Reason: I had all the stuff to make some kind of baked pasta dish in the pantry/fridge/freezer: Rigatoni, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, seasonings. Eggplant was on special at Aldi for 99 cents.
Inspiration: Easy Baked Ziti recipe that I tore out of the newspaper and Eggplant Parmesan Rigatoni recipe from an old Rachel Ray magazine.
Process:
1. Slice an eggplant to make rounds. Spread out and salt.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 casserole dish.
3. Boil a pound of rigatoni. Cook 3 minutes less than the directions on the box. Drain and reserve some of the pasta water.
4. Mix a big carton of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, jar of pasta sauce, and seasonings of your choice. Mix in cooked pasta. Add a bit of the hot pasta water until the mixture is creamy.
5. Pour pasta in casserole. Top with 1-2 cups of mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
6. Beat one egg. Stir in a little milk. Pour flour on a plate. Heat oil in a large pan for frying.
7. Pat eggplant dry. Dredge each slice in milk and flour. Fry in oil.
8. Slice fried eggplant into strips and serve with baked rigatoni.
Verdict: The recipe earned a "Keeper" rating from Step-Daughter and unprompted reheating and eating by Husband. (It was actually taken out of the refrigerator, scooped into a bowl and microwaved. That is a big endorsement.)
Servings: 10
Cost: Approximately $7.75 or $0.78 per serving
Rigatoni $1.00
Pasta Sauce $1.58
Mozzarella Cheese $2.00
Cottage Cheese $0.98
Eggplant $0.99
Egg $0.07
Milk $0.15
Flour $0.10
Oil $0.75
Salt $0.01
Garlic Powder $0.03
Pepper $0.01
Crushed Red Pepper $0.04
Italian Seasoning $0.04
Today's spending so far: $58.03 gas, tolls, ice skating party for S-D, pumpkins, and fragrance-free dryer sheets. (Yes, I know skating and pumpkins aren't a necessity!)
Total since 10/29: $37.63
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Stove Top Stuffing
I found the recipe years ago, back when I was in college. I'm not completely sure why I was looking at Stove Top Stuffing boxes. I never remember eating Stove Top as a kid and it's not the kind of thing that you're drawn to, you know. I don't think you wander the grocery store aisles and are suddenly stopped dead in your tracks by a row of gleaming red boxes calling out "Chicken!" "Pork!" "Turkey!" "Cornbread!" And can you ever photograph stuffing so it looks appealing? Also? I've never cooked it on the stove-top.
So anyway, I was looking at a box of "Pork!" Stove Top one day almost 10 years ago and found this little recipe. It's a surprisingly tasty way to zazz up some pork chops. I made it for my college roommates. Then I made it for my parents. It made its way into the "Recipes We Have Tried and Enjoyed Compiled with Love by Mom" cookbook my mom made for me and Brother. And now, I've made it for Husband "What are you doing with that? Why are you mixing THAT with THAT? What IS that?...Hmm, this tastes pretty good." And it was all part of my pantry/freezer clean-out.
Orange-Glazed Pork Chops
1 package stuffing mix for pork 77 cents Thanksgiving is a good time to find this cheap.
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped $1.97
1/4 cup butter, cut up 28 cents
4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick $3.20
1/3 cup orange marmalade 42 cents
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard like 19 cents, maybe?
Mix stuffing mix, 1 1/2 cups hot water, oranges, butter until moistened; set aside.
Spoon stuffing into a 12x8 baking dish. Top with chops (My chops were very thick so I had to de-bone them and halve them. They were beautiful and any self-respecting red-blooded American would have thrown them on the grill or something else that sounds carnivorous. Just call me a commie.)
Mix marmalade and mustard; spread on chops. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until chops are cooked through.
Total: $6.38 This was a meat heavy dinner for us--something like I would have had as a kid when dinner wasn't dinner unless it was a hunk of meat and some potatoes. Something green? If you must, but we preferred corn.
This was about 5 servings, especially because I cut the (now four) chops into smaller pieces. So total per serving was $1.37.
__________
What I ate today:
Breakfast I had a work breakfast. You want to know something weird. I've never expensed a work breakfast before. I've never thought to do so until today...maybe I will but with coffee it cost $5.75 If I made it at home it would have cost $1.26.
Lunch Grilled turkey & cheese and chicken broth (Just so you know, I count chicken broth as free because I make it from leftovers that are costed out already--like chicken bones and leek tops. Also the cheese was free because sometimes I sign up to get free stuff from the webs. Downside, Chase is adamant that I need a new credit card.) 43 cents
Snack: Lep Cookie free from Mom for Christmas (They've been in the fridge and are neither stale nor moldy.)
Dinner In-Laws are taking us out to eat for Husband's birthday, which happens to be today. Woot, 1/11/11!
Total: $6.18
So anyway, I was looking at a box of "Pork!" Stove Top one day almost 10 years ago and found this little recipe. It's a surprisingly tasty way to zazz up some pork chops. I made it for my college roommates. Then I made it for my parents. It made its way into the "Recipes We Have Tried and Enjoyed Compiled with Love by Mom" cookbook my mom made for me and Brother. And now, I've made it for Husband "What are you doing with that? Why are you mixing THAT with THAT? What IS that?...Hmm, this tastes pretty good." And it was all part of my pantry/freezer clean-out.
Orange-Glazed Pork Chops
1 package stuffing mix for pork 77 cents Thanksgiving is a good time to find this cheap.
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped $1.97
1/4 cup butter, cut up 28 cents
4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick $3.20
1/3 cup orange marmalade 42 cents
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard like 19 cents, maybe?
Mix stuffing mix, 1 1/2 cups hot water, oranges, butter until moistened; set aside.
