This recipe turned up on AllRecipes.com on a night when I wanted to try something new without having to get anything from the store. I lucked out when I found this gem, using things I had readily available AND only taking half an hour to prepare!
I made a few adjustments based on what I keep around regularly, and added a little seasoning to suit the tastebuds of my brood. The title link goes back to the original recipe, here's my take on it!
Laura's Unbelievable Chicken and Pasta
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups chicken broth (homemade, or 1 can store-bought)
1 (10 oz) package either fresh or frozen spinach
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 box penne pasta
Directions:
1. Boil a large pot of water, and cook the pasta.
2. In a large skillet, cook the chicken in the chicken broth, simmering until done, about 10 minutes. (If you are using fresh spinach, add it with the chicken).
3. Add cubed cream cheese (and frozen spinach if you are using that), stir until it melts with the broth. Add pepper, salt and garli powder. Return it to a simmer, and cook another 5-7 minutes.
4. Add diced tomatoes, and cook about 3 minutes more, until sauce thickens slightly.
5. In a large bowl, mix the drained pasta with the chicken mixture, toss well and let stand a few minutes before serving!
Total Cost:
Chicken - $1.99
Chicken broth - Free!! (I make my own and freeze it!)
Spinach - $1.50 (fresh)
Cream Cheese - $0.99
Diced Tomatoes (1/2 a 28 oz can) - $0.45
Pasta - $1.00
Seasonings - $0.05
Grand Total - $5.98 for 6-8 servings - that's $0.75-$1.00 per serving!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Crockpot "Fried" Rice
This recipe comes from one of my all time favorite recipe resources, A Year of Crockpotting - if you haven't been to her site you MUST stop by...especially if you have a crockpot that you've been neglecting. How does 365 tested recipes sound? :)
I liked this recipe because I too am always looking for ways to use up either leftover cooked veggies, or the remnants of not-quite-used-up bags of frozen veg in the freezer. The meat is totally optional, I priced it out as meat-free because I usually have specific plans for those leftovers anyway...it's the veggies that get me!
Crockpot Fried Rice
Ingredients:
-2 cups leftover rice/quinoa
--3 T butter
--2 T soy sauce
--2 t worcestershire sauce
--1/2 t black pepper
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1/2 diced yellow onion
--1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand.
--leftover meat (optional)
--1 egg
--sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Plop everything on in there together. Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.
Total cost:
Rice - $0.40
Butter - $0.21
Onion - $0.10
Veggies - appx $0.25
Egg - $0.14
Seasonings - appx $0.15
Grand Total - $1.25 for 4 meatless servings! (under $3 with leftover meat!)
I liked this recipe because I too am always looking for ways to use up either leftover cooked veggies, or the remnants of not-quite-used-up bags of frozen veg in the freezer. The meat is totally optional, I priced it out as meat-free because I usually have specific plans for those leftovers anyway...it's the veggies that get me!
Crockpot Fried Rice
Ingredients:
-2 cups leftover rice/quinoa
--3 T butter
--2 T soy sauce
--2 t worcestershire sauce
--1/2 t black pepper
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1/2 diced yellow onion
--1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand.
--leftover meat (optional)
--1 egg
--sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Plop everything on in there together. Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.
Total cost:
Rice - $0.40
Butter - $0.21
Onion - $0.10
Veggies - appx $0.25
Egg - $0.14
Seasonings - appx $0.15
Grand Total - $1.25 for 4 meatless servings! (under $3 with leftover meat!)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ole! Enchiladas!
This is another adaptation of a recipe from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook (8th ed)
. I use my Crockpot Taco Chicken and Betty's homemade enchilada sauce for a fast and yummy dish! You could very easily adapt this to use taco seasoned beef, or make it a vegetarian dish by omitting the chicken and increasing the beans!
