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If you are doing a potluck style Thanksgiving or you’re doing the whole thing yourself, there are plenty of ways to make a delicious dinner for the whole family (extended included) without breaking the bank. This is the first installment of our “Thanksgiving on a Budget” series. When it’s all said and done, you will have a complete list of recipes for affordable,delicious Thanksgiving staples.

Up first? Dinner rolls. Or as I call them, my Thanksgiving spoon. If you aren't wiping up everything else on your plate with a dinner roll before shoving it all in your mouth, are you even doing it right?

These rolls are so easy, delicious, fluffy and buttery and they will wow everyone at Thanksgiving. Imagine when somebody goes, “Wow, where did you get these dinner rolls? They're delish!” and you can say, “Oh, I made them myself.”

The best part? These will run you less than 3 bucks to make. The holidays are expensive enough. Let's save some money where we can.

Estimated Time: 60-90 min (10-15 minutes of prep)

Makes: 16 dinner rolls

Ingredients:

• 4 cups AP flour

  • You can sift it if you want for better texture. You do not have to.

• 1 cup warm milk (between 110–115°F to activate the yeast)

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 tbsp instant yeast (1 and 1/3 packets)

• 1 large beaten egg

• 4 tbsp melted butter

• 1½ tsp salt

• Extra butter to brush rolls at the end

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I was trying to save some time the other morning, so I went to indulge in one of my favorite meals, McDonald's breakfast.Admittedly, it’s been a very long time since I had swung through that drive-through line, so I was pretty excited. Until I got my total. The balls to charge people over $6 for a breakfast sandwich… not to mention it was wildly mediocre.

So I took a step back and figured out a better way to do it. That same McGriddle taste but for a fraction of the cost. Also made in bulk so we can save time and energy prepping for the next week or so.

We do it all in the oven for minimal cleanup and maximum efficiency. This recipe makes 12 McGriddles in total for under $20. If you ordered the same thing at McDonald's, that would run you over $60…

Breakfast sandwiches are not gourmet enough to charge that much. They should be like 2 bucks max. So we are making breakfast sandwiches the right way for the right price.

And my goodness, they taste amazing.

Estimated Time: 60-75 min

Makes: 12 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Maple Pancake Buns:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp baking powder

• 2 tbsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 12 large eggs

• 2½ cups whole milk

• ¼ cup melted butter

• ⅓ cup maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 lbs breakfast sausage (country sausage)

• ¼ cup milk

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 12 slices American cheese

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Halal carts and restaurants make some of my favorite food in the world. It is so comforting, full of flavor, spice, that fragrant yellow rice, and delicious white sauce… It is the most well-rounded bite of food when it comes to flavor that you can possibly have.

It is also WILDLY affordable to make at home. With a few simple steps and tricks, we can turn some basic rice into Halal cart-worthy yellow rice. We can take some chicken thighs and cook them to perfection, coated in rich spices and flavors that pair perfectly with the rice.

When I do recipes like this, I do very much try to stay authentic and respectful to both culture and the recipe. From a flavor-profile standpoint, this was one of my favorite recipes I’ve made in a while.

From a volume standpoint, this can feed the fam for up to 2 nights, and it is that perfect stick-to-your-ribs type of food that keeps you full for hours.

Enjoy.

Estimated Time: 45-60 min

Serves: 8 (or two nights of dinner for 4)

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

• 2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • This marinade will work with up to 3 lbs of chicken without increasing measurements.

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 4 cloves garlic, grated

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1½ tsp ground coriander

• 1½ tsp dried oregano

• 1½ tsp paprika

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

Yellow Rice:

• 3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

• 4½ cups water

• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or equivalent)

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1½ tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp salt

Homemade White Sauce:

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt

• 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tsp white vinegar

• 1 tsp white sugar

• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp dried parsley

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 2–4 tbsp cold water, to thin

Toppings:

• ½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

• Hot sauce (optional)

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Philly is the sandwich capital of the world. Don’t at me. It’s objective truth. I didn’t make these rules. I just follow them.That being said, our neighbors to the north have their own classic sando.

The Chopped Cheese.

Featured at your favorite bodega, the chopped cheese is a simple, affordable, and loaded sandwich that takes simple ingredients and packs them into an all-around delicious sandwich. No shade to NYC. I love a chopped cheese. I love pretty much every one I’ve ever had.

BUT! My Philly background as a sandwich connoisseur has me very confident that I can replicate a chopped cheese at home and not only do it justice, but outperform SOME of the NYC bodegas.

(Some, not all. I respect the chopped cheese and those that make them.)

The other beautiful thing about this sandwich is they are affordable to make, they are super filling, and they are a fun out-of-the-box dinner to make the fam on a weeknight!

So I present to you my take on a chopped cheese, made as authentically as possible.

It’s pretty freakin' delicious, so I highly recommend making this one.

Estimated Time: 30-45 min.

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 lbs 80/20 ground beef formed into burger patties

• 4 soft 6-inch hero rolls

• 8 slices American cheese

• 1 finely diced medium yellow onion

• 1/2 head of shredded iceberg lettuce

• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp Goya Adobo with Pepper OR Sazon OR both

  • You can also use 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, salt, and pepper if you don’t want to buy the other seasonings.

• Ketchup and mayo

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To get serious for a second, costs continued to rise in October. We are seeing year over year costs jumping across the board as follows:

• Overall food prices +2.5%

• Groceries (food at home) +1.8%

• Restaurant meals +3.5%

• Fruits and vegetables +3.7%

• Coffee +7.1%

• Cereals and bakery products +2.1%

• Meat, poultry, fish and eggs +0.3%

• Dairy −0.7%

Good news at least dairy is down a bit. I don’t share these numbers to scare or intimidate. I want you to be informed month to month as to where costs stand and why I am leaning a certain direction as far as recipes go. I base my recipes on overall cost, volume and of course flavor. But these prices dictate the recipes I make.

These high prices are far from over. As a matter of fact I think we can expect them to get worse before they get better. But as we have shown one another with The 99% Cooking Club, we can band together and overcome. We can cook good food, share easy recipes and make sure we are all fed. I am proud to be a part of this movement and I am grateful for all of you.

Onward and upward.

Together.

Top Recipes of October

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Fall schedules are in full swing, which means your free time is limited. Kids' sports, a busy work schedule, or just the fact that it gets dark at 3:30 PM now and you don’t have the motivation to do anything in the dark abyss that is late fall…

Either way, we’re all looking to save some time and money to set ourselves up for an easier week (or 2). Now, I’m sure you’ve seen the breakfast muffin jawns. Blend a bunch of shit together in a blender, pour in muffin tin, bake, freeze,repeat. Don’t get me wrong. I love those little egg muffins. They are simple and delicious and easy to make. But they can get a bit bland and boring.

So, we are taking it up a notch by wrapping our egg jawns in a crispy hashbrown cup. Same process (mostly), but a much more exciting AND FILLING result!

The extra starch added by the hashbrown keeps you full for longer, plus it gives this a much larger depth of flavor, and for a quick and easy breakfast option, that’s all we can really ask for.

Estimated Time: 45-60 minutes

Makes: 18 breakfast cups

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of frozen shredded hash browns (20-30 oz)

• 1 lb breakfast sausage

• 10 large eggs

• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

• ½ diced yellow onion

• 2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, canola, avocado)

• 2 tbsp milk

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• Salt and black pepper

• Cooking spray

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That’s why we have been working in the background to bring you meal plans. A weekly plan of 5 dinner recipes with an overall ingredient list built right in. I’m even offering two separate plans to fit your price point. Budget a little tighter this week? There’s a meal plan for that. Have a little more to spend this week? There is a meal plan for that.

This is just the beginning. There will be further tweaks, innovations, plans and options so that you can continue to focus on saving money and leave the rest to me. Together we will get through these difficult times.

Remember, we are the 99% and we can do anything!

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I talk a lot about pizza. Because I love pizza. I love every kind of pizza. Deep dish, thin crust, New York style, shore pizza, even Charles E. Cheese pizza has a special place in my heart (Chuck and I go way back). But it is becoming more and more evident that pizza is no longer a cheap weeknight option. Instead, it’s becoming a special occasion, every once in a while type of meal.

Well, along with cheap bread recipes, it is also a mission of mine to provide the most affordable pizza options possible.And because I have such a high standard for good pizza, I will never give you a mediocre pizza recipe.

That’s how this sheet pan jawn came about. The dough is exceptional, and exceptionally easy. The flavor is better than most neighborhood pizza spots and the total amount of labor might be 15 minutes tops.

The result? A crispy exterior crust, a soft pillowy interior, browned delicious cheese and those crispy ronis.

The best part is, as long as you have a sheet pan, you can make this recipe. No pizza stone, pizza oven or special equipment required.

Oh. It’s also only 10 bucks.

Love yas.

Estimated Time: 60-90 minutes (15 minutes of labor)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 packet (2¼ tsp) instant yeast

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1¼ cups warm water

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp olive oil for greasing the bowl

• 2 tbsp olive oil for the sheet pan

• ¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes

• 3 cups (12 oz) shredded low-moisture mozzarella

• 3–4 oz pepperoni

• ½ tsp Italian seasoning

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• Light drizzle of olive oil

• Optional: grated Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes

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The good thing about comfort food is that it tends to be affordable. It is also very easy to adjust some little things to both save more money AND to make it healthier. This chili cornbread tamale pie (a mouthful, I know) is all of your favorite parts of chili with cornbread to dip baked right into it. Throw in a melted layer of cheddar cheese and now we’re really cookin'.

By using turkey, we also cut down on the cost and the calories. If you made my turkey chili recipe, then you already know how “beefy” you can make turkey taste. It is such a wonderful substitute for ground beef, especially in this market. We use our hacks and some tricks to pull out the beef flavor and to mimic that it’s been simmering for hours instead of 10-15 minutes.

The beauty about this recipe is it makes a ton of food, it is incredibly filling, incredibly nutritious, and it is just in time for some fall weather.

So break out your trusty baking dish and let's make a Chili Cornbread Tamale Pie.

Est Time: 1 hour (cook time over 45 minutes so only 15 minutes of labor)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1-2 chipotle peppers minced

• 1 tbsp adobo

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can corn drained

• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• ½ cup water and beef bouillon or beef broth

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1-2 tsp chili powder

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

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I love Chinese Take-Out. Who doesn’t? It’s the perfect combination of comfort, filling and affordability. At least it used to be. As with everything these days, Chinese take-out has felt the price increases as well. And look, I get it, everyone has to earn a living and with the cost of ingredients going up, the cost of menu items does too.

That being said… I refuse to pay $20 for one take-out meal. It's kind of absurd. Especially when we are all MORE than capable of making great-tasting take-out at home. Yes, I know that's an oxymoron.

The beauty of cooking is that so many things are possible as long as you have the building blocks of a recipe. Highlighting what makes a dish taste the way it does and then filling in the blanks around it with cheaper alternatives. For this one, we are taking a page out of Jet Tila’s book. He recommends using spaghetti or even fettuccine to mimic Lo Mein and other Chinese take-out classics.

So to accomplish the goal, we are leaning heavily into the sauce to flavor this dish. Oyster sauce is going to give us that classic take-out flavor while tossing the noodles in sesame oil gives you more depth to the dish overall. The chicken thighs are actually the preferred poultry for this one as the higher fat content will make a smoother, thicker sauce and the extra salt will add huge dimensions of flavor overall.

No shade to your local Take-Out spot, but once you see how easy (and delicious) it is to do it at home… you may not order take-out again…

Estimated Time: 40 min

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced

• 3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

• 2 medium carrots, julienned

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil for pasta

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 3 tbsp oyster sauce

• ½ cup hot water

• 1 chicken bouillon cube

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil for sauce

• 2 tsp cornstarch

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Fun fact, I actually got 11 burritos out of this recipe, but just in case you wanna pack yours a little heavier, I left it at 10 for $15.

My schedule is getting crazier and crazier. I’m sure many of you can relate whether you're juggling school pickups, kids' sports, multiple jobs, whatever your life calls for, we are all busy AF.

As a result, I’ve been leaning heavier into my roots, which is meal prep. A lot of you may not know, but before there was the 99% Cooking Club, before the Recession Chef, there was Steel’s Meals. I ran a successful meal prep company for over a year. My focus was simple, affordable meal prep that actually tasted good.

As someone in the fitness industry for nearly a decade, I have tried every meal prep company under the sun. The same things ring true for all of them: either they are healthy but too bland, or they are delicious but the macros suck. Nobody was ever able to find that middle ground of delicious, healthy AND affordable (until me… no big deal). But it taught me a lot on how to do this effectively.

Taste isn't in the price tag, it’s in how we prepare our ingredients. This recipe is indicative of all of my favorite things. Cheap ingredients, done well, high volume, low cost.

These burritos can be refrigerated for 3-5 days or frozen for UP TO 3 MONTHS! They are an easy lunch or dinner or a great post-gym meal to keep your energy up.

Estimated Time: 30-45 min.

Makes: 10-11 burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey

• 10 burrito-size flour tortillas

• 2 cans of black beans rinsed

• 2 cups uncooked white rice

• shredded cheese (pepperjack or cheddar)

• 1 medium yellow diced onion

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• 1 can diced green chiles

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped

• 1–2 tbsp adobo sauce

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 beef bouillon cube

• ¾ cup hot water

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp oil

• Salt and pepper

• Juice of ½ lime (optional)

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In this current economy, it is important that you expand your arsenal. A great example of that is ribs. Large cuts in general tend to scare people away, but I promise you that you are more than capable of cooking with ingredients you’ve never used before. Let's use this recipe as the perfect example of just how much you can do at home.

St. Louis style ribs tend to be very affordable. Also, they tend to be on sale frequently, at least in my neck of the woods. Making a great rack of ribs does not necessarily mean standing by a smoker for 12 hours, using the perfect temperature, the perfect rub… It just means seasoning it well, cooking it low and slow and adding a couple of tricks along the way.

That's why we throw these in double wrapped at 275 for about 3.5 hours and let the oven do all the work. The prep for this recipe takes all of 10 minutes and the finish takes about 5 and it consists of putting bbq sauce on your ribs and broiling them.

I’m so excited to share this one with you as a BBQ snob myself, because they stand up to plenty of ribs that I’ve eaten in my life. Hopefully this can serve as a reminder to all of you…

You can do way more than you think!

Estimated Time: 3.5-5 hours (10 minutes of prep. 5-10 minutes of work at the end… the rest is cook time)

Serves: 4-6 (depending on size of rack)

Ingredients:

• 1 rack St. Louis-style pork ribs (2½–3½ lbs)

• 2 tbsp yellow mustard

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp chili powder

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• 3 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• ¾ cup BBQ sauce

• 1½ tbsp brown sugar

• 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar

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It’s that time of year. Temperatures are getting cooler, leaves are turning color, football's on TV. It means it’s officially time for comfort food and soups. This dish is a little bit of both.

Chicken and dumplings is quite possibly the most comforting dish on the planet. The broth is hearty and delicious and those big, soft dough balls are like a hug in your stomach. Yes, I said it.

Not to mention, it is an extremely affordable recipe. It uses some of the cheapest ingredients in the store and a quick homemade dough for our dumplings, keeping the cost at a minimum. Why I love dishes like this is because of how hearty they are. High volume and filling means that a little bit goes a long way. This recipe says it feeds 4-6 but honestly, I think you will have some leftovers because of how much it sticks to your ribs (in a good way).

So grab your favorite sweater, throw football on the TV and let's make one of the all-time comfort classics, and let's save some damn money while we do it.

Estimated Time: 45-60 min

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp butter

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 5 cups water OR 5 cups chicken broth

• 4-5 chicken bouillon cubes (if you dont use chicken broth)

• ½ cup milk

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• ½ tsp dried parsley

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• ¾ cup milk

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Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. Prices are continuously going up, and it’s been made very clear by those in charge that high prices are not a priority. As a matter of fact, affordability is not even being addressed. It’s going to take some smart thinking, planning, and learning some new things in the kitchen to keep those grocery bills down.

This recipe is the epitome of all of those things. First off, we shopped at Aldi to save money. If you don’t have an Aldi, do your best to try and find a budget grocery store near you to help save more. We are also just keeping it simple. Remember, simple doesn’t mean bland.

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it takes like 10 minutes of prep work. You just whisk some eggs, pour them in a baking dish, flatten some sausage and toast some muffins and boom. You’re finished.

The most important thing about these: if you aren't planning on eating them within that same week, store them properly. When they are finished cooking, let everything cool to room temperature before you wrap it. When you do wrap it, first use parchment paper, then foil, then put them in a freezer Ziploc and freeze them for up to 3 months.

Estimated Time: 45-60 min

Makes: 12 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs

• Sliced American cheese

• 12 English muffins

• 16 oz breakfast sausage

• Paprika

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp melted butter

• 1/3 cup of milk

• Parchment paper

• Foil

• Freezer bags

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If you’ve followed me for a while, then you know one of my favorite things to do is show you how easy bread can be. The “baking is a science” myth keeps so many people from attempting to bake their own loaf.

Don’t get me wrong, there are levels to this whole thing. I am certainly not disparaging artisan bakers or professionals. I could never do what they do. BUT! That does not mean that you and I can’t make an adequate, if not damn delicious, loaf of bread.

We’ve done 2-ingredient bread. 3-ingredient bread. 4-ingredient bread. No-knead. Pita.

Well, let’s add skillet bread to that mix. Think focaccia meets a dinner roll. Soft, pillowy, flavorful and EASY!

With prices being what they are, learning little things like this can go a long way. When you have some free time, just throw together a quick bread recipe to have something to snack on. Or if you are making a soup, chili, or just want a nice slice of bread to accompany dinner? Now you can do it yourself rather than waste the money at the store.

And yes, I know, a lot of bread is still fairly affordable. But this speaks to the overall message of what we are trying to accomplish. Self-sufficiency, saving when and where we can, and learning to do shit yourself.

Estimated Time: 2-2.5 hours (only about 10 minutes of actual labor)

Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2¼ tsp instant yeast

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

• 1½ cups warm water

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the skillet

• Flaky salt for the top

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The more sheet pan recipes I do, the more I realize how versatile they are. I had seen someone do something similar to this in the past, and I thought it was time I did my own iteration of it.

The best part about this lasagna isn’t just that it takes a lot of the work out of making a lasagna… It’s that the entire thing turns into those delicious crispy edges. Let’s face it, the best part of a lasagna is that corner piece with those delicious crunchy ends. By doing it in a sheet pan, we get 360 degrees of crispy, crunchy deliciousness.

We also get to utilize my favorite cheap ingredient, sausage. Packed with its own spices that add a tremendous amount of flavor to the pre-made marinara, I personally prefer sausage over ground beef even if we’re not trying to save money.

This makes a ton of food for the whole fam and it tastes insane. I would argue that you may never make lasagna the same way again…

Estimated Time: 50 minutes (30-35 minutes of cook time)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)

• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara

• 1/3 cup water

• 2 boxes oven-ready/no-boil lasagna noodles

• 15 oz ricotta

• 1 egg

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

• 3 garlic cloves minced

• 1/2 onion diced

• Italian seasoning

• Black pepper

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The crockpot has become one of my favorite cooking vessels. I used to not enjoy it because I thought it was a cop-out. Little did I know that you can create some serious flavor with minimal effort.

I’ve been craving some good, fresh Mexican food lately, and one of my favorite flavors is green chile and salsa verde. So we’re doing a mashup and adding them both together.

The bigger goal of this recipe is to show how much flavor you can pack into a dish without a ton of work. This recipe highlights some bright flavors with a punch of spice and acid to round it all out. The chicken cooks down perfectly, and after eating it? Honestly? I probably will make a burrito out of it next time.

My point is, you can do some pretty amazing things in the kitchen without price being a hinderance. Once you have a good grasp on flavor pairings, easy tricks to enhance your recipes, you can make a lot from a little.

Plus, now you know how to make a great salsa verde.

The ol’ 2-for-1.

Estimated Time: 4-7 hours (only about 10 minutes of prep)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed

• 1 poblano pepper

• 2 jalapeños

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 medium onion, halved

• Splash of water

• Handful of cilantro

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 can diced green chile

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 can cannellini beans or pinto, drained and rinsed

• Juice of 1 lime

• Cilantro, optional

• Shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack, optional for serving

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It’s chili season!

Only one problem. Most chili calls for beef and currently, having a hard time trusting ground beef (recalls, poor imported meats, questionable practices, and the cost) means beef is not on the shopping list for the time being.

But turkey is already a great substitute for a chili—and when you know the hacks to level it up, you may never use beef again. This recipe is a masterclass in using cheap tricks and hacks to bolster flavor, depth, and complexity. We utilize canned ingredients, tomato paste, toasting techniques, and other additions to elevate this chili to a level that will impress even you.

The goal with a recipe like this is to mimic time. Time is one ingredient that will make an average soup taste like liquid gold. A regular stew turned into a meal fit for the gods. The longer you simmer things, the better they tend to taste. The more time you allow things to toast, render, and sauté, the more flavor you pull from it.

But you don’t have to spend 10 hours to get the same effect. Toasting tomato paste, adobo, chipotle peppers, and beef bouillon will add a depth of flavor equivalent to something simmering for half a day.

A great chili doesn't necessarily need expensive ingredients. It needs patience, technique, and a little TLC.

All of which, you are capable of. So get ready to make the best chili you’ve ever made.

Est time: 3-5 hours (20-30 minutes of active labor)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 lb ground turkey

• 1 large onion, grated

• 1 large carrot, grated

• 4 cloves garlic, grated

• 3-4 tbsp tomato paste

• 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp adobo sauce

• 1-2 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp Smoked paprika

• 1 tsp Mexican oregano

• A dash of cinnamon

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 beef bouillon cube

• 2 cups water

  • If it's too thick or you like it soupier, add 1/2 cup at a time.

  • If you long-simmer your chili, you may need to add more in as it goes.

• 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 15 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 can pinto beans, drained + rinsed

• 1 can kidney beans, drained + rinsed

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Olive Oil

For Garnish:

• Greek Yogurt

• Sour Cream

• Chives, parsley or green onion

• Chips

• Shredded cheese

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If you haven’t felt the shift, I am currently aiming for the most bang for your buck with my recipes. I’m doing my damndest to maximize your dollar without sacrificing flavor. The good thing is, there are a lot of ways to make delicious food on a budget. So I’m revisiting some of the classics and revamping how we do them.

Chicken piccata is an Italian-American classic highlighting capers, lemon, butter and flavor. It is a simple favorite that hits the spot every time you have it. This recipe embodies all of the things you love about piccata but in a more cost-effective and efficient way.

The goal is to maintain a high standard of flavor while saving money and time. Guess what? Mission accomplished. This dish boasts a HUGE flavor profile and since we use chicken thighs (unless you're a big baby and can’t eat dark meat), orzo, broth and lemon which are all relatively cheap ingredients.

Are there ways to plus it up a bit? Sure, but I promise by keeping it simple I would argue it actually makes the dish better.

Sometimes (most of the time in my opinion) simple is better. Because simple doesn’t mean not complex, it means getting the most out of less.

Estimated Time: 30-45 min

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1½ cups dry orzo

• 3 cups chicken broth

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp capers, drained

• 2 tbsp butter

• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley, optional

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I’m not gonna sugar coat it. Prices are about to get worse. When the cost of diesel goes up, so does the rest of the world. It is required for transporting all goods, meats, produce, literally everything runs on diesel. So with it hitting record highs? Get ready for groceries to soar.

My job is not to be gentle with yous. It’s to make sure you are equipped and prepared to navigate these tough financial times to the best of your ability. It’s to give you not only the recipes, but the tools to save money literally anywhere you can. Yes, things are going to get tougher. But I promise you, you have the ability to do more than you think to help keep your costs down.

This recipe embodies that idea. An incredibly flavorful dish, complex, delicious yet super cheap and wildly simple to make. The homemade pita, which we have done before, is just a simple reminder that you can take those cheap pantry ingredients and do a lot with them.

I can’t improve the economy. I can’t directly impact prices. What I can do is show you what you CAN do in the meantime. So buckle up everyone, it's gonna get rocky.

But as always, let's lean on one another and get through this bullshit.

Estimated Time: 30-45 min

Serves: 4-6+

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey

  • You can easily increase the volume of this by adding another lb of ground turkey. If you do, just double the spices.

• 2 cloves garlic, grated

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1½ tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Quick Homemade Pita:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • If it's overly dry, add a little more Greek yogurt.

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1-2 tbsp water as needed

Quick White Sauce:

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 small garlic clove, grated

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• Splash of water

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