Spoon stuffing into a 12x8 baking dish. Top with chops (My chops were very thick so I had to de-bone them and halve them. They were beautiful and any self-respecting red-blooded American would have thrown them on the grill or something else that sounds carnivorous. Just call me a commie.)
Mix marmalade and mustard; spread on chops. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until chops are cooked through.
Total: $6.38 This was a meat heavy dinner for us--something like I would have had as a kid when dinner wasn't dinner unless it was a hunk of meat and some potatoes. Something green? If you must, but we preferred corn.
This was about 5 servings, especially because I cut the (now four) chops into smaller pieces. So total per serving was $1.37.
__________
What I ate today:
Breakfast I had a work breakfast. You want to know something weird. I've never expensed a work breakfast before. I've never thought to do so until today...maybe I will but with coffee it cost $5.75 If I made it at home it would have cost $1.26.
Lunch Grilled turkey & cheese and chicken broth (Just so you know, I count chicken broth as free because I make it from leftovers that are costed out already--like chicken bones and leek tops. Also the cheese was free because sometimes I sign up to get free stuff from the webs. Downside, Chase is adamant that I need a new credit card.) 43 cents
Snack: Lep Cookie free from Mom for Christmas (They've been in the fridge and are neither stale nor moldy.)
Dinner In-Laws are taking us out to eat for Husband's birthday, which happens to be today. Woot, 1/11/11!
Total: $6.18
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Erik Estrada
SimpliFried launched this week. It's a sister blog to Unclutterer. I'm looking forward to following this blog for awhile to see what kind of advice and delicious dishes they come up with.
One of the first posts on the SimpliFried blog is "Elastic Recipes"--ones that are generic enough to incorporate whatever is on special at the grocery store or left in your fridge or freezer. This is a topic I've been thinking about for awhile, so in honor of the SimpliFried launch and my first recipe post of 2011, I'm posting one of my elastic recipes: Erik Estrada.
I love stratas. You can make them ahead of time and warm them up. I always have breakfast when I arrive at work so I want my morning prep to be grab-and-go before I leave the house. Let's face it, I'm usually running late, so whatever I grab for food for the day has to be quick. Plus, stratas feel more like a celebration--a fancy brunch dish--than a granola bar. They are hearty and the aroma of them warming in the microwave makes all of my coworkers jealous because Erik Estrada is all mine.
And Erik Estrada is very flexible. He has a few basic needs: eggs, milk and bread. Beyond that you can dress him up or strip him down as much as you like. (We're still talking about food, not a television motorcycle-riding member of the California Highway Patrol. Quit being gross!)
I can't find the strata recipe I used for my base, but I remember it pretty well. (I think). Anyway, there are lots of recipes for strata online that you can consult if you think the proportions or bake time are off on this.
Flexible Erik Estrada
10-12 slices of bread, cubed. Whenever we get down to the heels, I throw them in the freezer. Same thing with bread that is getting stale or has been around too long. I planned to use it for stuffing/dressing but I used it all for the strata. This was taking up a lot of space in my freezer! What I used was a mix of homemade bread and store-bought heels, but for argument sake we'll call this 72 cents.
A dozen eggs. I had 10 eggs. Luckily, I had a carton of egg whites that had the equivalent of 2 eggs left in it. I uncluttered my fridge and freezer with just one recipe! This time at the grocery store there wasn't a sale so this cost about 2.04.
2 cups half and half. I used a 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream that was leftover from Christmas Ice Cream and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Just milk would be fine and it would cost 48 cents.
1/4 cup bacon. Here is where the fun starts. Just use any meat you'd like. Use however much you'd like--within reason. We have some leftover ham that I wish I'd used. Don't like meat? Don't use it. I used 4 strips of bacon. It cost about 60 cents.
2 cups shredded cheese. Again, use any you'd like and as much as you'd like. $1.28
Can of mushrooms, drained. I don't know what it called for, but I used mushrooms. Here you can use whatever you want. Use up whatever isn't going to last too long in the fridge. Cook up some onion and pepper. Pop in some roasted asparagus. Open up your freezer and use the last bits of broccoli, spinach or corn that is lingering. Lots of possibilities--Erik Estrada loves him some vegetables. 69 cents
Ok. best as I remember, you mix up the bread, meat, cheese, and veg and dump it into a greased 9 x 13. If you've got a small house like me, maybe cut this recipe in half. I've been chewing on Erik Estrada every morning for a week.
Whisk up the eggs and milk. If you've opted for soft cheese, you can whisk it in here. If you want to get fancy with your pantry, throw in some spices or herbs. Salt and pepper are always good options.
Pour the eggs over the bread. Refrigerate for a while. Overnight would be best. Bread gotta soak up them eggs otherwise it's just the old, stale freezer-burned shit you had cluttering up your freezer.
Bake in a 350 oven for like an hour I think. If it gets too brown, cover it with foil. If it gets too smelly, you're probably done baking. Check the middle and if it's not runny, you're probably done. Remember, I said probably. If you get salmonella, it's not my fault. It's Erik Estrada's. Maybe you can get some of that money he made for being on The Surreal Life with Ron Jeremy and Vanilla Ice.
Let your Estrada sit about 10 minutes. Then dig in! It's better than the critically acclaimed telenovela Dos Mujeres, Un Camino.
Total cost: $5.81. This could probably serve 12 so total per serving is about 48 centavos.
One of the first posts on the SimpliFried blog is "Elastic Recipes"--ones that are generic enough to incorporate whatever is on special at the grocery store or left in your fridge or freezer. This is a topic I've been thinking about for awhile, so in honor of the SimpliFried launch and my first recipe post of 2011, I'm posting one of my elastic recipes: Erik Estrada.
