping list provided, and then follow the instructions to get your make ahead freezer meals into your freezer! You'll save on groceries … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Pie French Toast
Oh my heavens - divine, divine, divine. This Pumpkin Pie French Toast recipe is a MUST TRY in the fall and winter months! I so wish I'd doubled this recipe for Pumpkin Pie French Toast while I was first making it. Tripled, or quadrupled even! These are so scrumptious...perfect for the fall season. It's really simple...you just add some pumpkin puree and spices to … [Read more...]
Mocha Brownies
Before you say it, yes...brownies were dessert of the month in April...just a few short weeks ago. But Caramel Cashew Brownies and these Mocha Brownies are different. Very, very different. I know. I know. This is really an indication that I have a brownie problem. Please. Send help. Brownies anonymous, anyone?! So I served these to a group of ladies last week...and … [Read more...]
Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash: HOLIDAY SIDE DISH
THE PERFECT HOLIDAY SIDE DISH: Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Roasted in a Maple Mustard Dressing, then Topped with Feta, Cranberries and Bacon Enjoy! Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash Side Dish The most magical side dish with the perfect combination of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy! 12 oz. bag fresh Brussels sprouts (halved)1 … [Read more...]
Roasted Cod with Balsamic Tomatoes
Roasted Cod with Balsamic Tomatoes Roasted Cod with Balsamic Tomatoes Roasted Cod with Balsamic Tomatoes is a flavorful dish where tender cod filets are baked to perfection with a tangy balsamic tomato topping. Enjoy! 4 4 oz. cod filetsSalt and pepper1 pint cherry tomatoes2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tsp dried basilSide: saladSide: … [Read more...]
Nashville Hot Chicken – Slow Cooker, Instant Pot & Grilled
The EASIEST TWIST for the TRENDY and VIRAL Nashville Hot Chicken! (Yes, I Know It's Supposed to be Fried!) Friend. I love a good fried chicken. But not in the middle of a busy week. I have zero time for the setting up of all the things and the frying and waiting. So... I decided to take a swing at the Nashville Hot Chicken … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Pie Dump Cake
An easy crust-less pumpkin pie for your holiday gatherings! This "dump cake" can also be made gluten-free using a gluten-free spice cake or spice muffin mix. We love Dump Cakes around here! So much so that we've shared the "formula" for making any dump cake. This Pumpkin Pie Dump cake is a bit different because we want the pumpkin layer underneath to be more "pie … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
The Ultimate List of Budget Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes! It's just a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving! Have you figured out your menu yet? While I do love turkey, I think sometimes my favorite part of the feast is all of the delicious side dishes! Here are some of our favorite budget friendly side dish recipes for you to consider for your menu... … [Read more...]
Halloween Finger Foods
These Halloween Finger Foods are Perfect for Trick-or-Treat Night! … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Swirl Breakfast Casserole
Pumpkin Swirl bread makes for the perfect base for this fall-inspired breakfast casserole that everyone will love! Pumpkin Swirl Breakfast Casserole A double dip of pumpkin and triple dip of pumpkin pie spice makes for the best ever pumpkin breakfast casserole 1 loaf Pumpkin swirl bread (torn into pieces)1/2 cup pumpkin butter6 large eggs1 cup … [Read more...]
VIRAL: Kid Friendly GHOST PIZZA
Make These Easy Ghost Pizza for the Kids Before You Go Trick or Treating! If I didn't have a quick dinner ready for the boys before they head out to trick or treat on Halloween, then they would just "candy for dinner," a few bites between houses as they proceed around the neighborhood. A quick grilled cheese or English muffin pizza is perfect. And the little … [Read more...]