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!

Country Chicken Cobbler

Another great recipe from Delish! The recipe calls for chicken but you can easily substsitute turkey or pork leftovers! You can substitute any cream soup you have on hand as well...I use cream of chicken or cream of mushroom!

Country Chicken Cobbler

Ingredients:
1 bag (16-ounce) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower and broccoli)
1 can (10 3/4-ounce) condensed cream of potato soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups (1/2-inch pieces) chicken meat
1 package (10- to 12-ounce) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, each cut into quarters

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, combine frozen vegetables, undiluted soup, milk, and pepper; cover and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are thawed, stirring once. Stir in chicken.

2. Transfer chicken mixture to shallow 3 1/2- to 4-quart casserole or 13" by 9" ceramic or glass baking dish. Top with biscuit quarters, leaving space between pieces. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits are browned and mixture is heated through.

Total Cost:
Frozen Veggies - $1.00
Cream soup - $0.75
Milk - $0.12
Leftover meat - FREE!
Biscuits - $0.40

Grand Total - $2.27 for 6-8 servings!

Ginger Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake

This recipe is from another of my go-to sites, 5 Dollar Dinners - if you haven't been to her site yet, it is a frugal mom's paradise! Not only are her dinners inexpensive and delicious, she is cooking for kids with strict dietary restrictions and STILL makes it work!

I love the combination of flavors in this dish - serve with rice or couscous!

Ginger Sweet Potato Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, about 1.25 lb
2 large sweet potatoes, about 1.5 lb
1 15 oz can of pineapple pieces, in 100% pineapple juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt/Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Dice chicken breasts into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes. Helpful Hint: It's easiest to cut chicken breasts while they are still partially frozen.

3. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.

4. Drain pineapple juice, (reserve about 1/2 cup to use when cooking rice if you are using that as your side dish).

5. In large bowl, toss diced chicken breast, sweet potato pieces and pineapple piece. Add extra virgin olive oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, ground cinnamon and salt and pepper. Toss well. Transfer mixture to 9x13 baking dish.

6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes uncovered. Remove and cover with foil, and then bake another 30-40 minutes. (This will prevent the sweet potatoes from drying out.)

Total Cost:
Chicken - $2.50
Sweet Potatoes - $1.50
Pineapple - $0.80
Olive Oil - $0.08
Seasonings - $0.20

Grand Total - $5.08 for 6 servings!

Turkey and Veggie Lasagna

I came across this recipe on Delish when searching for something to make with turkey leftovers - this is great to have in the arsenal because it is easy to assemble more than one at a time and keep one in the freezer for future dinners!

My version below includes some personal adjustments, and I doubled recipe to make TWO 8X8 pans of lasagna. I used Hefty EZ Foil pans and turned the edges up (to make them a little deeper) but you can also use deep 8X8 baking pans or casseroles. Click on the link to view the original recipe!

Turkey and Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients:
8 Tbsp margarine or butter
2 packages (8-ounce) whole mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 Tbsp minced garlic
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups milk, warmed
2 cans (14- to 14.5-ounce) chicken broth (or 3 cups homemade!)
16 lasagna noodles, parboiled
2 packages (10-ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 cups leftover cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups canned grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons margarine on medium. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and cook about 8 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt remaining margarine on medium. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and broth until well blended; cook until sauce thickens and boils, stirring frequently. Boil 2 minutes. Set sauce aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 8" by 8" baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of each baking dish; arrange 2 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. (I used kitchen shears to cut the noodles to size and then layered the leftover pieces in the empty space). Top evenly with a quarter of the spinach, 1 cup of turkey, then 1/2 cup sauce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Top with 2 noodles, mushroom mixture, 3/4 cup mozzarella, then 1/2 cup sauce. Top with 2 noodles, a quarter of the spinach and 1 cup turkey, then 3/4 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Arrange remaining noodles on top; spoon remaining sauce over noodles to cover (about 1/2 cup - I poured just enough to lightly coat the noodles and spread the sauce with a spoon to make it even). Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat all steps for 2nd pan of lasagna.

4. Spray sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray (or use nonstick foil); cover baking dish, sprayed (or nonstick) side down. Bake lasagna 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly in the center and lightly browned on top. Let stand 15 minutes for easier serving. If you are freezing, move to freezer with foil cover in place - allow to freeze overnight and then cover with an additional, larger piece of foil to get a good seal. Store up to 3 months.

(for frozen, either thaw overnight and bake as directed above, or place directly in oven and bake for 1.5 hours or until heated through)

Total Cost:
Butter - $0.56
Mushrooms - $3.00
Onion - $0.25
Flour - $0.06
Milk - $0.59
Chicken broth - FREE!
Noodles - $1.00
Spinach - $2.00
Turkey - FREE!
Parmesan Cheese - $2.50
Mozzarella cheese - $2.60

Grand Total - $11.56 for 12 servings OR one for now and one for later!

