Category: Seasoning Salt

Deviled Eggs

This easy Deviled Eggs recipe is perfect for parties, potlucks and holidays. They’re guaranteed to disappear fast!

The post Deviled Eggs appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Deviled Eggs are a classic appetizer that’s always fun to serve at parties, Easter, potlucks, and during the holidays. It’s one of my mom’s favorite dishes to make for family gatherings and it always surprises me how fast they disappear! But it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to make these tasty little bites. They’re easy enough to make any day of the week and they’re a lot cheaper to make homemade. Keep the toppings simple or play around with some of our favorites listed below!😉

Overhead view of deviled eggs on a platter with different toppings.

What Are Deviled Eggs?

Deviled eggs are eggs that have been hard-boiled, cut in half, then the yolks mixed with other ingredients before stuffing them back into the whites. They can be basic, super fancy, or anywhere in between. They’re perfect for parties, potlucks, family gatherings, and during the holidays. Or during the week when you just have a craving for some tasty deviled eggs! There are so many options and different toppings to choose from when making deviled eggs, which makes them a LOT of fun!

Ingredients For Deviled Eggs

To make things easy we followed the same formula as our small batch deviled eggs recipe, that we already love, with one extra addition. So here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Eggs: We use large eggs and boil them following our easy how-to guide on How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs.
  • Mayonnaise: Mayo gives the filling a creamy, smooth texture.
  • Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds great tang and flavor to the deviled eggs.
  • Seasoning salt: To season the egg mixture we use Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning, but you can use any brand of seasoning salt like Lawry’s, Morton’s, or even a generic store brand. 
  • Dill relish: Relish is the extra added ingredient and my personal favorite! It adds lots of great dill flavor and some much-needed texture to the filling.

How Long Should You Boil Your Eggs?

When it comes to how long to boil eggs for deviled eggs, I followed our step-by-step guide on How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs and the eggs came out perfect!

The short answer is – boil large eggs for about 12 minutes to make hard boiled eggs. But there are a few other factors to keep in mind. I’ll share more details below.

Topping Ideas

This is where it really gets fun! We topped our deviled eggs with some chopped air fryer bacon, sliced green onions, and a little bit of paprika. But you can use all sorts of other toppings to make them your own or just to use up different ingredients in your fridge. Here are some more ideas for deviled eggs toppings:

How To Store Leftovers

If you don’t eat them all in one sitting, you can store any leftover deviled eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Side view of deviled eggs on a serving platter.
Overhead view of deviled eggs with different toppings on a serving platter.
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Deviled Eggs

This easy Deviled Eggs recipe is perfect for parties, potlucks and holidays. They’re guaranteed to disappear fast!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Total Cost $1.73 recipe / $0.29 serving
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 (2 halves each)
Calories 129kcal
Author Marsha – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the cold eggs to a saucepot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the eggs by one inch.
  • Place a lid on the pot and bring the water up to a boil over high heat. Once the water reaches a full rolling boil, turn the heat off and leave the pot on the burner (with the lid on) for about 12 minutes.
  • After 12 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill the eggs for about 5 minutes.
  • Next, peel the eggs then slice them in half. Pop the yolks out of the white and place them in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, seasoning salt, and dill relish and mash everything together to combine.
  • Spoon the seasoned yolk mixture back into the whites or place the mixture in a sandwich or freezer bag, snip off one corner of the bag, and pipe the filling into the egg whites.
  • Garnish the deviled eggs with your favorite toppings like paprika, chopped bacon, or sliced green onions. Serve and enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*We used Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning to season our egg mixture, but you can use any brand of seasoning salt like Lawry’s or Morton’s.

Nutrition

Serving: 2halves | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 253mg | Fiber: 0.1g
Overhead view of deviled eggs on a platter with different toppings.

