A scrumptious meat and marinara based soup, with broken lasagna noodles cooked right in. Top it off with some ricotta, mozzarella, and/or Parmesan cheese and you have the best Lasagna Soup! It's all the flavors of lasagna, in a fraction of the time. Get the beef and marinara simmering and then drop in some broken lasagna noodles. Once they are cooked, ladle into soup … [Read more...]
Best Salted Caramel Recipes on $5 Dinners
Best Salted Caramel Recipes for Anyone Who Loves Caramel A little salty, a little sweet. We all know this is one of the best combos that has ever existed. For all my fellow "Team SCM" (sorry PSL friends!), these recipes are for you! … [Read more...]
Cookies & Fudge Inspired by the Most Popular Starbucks Drinks
Your Favorite Starbucks Drinks as Sweet Treats: Get the 7 Cookie + 1 Fudge Recipe Here! Within a minute of discovering the "espresso morsels" on the grocery store shelf, I had these 7 cookie recipes float to the forefront of my mind. So what did I do?! Grab a bunch of bags...go back for more butter, flour and sugar...and started plotting which to try … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Blondies with Cinnamon Chips
The Cinnamon Chips in These Pumpkin Blondies Really Take Them to Level of PERFECT I'm conflicted on what to call these. Here's why... They are like brownies (because they are gooey-yet-cakey)... But really, they are more like blondies (because they have no chocolate or cocoa to give them a darker color)... But then, why not "orangies" (because they really show off the … [Read more...]
Best Pumpkin Spice Recipes on $5 Dinners
A Roundup of the Best Pumpkin Spice Recipes on $5 Dinners - from fudge to muffins to quick bread to spice mix! Here are the best Pumpkin Spice recipes that we have here on the $5 Dinners blog - pulled together for you into one place. Choose one (or four!) to make this Fall for you and your people. :) … [Read more...]
Why I Don’t Use Paper Towels & What I Use Instead
This is why I stopped buying paper towels + my favorite paper towel alternative When I started to get serious about my money saving journey, I took a look at every single area of the grocery store. I had figured out the "$5 Dinners concept" and how to work with food. But I needed to take it into household, cleaning and toiletries. I wanted and needed (still do today!) … [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...]
Skillet Creamy Corn
A delightfully, nutty side dish using corn on the cob and some staples from the fridge and pantry! I whipped together this yummy corn side dish on the fly, to go with the Oven Tacos that I prepared on Big Bad Budget Battle show on Food Network. The challenge was to cook something from my hometown and I immediately flash-backed to the "taco truck tour" that I … [Read more...]
Birthday Cake Blossom Cookies
A Fun, Colorful Twist on Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies Using the Birthday Confetti Kisses! When I saw these "birthday cake confetti" Kisses at the store, I instantly knew that I would make them for the $5 Dinners 14th Birthday Party!!! It was an easy "oh, these would be great with a sugar cookie base," instead of a peanut butter cookie base like the traditional … [Read more...]
Erin to Compete on Food Network’s Big Bad Budget Battle!
Watch Erin Compete Against 2 Amazing Home Chefs on the New Food Network Show Big Bad Budget Battle Join me on Tuesday, August 23rd at 10 EST/9 CST for an online virtual watch party! I will be competing on the new Food Network show Big Bad Budget Battle, hosted by Ree Drummond. I can't share much yet...but I can tell you it was equally exhilarating as it was … [Read more...]