Enchilada ingredients:
1 cup Crockpot Taco Chicken
1 to 1-1/2 cup prepared or leftover rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 package 6" tortillas
Homemade Enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper
2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp cumin
2 whole green chiles (optional)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
Heat all ingredients to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low.
Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
To make enchiladas:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Combine 1 to 1-1/2 cups leftover (or prepared) rice, 1 cup Crockpot Taco Chicken, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed).
-Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into a tortilla, roll tightly and place in an ungreased baking dish. Repeat until the enchiladas fill the baking dish (usually takes 8-10 tortillas).
-Pour Homemade Enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then top with remaining shredded cheddar.
-Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Total Cost:
Enchilada sauce: $1.10
Taco Chicken: $1.30
Black Beans: $0.69
Rice: $0.20
Cheese: $1.60
Tortillas: $0.99
Grand Total: $5.88 for 4-5 servings (1.47-1.18 per serving)
. I use my Crockpot Taco Chicken and Betty's homemade enchilada sauce for a fast and yummy dish! You could very easily adapt this to use taco seasoned beef, or make it a vegetarian dish by omitting the chicken and increasing the beans!Enchilada ingredients:
1 cup Crockpot Taco Chicken
1 to 1-1/2 cup prepared or leftover rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 package 6" tortillas
Homemade Enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper
2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp cumin
2 whole green chiles (optional)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
Heat all ingredients to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low.
Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
To make enchiladas:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Combine 1 to 1-1/2 cups leftover (or prepared) rice, 1 cup Crockpot Taco Chicken, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed).
-Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into a tortilla, roll tightly and place in an ungreased baking dish. Repeat until the enchiladas fill the baking dish (usually takes 8-10 tortillas).
-Pour Homemade Enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then top with remaining shredded cheddar.
-Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Total Cost:
Enchilada sauce: $1.10
Taco Chicken: $1.30
Black Beans: $0.69
Rice: $0.20
Cheese: $1.60
Tortillas: $0.99
Grand Total: $5.88 for 4-5 servings (1.47-1.18 per serving)
Easy Meatloaf
I use this recipe from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook (8th ed) with a few very minor changes. Meatloaf is a great comfort food, and is very inexpensive to put together! This is just one method to meatloaf....try making it Mexican (with taco seasoning and salsa) or Italian (with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and pasta sauce)!
Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ketchup, chili sauce or BBQ sauce
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Mix all ingredients together except ketchup/sauce. Use your fingers! Smooshing is fun :)
-Spread mixture into an ungreased loaf pan
-Spread ketchup/sauce over the top
-Bake uncovered for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until meat is no longer pink inside
-Let stand 5 minutes, slice and serve!
Total Cost:
Ground beef: $1.99
Milk: $0.08
Egg: $0.14
Breadcrumbs: $0.20
Seasonings: appx $0.30
Grand Total: $2.71 for 4-6 servings - that's 0.68 per serving!
with a few very minor changes. Meatloaf is a great comfort food, and is very inexpensive to put together! This is just one method to meatloaf....try making it Mexican (with taco seasoning and salsa) or Italian (with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and pasta sauce)!Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ketchup, chili sauce or BBQ sauce
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Mix all ingredients together except ketchup/sauce. Use your fingers! Smooshing is fun :)
-Spread mixture into an ungreased loaf pan
-Spread ketchup/sauce over the top
-Bake uncovered for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until meat is no longer pink inside
-Let stand 5 minutes, slice and serve!
Total Cost:
Ground beef: $1.99
Milk: $0.08
Egg: $0.14
Breadcrumbs: $0.20
Seasonings: appx $0.30
Grand Total: $2.71 for 4-6 servings - that's 0.68 per serving!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
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!!!
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!!!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Crockpot Taco Chicken - make ahead!
This recipe was posted as part of the Freezer Cooking roundup on I'm an Organizing Junkie. The post is originally from Shawnee's Tangled Tales and I love how easy it is...do all the prep work ahead of time, then when you're ready to cook just thaw and crock! :)
When I made this I actually skipped the freezing step and went straight to the crockpot...I then shredded the chicken and froze the cooked goods into 2 cup portions. I also omitted the chiles since I'm a wimp.
