all things food
Quick pickled cucumber salad with the tangy taste of apple cider vinegar paired with fresh cucumbers and red onions is not just for summer salad sides. Delicious and healthy, this light side dish recipe pairs well with just about every menu you have pl…
Quick pickled cucumber salad with the tangy taste of apple cider vinegar paired with fresh cucumbers and red onions is not just for summer salad sides. Delicious and healthy, this light side dish recipe pairs well with just about every menu you have planned this year. Why you will love making this salad If you...
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If you have never had a grilled pineapple salad recipe, you are in for a treat. The ease of an air fryer to grill up pineapple and peaches smothered in a light lime dressing packed with flavor is perfect to accompany a classic chicken sandwich this sum…
If you have never had a grilled pineapple salad recipe, you are in for a treat. The ease of an air fryer to grill up pineapple and peaches smothered in a light lime dressing packed with flavor is perfect to accompany a classic chicken sandwich this summer. Easy to make without firing up the grill, the air fryer...
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This corn salsa is a delicious blend of fresh corn, crisp red onion, and bright cilantro, all tossed with a tangy lime juice and a hint of spicy jalapeño. It’s a vibrant and flavorful recipe that’s perfect for brightening up any meal or snack!
This Traditional Chicken Salad is creamy, tangy, and full of tender shredded chicken. It’s like having a taste of the deli counter at home!
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When my dad comes to visit us here in Tennessee, I know I must be armed and ready with a menu that can please the pickiest eater in the world—him! That’s where this Traditional Chicken Salad recipe comes in handy. It’s creamy and tangy, and the tender pulled-apart chicken gives it the best texture. My oh-so-picky father eats with his eyes, too, and this beautiful salad doesn’t disappoint. It’s also a great way to sneak in some healthy fruits and veggies for loved ones who prefer meat for every meal.
In the world of salads, we certainly aren’t lacking in variety. And while I love a good pasta salad or barley salad, there’s something about a classic chicken salad that just hits the spot. Tender chicken is tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing and mixed with juicy red grapes, crisp celery, red onion, and chopped walnuts. I can’t think of one baby shower, potluck, or picnic that hasn’t had a bowl of chicken salad on the table. And it’s so easy to make! No deli counter, no waiting in line, and no hefty price tag—just simple ingredients and a few minutes in the kitchen are all it takes to make this family favorite.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best chicken salad recipe ever:
This recipe for chicken salad is the perfect ‘let’s clean out the fridge’ dish. Add some apples and dried cranberries for a Waldorf salad vibe, or mix in some halved cherry tomatoes and avocado for extra freshness. Other ingredients that work well in a traditional chicken salad include hard-boiled eggs, bacon, diced bell peppers, and cooked pasta. Basically, if it’s in your fridge and you think it would taste good in this salad, toss it in!
The fun thing about this salad is that it can be served as a main meal or as a side dish. Here are some ways me and my family enjoy it:
How long this traditional chicken salad recipe will keep totally depends on the freshness of your ingredients. Cooked chicken can last for 3-4 days in the fridge. If you make this salad on the same day you buy your rotisserie chicken, it should be good for at least 3 days when refrigerated and stored in an airtight container. Keep this in mind if you’re making it ahead of time for a party or meal prep for the week.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Carve one rotisserie chicken to remove all the white and dark meat – this should yield around 4 cups of meat. Using two forks, shred the chicken into smaller pieces and set aside for now.
Gather 1 cup of quartered, seedless red grapes, 1 cup of diced red onion, 1 cup of diced celery, and ¼ cup of chopped walnuts.
Add ¾ cups of mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a small bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients well to combine.
Add the 4 cups of shredded chicken, 1 cup of quartered red grapes, 1 cup of diced celery, and ¼ cup of chopped walnuts to a bowl and pour over the chicken salad dressing.
Toss all the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Serve the chicken salad over a bed of greens, on sandwiches, or any other way you like!
This traditional chicken salad is the quickest and easiest way to satisfy your craving for a classic deli-style chicken salad!
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This Tomato Relish is tangy, sweet, slightly spicy, and PACKED with fresh flavors—everything a store-bought relish wishes it could be!
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Consider this Tomato Relish your new go-to “I have so many tomatoes, I don’t know what to do with them!” recipe. It’s tangy, sweet, slightly spicy, and PACKED with fresh flavors. Basically, it’s everything store-bought relish wishes it could be. I’ve kept the recipe super simple (no rest time or canning here!), meaning it’s quick and easy to whip up a batch whenever you have an abundance of ripe tomatoes. Jar it up and give it away as gifts, or keep it all to yourself for topping burgers, sandwiches, and more!
Making a cheese board and need something to cut through the creaminess? Add some sweet tomato relish. Got leftover pulled pork in the fridge? Or how about a grilled cheese sandwich? You guessed it, add some of this relish! Juicy red tomatoes, zesty limes, mild red onion, simple seasonings, and sugar create the perfect balance of flavors in this recipe. And don’t worry, you don’t need any fancy equipment to make it. Everything comes together effortlessly in one pan on the stove—so easy.
Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade tomato relish:
Both are made from chopped veggies and/or fruit, an acid (often vinegar, but in this case, lime juice), and spices. So, in many ways, they’re very similar. The biggest difference between chutney and relish has to be the consistency. Chutneys, like our mango pineapple chutney, are usually thicker and spreadable as they’re cooked for longer. Relish is cooked for less time and has a chunkier, sweet and sour taste, with the fruit/veggies retaining more of their texture. Both are DELICIOUS and worth making at home!
This recipe for tomato relish would make a great holiday gift, so make as much as you want! I love homemade gifts, especially if my friends and family grew the tomatoes themselves or picked them up at our local farmers’ market! Those kinds of gifts are the most thoughtful and delicious from start to finish. This recipe yields about 6 mini 8oz jars, filled with about ¾ cups of relish per jar (you’ll want to leave a little space at the top of each sterilized mason jar, filling just to the designated “fill line”).
Here are some other ways I like to use tomato relish:
Store your tomato relish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you want it to last longer, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Use a freezer-safe container and leave about an inch of space at the top for expansion. When you’re ready to use the relish, thaw it in the fridge overnight and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Zest and juice 2 limes (this will yield roughly 3 Tbsp of juice) and dice ½ a red onion into small pieces. Gather 5 cups of roughly chopped and seeded tomatoes*, 1 Tbsp grated and peeled fresh ginger, 1 cup of sugar, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp ground cumin, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves**.
Add all the ingredients to a large pan and mix until combined.
Over medium heat, simmer the relish mix until the tomatoes and onions start cooking down. Stir the relish every few minutes to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The sugar will dissolve, and the mixture will become juicy as it cooks.
Continue simmering until the tomato relish cooks down by ¼ and deepens to a rich red color. Once the relish thickens but is still juicy, it’s done! Mine took about 30 minutes to get to this stage. Turn off the heat and either use the relish right away while it’s hot or let it cool down and store it in sterilized jars for later!
Say goodbye to store-bought tomato relish and hello to homemade goodness!
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There’s more room to play with flavors and textures!
There's more room to play with flavors and textures! These baked beans are the perfect potluck or barbecue side dish! Baked beans, bacon, onions, peppers are mixed in a sweet and delicious sauce creating the perfect depth of flavor!
With just a few ingredients and my easy grilling method, these grilled vegetables are the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ!
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There is no summertime meal that cannot be improved with a heaping side of perfectly Grilled Vegetables! These grilled veggies take very little prep time, and they’re the best option on fridge clean out day (which makes my busy life 100x easier and saves me money!). I’ve perfected grilling all kinds of vegetables including peppers, onion, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms for the ultimate Summer feast. Each healthy bite is infused with a smokey, summery flavor, and this recipe seriously couldn’t be any easier.
Grilling vegetables to perfection takes practice, but with this very simple and quick method, I promise you’ll never serve another soggy vegetable again. The secret? Less is more! Get that grill nice and hot to achieve those stunning grill marks. Bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash soften quickly, so they only need a few minutes on each side. The onions take a little longer to get those caramelized edges we all love – so they go on first!
Any leftovers can be added to all kinds of salads, pasta salads, sandwiches, and more. I could go on all day about the virtues of grilled vegetables, but I’ll spare you and let my easy recipe do the talking!
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best grilled vegetables EVER:
Please DON’T boil any of the veggies in this recipe before grilling! You’ll have a huge mess on your hands. Trust me, the high heat of the grill will cook them quickly and evenly without any need for pre-cooking. I’d only suggest parboiling denser vegetables like potatoes or carrots because they need more time to cook through. But for the vegetables in this recipe, grilling them directly is the way to go.
My rule for cooking vegetables using any technique is always: less is more! If you think they’re done, pull them off. There’s nothing wrong with a little crunch. It’s always preferred to an over-cooked, soggy veggie. Seriously, don’t stress over a side dish when you have a fun cookout happening in the background!
I couldn’t help but make a big bowl of our chimichurri sauce to serve with this recipe for grilled vegetables. It’s tangy and goes perfectly with the smoky flavors from the veggies. Add in some grilled chicken and stovetop baked beans, and you’ve got yourself an easy summer dinner!
This grilled vegetables recipe is great for making ahead of time. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like to add them cold to salads or sandwiches, but you can also reheat them in a pan or on the grill for a few minutes until heated through.
When I was looking for a grill for us to use in the Budget Bytes kitchen, I wanted one that was easy to find, simple to set up, easy to clean, and didn’t make me miss my charcoal grill. I went with the Ninja Sizzle Smokeless Grill after contemplating a few different ones that would be widely available at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. We have been super happy with it in the Budget Bytes kitchen.
The cheapest grill option I found was a simple and small camping charcoal grill. That’s also a great option if you want to grill outside, get that smokier grill flavor, and don’t mind keeping charcoal on hand.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Rinse all your veggies under cold water, excluding the onion. Pat them dry before chopping.
Using a knife or a mandoline slicer on the thickest setting, cut 1 zucchini lengthwise, about ¼ inch thick, and remove both ends. Remove the dry skin from 1 red onion and cut it into thick rings. Next, remove the stem from 8 whole mushrooms and cut 1 yellow squash into ¼ inch thick discs. The 8 mini bell peppers should be left whole, and the 6-8 vine tomatoes should still be attached to the vine.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 ½ Tbsp of olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ tsp of steak seasoning, and ½ tsp sugar.
Brush the olive oil marinade over your veggies, covering all sides.
Add the sliced onion rings to your grill as it preheats to 400°F.
Once the grill is fully heated, flip the onions and place the remaining veggies on the grill. Grill the vegetables for about 4 minutes until you get distinct grill marks.
Flip the vegetables and grill them for an additional 3-4 minutes or until they’re cooked to your liking. I like my grilled veggies to still have some bite, so I’m careful not to overcook them! I like the onions to cook for the longest as they become nice and sweet when they cook down (and they help flavor the grill for the other veggies!).
When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, sprinkle over the remaining ½ tsp steak seasoning and (optional) serve with BudgetBytes chimichurri.
No summer BBQ is complete without a generous serving of these easy grilled vegetables!
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This Barley Salad recipe combines tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, and feta cheese with high-fiber pearled barley for a rich and filling salad.
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I love a healthy salad with tons of texture, and this Barley Salad recipe is a fresh and juicy flavor bomb! I combined the bold Mediterranean flavors of tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, and feta cheese with high-fiber pearled barley for a rich and filling salad. Tossed in a tangy and herbaceous dressing, this salad is the perfect side for any meal!
Barley is a chewy and nutty cereal grain that is rich in fiber and minerals and is the base of this hearty grain salad. This barley salad is similar to our couscous salad but packed with even more wholesome veggies and feta cheese!
Here’s what you’ll need to make barley salad:
Store leftover barley salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I prefer to enjoy this salad chilled straight from the fridge!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Stir 2 cups of quick barley into 4 cups of briskly boiling water with 1/4 tsp sea salt.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff finished quick barley with a fork and allow it to cool while you prep your veggies.
Halve 1 cup grape tomatoes; strain and portion 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives; peel and dice 1 cucumber; and seed and dice 1 red bell pepper, 1 small zucchini, and 1/2 red onion. Crumble 1/2 cup of feta cheese and set aside.
Mince 3 Tbsp parsley; zest and juice 1 lemon; and gather 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
Whisk 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 3 Tbsp olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic powder together.
Combine the cooked and cooled quick barley, all prepped vegetables, crumbled feta cheese, and dressing in a large mixing bowl.
Toss everything to combine. Add salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!
Enjoy this rich and filling barley salad with your next healthy meal!
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Watermelon and feta salad is sweet, juicy, salty, and tangy! This flavorful salad is always in my top 10 side dishes every summer!
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I am passionate about salads in all forms, and this Watermelon and Feta Salad is no different! Fresh in-season watermelon is so sweet and juicy, and crumbled feta cheese is so wonderfully salty. I drizzled this summery, fruity salad with a tangy vinegar dressing to make the flavors really pop. This flavorful salad is always in my top 10 side dishes every summer!
I don’t know about you, but one thing that’s never left off my grocery list in the summertime is watermelon! We’re lucky here in Tennessee because you can find the sweetest and juiciest ones at our local farmers’ markets (or your neighbors!), but even if you buy them from the grocery store, they are affordable, especially when you consider how many servings you get out of just one melon! If you’re curious how to cut them without losing a finger, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s what you’ll need to make watermelon and feta salad:
This watermelon and feta salad is so delicious as is, but it’s also great with these additions:
Watermelon, as its name suggests, is full of water. I recommend enjoying this salad shortly after it’s made for the best flavor and texture. However, it will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. You may need to drain off excess juice before serving, and I highly recommend giving the salad a good toss!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
To make the dressing, combine 1 Tbsp white vinegar, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl. Whisk to emulsify.
Dice 1/2 of a small watermelon into 1/2-inch cubes.
Gather the diced watermelon, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1 diced cucumber, 1/2 of a julienned red onion, and 2 Tbsp each minced parsley and mint.
Pour the dressing over watermelon salad components.
Gently toss the salad in a large mixing bowl until combined. Be careful to not mash up all of the watermelon cubes! I like to let my watermelon feta salad sit in the refrigerator, covered, for a bit (even up to an hour or so!) to let the flavors really meld. Drizzle each portion with 1/2 Tbsp Homemade Balsamic Glaze. Top with extra salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
This refreshing watermelon and feta salad is about to become your favorite summer side!
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