From purchasing gifts for the holidays to the impending heating bill, adjusting to fall can be expensive. Luckily, there are ways to save money on what you eat, so you can use your money for everything else you need during the season. Take a look at the recipes below to find out how you can make autumn-inspired meals on a budget.
[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]
Breakfast. The first meal of the day is the most important, but it doesn’t have to be pricey. Over at the Something Swanky blog, you can find many frugal recipes for sweet treats, including one for Pumpkin French Toast. This recipe adds pumpkin spice flavor to jazz up a typical French toast dish.
With only six ingredients, you can save both time and money by making blogger Recipe Diaries’ Sausage Hash Brown Casserole. This recipe is easy and will last for a few days, so you’ll have more time during those busy mornings.
Appetizers. Before you start your meal, try some of these quick and easy appetizers. Living Sweet Moments has a recipe for Crunchy Baked Sweet Potato Chips that is the perfect snack if you are a fan of combining sweet and salty. What’s even better about this recipe is that it only requires three ingredients: All you need is one large sweet potato, olive oil and salt for extra taste.
If you enjoy a small soup before your meal, take a look at Veganosity’s recipe for a Creamy Roasted Carrot, Garlic and Rosemary Soup. All the ingredients for this recipe are fairly cheap and can be found at any average grocery store.
[See: 10 Money Leaks to Shut Down Now.]
Entrees. Cranberry sauce is often eaten alongside turkey on Thanksgiving, but you can try something different by using it as part of a marinade for chicken. The Frugal Girls blog has a recipe that shows you how to slow cook Crockpot Cranberry Chicken with only four low-priced ingredients.
Caramel apples are one of fall’s tastiest treats, and you can enjoy the flavor in a unique way with Caramel Apple Pork Chops. Sugar Dish Me has a recipe for this meal with a short ingredient list, so you won’t need to worry about spending over your weekly grocery budget.
Squash is also in season and is a vegetable you can easily add to a multitude of meals. Healthy Slow Cooking has a recipe for Butternut Squash Macaroni that includes a list of frugal ingredients. This dish is not only delicious, but is a healthier alternative to your typical macaroni and cheese.
For a creamy and filling dish, check out PopSugar’s recipe for Creamy Pumpkin and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes. This recipe uses low-cost ingredients that create a hearty meal. From the potatoes to the pumpkin, this is a perfect sweet and savory dinner for fall.
[See: How to Live on $13,000 a Year.]
Desserts. With apples now in season, there are plenty of options to find creative ways to eat them. Substitute the usual graham cracker crust with blogger Frugal Mom Eh’s recipe for Cheesecake Stuffed Apples. This recipe doesn’t require the use of a stove and has a short ingredient list.
If you are looking for another fun and frugal dessert, Cincy Shopper has a recipe for Nutter Butter Acorns. The best part of this recipe is that most of the ingredients only cost a couple of dollars. For extra savings, wait until after Halloween to purchase the chocolate chips and kisses on sale.
Snacks. If you aren’t too hungry and are just looking for a quick snack, try Caramel Apple Nachos. Blogger Lil’ Luna has the directions to make this sweet and sour snack along with many other inexpensive recipes.
For a grab-and-go treat, check out The Resourceful Mama’s Fall Snack Mix recipe. You can make as much as you want to fill small bags to take and share for days you are in a rush.
If you love sunflower seeds, you’ll love She Wears Many Hat’s recipe for Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. If you try any of the recipes above that require pumpkins, you won’t have to spend extra money for this snack. Save the leftover pumpkin seeds and bake them along with the spices included in the recipe.
Give some of these recipes a shot and check out the bloggers mentioned to find even more frugal fall meal ideas.
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Frugal Fall Recipes That Taste Delicious originally appeared on usnews.com