Crockpot Taco Chicken
For each recipe, label a one-gallon freezer bag and fill with the following:
3-1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced green chiles (small can)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (handmade, bulk or one small packet)
1 teaspoon cumin
Rinse two pounds of boneless/skinless chicken thighs (or 3 pounds bone-in chicken) and add to bag. Massage bag to combine ingredients well. Squeeze all possible air from bag, seal and freeze.
To Cook: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Place contents of bag into crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours/high for 3-4 hours, or until meat shreds easily.
Total cost:
Chicken: $2.97 (bone-in) or $3.98 (boneless)
Tomatos: $0.89 (32 oz canned)
Taco Seasoning: $0.25
Cumin: Negligible
Grand Total: $4.11 for bone-in, $5.12 for boneless (about 6 servings)
When I made this I actually skipped the freezing step and went straight to the crockpot...I then shredded the chicken and froze the cooked goods into 2 cup portions. I also omitted the chiles since I'm a wimp.
Crockpot Taco Chicken
For each recipe, label a one-gallon freezer bag and fill with the following:
3-1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced green chiles (small can)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (handmade, bulk or one small packet)
1 teaspoon cumin
Rinse two pounds of boneless/skinless chicken thighs (or 3 pounds bone-in chicken) and add to bag. Massage bag to combine ingredients well. Squeeze all possible air from bag, seal and freeze.
To Cook: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Place contents of bag into crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours/high for 3-4 hours, or until meat shreds easily.
Total cost:
Chicken: $2.97 (bone-in) or $3.98 (boneless)
Tomatos: $0.89 (32 oz canned)
Taco Seasoning: $0.25
Cumin: Negligible
Grand Total: $4.11 for bone-in, $5.12 for boneless (about 6 servings)
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
This recipe comes from AllRecipes.com - I love homemade baked mac and cheese, but I don't always have time for long baking before dinner. I like that it's a one-pot dish, less cleanup!
One great thing about macaroni and cheese - it's just BEGGING for add-ins! After the recipe post I have included a few variations on the theme :)
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
makes about 6 servings
Ingredients:
8 ounces macaroni
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Melt butter or margarine in a saucepan pan over medium heat. Add onions, and saute. Stir in flour and salt.
- Add milk and macaroni to saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover.
- Simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally
- Add cheese, and stir until cheese melts
Total Cost:
Macaroni - $0.50
Milk - $0.51
Onion - $0.20
Butter - $0.27
Cheese - $2.40
Salt, flour - negligible
Grand Total: $3.88 for 6 servings, or $0.64 per serving!
Some add-ins for inspiration
Bacon and diced green pepper
Shredded mexican chicken and diced tomato
Peas and carrots
Broccoli florets and chicken chunks
Ground beef or turkey (browned) and chili powder
Leftover Crockpot Sloppy Joe
One great thing about macaroni and cheese - it's just BEGGING for add-ins! After the recipe post I have included a few variations on the theme :)
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
makes about 6 servings
Ingredients:
8 ounces macaroni
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Melt butter or margarine in a saucepan pan over medium heat. Add onions, and saute. Stir in flour and salt.
- Add milk and macaroni to saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover.
- Simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally
- Add cheese, and stir until cheese melts
Total Cost:
Macaroni - $0.50
Milk - $0.51
Onion - $0.20
Butter - $0.27
Cheese - $2.40
Salt, flour - negligible
Grand Total: $3.88 for 6 servings, or $0.64 per serving!
Some add-ins for inspiration
Bacon and diced green pepper
Shredded mexican chicken and diced tomato
Peas and carrots
Broccoli florets and chicken chunks
Ground beef or turkey (browned) and chili powder
Leftover Crockpot Sloppy Joe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
