Baked Strawberry Pie

The following recipe is from a friend of mine and it is super yummy!

Baked Strawberry Pie:

2 9 inch pie crust pastries

4 ½ cups drained, stemmed, halved strawberries

1 ¼ cup sugar

4 tablespoons minute tapioca

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Mix strawberries with sugar, tapioca, cornstarch, and salt. Let stand while making crust. Spoon into crust. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Vent. Bake at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Raspberry Black Bean Dip

If you have ever lived in Manhattan, KS I certainly hope you have taken time to eat at the So Long Saloon! I went to college at Kansas State University and the So Long Saloon was one of my all time favorite places to eat. When my friends first tried to get me to eat this appetizer called Raspberry Black Bean Dip, I thought they were crazy. After one bite I think we ended up ordering more because it was so good!

Another friend of mine loved this stuff, too, and she created her own version which I am going to share with you. Certainly not as good as the real deal, but a close a second!

Raspberry Black Bean Dip: Serves 4-6

1 can of Black Beans drained and rinsed=.50 (you can get these at Aldi special times during the year)
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese=.50 (This is what I usually pay after coupons)
1 bottle of Broncoo Bob's Chipotle Raspberry Sauce (see image here) =7.49 (find in condiments section at Dillons... maybe elsewhere)

Directions:
First, drain and rinse black beans and put into 2 qt. baking dish. Cube cream cheese and place on top of beans. Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes. Just long enough for cheese to become soft.

Then, pull the dish out of the oven and stir together beans and cheese.

Last, add about 1/3 of a bottle of Raspberry Chipotle Sauce on top. Spread it around evenly and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Chicken Parmesan Recipe

This is my friend's recipe. She has made this for me on a few occasions and it has quickly become a family favorite. There is no exact science to this recipe so all you type A personalities out there will just have to guess:)

Chicken Parmesan: Feeds 4-6

Thawed chicken (I use 4-6 breasts or 10-12 tenderloins)

Flour (maybe 1/2-1 cup or so)

½ cup butter

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Parmesan Cheese (about 1 cup)

Directions:

Melt butter and place in 9x13 casserole dish. Coat each piece of chicken in flour and salt and pepper mixture. Place in the casserole dish in a single layer. Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Flip chicken over and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cook for 30 more minutes.

YUM!

Cheesy Penne Bake Recipe

When I had Levi this summer my aunt made us this awesome pasta dish. She is an incredible cook and often makes things up so forgive me if this recipe isn't exact. This is what she told me she did. I have made this a few times myself and it is a hit!

Cheesy Penne Bake: Serves 6

1lb. Penne Pasta =FREE for me:) (I got this free at Dillons) or you can pay $1 at Aldi
1 8 oz bag of Mozzarella or Italian 5-cheese blend cheese=$1 or less if you coupon:)
1 4 oz tub of Gorgonzola cheese=$1.79/1 (Private selection brand price at Dillons... cheapest I have found)
1 cup of FRESH Parmesan cheese (I use the bagged kind and I have a stockpile of these in my freezer from Hy-Vee .99/1 sales!)=.50 (you can also buy a wedge from Dillons for like $4 and it will last FOREVER!)
1/4 tsp salt=pennies
2 tbsp. butter=pennies (maybe .20 cents)
2 tbsp. flour=pennies
1 c. milk=.25
Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions and drain. Make a basic white sauce. See how to do that here. I then add in the Gorgonzola cheese and Italian cheese blend and let it melt into the sauce. I add in my pasta and coat evenly. I then transfer to an 11x8 baking dish (2 qt. will work also). I sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese. I bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Over all this costs me under $4 to make or only .67/serving.

Notes: I tend to make a little more sauce than called for... so I multiply the sauce recipe by .5 for a little extra. I also find that you can put bread crumbs or cracker crumbs on top with the Parmesan cheese and then put little dabs of butter just for extra flare:)

I'll post a pic after I make it tonight:)

Banana Muffin Recipe

This is my aunt's recipe I use when I make banana muffins. I usually double or triple this and freeze most of the muffins for breakfast or snacks.

Banana Muffins: Yields 12 muffins

• 3 bananas mashed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. butter
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Just combine all ingredients together and pour into a lined or greased muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until done and brown on top.

If I have chocolate chips on hand I put about 1/2 c. into the batter and then sprinkle a little on top with some sugar. These make for a great snack or dessert!

Whole Chicken Recipes?

Did you pick up a whole chicken for only .59/lb. at Hy-Vee this past weekend?! That was quite a deal! In my Red Hot Weekend Sale post I asked you to share a favorite recipe. The recipes that were suggested are below:

Butterflied Chicken with Lemon and Rosmary

Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

Beer Can Chicken

A reader wrote this is what she does:
"I rinse the chicken, cut any extra fat off, rinse the inside REALLY good, season with salt and pepper ONLY and then put the lid on the dutch oven and bake at 350-375 until the leg pulls off the chicken. I think it's about an hour and 15 minutes. Also, put 1 cup of water in the the dutch oven to keep the chicken from drying out. If you need chicken broth, you'll have some when the chicken is done cooking"

I hope you find one of these yummy!

