A good recipe is only as good as the cook who makes it and sometimes we have to make some cuts to the shopping list. If you don’t want to shell out a ton of dough for new recipes and unusual ingredients then read on to find out how you can save money on your recipes- without sacrificing flavor!
Bread Products
One way to save money is by making your own bread crumbs. Simply pulse stale bread in the food processor until you get a medium to fine texture. If you’re feeling fancy add in some Italian seasoning or garlic powder for extra flavor. These are a great option for recipes like tuna noodle casserole or spaghetti and meatballs.
Don’t have stale bread? Use croutons or follow the crouton recipe below.
Make your own croutons by first cubing stale bread. Pop these cubes onto a baking tray and drizzle olive oil on top. Add any spices you’d like and some salt. Bake at 375˚F for 15 minutes or until they have crisped up to your liking. Make your own custom flavors for specific soups and salads or just use up your old bread each week. Either way you save some moola.
Dairy Products
Instead of buying yet another container of dairy products you can make buttermilk substitute made from milk and vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon vinegar to one cup milk for deliciously tender baking recipes that rise perfectly.
Use whole milk when you can instead of heavy cream. This trick really works best to save money if you already buy milk every week. It cannot replace cream in every recipe, but in many cakes, soups, and sauces you can get away with this trick.
Whip your own cream instead of buying it premade. This is a wonderful way to use up cream from another recipe that’s going spare. Stabilize your freshly whipped cream by adding 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and/or 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 cup cream before whipping to stabilize. Or use 1/2 teaspoon cream or tartar instead and your home-whipped cream will retain its shape much longer on desserts instead of deflating right away.
Use sour cream instead of crème fraîche. It will be just a bit tangier, but works well for many recipes.
Yogurt that can work well to substitute for sour cream as a topping or as a substitute for milk or eggs in baking recipes.
Spices
Throw granulated sugar in blender or food processor to make superfine sugar instead of buying it. This is so easy to do and most of us already have regular granulated sugar on hand at all times.
In some recipes you can use Italian seasoning instead of herbes de Provence. If you cook French recipes a lot you might want to keep the real thing on hand, but if you only dabble then some Italian seasoning can be a good substitute for a one-off recipe. There are subtle differences between the two, but it’s slight (depending on the brand) so it works for many recipes.
Meats and Cheeses
In recipes that call for Gruyère you can often substitute Swiss cheese instead, which is so much cheaper. It won’t have the exact same flavor, but in a pinch it can work.
For recipes that call for goat cheese you can often get away with using feta cheese instead. This works well for things like salads and pitas. But, if you’re going to be melting the cheese in a sauce stick to goat cheese as it’s softer and melts better than feta.
You can use Parmesan instead of Pecorino Romano for many recipes. The flavor isn’t quite as strong, but since most of us already have Parmesan on hand this one can save you money for sure.
In soups, stews, and casseroles cut the amount of meat by half and increase the amount of beans, veggies, and/or pasta to make it stretch further. Then use the other half of the meat for another meal. This is a classic way to save money, but it can also make your meals healthier by adding more fiber and more nutrients.
Doing any one of these can save a bit of money, but keeping tricks like these in mind week over week can lead to some significant savings on your groceries each month. The little things really do add up!