Vegetarian Recipes
Easy Marinara Sauce
I know it’s super easy just to open up a jar of store-bought Marinara Sauce and pour it over your pasta, and sometimes that’s all the energy we have (no shame), but hear me out. This easy marinara sauce recipe is surprisingly simple, super inexpensive, and you get to control the ingredients (great for those watching their sugar or sodium intake). Plus, homemade marinara sauce is very freezer-friendly, so you can make a double batch now and save the other half for the nights when you have no energy. It heats through in minutes and you’re good to go with zero effort!
“Very delicious and I have made several times. I appreciate how you break it down and simplify all your recipes. I have done this recipe in my slow cooker and on the stove top and it always turns out wonderfully! Thank you for sharing!!”
Hope
Marinara sauce, in its most simple form, is just puréed tomatoes (or passata) and a small amount of herbs and spices. I’ve added a couple more ingredients here to satisfy my American palate, but the recipe remains very simple. The texture is very uniform without large chunks, which allows it to coat pasta evenly. I often use it as a sauce for pasta, but it can also be used in many other dishes or as a dipping sauce.
Budget-Friendly Tip!
This homemade marinara sauce recipe is written using canned crushed tomatoes, which offer both convenience and a low price. While you most definitely can make marinara sauce using fresh tomatoes, that would require several more steps and a reformulation of the recipe to account for the extra water and flavor differences.
When choosing the canned crushed tomatoes for this recipe, keep in mind that there can be quite a drastic flavor difference between brands. If budget is your main concern, this recipe makes a GREAT sauce even when using generic-brand canned tomatoes. But, even when you opt for a more expensive canned tomato, this recipe is still very easy and budget-friendly, making it a great option for special occasions like date nights!
Easy Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion $0.70
- 2 cloves garlic* $0.08
- 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.44
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.18
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes** $1.67
- 1/2 tsp dried basil $0.05
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano $0.05
- 1 tsp brown sugar, optional $0.02
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste $0.03
Instructions
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Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a sauce pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
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Add the tomato paste and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a slightly darker color. This caramelizes the sugars in the tomato paste to give it a slightly sweeter and less acidic flavor.
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Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, brown sugar, and salt to the pot. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste from the bottom of the pot.
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Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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After simmering for 30 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust the salt, sugar, or other seasonings to your liking. If the sauce is too acidic for your liking, you can let it simmer longer (about one hour) or add more sugar. Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to eat.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Video
Notes
**You can use any brand of canned crushed tomatoes. But, if you want to get a bit fancier, you can opt for a premium or imported brand, or even buy whole canned San Marzano tomatoes and purée them yourself. If you can not get crushed tomatoes where you live, passata will also work.
Nutrition
How to Make Marinara Sauce Step-by-Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a sauce pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add 2 Tbsp of tomato paste to the pot and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a slightly darker color. This caramelizes the sugars in the tomato paste, adding a natural sweetness.
Finally, add one 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste from the bottom of the pot. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer.
Once simmering, turn the heat down to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leaving a lid on the pot but slightly ajar can help prevent splatter.
After simmering for 30 minutes, give the marinara sauce a taste and adjust the salt or other herbs to your liking. If it’s still too acidic for your taste, you can either simmer it longer (around 1 hour total), or add more sugar.
How to Use Marinara Sauce
We all know that marinara sauce is great on pasta, but you can use it for other recipes, as well! Here are some other ways to use this easy homemade marinara sauce:
- Use it on pizza for a lighter tomato flavor. It’s particularly great on Margherita pizzas.
- Serve it with homemade meatballs and spaghetti.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for no knead focaccia bread or breadsticks.
- Combine it with other sauces like pesto or alfredo sauce to make a new pasta or dipping sauce.
- Add it to sandwiches, like meatball subs.
- Use it as a sauce for chicken parmesan or bolognese!
- Use it as a base for soup by adding more seasoning, broth, and other items like pasta, meatballs, or vegetables.
How to Store And Reheat
As mentioned, this marinara sauce recipe freezes beautifully. After cooking the marinara sauce, transfer it to the refrigerator until completely chilled. The sauce will stay good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or you can transfer it to the freezer for longer storage. Just make sure the sauce is in a freezer-safe container, label and date it, and then freeze for up to three months. To reheat, simply transfer the frozen sauce to a saucepot and heat over medium-low, stirring often, until heated through.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
Our Easy Marinara Sauce recipe was originally published 12/13/09. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/9/25.
The post Easy Marinara Sauce appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Vegetarian Recipes
How to Make Crispy Hash Browns
Potatoes are THE budget-friendly kitchen staple. They’re cheap and can be used in about a bazillion different ways. When I was asked for a tutorial on How to Make Crispy Hash Browns almost 9(!) years ago, I jumped on it. And all these years later, I still use this same method to get perfectly golden, crispy hash browns every time. I love making an indulgent breakfast on the weekends, and this recipe makes the perfect base for what I like to call my ultimate hash browns. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what I topped them with to take them to the next level. 😉
“Just made these with frozen hashbrowns. My husband took one bite and asked “Wow, what’s the secret to making them crispy?” I replied with “Beth.” 😂”
Erin
Easy Recipe for Crispy Hash Browns
Just like any breakfast potatoes, I’m sure everyone makes their hash browns differently. BUT, there are three things that I’ve found to be key to making really great golden brown hash browns: rinsing the starch off the potatoes, drying the potatoes well, and using an adequate amount of oil. Yes, that’s right, OIL! If you don’t use enough oil, the potatoes will dry and tend to go from white to burnt. Use enough, and you’ll get crispy yet moist potatoes with a beautiful spectrum of golden brown color.
This recipe only uses 3 simple ingredients (potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt), so each ingredient really matters! That’s why I like to keep things simple and focus on technique. And I’m happy to say this easy recipe has never failed me yet. 😁
Crispy Hash Browns Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)* $1.76
- 4 Tbsp cooking oil, or as needed** $0.16
- Seasoning salt to taste $0.05
Instructions
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Peel the potatoes, if desired. Use a large-holed cheese grater or food processor to shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well, or until the water runs clear. Let the potatoes drain.
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Squeeze the potatoes of their excess water by pressing against the side of the colander or squeezing in your fist. Or, place the potatoes in a clean, lint-free dish towel, roll them up, then press to remove excess moisture.
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Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat***. Once hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to spread the oil over the surface. Add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the surface of the skillet in a solid, yet thin layer (1/2 inch thick or so). Let the potatoes fry, without disturbing, until deeply golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Season lightly with seasoning salt.
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Flip the potatoes, and drizzle with additional oil if needed. Let the potatoes cook on the second side without disturbing until golden brown and crispy again. Season lightly on the second side.
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If needed, flip and cook one more time to achieve the ratio of brown to white that you like. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**You must use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, or sunflower oil. Butter obviously gives amazing flavor, but the butter solids tend to burn, so you’ll want to use clarified butter or ghee instead. I didn’t have the patience to clarify any butter, so I just used canola oil.
***I always use my 10″ cast iron skillet because it offers non-stick protection while giving really even heat and a nice surface for crisping. While stainless steel is also great for crisping, starchy foods (like potatoes) tend to stick a lot more on stainless, so it can be tricky. If you’re not well practiced with keeping food from sticking on stainless steel, I’d suggest either cast iron or a non-stick skillet.
Nutrition
How to Make Hash Browns step-by-step photos
Clean the potatoes: Start with two russet potatoes (about 2 lbs). You can either scrub them clean and leave the skin on or peel them. Gather the other ingredients.
Shred the potatoes: Use a large-holed cheese grater or a food processor to shred the potatoes. I found that the potatoes shredded fairly easily with the cheese grater, so it wasn’t worth cleaning out the food processor.
Rinse the shredded potatoes: Place the shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse them really, really, really well. The water running from the colander should be clear. Then, let them drain.
Dry the shredded potatoes: Making sure the potatoes are as dry as possible is my secret to keeping them crispy. If they have too much water on them, that water will turn to steam while they cook, which basically steams the potatoes and makes them soft. So, you can either let them drain a long time in the colander, squeeze them dry with your hands, or roll them up in a clean, lint-free towel and press them dry. I chose the towel method.
Make the hash browns: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add about a tablespoon of oil. Spread the oil over the surface of the skillet, then add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a solid but thin layer (only about 1/2 inch thick). You’re shooting for maximum surface contact here, so if they’re packed in there too thick, some won’t touch the skillet…and they’ll generate steam again and make everything mushy.
While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle on a little seasoning salt. This is the kind I use, but you can use whatever brand you like. I love the little bit of extra flavor and kick that seasoning salt adds to the crispy hash browns compared to just plain salt and pepper.
Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won’t form a nice crust, and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. 😊 Then, once they’re very golden, flip them. You might need to drizzle on a little more oil at this point to help the second side crisp up.
Then, LET THE SECOND SIDE BE until it’s also golden and crispy. Now, depending on how many potatoes you have in the skillet, you may want to flip and cook one last time to get most of the potatoes crispy, but that’s up to you. Some people like a 50/50 ratio of crispy to soft, some people like almost all crispy. Repeat the process a couple more times or until you’ve cooked all the potatoes.
Topping Ideas!
These crispy hash browns are great on their own and all, but why not make them ULTIMATE by adding lots of yummy toppings? I did a fried egg, some avocado slices, diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Waffle House ain’t got nuthin’ on my hash browns.
Serving Suggestions
On those days when I don’t want to add any toppings, I like to serve these homemade hash browns with something equally delicious to make it a complete breakfast! I love piling them up alongside candied bacon for the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Air fryer hard-boiled eggs are also great because they’re hands-off and cook themselves while I tend to the potatoes! But if I’m feeding a crowd, I’d go for something like a frittata or sheet pan pancakes since they’re both easy to make and can serve a lot of people at once.
Storage & Reheating
Let your leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a little oil or in the air fryer to crisp them back up again!
More Breakfast Potato Recipes
Our Crispy Hash Browns recipe was originally published 4/8/16. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/20/25.
The post How to Make Crispy Hash Browns appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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