Cooking with Split Chicken Breasts

It is true that the 1st time I ever cooked a split chicken breast was just last week! I have always been a total chicken snob (I blame my mother) but my frugality got the better of me when I saw them on sale for only .88/lb. at Apple Market a few weeks back.

In my quest to figure out what to do with these things I happened upon $5 Dinners.com. I loved her post about split chicken breasts. I could totally relate to her story and I loved her idea!
So today I am encouraging you to take a peek at her post HERE because I thought it was great!

I didn't end up using her recipe because I found it after the fact, but my chicken still turned out pretty good. I cooked 5 breasts total and ended up with enough chicken for 3 meals. I could have had more but pulling cooked meat off the bone was grossing me out... not gonna lie! I am sure I will get better with time:)

The recipes I will be using my chicken for are Cheesey Chicken and Rice Casserole, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Chicken and Noodles. Now you may have noticed that I don't have a link for the chicken and noodles recipe. That is because I don't have a good one. If you have you want to share please feel free to do so!

Velveeta Beef Enchilada bake

I found this recipe in Dillons attached to a Velveeta coupon and thought I would give it a try since I have plenty of Velveeta and Rotel on hand from the Mega Event a few weeks back!

Velveeta Beef Enchilada Bake: Serves 6

1 lb. lean ground beef= 1.99 (I never pay more than 1.99/lb.)

1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn=.49 (regular price at Aldi

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes=.75 for me since I got 32 oz for 2.99)

6 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut in half=.50 (pkg of 12 was .99 at Hy-Vee)

1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained=.49 (price when combined with Mega Event... I even got a few FREE after coupons!)

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in corn and VELVEETA.

SPOON 1/3 of the meat mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with 6 tortilla halves and 1/4 cup tomatoes. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture and tomatoes; cover.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

This was super GOOD! And all together it only cost me $4.25 or only .71/serving!

Red Beans and Rice

My apologies that this was not up on Tuesday like promised... better late than never:)

I don't really have a recipe... I just do what my sister in law says to do:) So this recipe here is about the closest I found to mine. Below are the prices of the ingrediants:

Red Beans and Rice: Serves 8

• 1lb. bag of Red kidney Beans (dry)=$2.00
• 1lb. rope of beef sausage =$1 (usually like $3 w/o sale )(I got mine for only $1 because of a sale and coupons a while ago and froze it for this purpose!)
• 1 onions=maybe .30 cents
• 5-6 cloves of garlic=.25 cents
• salt and pepper=pennies
• 2 cups of cooked white rice (more if you like your less soupy)= .50 cents (maybe... I get my bags of rice for .99/1 at Aldi)
• Hot sauce... depends on how much you use:)

Okay so for all of this I paid like $3... that is only .38/serving and trust me this is SOOOO good! I usually serve with corn muffins. YUM!

Chicken and Spinach Quiche

(Above picture: my first ever quiche!)

When I was at Dillons the other day I noticed they had Pillsbury pie crusts (2 ct. pkg.) marked down to .99/1 because of the expiration date. I bought 2 and used a .50/2 mf coupon that doubled and a .50/2 cellfire coupon to get these for only .25/pkg or only .13/crust! I had never made quiche before but came home and found this quick and easy recipe to try out and it was GOOD! Even the toddler ate it... after we called is "special pie" of course:)

Here are the ingredients and price break down for me: Serves 6

• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese= .10 since I got 8 oz bags of Kraft cheese for only .20 last weekend!
  
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell=.13 (after MF coupons and a cellfire coupon)
  
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken=$1 (I usually get my chicken for 1.99/lb. or less and 1 cup is about 1/2 pound)
  
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry=.99
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion=.10 maybe (I got onions for only .79/bag last week!)
  
• 2 eggs=.20
• 3/4 cup milk=.20
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise=.30
• 1/4 teaspoon salt=pennies
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper=pennies

You can see the full recipe here with details on how to make it! Total for this quiche I spent roughly $2! This quiche serves 6 so that is only .34/serving!

Pizza Crust!

Here is the crust recipe I use to make my pizza! You can see a price breakdown of other ingredients that goes with this HERE!

• 1 pkg. of yeast
• 1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees) I pretty much let my tap run until it is really hot and that seems to work:)
• 2 tbsp. of oil ( I use vegetable or canola)
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 2-2 1/2 cups of flour

Dissolve yeast in water and then combine with all other ingredients minus flour. Add flour until you can kneed the dough with your hands. Kneed for about 2 minutes until it is smooth (it might be a little sticky) then let it rest for 5 or so minutes and then roll it out ( I use a pizza stone) and make your pizza! Cook at 450 for about 10-12 minutes. For some extra flair I melt 1 tbsp of butter and combine with 1 tsp. of garlic powder and then baste this on the crust when the pizza is finished... YUM!

