How I Test And Price Recipes
By Haley Nelson, Cheap Recipe Blog
Cheap Recipe Blog was founded in 2011 by Haley Nelson in Minnesota. It features 700+ budget-friendly recipes, most costing under $5 per dish. Every recipe is cooked, photographed, and tested by me in my own home kitchen. I do not use AI to write or generate recipes.
This page explains exactly how I test recipes, how I figure out what they cost, and how I fix mistakes, so you can decide how much to trust the numbers.
Who tests the recipes
I do. I develop, cook, photograph, and write every recipe myself, in a regular home kitchen with a standard electric oven, gas stove, and everyday cookware, not a professional test kitchen. If a recipe works for me with ordinary equipment, it should work for you.
How I test a recipe
- Develop it. I start from a classic or a pantry-staple idea and write a first draft with exact measurements. I choose recipes based on dishes I make at home, old family recipes, variations on popular dishes, reader requests, and regional classics like Midwestern hotdish.
- Cook it at least 2 times. I make each recipe at least two times, adjusting ingredients, timing, and technique until the result is consistent.
- Weigh and measure. I measure ingredients rather than eyeballing them, so the written amounts match what I actually cooked.
- Check it for budget cooks. I test with store-brand ingredients where possible and note substitutions that work whenever possible, so a missing ingredient doesn’t derail dinner.
- Photograph the real dish. The photos on each recipe show the dish I made, not stock images.
- Gather feedback. I take all feedback seriously, whether that is reader comments or having friends and family taste test.
How I calculate cost per serving
Price is the point of this blog, so here is the method:
- Where prices come from. I use groceries from ALDI, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Cub Foods, Hy-Vee in Minnesota at regular shelf prices, not sale or coupon prices. Occasionally I will shop at salvage grocery stores, but note that in the blog content.
- Store brand by default. If a store-brand option exists, I price that.
- Only what the recipe uses. I price the amount used, not the whole package. For example, if a recipe uses 1 cup of a 5 lb bag of flour, I count that fraction of the bag.
- Pantry staples. Salt, pepper, and water are counted as free. Optional add-ins (such as soup toppings) are not included in the total.
- Servings. Cost per serving is the total ingredient cost divided by the number of servings listed in the recipe.
- Dates. Grocery prices change, so each recipe shows the date its cost was last checked.
Measurements and standards
Recipes use US customary measurements. Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens. Cook times are ranges, since ovens and stovetops vary, and I describe what to look for (color, texture, internal temperature) alongside the time.
Nutrition information
I don’t include calorie counts or other nutrition facts on my recipes. This blog is about cooking real food affordably, and nutrition calculators can vary a lot depending on the brand and the way an ingredient is measured, so I’d rather not give numbers I can’t stand behind. If you track calories or have dietary needs, you can plug the ingredient list into a nutrition calculator of your choice, and I’m always happy to point out easy swaps in the comments.
Food safety
I follow standard USDA guidance for safe cooking temperatures, cooling, and storage. Storage and reheating instructions appear on recipes where they matter.
No AI-generated recipes
Recipes, photos, and cost calculations on this site are created by me, not generated by AI.
Updates and corrections
If a recipe needs a fix, I update the post and note the date of the change. If you find an error or a price that’s far off, please tell me through the contact page or in the comments, and I will check it.
Questions about a recipe?
Leave a comment on any recipe or contact me. I read and reply to them myself.