Readers’ Favorite Recipes of 2025
Sometimes there are just those recipes you keep coming back to, again and again. Here on Easy Cheap Recipes, these have been your top 20 recipes that you’ve kept coming back to and cooking over and over! There really is something for everyone, from cheesy noodles, to creamy pastas and nourishing soups!
Creamy Rotel Pasta with Ground Beef
By far our most popular recipe this year was our Creamy Rotel Pasta, and it is not difficult to see why with tender penne pasta shapes tossed in a creamy spiced sauce with ground beef and Rotel diced tomatoes – it’s a real family favorite!
Strawberry Banana Pudding
When it comes to simple desserts with comforting, nostalgic flavors this Strawberry Banana Pudding is it! Made with an easy banana pudding base, pieces of fresh fruit, and a layer of vanilla wafers you’ll love this pudding inspired by the ultra-creamy custard at Magnolia Bakery.
Potato Salad with Raisins
It is no surprise that so many of you love this recipe for Potato Salad with Raisins, it is filled with so many different colors, flavors and textures! It is worth making for the creamy mayonnaise and Dijon mustard dressing alone, spiked with apple cider vinegar and baby pickles it is loaded up with fresh dill for that nostalgic flavor!
Creamy Veg-All Casserole with a Buttery Cracker Topping
This Creamy Veg-All Casserole is the perfect budget family dinner made from common pantry staples. It’s an easy dump-and-bake dinner that works just as well as a side dish as it does the main event!
Firebirds’ Chicken Pasta Copycat Recipe
You don’t even need to worry about leaving the house for a fancy dinner this Firebirds’ Chicken Pasta Copycat recipe is so good! With tender grilled chicken and that signature asiago-chili sauce sauce, it’s a pasta recipe that ticks all those spicy, creamy boxes!
Potato Stroganoff
This easy Potato Stroganoff may not look like much, but what it may lack in looks it more than makes up for in flavor! Made with a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, sliced potatoes, ground beef and onions it is the ultimate comfort food perfect for chilly evenings.
Turnip Green Soup
Cheap, filling and so easy to make this Turnip Green Soup recipe is delicious served with a piece of cornbread! Made using canned turnip greens, it is also super affordable, and super easy to prepare!
Ground Beef Alfredo with Broccoli
Fettuccini Alfredo is already an incredible recipe, but here we’ve levelled it up with the addition of ground beef and broccoli! This Ground Beef Alfredo is a real crowd-pleaser, easy to make from pantry-staples.
Banana Custard
There is nothing better than a classic Banana Custard, so no wonder it was one of your favorite recipes! This easy recipe makes a nostalgic custard just like your mom used to make, perfect for making banana pudding or simply to enjoy as it is.
Rattlesnake Pasta
If you’ve not tried it before, Rattlesnake Pasta is a deliciously creamy Cajun chicken and bell pasta recipe inspired by the classic J. Alexander’s dish, all pulled together with an irresistible alfredo sauce. It’s a restaurant-quality dish no one will believe you made from scratch!
Hot Dog Soup
You kids are going to LOVE this Hot Dog Soup! Sliced hot dogs are stirred into a tomato broth with potatoes and vegetables for a tasty one-pot meal made from pantry staples.
Easy Cheesy Ramen Noodles (Stovetop or Microwave)
Ramen noodles are amazing tossed with any creamy sauce, so obviously combined with cheese they’re next-level! These quick, affordable noodles are ready in under 30 minutes (on the stovetop or microwave) and are perfect for when you need some serious comfort food.
Popcorn Soup
This Popcorn Soup recipe is creamy, buttery, and so much fun! It’s silky smooth and the kids will love adding popcorn to the pot, watching it melt in the soup. Just remember to keep some pieces back to sprinkle over the top of each bowl!
Chicken Ranchero
This Mexican-inspired Chicken Ranchero recipe is saucy and satisfying, filled with bold spices and delicious served with tortillas, tostadas, or some simple white rice. Even better, you can make it either mild or spicy depending on your preferences!
Tuna Tetrazzini
Tuna Tetrazzini is the ultimate nostalgic dinner, and this recipe is just like you remember it! With tender tuna, sweet peas, tasty mushrooms and creamy pasta, everything is baked together over a cheesy, crunchy top. Delicious!
Tangerine Chicken
This Tangerine Chicken recipe is cheaper, and dare we say it tastier than anything you could get as take-out! It’s sweet, savory, tangy, and super-addictive, serve it with white or brown rice and you’ve got something just as good as eating out!
Ground Chicken Soup
Sometimes nothing beats a delicious bowl of chicken soup, and this Ground Chicken Soup recipe is so much more affordable than making it from scratch with a whole chicken! With tender pasta, perfectly cooked veggies, and a hit of lemon, this is about to become your new go-to chicken soup recipe!
Jerk Chicken Alfredo
With Caribbean-inspired flavors and a creamy alfredo sauce, this Jerk Chicken Alfredo recipe is perfect to make for dinner tonight if you’re craving pasta but you want to change up the flavors! And, by choosing a mild or spicy Jerk seasoning, you can adjust this recipe to suit your families tastes.
Vanilla Brownies with Buttercream Frosting
These are the BEST Vanilla Brownies, made even better with a classic buttercream frosting and plenty of rainbow sprinkles. Rich, chewy and buttery, the white chocolate chips are an optional add-in, depending on your mood.
Chicken Costoletta (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Chicken Costoletta is a real Cheesecake Factory favorite, and this copycat recipe is the perfect way to enjoy it at home! Cheaper, and dare we say it even more delicious than the original who can say no to perfectly golden breaded chicken served with a dreamy lemon cream sauce??