How to Make Deviled Eggs – Step by Step Photos

Six eggs in a pot of boiling water

Add 6 large cold eggs to a sauce pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the eggs by one inch. Place a lid on the pot and bring the water up to a boil over high heat. Once the water reaches a full rolling boil, turn the heat off and leave the pot on the burner (with the lid on) for about 12 minutes.

Hard boiled eggs being placed in an ice bath.

After 12 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes.

Six hard boiled eggs peeled on a cutting board.

After the eggs have chilled, carefully peel the eggs then slice them in half.

The filling ingredients for deviled eggs in a small mixing bowl.

Pop the yolks out of the white and place them in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp seasoning salt, and 1 Tbsp dill relish.

Deviled eggs filling ingredients mixed together.

Mash the yolks together with the rest of the ingredients to combine.

Hard boiled eggs cut in half with deviled egg ingredients being pipped inside.

Spoon the seasoned yolk mixture back into the whites or place the mixture in a sandwich or freezer bag, snip off one corner of the bag, and pipe the filling into the egg whites.

Overhead view of deviled eggs on a platter with different toppings.

Garnish the deviled eggs with your favorite toppings like paprika, chopped bacon, or sliced green onions. Serve and enjoy!

Side view of deviled eggs on a serving platter.

More Easy Egg Recipes

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Fried Cabbage

This fried cabbage recipe is a super easy side dish that goes with just about any meal. It’s flavorful, budget-friendly comfort food at its best!

The post Fried Cabbage appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Fried cabbage is an incredibly underrated side dish, IMHO. It’s cheap, you only need a handful of simple ingredients, and it goes with everything. Plus, cabbage is one of my favorite budget ingredients because it’s so filling and nutritious, and you really don’t need a lot to make it taste great. This Fried Cabbage recipe is as easy as it gets and it’s so good that I find myself making it over and over. It’s one of those recipes where I actually look forward to eating the leftovers!

Overhead view of fried cabbage in a skillet.

Fried cabbage is a classic Southern side dish that you’re likely to find at BBQ joints and soul food kitchens across the Southern United States. It’s simply chopped cabbage that has been fried in bacon grease until golden brown and delicious. Seriously, words can not describe how amazing this melt-in-your-mouth cabbage is.

Ingredients for Fried Cabbage

It doesn’t take a lot to make fried cabbage taste incredible. Here are the few simple ingredients you’ll need to make this fried cabbage recipe:

  • Cabbage: This is the bulk of the recipe. It’s inexpensive, filling, and has tons of fiber (yay)! Look for cabbage that has a nice green color and isn’t very heavy for its size. Dense, compact cabbage can be underripe, have a tough texture, and lack flavor.
  • Bacon: Bacon adds flavor, salt, and fat to the cabbage, making it extra finger-licking good. See below for suggestions if you prefer a vegetarian fried cabbage or can’t eat pork.
  • Onion: Adding an onion to the fried cabbage brings both savory and sweet flavors to the table. The onion caramelizes a bit in the skillet bringing a slight natural sweetness.
  • Chicken Broth: Liquid helps steam and soften the cabbage, which can otherwise be quite tough. Using chicken broth instead of plain water ensures maximum flavor. You can substitute with other broth flavors, if preferred.
  • Seasoning Salt: I like to season my fried cabbage with an all-in-one seasoning salt, like Lawry’s or Tony Chacherie’s. We used Tony’s because I love the slightly spicy kick, but Lawry’s is equally as delicious.
  • Butter: A little bit of butter melted into the cabbage at the end gives the fried cabbage a deliciously rich finish.

Vegetarian Fried Cabbage

The bacon and chicken broth bring a large portion of the flavor to this dish, but you do have options if you’d like to make a vegetarian fried cabbage recipe. Simply swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth or a vegetarian “chicken” flavored broth to start. To replace the smoky flavor and fatty mouthfeel of the bacon, I suggest either adding more butter or a tablespoon of coconut oil and some smoked paprika. You may also want to increase the seasoning salt to replace the salt from the bacon.

What to Serve with Fried Cabbage

Fried cabbage is the perfect side dish for any Southern-style dinner. Try pairing it with Pulled Pork, BBQ chicken, pork chops, potato salad, black-eyed peas, cornbread, or ham.

How to Store Leftovers

Fried cabbage is quite delicious as a leftover and you don’t need to take any special measures when refrigerating it. Simply place it in a food storage container and refrigerate for up to five days. To reheat the fried cabbage you can either microwave until hot or place it back into a non-stick skillet and sauté over medium heat until heated through. I do not suggest freezing fried cabbage as it will likely get very mushy upon thawing.

Overhead view of fried cabbage in a bowl.
Close up overhead view of fried cabbage in a skillet.
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Fried Cabbage

This fried cabbage recipe is a super easy side dish that goes with just about any meal. It's flavorful, budget-friendly comfort food at its best!
Course Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Total Cost $3.39 recipe / $0.85 serving
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 (about 1 cup each)
Calories 184kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. bacon $1.33
  • 1/2 head green cabbage (about 1.25 lbs or 6 cups chopped) $0.99
  • 1 yellow onion $0.37
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth $0.52
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt $0.05
  • 1 Tbsp butter $0.13

Instructions

  • Add the bacon to a very large skillet and cook over medium heat until the bacon is brown and crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain the excess bacon fat, leaving about 2 Tbsp in the skillet (reserve the drained fat for later).
  • While the bacon is cooking, finely dice the onion and chop the cabbage into 1-inch pieces.
  • After removing the bacon from the skillet, add the diced onion and continue to sauté over medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). The moisture from the onions will begin to dissolve the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Once the onions are soft, add the chopped cabbage and chicken broth. Continue to let the cabbage cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until it has softened, most of the liquid has evaporated, and the edges begin to brown. If the skillet dries up before the cabbage is soft, add 2 Tbsp of water and continue to sauté until softened.
  • Once the cabbage is soft and the liquid has evaporated, add the butter to the skillet and stir until it has melted and coated the cabbage. Turn the heat off and add the seasoning salt, starting with ¼ tsp, then adding more to taste.
  • Finally, crumble the cooked bacon and stir it back into the cabbage. Give the cabbage a taste and adjust to your liking. Garnish with some freshly cracked pepper, serve, and enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 3g
Close up side view of fried cabbage in the skillet.

How to Make Fried Cabbage – Step by Step Photos

Cooked bacon in a large skillet.

Cook 4oz. of bacon in a very large skillet over medium heat until well browned and crispy. While the bacon is cooking, finely dice one yellow onion and chop ½ head of cabbage into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups once chopped).

Sautéed onion in the bacon fat.

Once the bacon is cooked, remove it from the skillet and drain most of the bacon fat leaving about 2 Tbsp in the skillet (reserve the drained bacon fat for later). Add the diced onion and continue to sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. The moisture from the onions should dissolve the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Chopped cabbage added to the skillet, broth being poured into the side.

Add the chopped cabbage and chicken broth to the skillet. Let the cabbage cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, allowing it to wilt down. If the skillet becomes too dry before the cabbage has softened, reduce the heat and add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Wilted cabbage in the skillet, seasoning being sprinkled over top.

Continue cooking the cabbage until it has softened, most of the liquid in the skillet has evaporated, and the edges of the cabbage begin to brown. Once the cabbage is soft, add 1 Tbsp butter and stir until it has melted and coated the cabbage. Turn the heat off and season with the seasoning salt, starting with ¼ tsp and adding more to taste (we used about ½ tsp).

Crumbled bacon added to the cabbage.

Finally, crumble the cooked bacon and stir it into the cabbage.

Finished fried cabbage in the skillet.

Taste the cabbage and adjust to your liking. You can garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and freshly cracked pepper.

Close up overhead view of fried cabbage in a bowl.

More Easy Cabbage Recipes

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Homemade Fish Sticks

Homemade fish sticks are easy to make, deliciously crispy on the outside, and light, flakey, and moist on the inside.

The post Homemade Fish Sticks appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Every now and then I get a MAJOR craving for fish sticks, but I’m not really a fan of store-bought frozen fish sticks. So instead, I use this homemade fish sticks recipe to get my fix. They’re surprisingly simple to make, they’re deliciously crispy on the outside, and light, flakey, and moist on the inside. Dip them in some homemade tartar sauce and I’m in heaven!

Close up overhead view of a plate full of fish sticks with one dipped into tartar sauce.

Fish sticks are seriously easy to make. They have two main components, the fish and the crispy breading. Super easy! Once you make your own fish sticks at home, there’s no going back to frozen.

Ingredients for Fish Sticks

Here’s what you’ll need to make these homemade fish sticks:

  • White Fish: You’ll want to use a mild white fish to make fish sticks, like cod, flounder, tilapia, or grouper. I used frozen flounder this time around because that’s what was available at the store for a good price, but I’ve also used cod many times. Frozen fish is usually a little more affordable than fresh, and it works great for fish sticks!
  • Flour, Eggs, Breadcrumbs: The crispy breadcrumb coating is made with just a few simple ingredients: flour, eggs, and Panko breadcrumbs (plus a little seasoning). Panko is the best type of breadcrumb for fish sticks because it’s extra light and crispy, so it doesn’t overpower the delicate fish.
  • Seasoning: You’ll definitely want a little seasoning to keep your fish sticks from being boring, so I made it easy by adding a Creole seasoning blend that includes salt. Any type of seasoning salt will work well.
  • Oil: Use high-heat cooking oil to shallow fry the fish sticks, like canola, vegetable, peanut, light olive, or sesame oil (not toasted).

Alternate Cooking Methods

I chose to shallow fry my homemade fish sticks because it’s SUPER fast and creates the most crispy and delicious bread coating. If you’re not a fan of this method, it is possible to bake them in an oven or use an air fryer, although the results won’t be quite as scrumptious. Here is how to cook fish sticks in an oven or air fryer:

Baked Fish Sticks: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Stir 2 Tbsp cooking oil into the seasoned Panko breadcrumbs (this helps the fish sticks brown and crisp evenly). Place the breaded fish sticks on a wire cooling rack placed on a baking sheet. Bake the fish sticks for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Air Fryer Fish Sticks: Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF. Stir 2 Tbsp cooking oil into the seasoned Panko breadcrumbs (this helps the fish sticks brown and crisp evenly). Place the fish sticks in the air fryer basket in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the air fryer. Cook the fish sticks at 400ºF for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Seasoning Ideas for Fish Sticks

I used Tony Chachere’s to season my fish stick recipe, but there are a lot of other great seasonings that would also work well. Just remember, if the seasoning blend you use does not contain salt, you’ll need to add about 1/4 tsp to the flour mixture and 1/2 tsp to the panko breadcrumbs. Here are some alternate seasoning ideas for your homemade fish sticks:

What to Serve with Fish Sticks

You’ll probably want a little something delicious to dip your fish sticks in, so I would suggest a creamy tartar sauce, a zingy comeback sauce, creamy-tangy mayo ketchup, or plain ketchup (if that’s how you roll).

To round out your fish stick meal, try pairing them with a creamy coleslaw or a zippier cumin lime coleslaw, go “fish and chips” style with some steak fries, or get some greens with a side of roasted broccoli. Or, go full on comfort food with some creamy mac and cheese. ;)

A hand dipping a fish stick into a bowl of tartar sauce.
Overhead view of a plate full of fish sticks with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
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Homemade Fish Sticks

Homemade fish sticks are easy to make, deliciously crispy on the outside, and light, flakey, and moist on the inside. 
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Total Cost $7.32 recipe / $1.83 serving
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 4 (about 4 fish sticks each)
Calories 384kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. white fish $6.00
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour $0.16
  • 2 tsp Tony Chachere's seasoning, divided* $0.20
  • 2 large eggs $0.18
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs $0.62
  • 1/4 cup cooking oil $0.16

Instructions

  • If the fish is frozen, thaw completely, then pat with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Cut the fish into "sticks" about three inches long and ½-inch wide, and no more than ½-inch thick (if using a thicker fish filet).
  • Prepare the breading by combining the flour and 1 tsp seasoning (Tony Chachere's or seasoning of choice) in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. In a third bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs and remaining 1 tsp seasoning.
  • Begin to bread the fish sticks by dipping them one at a time into the flour, then egg, then panko breadcrumbs. Place the breaded fish sticks on a plate or cutting board once breaded.
  • Heat the cooking oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough that a breadcrumb dropped into the pan sizzles strongly as soon as it hits the oil, you're ready to fry the fish sticks.
  • Fry the fish sticks in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, frying for 2-4 minutes on each side or until the breading is golden brown. Transfer the fried fish sticks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain as you fry the rest. If the oil gets too hot as you fry, remove the pan from the heat to allow it to cool slightly before continuing. Do not let the oil smoke. If needed, add slightly more oil and allow it to fully heat before cooking more fish sticks.
  • Allow the fish sticks a few minutes to cool slightly before enjoying with your favorite dipping sauce.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Use your favorite seasoning salt or seasoning blend. See the blog text above the recipe for more seasoning ideas.
The sodium content listed does not account for the fact that most of the seasoning salt is discarded with the unused flour and panko after breading the fish sticks. 

Nutrition

Serving: 4fish sticks | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 1367mg | Fiber: 1g
Close up of a fish stick dipped in tartar sauce.

How to Make Fish Sticks – Step by Step Photos

thawed flounder filets on a cutting board.

Thaw about 1 lb. of white fish, then dab with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. I used flounder because that’s what was available, but cod, tilapia, or grouper all work great.

Fish filets cut into fish sticks on a cutting board.

Cut the fish into “sticks” about three inches long and ½-inch wide. If you are using thicker pieces of fish, like a cod, filet the pieces in half to make sure they are not thicker than ½-inch.

Three bowls with ingredients for the breading (flour, eggs, breadcrumbs).

Prepare the ingredients for the three layers of the breadcrumb coating. In one bowl, combine ½ cup flour with 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning (see blog text above for alternate seasoning ideas). In a separate bowl, whisk two large eggs. In a third bowl, combine 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs with 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

Breaded fish sticks on a cutting board next to the three bowls of ingredients.

Begin breading the fish sticks by first dipping them in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess, then dipping them into the whisked eggs, and finally into the seasoned breadcrumbs until fully coated. Place the breaded fish sticks on a plate or cutting board.

Fish sticks being fried in a small pan.

Add ¼ cup high-heat cooking oil (like canola, vegetable, peanut, light olive oil) to a small skillet and heat over medium. Test the heat of the oil by dropping in a pinch of Panko breadcrumbs. When the breadcrumb sizzle furiously as soon as it hits the oil, it’s ready to fry the fish sticks. Work in small batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the fish sticks for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If the oil becomes too hot, take the pan off the heat for a moment or two before proceeding. If the oil begins to smoke, take it off the heat immediately.

Fried fish sticks on a paper towel lined plate.

Transfer the fried fish sticks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain as you cook the remaining fish sticks. Let them cool for just a few minutes before serving and enjoying!

Overhead view of a plate full of fish sticks with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

These things are SERIOUSLY SO GOOD. I already want to make another batch. 😜

Close up of a fish stick with a bite taken out, showing the flakey interior.

The outside is so crispy and the inside is so moist and flakey. Fish stick PERFECTION!

More Easy Seafood Recipes

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