I love stratas. You can make them ahead of time and warm them up. I always have breakfast when I arrive at work so I want my morning prep to be grab-and-go before I leave the house. Let's face it, I'm usually running late, so whatever I grab for food for the day has to be quick. Plus, stratas feel more like a celebration--a fancy brunch dish--than a granola bar. They are hearty and the aroma of them warming in the microwave makes all of my coworkers jealous because Erik Estrada is all mine.
And Erik Estrada is very flexible. He has a few basic needs: eggs, milk and bread. Beyond that you can dress him up or strip him down as much as you like. (We're still talking about food, not a television motorcycle-riding member of the California Highway Patrol. Quit being gross!)
I can't find the strata recipe I used for my base, but I remember it pretty well. (I think). Anyway, there are lots of recipes for strata online that you can consult if you think the proportions or bake time are off on this.
Flexible Erik Estrada
10-12 slices of bread, cubed. Whenever we get down to the heels, I throw them in the freezer. Same thing with bread that is getting stale or has been around too long. I planned to use it for stuffing/dressing but I used it all for the strata. This was taking up a lot of space in my freezer! What I used was a mix of homemade bread and store-bought heels, but for argument sake we'll call this 72 cents.
A dozen eggs. I had 10 eggs. Luckily, I had a carton of egg whites that had the equivalent of 2 eggs left in it. I uncluttered my fridge and freezer with just one recipe! This time at the grocery store there wasn't a sale so this cost about 2.04.
2 cups half and half. I used a 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream that was leftover from Christmas Ice Cream and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Just milk would be fine and it would cost 48 cents.
1/4 cup bacon. Here is where the fun starts. Just use any meat you'd like. Use however much you'd like--within reason. We have some leftover ham that I wish I'd used. Don't like meat? Don't use it. I used 4 strips of bacon. It cost about 60 cents.
2 cups shredded cheese. Again, use any you'd like and as much as you'd like. $1.28
Can of mushrooms, drained. I don't know what it called for, but I used mushrooms. Here you can use whatever you want. Use up whatever isn't going to last too long in the fridge. Cook up some onion and pepper. Pop in some roasted asparagus. Open up your freezer and use the last bits of broccoli, spinach or corn that is lingering. Lots of possibilities--Erik Estrada loves him some vegetables. 69 cents
Ok. best as I remember, you mix up the bread, meat, cheese, and veg and dump it into a greased 9 x 13. If you've got a small house like me, maybe cut this recipe in half. I've been chewing on Erik Estrada every morning for a week.
Whisk up the eggs and milk. If you've opted for soft cheese, you can whisk it in here. If you want to get fancy with your pantry, throw in some spices or herbs. Salt and pepper are always good options.
Pour the eggs over the bread. Refrigerate for a while. Overnight would be best. Bread gotta soak up them eggs otherwise it's just the old, stale freezer-burned shit you had cluttering up your freezer.
Bake in a 350 oven for like an hour I think. If it gets too brown, cover it with foil. If it gets too smelly, you're probably done baking. Check the middle and if it's not runny, you're probably done. Remember, I said probably. If you get salmonella, it's not my fault. It's Erik Estrada's. Maybe you can get some of that money he made for being on The Surreal Life with Ron Jeremy and Vanilla Ice.
Let your Estrada sit about 10 minutes. Then dig in! It's better than the critically acclaimed telenovela Dos Mujeres, Un Camino.
Total cost: $5.81. This could probably serve 12 so total per serving is about 48 centavos.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
99 Cent Potatoes
Sometimes the store had 5 pound bags of potatoes for 99 cents. It is during these times that our household enjoys what I like to call Irish Potato Feasts. Except I'm not Irish and I'm sure the potatoes aren't Irish, but Husband has been called a "thievin' Mick" before so I guess that's close enough. (Note: He's never really stolen anything.)
I used a potato or two in the Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie I made awhile ago but now I'm getting serious about potato cooking. Especially since I brought home a metric ton of sweet potatoes from Parents' after Thanksgiving. Do you know what I forgot? The pumpkin I was gonna cook.
This is a recipe I like to call Loaded Scalloped Potatoes. It's like a loaded baked potato, only they're scalloped potatoes. I don't know what the difference is between scalloped and au gratin. I don't need to know, really. They both scared me as a child. Probably because school lunches and church dinners were the only place I came into contact with anything scalloped or au gratin. And during school lunches and church dinners, you must choose wisely. Once at a church dinner Sibling and Friend found a rubber band in a dessert. Pops had a theory about how the rubber band got there--something to do with a newspaper. We call that recipe Rubber Band Dessert at our house. It's good, minus the newspaper detritus.
Despite my scalloped fear, I settled on this recipe because I was going to load it with good stuff. Free ham from Thanksgiving and a box of frozen chopped broccoli. And cheese, lots and lots of cheese. Cheese is always the right choice. I used a scalloped potato recipe out of my BH&G cookbook just to make sure I did the scalloped part right.
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion 25 cents
1 clove garlic, minced 5 cents
2 tbsp butter 14 cents
2 tbsp flour 1 cent
salt and pepper
1 1/4 c milk I use powdered milk for stuff that isn't drinking. 12 cents
1/2 c mozzarella cheese 32 cents
1/4 c Parmesan cheese 21 cents
3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 18 cents
10 oz chopped, frozen broccoli, thawed and drained 99 cents
2 cups chopped ham free
1/2 cup cheddar cheese 32 cents
In a pan, cook onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add the white cheeses and stir until melted.
In a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole, layer 1/2 the potatoes, 1 cup of ham, and 1/2 the broccoli, top with 1/2 the sauce. Repeat.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, top with cheddar and bake 15-20 minutes more.
Total: $2.59
___________________
Breakfast: Oatmeal with cranberry sauce 33 cents
Snack: 1/2 granola bar 10 cents
Lunch: turkey wrap and oreos (from the honor snacks) $1.70
Dinner: Not-so-Hamburger Helper 63 cents
Total: $2.76
This made about 6 servings so 43 cents per serving. It went very fast!