Pork Roast Ideas

I admit that I bought my first pork roast EVER this past Saturday at Hy-Vee. I figured .99/lb was just to good to pass up! Of course I had no idea what to do with this thing and emailed a friend for some ideas. Here is what she shared with me:

"After cooking roast shred it and season with adobo seasoning by Goya (found in the Hispanic section at Hy-Vee. Make sure you get the one with cumin. Then divide meat and freeze/package for use in your meals. We use the meat for quesadillas, burritos (with rice, beans, cheese & tomatoes), and BBQ sandwiches"

My friend also shared that today she is making pork and noodles (using free Reames, of course). She said to saute some onion and/or garlic, add broth from cooking the roast and bring to a boil, add the noodles and cook as directed. Last 10 minutes add carrots, celery and pork.

YUM! I can't wait to cook my pork roast and since I too have some FREE Reames on hand I just may try her recipe!

New Cellfire Coupons!

Hi! I am taking a quick sec to share a few things with you!

NEW Cellfire coupons can be loaded HERE starting TODAY! You have until 1/11 to load them and they are redeemable for 2 weeks after you load them. Be sure to go HERE to check out all the great new coupons! I am excited to say they have added back Fiber One and Nature Valley coupons!

Also if you have leftover Christmas ham you need ideas for Blaire shared a great recipe with me! You can see it below:)

HAM AND POTATO CASSEROLE

3-4 med.-sized potatoes 1 onion 1 lb. leftover ham White sauce 1/2 c. Cheddar cheese 1 tsp. parsley Salt and pepper Butter ovenproof casserole and line bottom with layer of peeled and thinly sliced potatoes. Top that with layer of onions. On top of onions put a layer of ham, thinly sliced. Repeat layers. Place last layer of ham around edge of casserole, leaving space in the middle. Next, pour on white sauce shaking dish gently from time to time so that sauce mixes thoroughly through layers. Put grated cheese in center of casserole and sprinkle with parsley. Cover with tent of aluminum foil. Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more. WHITE SAUCE: 3 tbsp. butter 3 tbsp. flour 1 1/2 c. milk Salt and pepper to taste Melt butter; blend in flour. Stir constantly as you pour milk slowly into mixture. Cook until thickened. Then add salt and pepper.

Baked Corn Recipe

As I told you in my weekly menu plan post I got sick of my mom always just making frozen corn as a apart of our Thanksgiving dinner. To my surprise my uncle must have to because about 10 years ago he brought this dish and we have used it ever since! This dish is also great any other time of the year as well. I will say that it beats frozen corn!

Baked Corn: Serves 10-12

• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn (scored this for only .39/1 after coupons for Kroger brand this week!)=.39
  
• 1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn (scored this for only .39/1 after coupons for Kroger brand this week!)=.39
• 1/2 cup sour cream( got 16 oz. for .88/1 atHy-Vee)=.22
  
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted (got 1lb. for 1.37/1 at Hy-Vee)=.69/1
  
• 2 eggs (got 1 dozen for only .88/1 at Hy-Vee)=.15
  
• 1 (12 ounce) package corn muffin mix=.43/1 8oz box of Jiffy (we never have problems even though it is 4 ounces less than the recipe recommends)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the whole-kernel corn, cream-style corn, sour cream, melted butter or margarine, beaten eggs and corn muffin mix. Mix well and pour into one 9x13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes.

Yum! and it only costs me about $2.25 to make or only .23/per serving!

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe and Price Break Down

Okay well I meant to post this a LONG time ago but life happened:) We love this recipe!

Chicken Tetrazzini: Serves 8

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I figured this to be about 1 lb.)=1.99
  
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup=.59/1 at Aldi
  
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup=.59/1 at Aldi
  
• 1 (10 ounce) pkg. spaghetti, broken into bite size pieces and cooked= $1 or less if you buy at Aldi or get it on sale
  
• 2 cups whipping cream (or milk)= Milk is cheaper and this maybe costs .25
  
• 1 stick of butter (I used margarine)=.15/stick when you buy off brand at Alid
  
• 2 T minced dry onion=pennies
• 1 large can mushrooms=??? ( I personally left these out of mine because we don't just love mushrooms)
  
• 2 T chopped parsley (I used 1 T of dried)=pennies
  
• 1 c Parmesan cheese=.49 (I got bags of this on sale at Hy-Vee for .99/1 that I have frozen for meals such as this)
  

Directions:

Melt butter and sauté’ drained mushrooms and minced onions for about 5 minutes and add cooked chicken. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes (butter will absorb into chicken). Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Add the soups and cream (milk) to the chicken mixture. Stir until mixed well. Add drained spaghetti and chopped parsley. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top. Cool for 10 minutes.

For me this meal costs about $5 to make or only .63 a serving. This meal could easily cost double if you use whipping cream instead of milk, add in the mushrooms, use fresh parsley, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese and use real butter. I did none of those things and we thought this meal was great!

Scalloped Ham and Potato Price Break Down:

I picked this recipe up a long time ago from this blog here Please sure to visit that site to get the full recipe. I am just going to post the ingredients and price breakdown. The best part is that this recipe is done in the crock pot... SO EASY!

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham: Serves 6

• 3 lbs potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (Use .99 5lb. bag from Hy-Vee this week and this can cost as low as .60!)
  
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Used a 2 cup bag that I picked up for.99 at Hy-Vee during 6 hour sale)
  
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham (Used from a boneless Farmland Ham I picked up for .99/lb. It was 6 lb. ham and 2 cups is about 1 lb.=1.99
  
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (these are .59/1 at Aldi)= $1.18
  
• 1/2 cup milk= maybe .20?
  
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder=pennies

Altogether this meal cost me about $5 to make or only .84 a serving!!! It was so good too!

Sausage and Broccoli Pasta Bake

I found this great recipe in All You magazine but I have changed it to fit my budget and what I already have on hand. In the magazine it is called Baked Ziti with Broccoli and Sausage, but I am not using Ziti so I just changed the name to fit what I want to call it:)

Sausage and Broccoli Pasta Bake: Serves 4

• 8 oz. Italian sausage (I picked up 1lb rolls (16 oz) on clearance for 1.49 a while back)=.74
• 8 oz. Penne ( 1lb. box at Aldi (whole wheat even) is only 1.09/1)=.55
• 1 large head of broccoli stems removed (1 got a package with one large head and 1 little one at Aldi this week for only 1.69/1)=1.25
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parm cheese (I got bags 80z . bags of shredded parm for only .99/1 at Hy-Vee's 6 hour sale last week)=.25/1
• 2 cups of Milk=.40 maybe?
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp butter (1 got 4 quarters for 1.68/1 at Hy-Vee a few weeks back)=.10
• 2 tbsp of flour=pennies

Cooke sausage in large skillet until no longer pink. Add butter and stir well. Sprinkle flour on top and stir 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in milk and cook stirring constantly until smooth and thickened for 3-4 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Cook penne noodles (or whatever you use) until tender then add broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli and transfer to baking dish (says to use 11x7). Stir in sausage mixture. Sprinkle the parm cheese on top and bake until golden brown and mixture is bubbling, or about 25 minutes.

MMM! I can't wait to make this tonight and see how it turns out! This dish will only end up costing me a little over $3 to make or only .75/serving!!!!

Oatmeal Chicken Fingers Recipe

This is actually a Weight Watchers recipe that we LOVE! The serving size says 4... but I am sure you might want to make a little more if you are not on the Weight Watchers plan.

Oatmeal Chicken Fingers: Serves 4

• 1 lb. chicken breast cut into strips (3 lb. bag at Alid=5.99) 1lb.=1.98
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard (I used whatever mustard I have)=pennies
• 1 c. of instant oatmeal (I use quick oats)=.25 maybe
• 2 tsp. garlic herb seasoning (Mrs. Dash)=pennies
• Salt and Pepper to taste=pennies

Combine oats and seasoning and then all you do is take the strips of chicken and coat them with mustard and then roll them in oat mixture. Place them on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook at 400 for about 30 minutes.

YUM and it only costs about $2.50 or less to make for the whole thing!!! I usually serve this up with oven fries and it makes a great meal!

Salsa Chicken Recipe and Price Breakdown

We LOVE this recipe. It quickly became a huge family favorite! I originally got this in one of my coupon packets I received from Nestle Good Start when I was pregnant with my 1st a few years back. They have since taken this off of their site.

Salsa Chicken: Serves 4

• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (bag of white=.99/1 at Aldi) 2 cups=.35 cents ish:)
• 1 tbsp veggie oil=.15 cents maybe?
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into strips or cubes (3lb. bag of frozen breasts =5.99/1) 1 lb.=1.99
• 1 medium onion chopped (I buy these in bulk bags of 6 for 1.70 at Aldi)=.30
• 1 small red bell pepper chopped (if you wait long enough you can get these for $1 or less when they go on sale at Aldi or Hy-vee)=$1 or less
• 1 cup bottled chunky salsa (I use Aldi off brand can of rotel)=.49/1
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese (I never pay more than 1.70 for a 2 cup bag)=.43 cents

Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken, onion, and bell pepper; cook, stirring ocassionally for 10-12 min. or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in salsa and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 min. