Surviving January on a (Time & Money) Budget: 10 Easy Meals You Can Make with Buttermilk Biscuits

Ah, January! The month of fresh starts, new goals, and the occasional reality check. After the holiday season of gift-giving, feasts, and endless indulgence, January can feel like a breath of fresh air... and a little bit of a budget reset. We all know the feeling: the credit card bills have arrived, and maybe your bank account is looking a little lighter than you’d like…you’re most likely exhausted, and are really not in the mood to spend more time in the kitchen (how long did that holiday dinner take to prepare???). But don’t worry—Daisy’s got you!

Instead of stressing about the "what was I thinking?" moments from December (because let's be honest, we were all just living our best holiday lives), it’s time to embrace the joy of time and budget-friendly meals that will keep you satisfied without breaking the bank. The solution? Lazy Daisy’s Bake-at-home Buttermilk Biscuits. Yes, biscuits. Those fluffy, comforting little treasures that can turn any meal into something warm, hearty, and delicious and the best part is, you can bake up as many or as few as you need and, they’ll save you a ton of time in the kitchen as they only take 30 minutes in a 350 oven, or 20 minutes in the air fryer to bake to absolute golden perfection.

So, grab your favourite pack of biscuits (which also conveniently come in two-bite size), and let’s dig into 10 budget-friendly ways to make the most of them this January.

1. Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great), cream of chicken soup, mixed vegetables (frozen or canned), milk, and cheese.

• How to Make:

• Preheat your oven and bake the frozen biscuits slightly less than the package directions.

• In a casserole dish, mix cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, vegetables (like peas n’ carrots), and a little milk.

• Top with partially baked biscuits, then return to the oven and bake until biscuits are golden and the casserole is bubbly.

• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Uses affordable pantry staples and can stretch leftovers, like rotisserie chicken (or turkey), to make a filling meal. Pre-cooked chicken makes this recipe super quick and easy, so you can have dinner on the table in less than 45 minutes!

2. Biscuits and Gravy

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, Italian sausage (bulk sausage is cheaper), milk, butter, and flour.
• How to Make:
• Brown sausage in a skillet, then remove and set aside.
• In the same skillet, make a roux with butter and flour, then slowly whisk in milk to form gravy.
• Return the sausage to the skillet and stir until combined.
• Serve the gravy over warm, baked biscuits.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: A hearty, comforting meal using inexpensive sausage, pantry and fridge staples and easy to bake frozen biscuits that can are ready in 30 minutes flat!

3. Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, eggs, cheese, breakfast sausage or bacon or veggie toppings like baby leaf spinach, tomato or portabello mushrooms.
• How to Make:
• Bake the biscuits according to package directions.
• Cook scrambled eggs and breakfast meat (sausage patties or bacon).
• Assemble sandwiches by splitting the biscuits and adding eggs, cheese, and meat.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Easy to scale up or down depending on the number of servings needed, and you can use ingredients already on hand (like leftover bacon or sausage). You can also make these ahead of time and freeze them, for a quick, on-the-go breakfast.

4. Biscuits and Chili

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, canned (or homemade chili), cheese, and sour cream (optional).
• How to Make:
• Bake biscuits as directed.
• Heat canned chili (or homemade chili) on the stovetop.
• Serve a bowl of chili with a warm biscuit on the side, or break the biscuit into the chili and top with cheese and sour cream.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Chili is a budget-friendly, filling dish, weather you make it at home or buy it pre-made and adding fresh buttermilk biscuits makes the meal more substantial without a lot of added time or effort.

5. Biscuits Topped with Beef Stew

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, stew meat (buy in bulk or use a cheaper cut like chuck), carrots, potatoes, onions, canned beef broth, and seasoning.
• How to Make:
• Brown the beef stew meat in a pot, then add chopped vegetables and beef broth. Let it simmer until the meat is tender and the stew is rich. Using a slow cooker will save you a lot of time and will result in super tender beef.
• Bake the biscuits and serve them atop the stew, allowing the biscuit to soak up the flavorful sauce.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Stew meat can be inexpensive if you buy tougher cuts and leave it to simmer on low heat or in a slow cooker. It’s one of those “toss everything into a pot and go about your business” type of meals, which I LOVE. Adding a soft buttery biscuit on the side makes this a complete meal, turning a simple stew into a hearty dinner.

6. Biscuit Pizza (Personal Pizzas)

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni or any other pizza toppings you have on hand.
• How to Make:
• Defrost biscuits (about 30 minutes at room temperature) and flatten them out into mini pizza crusts.
• Top with pizza sauce, cheese, and your choice of toppings.
• You can also turn these into Pizza Pockets – which is a kid—favourite!
• Bake according to the biscuit package instructions until the biscuits are golden and the cheese is melted.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Great for kids and customizable based on what you already have in your pantry or fridge. Frozen biscuits make for a quick and easy and pizza base without compromising flavour. 

7. Cheesy Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, cooked chicken, frozen peas and carrots, cream of chicken soup, milk, and cheese.
• How to Make:
• Mix cooked chicken, soup, peas, carrots, and a bit of milk to make the filling.
• Pour into a baking dish, top with frozen biscuits, and bake until golden brown.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: This is a great way to use up leftover chicken or any affordable protein, and the biscuits turn this simple meal into something comforting and filling. Since the protein is pre-cooked, the pot-pie should be ready in about 30 minutes.

8. Biscuits and Sausage Meatballs

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, sausage, breadcrumbs (optional), and marinara sauce.
• How to Make:
• Make small meatballs from the sausage and brown them in a skillet.
• Add marinara sauce and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
• Bake the biscuits and serve with the meatballs and sauce over the biscuits.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Sausage is usually quite affordable, and the biscuits serve as a hearty base to soak up the delicious sauce. Add a side salad, and you have yourself a perfectly balanced meal in no time.

9. Biscuits with Tomato Soup

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, canned tomato soup, shredded cheese (optional).
• How to Make:
• Bake the biscuits according to the package instructions.
• Heat canned tomato soup, and serve with the biscuits on the side or as a biscuit dipper. If canned or tomato soup isn’t your thing and you have a bit more time on your hands or prefer something with a little more kick, check out recipe for Spicy Parsnip, Apple & Sweet Potato Soup. It’s one of my favourites!!
• Top the soup with cheese if desired.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: There is something so comforting and nostalgic about a bowl of tomato soup on a cold January day and though you could have it with a grilled cheese sandwich, the way I did as a kid, replacing the toast with some freshly baked buttermilk biscuits helps elevate this super simple dish to adult status, without a ton of added time or effort.

10. Sloppy Joe Biscuits

• Ingredients: Frozen buttermilk biscuits, ground beef, onion, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.
• How to Make:
• Cook the ground beef with onions, then add ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to create the sloppy joe mixture.
• Bake the biscuits, then split them and top with the sloppy joe mix.
• Why It’s Budget and Time-Friendly: Sloppy joes are a classic, affordable meal, and biscuits make an easy, yet decadent, base to turn them into a more filling and shall I say, elevated dish.

From casseroles to pizzas, there’s no shortage of ways to turn Lazy Daisy’s Buttermilk Biscuits into a meal that will make you feel like you're living your best (and most frugal) life. Have some leftover biscuits? Check out my 7 Ways to Serve Up Daisy’s Bake-at-Home Buttermilk Biscuits blog.

But hey, if you’re feeling too lazy to cook, Lazy Daisy’s Cafe has got you covered. Just order something delicious off our menu, kick your feet up and leave the cooking to us!