I used a potato or two in the Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie I made awhile ago but now I'm getting serious about potato cooking. Especially since I brought home a metric ton of sweet potatoes from Parents' after Thanksgiving. Do you know what I forgot? The pumpkin I was gonna cook.
This is a recipe I like to call Loaded Scalloped Potatoes. It's like a loaded baked potato, only they're scalloped potatoes. I don't know what the difference is between scalloped and au gratin. I don't need to know, really. They both scared me as a child. Probably because school lunches and church dinners were the only place I came into contact with anything scalloped or au gratin. And during school lunches and church dinners, you must choose wisely. Once at a church dinner Sibling and Friend found a rubber band in a dessert. Pops had a theory about how the rubber band got there--something to do with a newspaper. We call that recipe Rubber Band Dessert at our house. It's good, minus the newspaper detritus.
Despite my scalloped fear, I settled on this recipe because I was going to load it with good stuff. Free ham from Thanksgiving and a box of frozen chopped broccoli. And cheese, lots and lots of cheese. Cheese is always the right choice. I used a scalloped potato recipe out of my BH&G cookbook just to make sure I did the scalloped part right.
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion 25 cents
1 clove garlic, minced 5 cents
2 tbsp butter 14 cents
2 tbsp flour 1 cent
salt and pepper
1 1/4 c milk I use powdered milk for stuff that isn't drinking. 12 cents
1/2 c mozzarella cheese 32 cents
1/4 c Parmesan cheese 21 cents
3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 18 cents
10 oz chopped, frozen broccoli, thawed and drained 99 cents
2 cups chopped ham free
1/2 cup cheddar cheese 32 cents
In a pan, cook onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add the white cheeses and stir until melted.
In a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole, layer 1/2 the potatoes, 1 cup of ham, and 1/2 the broccoli, top with 1/2 the sauce. Repeat.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, top with cheddar and bake 15-20 minutes more.
Total: $2.59
___________________
Breakfast: Oatmeal with cranberry sauce 33 cents
Snack: 1/2 granola bar 10 cents
Lunch: turkey wrap and oreos (from the honor snacks) $1.70
Dinner: Not-so-Hamburger Helper 63 cents
Total: $2.76
This made about 6 servings so 43 cents per serving. It went very fast!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Grandpa's Banana Bread
*I'm doing my Reverb 10 on a special page dedicated to it. Look over there if you're interested in that kind of thing.------------->
My Grandpa was awesome. As grandparents usually are, my grandpa was old. He turned 70 the year I was born. By the time I knew him, he walked with a cane and wore a very natty hat. After my grandma died, he moved a couple blocks from our house. He loved baseball and worked in our garden. He went on our Great Summer Vacations with us. He was an great pitch player and had Ricky Skaggs records. He had cable television way before we did so sibling and I watched old shows on Nick at Nite at his house. He always kept "sody pop" for us--the generic kind that was so full of sweetener it was a can of heaven. He was in Europe during World War II, only went to school until the 8th grade, and always knew what was going on in the news. He was most excellent.
He also baked. Chocolate chip cookies were his specialty. My friend still makes them for her daughter and husband. I haven't made his famous cookies for awhile, but I have been making his banana bread quite alot.
My step-daughter likes banana muffins in the morning for breakfast. The pre-made banana muffins from the grocery store bakery are expensive. These are cheap and easy. Instead of putting the batter in a bread pan like Grandpa did, I put it in muffin cups.
Grandpa's Banana Bread
3 bananas 21 cents
1/2 c oil 16 cents
2 c flour 16 cents
3/4 c sugar 25 cents
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda 4 cents
Mash the bananas. Mix everything up. Put those paper liners in a muffin tin. Fill 2/3. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until done.
Total: 82 cents plus muffin liners 16 cents. 98 cents
This makes 16 muffins so they're 6 cents each.
________________________
Breakfast: Banana muffin 5 cents
Lunch: Leftover free turkey and green bean bundles 72 cents
Snack: Granola bar 21 cents
Dinner: I got suckered into Steak and Shake by husband. $5.14
Total: $6.12
My Grandpa was awesome. As grandparents usually are, my grandpa was old. He turned 70 the year I was born. By the time I knew him, he walked with a cane and wore a very natty hat. After my grandma died, he moved a couple blocks from our house. He loved baseball and worked in our garden. He went on our Great Summer Vacations with us. He was an great pitch player and had Ricky Skaggs records. He had cable television way before we did so sibling and I watched old shows on Nick at Nite at his house. He always kept "sody pop" for us--the generic kind that was so full of sweetener it was a can of heaven. He was in Europe during World War II, only went to school until the 8th grade, and always knew what was going on in the news. He was most excellent.
He also baked. Chocolate chip cookies were his specialty. My friend still makes them for her daughter and husband. I haven't made his famous cookies for awhile, but I have been making his banana bread quite alot.
My step-daughter likes banana muffins in the morning for breakfast. The pre-made banana muffins from the grocery store bakery are expensive. These are cheap and easy. Instead of putting the batter in a bread pan like Grandpa did, I put it in muffin cups.
Grandpa's Banana Bread
3 bananas 21 cents
1/2 c oil 16 cents
2 c flour 16 cents
3/4 c sugar 25 cents
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda 4 cents
Mash the bananas. Mix everything up. Put those paper liners in a muffin tin. Fill 2/3. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until done.
Total: 82 cents plus muffin liners 16 cents. 98 cents
This makes 16 muffins so they're 6 cents each.
________________________
Breakfast: Banana muffin 5 cents
Lunch: Leftover free turkey and green bean bundles 72 cents
Snack: Granola bar 21 cents
Dinner: I got suckered into Steak and Shake by husband. $5.14
Total: $6.12
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Green Bean Bundles
No canned mushroom soup, french fried onion topped green bean glop for me. My green bean bundles have gained wide acceptance among the in-laws as the way to have green beans at family gatherings. Even some of the kids are on board with these beans.
The trick to making them so delectable is what I've come to understand as the food trifecta: salt, fat and sugar. These aren't every day beans. They've been primped. They're special party beans.
Green Bean Bundles
3 cans whole green beans the first instance of salt $1.50
1 pound bacon salt + fat $3.49
1 stick of butter fat + salt 57 cents
1/2 cup brown sugar sugar 25 cents (?)
garlic powder to taste
Cut the bacon in half, lengthwise. Roll up 8-12 green beans in half a slice of bacon. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bring the butter and sugar to a boil. Pour over the green beans.
Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.
Total: $5.81. This makes about 24 or so bundles. That would make each bundle 24 cents. Two make a good side dish size serving. Not totally cheap but more impressive and way tastier than green bean casserole.
_________________________________
Breakfast: Um, a tortilla with ham (free) and a slice of cheese with horseradish. Yeah. 38 cents Not counting the horseradish--it's medicinal.
Lunch: Enchilada 99 cents
Snack: Clementine and Granola Bar 56 cents
Dinner: Green Bean Bundles $1.68
Total: $3.61
The trick to making them so delectable is what I've come to understand as the food trifecta: salt, fat and sugar. These aren't every day beans. They've been primped. They're special party beans.
Green Bean Bundles
3 cans whole green beans the first instance of salt $1.50
1 pound bacon salt + fat $3.49
1 stick of butter fat + salt 57 cents
1/2 cup brown sugar sugar 25 cents (?)
garlic powder to taste
Cut the bacon in half, lengthwise. Roll up 8-12 green beans in half a slice of bacon. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bring the butter and sugar to a boil. Pour over the green beans.
Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.
Total: $5.81. This makes about 24 or so bundles. That would make each bundle 24 cents. Two make a good side dish size serving. Not totally cheap but more impressive and way tastier than green bean casserole.
_________________________________
Breakfast: Um, a tortilla with ham (free) and a slice of cheese with horseradish. Yeah. 38 cents Not counting the horseradish--it's medicinal.
Lunch: Enchilada 99 cents
Snack: Clementine and Granola Bar 56 cents
Dinner: Green Bean Bundles $1.68
Total: $3.61
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Poor Man Fancy Snacks
Happy Thanksgiving! It's the official start of the holiday season. And you know what that means...lots of people coming in and out of your house or you going in and out of a lot of other people's houses. You don't want to be seem an ungracious host or guest. So take some snacks!
I love snacks. Who doesn't? I think every day is snack-worthy, but some people reserve snacks for special occasions. Nothing is more special than the holidays. So you can't just be like, "Ya want some chips?" You should serve fancy snacks. And because I Can't Afford It, and maybe you can't either, try some Poor Man Fancy Snacks.
My favorite category of Poor Man Fancy Snacks is "You c'n put it on a Saltine." (Note: Today everything that is written in quotes has an accent when I say it in my head. Think NASCAR and Busch Light before noon--all in all, a pretty good life. But not cooking meth and losing teeth--those people wouldn't appreciate fancy snacks. They'll be happy with a bag of chips and a bowl of Skittles.) If you happen to be more flush with cash, you can also put these things on fancier crackers, or those little bread slices. You can even put them on vegetables!
Today's "You c'n put it on a Saltine" snack was inspired by black olive tapenade and Laughing Cow cheese. I liked to put this on my celery, but then I ran out of it.
Here's how it happened: Saturday, "as I was gittin' the mustard for my corn dog" I noticed a forlorn half jar of green olives. Then I remembered that I had a few roasted red peppers in oil left in a jar in the back of the fridge. Then the wheels in my head started turning. And ladies and gent, I present to you:
Green Olive and Red Pepper Tapenade
1/2 jar green olives, liquid drained off
1/4 - 1/3 jar of roasted red peppers in oil
couple peeled garlic cloves
Throw it all in the food processor. Dump it back in one of the jars to store. Fin
I don't know how much this costs. Maybe 70 cents for a cheap 1/2 jar of olives. Maybe the roasted red peppers were $1.33. And the garlic was like 10 cents. So $2.13 total? And I probably have 10-20 servings in there so about 20ish cents per serving? The good thing about this is that you can use up things you buy for one recipe but end up with leftovers you don't know what to do with--you can use green olives, black olives, capers, roasted red peppers, anything that is in a salty-briny solution, plus something olive oil-y (or just add some olive oil to the food processor). I think garlic or a little bit of onion is a good addition.
I like this on a cracker or a crispy vegetable--celery, thick slices of cucumber, etc--with a shmear of cheese. Laughing Cow is great but regular cream cheese works.
And there you have it, your first installment of Poor Man Fancy Snacks--You C'n Put It on a Saltine. I look forward to trying out/making up more Poor Man Fancy Snack recipes in the future. My mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook from the early 1970s is rife with inspiration. I'll have to figure out what to substitute for the MSG some recipes call for, though.
_______________________________
I'm visiting family for Thanksgiving so I scheduled this to post. I don't know what I'm eating today, but most of it will be absolutely free. Time to camel up!
I love snacks. Who doesn't? I think every day is snack-worthy, but some people reserve snacks for special occasions. Nothing is more special than the holidays. So you can't just be like, "Ya want some chips?" You should serve fancy snacks. And because I Can't Afford It, and maybe you can't either, try some Poor Man Fancy Snacks.
