I know, I’m about a month late on this post, but so many good things happened in 2014 that I wanted to make this roundup, even if a bit late! 2014 was a busy year, with the launch of my first book, the purchase of my first home, and the adoption of my first dog (yay!). Despite all these firsts, I had time to crank out a few delicious recipes in between. I couldn’t narrow it down to just ten, so here are 15 of my favorite recipes from 2014!
Best of Budget Bytes 2014
Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup – The year started off strong with this amazing soup on New Years Day. It’s packed full of delicious and colorful vegetables, black beans, and lentils. This soup is every bit as tasty as it is healthy, which is why it is one of my all-time favorite Budget Bytes recipes!
Easy White Spinach Pizza – I didn’t even mess around with making a separate sauce for this pizza, I just mixed the cheese, spinach, and spices together into one creamy topping. You can make your own dough or simplify it one step further by topping a store bought crust with this amazingly easy spinach and cheese topping.
Oven Roasted Ratatouille – A medly of thinly sliced vegetables get the “pizza” treatment with a few dollops of red sauce and a generous sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. If you’re looking for a delicious way to get more vegetables, THIS is the way to do it.
Southwest Chicken Skillet – 2014 was the year that I got really into “one pot” and “skillet” meals. These easy dinners contain your meat, vegetables, and starch all in one dish, so you never have to sit around trying to decide what sides to make. And, because it all cooks in just one pot or pan, there’s a lot less cleanup!
Falafel Salad – This salad! This is what it’s all about. I love falafel, but didn’t want to mess with making patties and frying them up, so I just made a salad out of the ingredients. BINGO. I never looked back.
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Skillet – Another fantastic skillet meal, this time utilizing that glorious combination of spicy Mexican chorizo and the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes. YUM. I need to make this again soon.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup – Rich, velvety, and packed with vegetables that you can’t even see (a good way to trick those vegetable haters!). This soup cooks itself in the slow cooker while you’re busy doing more important things and delivers a hearty and delicious soup to your table at the end of the day.
Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls – This is the perfect hot weather food. Lots of texture, flavor, and color in one delightful and good-for-you bowl. When it’s too hot outside to be weighed down by food, this will fill you up and keep you feelin’ light.
No Knead Pan Pizza – I’m pretty obsessed with pizza, so when I finally tried cooking pizza in a cast iron skillet, I was in love. The heavy duty cast iron gives the crust a gloriously crisp outer edge, while keeping the inside soft and fluffy. Deep dish WIN.
Penne Pasta with Sausage and Greens – I took part in the SNAP Challenge last September and many good things came of the incredibly difficult experiment, including this Penne Pasta with Sausage and Greens. Tossing any frozen vegetable I can find into a pot of pasta with red sauce has always been my go-to easy weeknight meal, but this combo of spinach, broccoli, and Italian sausage takes the cake.
One Pot Chili Pasta – This is another winner born of the SNAP challenge. Chili is always awesome, but you can stretch the flavor and your dollars even further by cooking some pasta right in the flavorful chili goodness. Melting a little cheese into the sauce at the end adds a little creaminess for good measure.
Slow Cooker Rosemary and Garlic Beef Stew – At the first cold snap of the year I was craving a warm and filling pot of beef stew. I utilized my slow cooker to make sure the beef was extra tender and all the amazing flavor of rosemary and garlic infused into every bite!
Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Stew – This one is so good that I’m seriously hoarding my last two servings away in the freezer for a special occasion. It’s going to be a sad day when they’re finally gone. Aaaaand, make that one last serving. I just gave in and reheated one for lunch after drooling over this photo.
Crunchy Kale and Chicken Salad – Hooray for salads that are so filling they can be a meal! This one has more texture than you can shake a stick at, thanks to crunchy almonds, crisp celery, sweet golden raisins, and kale. It’s topped with a sweet honey mustard-esque dressing that makes every bite lip-smacking good.
Peanut Stew – Vegan never tasted so good. This is one of those recipes that no one would ever guess is vegan unless you told them. It’s rich, filling, and just bursting with flavor. Serve it over rice for a full out meal.
