Sweet Potato Apple Muffins

Another great recipe that grew out of my need to get rid of some mashed sweet potato leftovers from Thanksgiving - these muffins bake up nice and soft, and anytime I can get both a fruit AND a veggie into my kiddo is a good time :)

Sweet potato Apple Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 small apples, peeled and diced
1 cup leftover mashed sweet potato
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla

-Preheat oven to 400 Degrees
-In a medium bowl, whisk oatmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
-In another small bowl, combine sweet potato, brown sugar, oil, egg, milk and vanilla, whisking to blend well. Pour over dry ingredients and stir to combine.
-Add apple dices, stir to combine.
-Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Total Cost:
Oats: $0.12
Flour: $0.09
Apples: $0.40
Sweet potato: Free! (leftovers)
Brown Sugar: $0.15
Oil: $0.20
Milk: $0.04
Egg: $0.12
Vanilla: $0.04
Other ingredients: appx $0.15

Grand Total: $1.31 for 12 small muffins or 6 large muffins!

Pizza Roll Ups

I was introduced to this recipe courtesy of Once A Month Mom and I was immediately hooked! We are BIG pizza eaters in this house, and these make great meals or snacks - AND they freeze wonderfully! We use pepperoni, the original calls for ground meat, but you can really use any pizza topping for your filler! The original recipe is linked below and can be found on Recipezaar.com.

Pizza Roll Ups

Ingredients:
1 batch pizza crust
5-6 oz Pepperoni slices (appx 2/3 of an 8-oz bag)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare pizza dough as directed, but allow to rise 45 minutes to an hour. Punch down dough, transfer to a floured surface, and roll out until it is appx 14 X 24 inches.

Lay pepperoni slices in a single layer, covering the entire surface

Cover with mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with seasonings.

Beginning at one long end, SLOWLY roll into a jelly roll. Slice into 1-inch slices, place them on a greased cookie sheet as you go. Let them sit for about 10 minutes (this allows the dough to rise a little more and tightens up the rolls)

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping!

**To freeze - I individually wrap each roll in a little plastic wrap, then store in gallon freezer bags. To reheat, place frozen in the microwave and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Total Cost
Pizza dough - $0.94
Pepperoni - $2.00
Cheese - $1.50
Seasoning - appx $0.05

GRAND TOTAL: $4.49 for 8-10 servings!

Golden Sweet Cornbread

I gave this cornbread recipe a try, and I don't think I will use another recipe again. Found it on Allrecipes.com when I was looking for a version that could be done in smaller batches than the one I usually use - this one bakes up fluffy and crumbly in an 8X8 or a 9" round pan, and is MOIST and SWEET! I forgot to cover the leftovers before bed, and found them to still be soft the next morning...so I heated them up with butter for breakfast!

I prefer to soak my cornmeal in the milk before mixing it, but if you prefer not to just combine all dry ingredients first, then add the wet ingredients.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan or 8X8 square pan. Combine cornmeal and milk, let soak for about 3-5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk mixture and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Total Cost:
Flour - $0.09
Cornmeal - $0.20
Sugar - $0.l0
Egg - $0.14
Milk - $0.17
Oil - $0.15
Salt, Baking powder - $0.10

Grand Total: $0.95 for 8-9 servings!

Homemade Breadsticks

This recipe is adapted from one that I found on AllRecipes.com - the original recipe (see link below) is for a plain breadstick with a parmesan butter on the side. My version includes herbs in the dough for more flavor. If you're not making an Italian dish, use other herb combinations, like rosemary and basil...experiment and see what works for you!

Homemade Breadsticks

Makes 36 breadsticks
Ingredients:
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (or 2.5 tablespoons)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees), divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (from the can)
2-3 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
-In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water.
-Add the oil, egg, salt, 2 cups flour, and remaining sugar and water. Beat until smooth.
-Stir in the Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese and garlic powder, and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
-Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
-Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
-Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a 6-in. rope.
-Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.
-Brush tops of breadsticks with melted butter.
-Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Total Cost:
Sugar - $0.09
Oil - $0.09
Egg - $0.14
Flour - $0.41
Seasonings - $0.25
Butter - $0.14

Grand Total: $1.27, or $0.03 per breadstick!!!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

This recipe is courtesy of Three Peas in a Pod - I love finding new ways to use up leftovers! This is a nice variation from regular biscuits and a great way to sneak in some extra veggies :)

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup cooked, mashed, and cooled sweet potatoes
1 to 2 tablespoons cream or milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Brown sugar
Pecan halves

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal (a great job for kids).
2. Stir in the sweet potatoes, then add the cream or milk a little at a time until the mixture can be gathered into a soft ball.
3. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it 10 or so times (not too long), then pat it into a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Using a floured cookie cutter or drinking glass rim, cut the dough into 2-inch rounds and arrange them on an un-greased baking sheet.
4. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle on brown sugar.
5. Press a pecan half into the top of each biscuit.
6. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 9 biscuits.


Total Cost:
Flour - $0.12
Sugar - negligible
Baking powder - $0.01
Butter - $0.35
Sweet potatoes - $0.20
Milk - $0.01
Brown sugar - negligible

GRAND TOTAL - $0.70 for 9 biscuits - or $0.09 per biscuit!

Whole Wheat Biscuits

These biscuits lookded SOOO good when I found them on AllRecipes.com - I love biscuits but I'm trying to get away from using baking mix. These seemed perfect, and they are much cheaper than both premade baking mix and refrigerated biscuits!

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup milk

Directions:
-In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt; mix well.
-Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until moistened.
-Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 8 to 10 times.
-Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
-Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Total Cost:
Flour - $0.09
Wheat Flour - $0.20
Baking powder - $0.08
Sugar - $0.01
Salt - $0.01
Butter - $0.28
Milk - $0.19

GRAND TOTAL: $0.86 for 12 servings! That's $0.07 per biscuit!

Applesauce Bread

This recipe is courtesy of HeavenlyHomeMakers - I adore this recipe because it's a nice break from my usual muffins, it's healthy, and I ALWAYS have applesauce on hand :) I like to do this recipe as mini-loaves, but it's tasty in ANY shape!

Applesauce Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rapadura or 1/2 cup honey
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. sea salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted


Directions:
Mix dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add applesauce, eggs and butter. Stir well. Pour into a buttered bread pan or stone. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Total Cost;
Wheat flour - $0.60
Honey - $0.75
Applesauce - $0.24
Eggs - $0.28
Butter - $0.27
Spices, baking powder, baking soda, salt - negotiable

Grand Total - $2.14

Pizza Crust

My family is from northern New Jersey, where (in my humble opinion) pizza is as close to perfect as you can get. I have yet to find a recipe that comes out as good as the pizza joint we frequent in Teaneck, but this crust recipe from Biblical Womanhood is quick and comes out perfectly every time!

Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water.
Add the oil, salt and sugar. Let yeast mix sit for about 5 minutes.
Add the flour and mix well
Dump onto a floured surface.
Knead into a smooth dough (about 5 minutes)
Roll out and press down on a greased pizza pan (if you have it, dust with cornmeal after greasing the pan)
Add toppings
Bake at 425 degrees for around 12-15 minutes, until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned.

Total Cost:
Yeast - $0.67
Oil - $0.04
Flour - $0.23
Sugar, salt - negligible

Grand Total (dough only) - $0.94

40 Minute Hamburger Buns

Homemade hamburger rolls from Recipezaar.com. What I like is that it is very easy to use the same dough for breadsticks, dinner rolls, or full sized buns. Hubby had the idea of brushing them with olive oil and garlic powder for italian-style, you can also add herbs and spices to mix up the flavors! I prefer heartier rolls and replace 1 cup of the regular flour with whole wheat.

40 Minute Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, plus
2 Tbsp warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Add oil and sugar and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Do not let rise.
6. Divide into 12 pieces and shape each into a ball.
7. Place 3" apart on greased baking sheets.
8. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
9. Bake at 425° for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

Total Cost:
Oil - $0.10
Sugar - $0.04
Egg - $0.14
Flour - $0.31
yeast, salt - negligible

Grand Total: $0.59 for the whole batch, however you bake them up!