My favorite category of Poor Man Fancy Snacks is "You c'n put it on a Saltine." (Note: Today everything that is written in quotes has an accent when I say it in my head. Think NASCAR and Busch Light before noon--all in all, a pretty good life. But not cooking meth and losing teeth--those people wouldn't appreciate fancy snacks. They'll be happy with a bag of chips and a bowl of Skittles.) If you happen to be more flush with cash, you can also put these things on fancier crackers, or those little bread slices. You can even put them on vegetables!
Today's "You c'n put it on a Saltine" snack was inspired by black olive tapenade and Laughing Cow cheese. I liked to put this on my celery, but then I ran out of it.
Here's how it happened: Saturday, "as I was gittin' the mustard for my corn dog" I noticed a forlorn half jar of green olives. Then I remembered that I had a few roasted red peppers in oil left in a jar in the back of the fridge. Then the wheels in my head started turning. And ladies and gent, I present to you:
Green Olive and Red Pepper Tapenade
1/2 jar green olives, liquid drained off
1/4 - 1/3 jar of roasted red peppers in oil
couple peeled garlic cloves
Throw it all in the food processor. Dump it back in one of the jars to store. Fin
I don't know how much this costs. Maybe 70 cents for a cheap 1/2 jar of olives. Maybe the roasted red peppers were $1.33. And the garlic was like 10 cents. So $2.13 total? And I probably have 10-20 servings in there so about 20ish cents per serving? The good thing about this is that you can use up things you buy for one recipe but end up with leftovers you don't know what to do with--you can use green olives, black olives, capers, roasted red peppers, anything that is in a salty-briny solution, plus something olive oil-y (or just add some olive oil to the food processor). I think garlic or a little bit of onion is a good addition.
I like this on a cracker or a crispy vegetable--celery, thick slices of cucumber, etc--with a shmear of cheese. Laughing Cow is great but regular cream cheese works.
And there you have it, your first installment of Poor Man Fancy Snacks--You C'n Put It on a Saltine. I look forward to trying out/making up more Poor Man Fancy Snack recipes in the future. My mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook from the early 1970s is rife with inspiration. I'll have to figure out what to substitute for the MSG some recipes call for, though.
_______________________________
I'm visiting family for Thanksgiving so I scheduled this to post. I don't know what I'm eating today, but most of it will be absolutely free. Time to camel up!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Chicken Pot Pie
Did you ever watch the TV show Just Shoot Me? Whenever I think of chicken pot pie, I can't help but sing it in my head, like David Cross. It also makes me think of William Hickey when he was on Wings but I can't figure out why.
I've never made a chicken pot pie from scratch before. We used to have those pre-made frozen ones from the grocery store. I hated them as a kid. But I got a little nostalgic for them in college and had them every once in a while.
I made this on Sunday. I didn't really have a recipe, I just kinda winged it. I intended to have leftovers that would get us through until Thanksgiving. Then we invited my in-laws to join us for dinner. I figured at least I'd have something to take for lunch this week. Well, the chicken pot pie was gone by yesterday's lunch. I underestimated its appeal. I think my husband would have eaten the whole thing by himself.
This was really good. I dug in for seconds just because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left to enjoy. Then Monday, by the time lunch rolled around, I was so ready to dig into the pot pie. There wasn't really much pie crust left, but it was still very tasty.
Chicken Pot Pie
1Tbsp and 2 tsp oil, 3 cent
1 pre-made pie crust $1
Chicken from a leg quarter, cooked and cut up 75 cents
1 cup chicken stock free
1/2 leek, chopped 50 cents
2 carrots, chopped I dunno, 30 cents?
2 stalks celery, chopped 8 cents
1/2 pound green beans, bite-size pieces 50 cents
1 cup frozen peas, thawed, 42 cents
2 cloves garlic, minced 10 cents
chicken gravy this cost, like maybe 12 cents?
1/2 egg, beaten, 4 cents
So here's what I did. First, I heated up 1 tablespoon of oil. I had 3 leg quarters that I pulled the skin and most of the visible fat off and I browned (both sides) it in the oil. Then I threw in the chicken stock and let the chicken cook until it was done.
Meanwhile, I cooked the celery, onion, carrots and garlic in the 2 teaspoons of oil. Also I thawed out the peas (and green beans).
When the chicken was done, I took it out of the pan. I threw in some chicken gravy I had made earlier. We didn't eat much of it, so I put it in the freezer. Basically, chicken gravy is just the oil/fat/broth that the chicken was cooked in, plus whatever you want to season it with (Mine had salt, pepper, and marjoram.), plus some milk mixed with some cornstarch. I used powdered milk in my chicken gravy. Keep stirring it until it thickens.
While the gravy was cooking, I pulled the meat off the leg quarters. I cut it all up. I kept the meat from one quarter for the pot pie and put the other meat in two zipper bags in the freezer. (This is a pretty great meal helper. On the way home today, I stopped off at the grocery store and bought enchilada sauce and green chilies. I knew I had everything else to mix up some chicken enchiladas quickly because of the freezer chicken.)
Then mix up all the stuff and put it in a round 2 1/2 quart dish. Put the pie crust on top, brush it with the egg to make it shiny. (Yeah, I saved the other half of the egg for a breakfast sandwich. I can't believe you couldn't figure that out. It's like you don't even know me!)
Then bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Total: $3.84
This is probably about six to eight servings. 64 cents
And you know what the best part is? Making people sing this all day.
________________________________________
Breakfast: Oatmeal and orange marmalade with clementines 60 cents
Snack: Banana 11 cents
Lunch: Miner's Casserole 54 cents
Snack: Granola Bar 21 cents
Pre-Dinner Dinner: Celery and Cream Cheese-Tapenade 43 cents
Dinner: Chicken Enchilada 99 cents
Total: $2.88
I've never made a chicken pot pie from scratch before. We used to have those pre-made frozen ones from the grocery store. I hated them as a kid. But I got a little nostalgic for them in college and had them every once in a while.
I made this on Sunday. I didn't really have a recipe, I just kinda winged it. I intended to have leftovers that would get us through until Thanksgiving. Then we invited my in-laws to join us for dinner. I figured at least I'd have something to take for lunch this week. Well, the chicken pot pie was gone by yesterday's lunch. I underestimated its appeal. I think my husband would have eaten the whole thing by himself.
This was really good. I dug in for seconds just because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left to enjoy. Then Monday, by the time lunch rolled around, I was so ready to dig into the pot pie. There wasn't really much pie crust left, but it was still very tasty.
Chicken Pot Pie
1Tbsp and 2 tsp oil, 3 cent
1 pre-made pie crust $1
Chicken from a leg quarter, cooked and cut up 75 cents
1 cup chicken stock free
1/2 leek, chopped 50 cents
2 carrots, chopped I dunno, 30 cents?
2 stalks celery, chopped 8 cents
1/2 pound green beans, bite-size pieces 50 cents
1 cup frozen peas, thawed, 42 cents
2 cloves garlic, minced 10 cents
chicken gravy this cost, like maybe 12 cents?
1/2 egg, beaten, 4 cents
So here's what I did. First, I heated up 1 tablespoon of oil. I had 3 leg quarters that I pulled the skin and most of the visible fat off and I browned (both sides) it in the oil. Then I threw in the chicken stock and let the chicken cook until it was done.
Meanwhile, I cooked the celery, onion, carrots and garlic in the 2 teaspoons of oil. Also I thawed out the peas (and green beans).
When the chicken was done, I took it out of the pan. I threw in some chicken gravy I had made earlier. We didn't eat much of it, so I put it in the freezer. Basically, chicken gravy is just the oil/fat/broth that the chicken was cooked in, plus whatever you want to season it with (Mine had salt, pepper, and marjoram.), plus some milk mixed with some cornstarch. I used powdered milk in my chicken gravy. Keep stirring it until it thickens.
While the gravy was cooking, I pulled the meat off the leg quarters. I cut it all up. I kept the meat from one quarter for the pot pie and put the other meat in two zipper bags in the freezer. (This is a pretty great meal helper. On the way home today, I stopped off at the grocery store and bought enchilada sauce and green chilies. I knew I had everything else to mix up some chicken enchiladas quickly because of the freezer chicken.)
Then mix up all the stuff and put it in a round 2 1/2 quart dish. Put the pie crust on top, brush it with the egg to make it shiny. (Yeah, I saved the other half of the egg for a breakfast sandwich. I can't believe you couldn't figure that out. It's like you don't even know me!)
Then bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Total: $3.84
This is probably about six to eight servings. 64 cents
And you know what the best part is? Making people sing this all day.
________________________________________
Breakfast: Oatmeal and orange marmalade with clementines 60 cents
Snack: Banana 11 cents
Lunch: Miner's Casserole 54 cents
Snack: Granola Bar 21 cents
Pre-Dinner Dinner: Celery and Cream Cheese-Tapenade 43 cents
Dinner: Chicken Enchilada 99 cents
Total: $2.88
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Unfortunately Titled Miner's Casserole
I was having a conversation with Whatever today about the standards are for cheap food. Generally I want something that is made of real stuff, but I'm not above Kraft cheese slices melted into a pot of macaroni. This is what my step-daughter thinks of as "good" macaroni and cheese. Poor thing. So this casserole--and the substitutions I made to the original recipe--is a good example of what you could call my "standards."
I found this recipe from one of the best places to scout cheap recipes--the family cookbook. Well, if you're in my family, that is. My mom made a cookbook for the family reunion one year. It was actually a year-long process that involved gathering recipes and designing the book and having it printed and bound in the pre-FedEx/Kinkos days. It was printed on our dot matrix printer if that tells you anything about the age of this thing.
Isn't Miner's Casserole the worst name ever? It was submitted to the cookbook by Barber Larry. They (yes, it's a couple and that is my nickname for them) are friends of my parents and since this was in the family cookbook, they are also distantly related. I have no idea what inspires the name of this dish. Maybe because it's a gold color? Maybe I don't want to know?
Sidebar: The first time the husband went to my parents' church with me, he left thinking I was related to every church member. This is not the case, but I can see how he made the mistake.
I've made this once before, shortly after the cookbook came out. I used all the "proper" ingredients at the time. It probably took years off the lives of everyone who ate it. But man, it was tasty.
Sidebar: I just noticed that I left the casserole sitting in the oven with the timer running for 55 minutes. Too bad I forgot to turn the oven on. Dinner is delayed for an hour. Effffff!
Miner's Casserole
24 oz cottage cheese $1.88
1/2 lb Velveeta Ok, I love sticky, spongy, glowing orange bricks as much as the next person but I used shredded cheddar, about 2 cups $1.25
1/4 c margarine, cut in crumbs Here I used butter. We shy away from margarine in our house. But no judgment. 28 cents
6 beaten eggs 42 cents
6 tablespoons flour 3 cents
10 oz package chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and pulled apart 99 cents
1/4 lb Italian Sausage I added this to make it seem a little more hefty. It gives it a little something extra 75 cents
Mix everything up. Put it in a greased 9x13. Bake one hour. Cool five minutes. Cut into squares.
Confession: I forgot until right now to add the flour. Dang you, bourbon!
Total: $5.60
I cut it into 15 squares so 37 cents for a square.
___________________
Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries and some powdered milk I have a bunch of powdered milk in the freezer for bread recipes so I'm starting to use it when I cook. The blueberries were free. 14 cents
Snack: Banana 11 cents
Lunch: Taco Soup 86 cents
Snack: Pretzel twist (free!) and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups From the Honor Snack box. Sometimes it is impossible to resist. But it is highway robbery at $1 per snack.