Tomato and Chickpea Soup

I found this recipe on Delish, MSN's food corner. I like it because it could easily be done either in the crockpot or stovetop, but even on the stove it's a quick study! The chickpeas add extra heartiness, and you can easily substitute rice for the pasta to make this a complete protein-rich dish. You can also substitute vegetable broth to make this a Vegetarian treat! They recommend to use good-quality whole plum tomatoes for the best flavor. I found that this made a lot more than the 4 servings noted in the original recipe too...

Spices not in your rack? I substituted the sage, salt and pepper with about 1 tbsp of Mrs Dash, and it was yum :)

Tomato and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:
7 cup(s) canned tomatoes with their juice (two 28-ounce cans)
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cup(s) canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock (or veggie stock)
2 cup(s) water
1/2 teaspoon(s) dried sage
1 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 cup(s) ditalini or other small pasta
2 cans (15 oz) drained and rinsed canned chickpeas
1/3 cup(s) chopped fresh parsley (or 2-3 Tbsp dried parsley)
1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes with their juice. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes, the sage (and parsely if you use dried), broth, water and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and chickpeas. Bring the soup back to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley, pepper and the 1/3 cup grated Parmesan. Serve topped with additional Parmesan.
Total Cost:
Canned Tomatoes - $1.78
Olive Oil - $0.16
Onion - $0.30
Garlic - $0.10
Spices - $0.15
Chicken Broth - Free!
Pasta - $0.15
Chickpeas - $1.05
Parmesan - $0.40

Grand Total - $4.09 for 8-10 servings

Leftover Pot Pie

Pot pie is such a great outlet for leftovers - you can stretch a little meat a LOOOOONG way! You can use fresh chicken or turkey to make this dish, but using leftover meat from a roast bird makes this an easy AND frugal meal.

Leftover Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken (turkey also works!)
1/2-2/3 bag frozen mixed veggies, partially thawed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup water or broth
1 Tbsp Mrs Dash, or season to taste with salt, pepper, and any other flavors you like!
1 package refrigerator pie crust (top and bottom)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Line bottom of a deep pie dish with one pie crust
-In a separate bowl, combine chicken, veggies, cream soup, water/broth and spices. Mix well.
-Pour into pie dish, top with second pie crust layers. Be sure to pinch and seal the edges well to avoid spilling. Cut 4 slits in the top of the crust.
-Bake at 400 degrees for appx 35 minutes (45-50 minutes if you are using raw chicken)
-Let stand 5 minutes before serving

Total Cost:
Chicken - Free! (leftovers)
Frozen vegetables - $1.20
Cream soup - $1.20
Spices - $0.05
Pie Crust - $1.60

Grand Total - $4.00 for 6 servings!

Chicken (or beef, or turkey) Biscuit Wraps

I found this recipe over at Recipezaar.com when I was looking for something new to do with shredded chicken. I tend to find the family-sized packs of chicken leg quarters on sale and you can only roast them so many times!! You can easily substitute chicken with shredded/ground turkey, beef or pork - or anything you have leftover from another meal!

Chicken Biscuit Wraps

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 large red pepper, stemmed & chopped
1/2 cup finely sliced celery
1/2 carrot, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 (17 1/3 ounce) can Pillsbury Grands refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Pam cooking spray

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In large mixing bowl, add 3 cups meat, egg, water, mayonnaise, onions, pepper, celery and grated carrot. (If it is bland, add salt and pepper or other spices to taste.) Cover and refrigerate.
-Slice biscuits horizontally, into 16 rounds. Use a serrated blade to slice through dough. Roll each half in flour on both sides.
-Take a floured glass or rolling pin and flatten and widen each round to 5 or 6 inches or wider.
-Spray Pam on a baking sheet.
-Proportion the filling between the 16 rounds. Use a slotted spoon when filling, so liquid drains.
-Take one half of biscuit round and fold over to cover and seal only the edges after folding.
-Carefully lift with spatula to baking tray.
-Bake about 17 to 18 minutes. Watch the top of the rounds, tops should be lightly browned and dry.

Serve with your choice of sauce, gravy, or dressing (like pot stickers!)

Total Cost:
Chicken: $2.98
Egg: $0.14
Onion: $0.15
Pepper: $0.30
Celery: $0.10
Carrot: $0.10
Mayonnaise: $0.10
Biscuits: $0.75

Grand Total: $4.62 for 8 servings, or $0.57 per serving!!