Christmas Recipes – FoodWatcher

Sauteed Asparagus

This sauteed asparagus is crunchy, flavorful, and delightfully easy to make. It’s the perfect side for any meal.

The post Sauteed Asparagus appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Making an impressive main dish is hard work, so we’re partial to simple sides that pack a punch with little effort. This sauteed asparagus is crunchy, flavorful, and delightfully easy to make. All you need is a bunch of asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s almost too easy!

overhead view of sauteed asparagus in a frying pan with lemon wedges.

Here’s what you’ll need to make sauteed asparagus (psst: there are only 6 ingredients!):

Asparagus: Choose stalks that are firm to the touch and do not appear limp or wilted. The tips should be closed tightly.
Oil: Coats the asparagus to help it brown in the pan without burning. We like olive oil for the rich taste it imparts, but canola or vegetable will also work well.
Garlic: Adds a subtle earthy and savory flavor.
Salt and Pepper: Enhance the natural flavor of the asparagus.
Lemon: Adds a pop of brightness and freshness to the cooked asparagus.

What Else Can I Add?

This is a great recipe for playing with different seasoning blends. Try: nmn nbgy

Asparagus does not need to be cooked for long. Once it turns bright green from end to end, it’s done! In fact, it’s even better a little underdone. It should not be mushy or floppy in texture and appearance, it should hold its “spear” shape when cooked correctly.

WHat To Serve with Sauteed ASparagus

This sautéed asparagus is such a versatile side dish. It truly goes with everything! We love it served with Chicken Cordon Bleu, Garlic Butter Baked Cod, Glazed Pork Chops, or BBQ Ribs. Drizzle them with a little bit of Balsamic Glaze to really take them to the next level.

I served this asparagus with our Parmesan Risotto, and it made the ultimate fresh and delicious meal for my family.

Sauteed Asparagus

This Sautéed Asparagus is crunchy, flavorful, and delightfully easy to make. It's the perfect side for any meal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.74 recipe / $1.18 serving

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 60kcal

Author Jess Rice

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus (1 lb.) $3.87
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.13
1 tsp salt $0.05
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.05
1 clove garlic, minced $0.06
1 fresh lemon (optional) $0.58

Instructions

Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus.
Add oil to a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add asparagus and gently shake to cover each spear with oil. Add the salt and pepper and cook, shaking every so often, until asparagus turns bright green, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic to pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Remove the asparagus and spritz with a squeeze of lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

overhead view of sauteed asparagus on a plate with lemon wedges.

how to make Sautéed Asparagus – step by step photos

a bunch of asparagus with the ends trimmed off on a bamboo cutting board.

Cut off the woody ends of 1 bunch asparagus.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan on medium-high heat, then add the asparagus and gently shake to cover each spear with oil. Shake every so often, until asparagus turns bright green, about 5 minutes.

minced garlic on top of asparagus in a frying pan.

Sprinkle over 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper and add 1 clove minced garlic to the pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Remove asparagus and spritz with a squeeze of lemon juice from 1 whole lemon. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

close up of sauteed asparagus tips on a plate with a lemon wedge.

This sautéed asparagus is so simple and delicious!

Baked Ham

This Baked Ham is sweet, savory, and juicy– the perfect holiday meal. The glaze makes the outside nice and crisp but still tender.

The post Baked Ham appeared first on Budget Bytes.

When the holidays roll around (Hello, Easter!), there’s nothing my family craves more than a sweet and savory baked ham. I know what you’re thinking, ham is expensive. But this baked ham recipe is proof that a typically expensive meat can be budget-friendly. By using a boneless ham, we don’t waste a single dollar on bones, and it comfortably feeds 11 people. That’s a lot of ham! The texture of this ham is perfectly juicy with a great chew to it. The glaze makes the outside nice and crisp but still tender. There’s nothing quite like a beloved holiday tradition!

slicing a baked ham on a white plate with pineapple rings.

Why Make Baked Ham?

While Easter traditionally calls for lamb, ham has become the dominant centerpiece because it’s much less expensive and more readily available, both things we love here at Budget Bytes. This baked ham recipe is a true superstar. Salty, savory ham coated in a sweet and tangy glaze made from brown sugar and pineapple juice is just so good. The glaze is super sticky, extra sweet, and gives a beautiful color to your ham. Adding the pineapple juice to the glaze recipe really makes this glaze shine (literally and figuratively!)

Here’s what you’ll need to make baked ham:

Smoked Ham: We tested a bone-in ham and a boneless ham. Because hams are priced by weight, we found the boneless hams to be cheapest and offered in smaller quantities. We ended up going with a 5.5lb. ham for this recipe.
Sliced Pineapple: The pineapple helps keep the ham moist during cooking. Did you know pineapple also contains natural acidic enzymes that help tenderize any meat you cook with it?
Water: Helps steam heat your ham and keep it moist. The amount varies based on the size of your roasting pan. You will want 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan to ensure your ham is nice and juicy.
Spices: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and pumpkin pie spice create a beautiful blend of sweet and savory flavors.
Brown Sugar: Adds depth of flavor, a beautiful color and sweetness to the glaze.
Dijon Mustard: Adds balancing bitter notes, earthiness and tanginess to the glaze.

Do you bake a ham covered or uncovered?

We found that it’s best to bake this ham tented with foil to seal in moisture. Without the foil, the ham tends to dry out and turn tough. Remove the foil in the last 10 or so minutes of baking to reduce and brown the glaze.

Most hams sold in the U.S. are fully cooked but require several hours of heating in the oven. So, you can pop it in the oven and then focus on the rest of your side dishes!
If you do not need this much meat or your budget is stretched because of the cost of the ham, hunt for a smaller ham. Sometimes if you go to the deli counter, they can help you. Hams are sold by weight, so if you plan on 1/2 – 1/3 pound per person, that will help you choose which size ham your family needs!
I know the thought of “pumpkin spice ham” may sound strange, but pumpkin pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and black pepper… all perfect flavors to compliment a juicy, sweet-but-savory ham!
I only filled the bottom of our roasting dish with 1/2 inch of water. A lot of recipes call for 1 inch, but the drippings are great for basting or using as a gravy and we found them to be too diluted if we did the 1 inch of water.
The pineapples slid off to the side after the glazing at the end, but they did their job keeping the ham moist and tender. The glazing at the end of cooking will make your ham nice and shiny on the outside, so don’t worry about taking your ham in and out of the oven to baste it (unless you want to, certainly won’t hurt it!) You can always opt to just keep it tented and baste at the end.

What to Serve with Baked Ham

This tasty baked ham is truly the star of the show, so we recommend serving it with simple roasted carrots and steamed green beans.

Baked Ham

This Baked Ham is sweet, savory, and juicy– the perfect holiday meal. The glaze makes the outside nice and golden but still tender.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost $24.09 recipe / $2.19 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings (about 1/2 lb. each)

Calories 449kcal

Author Jess Rice