Budget-friendly recipes don’t have to be boring. If you’re looking for fresh and delicious cooking ideas, created with affordability in mind, California Grown’s got you covered.
Every recipe developed by our friends at California Grown is designed to celebrate California’s agricultural abundance. The goal is simple: to highlight the Golden State’s 400+ specialty crops and inspire Californians (and anyone beyond our borders) to take advantage of the fresh, vibrant flavors at their fingertips.
Since the pandemic, budget-friendly recipes have only increased in popularity. California Grown has met that demand, taking always-in-season ingredients commonly found at food banks and in home kitchens, transforming them into simple and satisfying meals. From hearty breakfasts to kid-friendly snacks, these recipes are designed to be flexible, offering the perfect opportunity to get creative, swap in your favorite produce, or use up whatever you have on hand.
Budget-Friendly Recipes
Pantry staples, including California olive oil, canned tuna, and California ripe olives, get the glam treatment in this flavorful, Italian-inspired Fresh Tomato and Tuna Pasta!
Get the recipe for Fresh Tomato and Tuna Pasta from Aida Mollenkamp:
Looking for some last-minute dinner inspo? There’s a good chance you’ve already got all the ingredients you need to make one of California Grown’s most popular recipes – Pasta Foriana.
Get the recipe for Pasta Foriana:
Honey Garlic Chicken with Peach Salsa
Get your grill on! Our friend Britney tops her Honey Garlic Chicken with an always-in-season canned peach salsa that delivers big flavor on a small budget.
Get the recipe for Honey Garlic Chicken with Peach Salsa from Britney Breaks Bread:
Tuna Nicoise Salad, a classic French dish, gets a California-style makeover. Fluffy oven-roasted potatoes (from California…obviously) provide the perfect base for this flavorful, healthy meal.
Get the recipe Baked Potato Tuna Nicoise:
Roasted Potato and Bean Marbella
Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that beans are experiencing a serious glow-up. The once-humble pantry staple is now the star of countless viral recipes. Try this plant-based take on Chicken Marbella and find out what the fuss is all about.
Get the recipe for Roasted Potato and Bean Marbella:
Slow-Cooker Chili: the recipe you’ll have on repeat all year long. If you’ve got ten minutes in the morning to open cans of beans and chop a few fresh veggies, you’ll have a hearty meal waiting for you at the end of the day.
Get the recipe for Slow-Cooker Chili:
Nothing beats the irresistible aroma of freshly-baked Fig and Mandarin Focaccia! Bright, juicy mandarins and sweet dried figs mingle with fragrant herbs to create a flavor-packed focaccia that feels indulgent – without breaking your budget.
Get the recipe for Dried Fig and Mandarin Focaccia:
Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! Oatmeal Breakfast cookies taste like dessert, but they’re packed with healthy, accessible ingredients like CA GROWN dried fruits and nuts. We won’t tell if you don’t.
Get the recipe for Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies:
This creamy Strawberry Smoothie tastes more like an indulgent milkshake. Naturally sweet California Prunes enhance the flavor of the strawberries and mellow the tangy yogurt. It’s the perfect budget-friendly breakfast, snack – or even dessert!
Get the Strawberry Smoothie recipe:
Tangulu, Candied Fruit Skewers
Ever heard of tanghulu? This viral, “glass fruit” sensation is fun to make and works beautifully with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.
Get the recipe for Tangulu, Candied Fruit Skewers from The Delicious Life:
Once you try Cantaloupe Granita, you’ll never settle for an artificially flavored snow cone again. The Pistachio Brittle Bark garnish called for in this recipe is optional, of course, but highly encouraged.
Get the recipe for Easy Cantaloupe Granita:
Article by Hilary Rance. Images by Aida Mollenkamp, Meg van der Kruik, Sarah Gim, James Collier, Alison Needham and Britney Brown-Chamberlain.