Making Spirits and Budgets Bright with Feasts: Sides

By More Food

Welcome back to the second part of making Spirits and Budgets Bright! When gathering friends and family alike we try to make our feasts last with extra dishes. This second part of our feasts series will focus on simple sides that can be made with pantry staples including dried, canned and frozen foods.

Todays featured recipes are: Biscuits, Green Bean Casserole and Oven Roasted Potatoes

Note for readers: the cost-per-dish is going off shopping for the entire recipe. Before going to the store always check what you have in your pantry to avoid overspending. Many of these ingredients can also be used in multiple recipes so think about what ingredients have versatility (spices, produce, canned goods, etc.) and if needed, swap with what you have on hand.

Shopping list prices were obtained from https://www.dollargeneral.com/. Prices and availability are subject to change depending on location.

Dollar General Corporation. Dollar General – Official Website. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.dollargeneral.com/.

3-Ingredient Drop Biscuits

If you are looking for alternative options to premade biscuit or pancake mixes, try out this recipe that utilizes self-rising flour. Self-rising flour is a premade mix that includes all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Making it ideal for quick breads, pancakes and some baked goods. If you are doing any kind of baking while on a budget, look for recipes that call for self-rising flour to trim down your shopping list.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup whole milk 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
  2. Using a medium-sized bowl, add two cups of self-rising flour.
  3. Unwrap one stick of cold butter and cut into small, pea sized pieces.
  4. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients (flour and butter).
  5. Pour the milk in the well and stir, just until the dough comes together and away from the walls of the bowl – about 30 seconds. For the flaky, tender biscuits, do not over mix.
  6. Grease or line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spoon or ice cream scooper, scoop batter onto the baking sheet. This recipe makes eight to ten biscuits.
  7. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until golden in color. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1 biscuit

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 557IU | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

Gerhardstein, Renae. “3 Ingredient Drop Biscuits (With Self-Rising Flour).” The Feathered Nester, last updated June 13, 2025. https://thefeatherednester.com/drop-biscuits/. Accessed November 10, 2025.

Shopping List

  • Lehigh Valley Whole Milk, half gallon : $1.40
  • Clover Valley Enriched Self Rising Flour, 5lb : $3.25
  • Clover valley unsalted butter, 16 oz: $3.95

Subtotal: $8.60 (if you are receiving SNAP this is what you would pay when using your EBT card!)

Post-tax total: $8.77

Cost per serving: $0.86 – $1.75 depending on biscuit size

Green Bean Casserole for a Crowd

Green bean casserole has been a staple holiday dish in the United States since the 1950s. Back then, Campbell’s Soup wanted to create an easy-to-make recipe with items that would already be present in a 1950s kitchen. They wanted the recipe to “reflect the tastes – and pantries – of the time.”

Ingredients

  • 3 (10.5 oz) cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 3 (15.5 oz) cans cut green beans drained
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 (6 oz) containers Crispy Fried Onions divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cream mushroom soup, drained green beans, milk and one container of crispy fried onions. Stir to mix well.
  3. Pour green bean mixture into a baking dish and top with the remaining can of crispy fried onions.
  4. Bake at 350 ºFF. for about 30 to 35 minutes and until the sides are beginning to brown and the casserole is bubbly.
  5. Let the casserole sit for about ten minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Makes 12 servings

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1168mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 774IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

“Grandma’s Easy Green Bean Casserole.” Kim’s Cravings, November 9, 2023; updated August 25, 2024. https://www.kimscravings.com/grandmas-easy-green-bean-casserole/. Accessed November 10, 2025.

Shopping List

  • Lehigh Valley Whole Milk with Vitamin D, Half gal: $1.40
  • Clover Valley Canned Cut Green Beans, 14.5 oz (3) : $2.55
  • Clover Valley Healthy Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup, 10.5 oz (3): $3.00
  • Clover Valley French Fried Onions, 6 oz (2) : $5.90

Pre-tax cost: $12.85 (if you are receiving SNAP this is what you would pay when using your EBT card!)

Post tax: $13.11

Cost per serving:  $1.07 

Easy Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes can be dressed up or enjoyed with simple ingredients and this budget friendly option offers a quick and convenient way to enjoy a merry dish without too much prep. Note, this recipe mentions using your broiler, this is optional and not recommended if you are using a glass baking dish.

Ingredients

  • 4 (15-ounce cans) whole potatoes, canned
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
  • 1 tablespoon paprika, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Place four tablespoons unsalted butter in a 9×13-inch metal or Ceramic baking dish. If you only have a glass baking dish, skip step 9.
  3. Place it in the oven while it is heating. Check after five minutes and remove from the oven when the butter is melted.
  4. Drain four (15-ounce) cans whole potatoes. Pat dry with paper towels.
  5. Halve the potatoes, or cut into thirds if large. Add the potatoes to the baking dish and sprinkle with one tablespoon paprika, and toss until evenly coated.
  6. Add more paprika as needed until visible and evenly coated. Arrange into an even layer.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Increase the temperature to 450ºF.
  8. Continue to bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until the potatoes are golden-brown and crispy, 30 minutes to one hour more.
  9. For extra-crispy potatoes, turn on the broiler [CLB1] and broil until dark golden-brown, two to four minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

Nutrition Facts

Makes 8 servings

Calories 182 Fat 8.0 g Saturated fat 4.9 g Carbs 25.7 g (8.6%) Fiber 3.6 g (14.5%) Sugars 1.2 g Protein 3.2 g (6.3%) Sodium 355.9 mg (14.8%)

“My Grandma’s Roasted Potatoes Are Worth Fighting Over.” The Kitchn. https://www.thekitchn.com/grandmas-roasted-potatoes-recipe-23228311. Accessed November 10, 2025.

Shopping List:

  • Clover Valley Canned Whole Potatoes, 15 oz (4) : $4.00
  • Clover Valley Unsalted Butter 16 oz : $3.95
  • Clover Valley Paprika, 2.12 oz : $1.00
  • Clover Valley Salt & Pepper, duo 3.43 oz : $1.00

Pretax: $9.95 (if you are receiving SNAP this is what you would pay when using your EBT card!)

Post tax: $10.15

Cost per serving: $1.24

Building memorable meals doesn’t need to be elaborate or break the bank. Try out one of these dishes and stay tuned for cozy soups and chilis in the next part of this series.

Photo by Danish Prakash on Unsplash

Photo by Jodie Morgan on Unsplash

Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash