Budget Cooking Guide

It's easy to purchase baked beans in a can, but making your own in the slow cooker results in a rich and deliciously flavored side dish that you'll feel better about serving to guests.

This 15-minute spinach side dish is quick, simple, and oh-so delicious. Fresh spinach is wilted in batches with lemon peel, garlic, and chicken broth. Serve this to a vegan crowd by using vegetable broth.

Take canned tuna to new heights by adding cannellini beans, red onion and dill, tossing it in a lemon-pepper-Dijon dressing and serving it over a spinach salad with canned beets.

Don't tell your kids, but we snuck a whole head of cauliflower into these garlic mashed potatoes. The cauliflower, garlic and potatoes are all cooked at the same time and mashed with butter and cream cheese. Your kids will love this side dish and the best part is you won't have to remind them to eat their vegetables!

This incredibly simple and quick recipe for roasted sweet potatoes relies on the most basic of seasonings--olive oil, salt and pepper. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's a great side dish for a family dinner on a busy weeknight but because it's so easy and delicious, it can also be doubled or tripled and served at larger gatherings.