Easy Cheese Biscuits

This recipe is one listed in The Best of Cooking with 3 Ingredients by Ruthie Wornall. I add more milk until the consistency is a little stickier because that's how I like them :)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups baking mix
2/3 cup milk (I use closer to 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients until soft dough forms. Beat for 30 seconds. If dough is too sticky, add more baking mix. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Muffin Mania

This muffin recipe is from Cat Can Cook - it's wonderfully versatile AND simple! It takes me all of 10 minutes to put together, and I can use any add-ins that I have on hand. The base recipe is with bananas, but you can really use anything. Check out the original post, the comments are chock full of suggestions! I include some of my other add-ins at the bottom of this post.

Banana Muffins

3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister, so I use 4)
1/2 cup white sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I don’t like them too sweet)
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour.

Mix wet and dry ingredients all together, being careful not to over-stir!

Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

TOTAL COST:
Bananas-$0.75
Sugar - $0.07
Egg - $0.14
Butter-$0.15
Flour - $0.14

GRAND TOTAL - $1.25 for 6 big muffins, or $0.20 per muffin

Add-ins that I've used (check back, I update this list anytime I try something new!):

• 2 mashed bananas, 1-1 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3 mashed bananas, 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 pint frozen blueberries
• 1-1 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger, 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups shredded carrot, 1 cup applesauce (replaces butter), 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup white sugar (replaces all regular sugar), 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon
  

Homesteader Cornbread - from Allrecipes.com

I love hot cornbread and corn muffins, but I hate buying the Jiffy mix. Allrecipes.com to the rescue! This recipe makes a big batch, and is easy to adapt into muffins, loaves or pans!

Homesteader Cornbread - courtesy of Allrecipes.com
Makes 15 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Appx cost:
Cornmeal $0.30
Milk $0.50
Flour $0.18
Sugar $0.09
Eggs $0.28
Oil $0.18
Salt, baking powder - negligible

Grand Total: $1.52 (that's $0.10 per serving!)

Bee Rocks, Pizza Dough

This recipe is courtesy of the ladies at Happy to Be At Home - It's basically a Shepherd's Pie hot pocket, and what's not to love about that?? :) I make my own pizza dough anyway, and I found a new version at Tammy's Recipes which I also posted below. This will work well with any ground meat too - so use whatever's handy! I found that the meat mixture was enough to fill 12 pockets, so I made a double batch of pizza dough :)

Bee Rocks
Ingredients
1 Batch pizza dough (2 batches for me!)
1.5 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups shredded cabbage
Salt, pepper, garlic to taste
3 cups runny mashed potatoes (I use instant)

Brown ground beef, when the beef is almost down browning add onions, cabbage, salt, pepper and garlic. While you are cooking the beef make your mashed potatoes. Add a little extra milk so the potatoes are not as thick as normal.

Add potatoes and corn to the mixture and stir in while the stove top is on low.

Remove from heat.Take your dough (I use a basic pizza dough recipe) and roll out into circles the size of a small tortilla.Add a scoop of your beef mixture.Roll up like a burrito and tuck the ends under.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the outside of the dough is golden.
These freeze wonderfully and can be wrapped individually for a quick lunch.

Appx cost:
Pizza dough: $0.64
Ground beef/turkey $3.00
Onion: $0.43
Frozen corn $0.25
Cabbage $0.25
Instant potatoes $0.42

Grand Total: $4.99 (12 servings, or $0.41 per serving! WOW!)

Anne Jisca's Easy Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
Pizza toppings of your choice

Instructions:
1. Dissolve yeast in water and oil. Stir in sugar, salt, and flour.

2. Mix until a ball forms. Allow to rise for 5 minutes. Roll flat and place on a greased pizza/cookie sheet. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Appx cost (dough only):
Yeast $0.05
Oil $0.05
Flour $0.22
Sugar, salt - negligible

Grand Total: $0.32