71 | THEME THURSDAY: Budget-Friendly Recipe for the Holidays or Anytime!

Hey friend!   If you are looking for the perfect low cost recipe for the holiday season that you can also enjoy any time of year, look no further!   This week's recipe not only uses staples most households typically have on hand, but it even can utilize an ingredient that you may normally throw away. Now that's frugal!   Blessings to your family, Mandy Thank you for helping this show rank in the top 2% globally! I appreciate you so much!   P.S. As promised, here is the full recipe with instructions:   Bread Pudding Ingredients: 6 slices day-old bread, torn into small pieces (FREE if you use up what you would toss, otherwise buy day-old or marked down bread for cheap.) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted ($4.49 for 16oz today at my Fred Meyer, but you’re only using a tiny amount) 2 cups milk (2% or whole is recommended) $2.59 ½ gallon or $3.69 gallon ¾ cup white sugar ($2.99 for 4lbs) 4 large eggs, beaten ($4.99 lowest price at my store) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ($1.25 at my store) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract $1.99 for imitation or $5.99 for pure (can also sub another flavor if you have it on hand or to change it up: Ex. pure orange extract is $2.29 at Fred Meyer or almond is $3.69, lemon is 3.49 (may need to play around with quantities of other flavors) Steps: 1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Place bread pieces into an 8-inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Sprinkle your choice of mix-ins over top - optional. 3. Whisk milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. 4. Pour mixture over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until all bread is covered and soaking up the liquid. 5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 45 minutes. Enjoy! Or add any optional toppings after if you’d like, but it’s not needed.