What were your favorite new recipes from 2014? Be it from Budget Bytes or any other website, share your favorites in the comments below!
I hope you do a Best of 2015 list, too!
I did, here it is! :)
Everything I cook from these recipes is just wonderfull..that Wonderpot is fantastic…the summer veggie tartan is great…
Any Wonton ideas you have are great too…I really got into stuffing and making Won Ton chips… Congradulations on the best site for easy good cooking with things that everyone can find..I love it here.. I print out many and share them… Will in Michigan
Two words: WONDER POT!!!!
I’ve made so many of your recipes and loved them but the ones I make the most are definitely the baked oatmeals (especially the banana bread and pumpkin pie) and the No Knead Raisin Spice Bread. Love the cookbook, love the site and congratulations on your big year!!!
I made the Moroccan lentil stew and LOVED it! I ate it for a straight week, froze some, and shared some with friends, who also loved it. Thanks for all the awesome recipes. I love your site. :)
Lentils and beans soup. I’m a student and this recipy is easy nutritive cheap and tastes Awesome! Did it 4 times. (Doubling or tripling the recipy most of the times…)
Beth, yours is my “go to” website when my husband and I are planning meals for the week. The Southwest Chicken Skillet has been a favorite of ours!
Friends of mine recommended your recipes after moving to a big city and needing to cut costs.
We now exchange photos of your recipes when we turn to them for dinner inspirations (din-spirations… HA!). It’s been a great way to keep in touch and have an excuse to chat with each other.
I’m happy for your successes in the past year. Best of luck in the future!
Definitely the Sweet Potato Chorizo Skillet and the Southwest Chicken Skillet (you can tell I am a fan of one pot dishes too, LOL!), they were a huge hit in our household.
I can’t even count the days when I used your book to just flick through it and go “oh yum, need to make that soon …. and that … and that ….” or browsed your website because I had some ingredients that needed using, and my head was so busy with other things that I just didn’t come up with ideas myself.
Thanks for your recipes, looking forward to each and everyone in 2015!
The African peanut stew was my favorite, but the coconut vegetable curry was phenomenal as well and a delicious way to get in those veggies!
Some of my favorites were the Coconut Vegetable Curry and Vegetable Alfredo Pasta Bake.
I love your site! Just bought the book for us and my daughter — we share your recipes back and forth when we try good ones. Haven’t had any bad ones! Two of our favorites from your list are White Spinach Pizza and Chili Pasta. Big favorite is Dragon Noodles! I’m looking forward to trying other from your list.
Southwest Chicken Skillet, Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Stew, Creamy Vegetarian Enchilada Pasta and Kung Pao Chicken (and vegetables)
Pretty good list, I think. Really hoping to see more slow cooker meals this year that don’t involve beans. My boyfriend wants me to cook practically everything in the slow cooker but won’t eat beans. Thanks for all your hard work, we all appreciate you so much!
We LOVE your recipe for Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables and it’s on our menu rotation twice/month. Easy, fast and delicious!
Wow I make recipes from your site ALL the time and i’ve only made a handful of these.
Beth I would like to thank you because not only have you helped me making delicious meals while keeping my wallet intact, But I honestly think i’ve become a much better cook in the process. I’ve learned so much about cooking following your simple processes. So thank you and keep up the amazing work.
P.S. love the book!
The black bean soup is on my short list of things to make.
The soy dijon chicken thighs, vegetable polenta, and sweet potato tortilla soup have all been in regular rotation at various points this year. I can’t thank you enough for your blog – it’s expanded my horizons and confidence in the kitchen without breaking the bank. I look forward to a delicious and budget friendly 2015!
The Soy Dijon Chicken with Sweet Potatoes from the SNAP Challenge is my favorite from last year! My husband (and my inlaws) can’t get enough of it. (Honestly, neither can I.)
AFRICAN PEANUT 4 LYFE! Best recipe ever.
Beth- I just wanted to let you know I ADORE your website and recipes. As a Johnson & Wales almost grad (3 years of Restaurant Management) I have a pretty selective palate but also a fairly limited budget. I’ve told everyone I know about your website and I am getting into the rhythm of meal planning and prepping. I really love sharing what I’m eating with my classmates and making them jealous. Your pizza has impressed guys and the chicken picatta is SO delectable. Nothing like the “Mmm” from a non-cooking graduate student to make one feel satisfied. Thank you for all the effort you put into your site. It has improved my life immensely!
I’m SO flattered!! Thank you! :D
The sweet potato chorizo skillet quickly became one of my absolute favorite. I made that a lot this year.
I’ve made and enjoyed most of the ones on the list though. I’ll have to try the others. Budget bytes became my go-to recipe source shortly after I discovered it and started making a few things.
Southwest Chicken Skillet is a great recipe. Made it a few times along with substitutions based on what I had on hand. Your recipe performed great every time and produced hardly any dishes. Would definitely recommend this as an easy week-night dinner.
Sausage and Kale skillet is my fave of 2014. I use turkey sausage and substitute great northern or cannellini beans instead of chickpeas, and serve over pasta.
I make the Mexican skillet almost every other week. Your blog helps me decide what to make for the week so often: thanks! I like the one pot meals and anything I can cook for the week on the weekend (like the ratatouille)
Beth your a beast love your work
Thank you for adopting your dog and not buying one! He/she will forever be grateful.
Yes, there are so many sweethearts out there looking for a home that I don’t think I could ever purchase one. :(
What?! Sweet potato tortilla soup didn’t make the list? :-) Much as I loved the African Peanut Stew, the tortilla soup actually edged it out for first place for me. The chunky lentil soup and no-knead pizza dough (and bread, focaccia, ciabatta rolls) are all favorites too.
Your slow cooker rosemary/garlic beef stew was just beyond words…… our very favorite for 2014- thank you!
My favorite recipe was the Spinach and Feta Grilled Cheese sandwiches because not only do I LOVE spinach and feta cheese, but it was my FIRST time cooking up this recipe from Budget Bytes. I love the fact that the recipes are easy to make, but also, the break down of the ingredients-depending on where you live, and WHERE you shop for food. Also, my sister and I are on a budget, so we don’t have to make ANY sacrifices just to have a decent meal every night. I’m looking forward to discovering new recipes, and most importantly, I’m looking forward to cooking them. You’re doing a phenomenal job, Beth. Thank you!! :-)
My favorite of the year by far was African peanut stew. So flavorful and easy. I’ve made it multiple times, and recommended it to many friends.
I loved the African peanut stew! The other day I made it with some leftover butternut squash and it was still pretty good.
We liked the Monterey Chicken Skillet. That reminds me, we need more BBQ sauce….
I loved the pork chops and smoky sweet potatoes.
Green chili turkey burgers were great!
I’ve also taken you tip on oat bran and now eat it like quick oats :)
It was the weirdest sounding recipe when I first saw it, but the African Peanut Stew is on the regular rotation at our house. Even my kids ASK for it!
My favorite from 2014, was the Chorizo Chicken Jambalaya. It was so easy to make and I had delicious leftovers that I didn’t get tired of eating.
I can attest that the Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup is one fabulous recipe! I haven’t tried the other listed ones yet, but I will definitely be making the black bean soup and the white spinach pizza soon.
I made your sesame noodles (from your cookbook) for dinner last night, adding kale and tofu cubes to make it a complete meal. Husband and I both loved it.
My favorite recipe from 2014 was Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan. It is simple and cooks quickly, with excellent flavor. I think it is perfect with sautéed mushrooms and extra Parmesan on top.
I made your curried lentils and the spinach feta grilled cheese. Both were amazing! I made the grilled cheese with a pretzel bread, but I didn’t think that was a good decision, so I’ll definitely be making it again with a flatter bread. I also made a batch of english muffins – perfect to freeze! Thanks for the awesome recipes!
I’ve made most of these recipes. This week I’m going to make your tortellini with veggies. That felafel salad is sheer genius! Keep ’em coming.