Dinner: Miner's casserole x2 that's what happens when you wait an extra hour to eat 74 cents
Total: $2.71
I found this recipe from one of the best places to scout cheap recipes--the family cookbook. Well, if you're in my family, that is. My mom made a cookbook for the family reunion one year. It was actually a year-long process that involved gathering recipes and designing the book and having it printed and bound in the pre-FedEx/Kinkos days. It was printed on our dot matrix printer if that tells you anything about the age of this thing.
Isn't Miner's Casserole the worst name ever? It was submitted to the cookbook by Barber Larry. They (yes, it's a couple and that is my nickname for them) are friends of my parents and since this was in the family cookbook, they are also distantly related. I have no idea what inspires the name of this dish. Maybe because it's a gold color? Maybe I don't want to know?
Sidebar: The first time the husband went to my parents' church with me, he left thinking I was related to every church member. This is not the case, but I can see how he made the mistake.
I've made this once before, shortly after the cookbook came out. I used all the "proper" ingredients at the time. It probably took years off the lives of everyone who ate it. But man, it was tasty.
Sidebar: I just noticed that I left the casserole sitting in the oven with the timer running for 55 minutes. Too bad I forgot to turn the oven on. Dinner is delayed for an hour. Effffff!
Miner's Casserole
24 oz cottage cheese $1.88
1/2 lb Velveeta Ok, I love sticky, spongy, glowing orange bricks as much as the next person but I used shredded cheddar, about 2 cups $1.25
1/4 c margarine, cut in crumbs Here I used butter. We shy away from margarine in our house. But no judgment. 28 cents
6 beaten eggs 42 cents
6 tablespoons flour 3 cents
10 oz package chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and pulled apart 99 cents
1/4 lb Italian Sausage I added this to make it seem a little more hefty. It gives it a little something extra 75 cents
Mix everything up. Put it in a greased 9x13. Bake one hour. Cool five minutes. Cut into squares.
Confession: I forgot until right now to add the flour. Dang you, bourbon!
Total: $5.60
I cut it into 15 squares so 37 cents for a square.
___________________
Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries and some powdered milk I have a bunch of powdered milk in the freezer for bread recipes so I'm starting to use it when I cook. The blueberries were free. 14 cents
Snack: Banana 11 cents
Lunch: Taco Soup 86 cents
Snack: Pretzel twist (free!) and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups From the Honor Snack box. Sometimes it is impossible to resist. But it is highway robbery at $1 per snack.
Dinner: Miner's casserole x2 that's what happens when you wait an extra hour to eat 74 cents
Total: $2.71
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Taco Soup
Last weekend My Office Space and I ran a 5 mile trail race. At the end of the race, there's soup, which is the perfect thing to warm up with after a long slog through the woods. Out of the many options, I chose taco soup. It was so good. I knew that most of the ingredients it would take were on sale at the grocery store that week and that I had some ground turkey patties in the freezer, so I went home and found a recipe online.
This if very chili-esque, but a nice change from chili. And it's very quick to make, but could simmer all day in the crock pot if you wanted.
I don't remember where I got this recipe from. Most of them were very similar, just with tiny variations. I made some variations of my own.
Taco Soup
3/4 pounds ground turkey. It called for 2 pounds of ground beef. In my opinion, 2 pounds would be too meaty. $2.25
1 package taco seasoning. 50 cents
1 1/2 cups water. I know water isn't free but I'm considering it like salt and pepper and herbs. It would take more time to figure out than it is worth.
1 can mild chili beans. 50 cents
1 1/2 cans pinto beans. I used more pinto beans because of the less meat. I used dried pinto beans but I don't know what that would cost, so canned would cost 75 cents
1 can stewed tomatoes. 80 cents
1 can diced tomatoes. 80 cents
1 small can diced green chilies. 98 cents
1 package ranch mix. $1.47
1 can corn. I used frozen corn but canned would cost 50 cents.
In a large pot, cook the turkey. Add all ingredients.Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Everything together costs $8.55. It makes about 10 cups so about 86 cents a cup.
____________________________
Breakfast: Banana and peanut butter on a tortilla 31 cents
Lunch: Working lunch on the road! (Chicken fried steak, if you must know.)
Snack: Free doughnut!
Dinner: Taco soup and crackers 89 cents
Total: $1.20
This if very chili-esque, but a nice change from chili. And it's very quick to make, but could simmer all day in the crock pot if you wanted.
I don't remember where I got this recipe from. Most of them were very similar, just with tiny variations. I made some variations of my own.
Taco Soup
3/4 pounds ground turkey. It called for 2 pounds of ground beef. In my opinion, 2 pounds would be too meaty. $2.25
1 package taco seasoning. 50 cents
1 1/2 cups water. I know water isn't free but I'm considering it like salt and pepper and herbs. It would take more time to figure out than it is worth.
1 can mild chili beans. 50 cents
1 1/2 cans pinto beans. I used more pinto beans because of the less meat. I used dried pinto beans but I don't know what that would cost, so canned would cost 75 cents
1 can stewed tomatoes. 80 cents
1 can diced tomatoes. 80 cents
1 small can diced green chilies. 98 cents
1 package ranch mix. $1.47
1 can corn. I used frozen corn but canned would cost 50 cents.
In a large pot, cook the turkey. Add all ingredients.Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Everything together costs $8.55. It makes about 10 cups so about 86 cents a cup.
____________________________
Breakfast: Banana and peanut butter on a tortilla 31 cents
Lunch: Working lunch on the road! (Chicken fried steak, if you must know.)
Snack: Free doughnut!
Dinner: Taco soup and crackers 89 cents
Total: $1.20
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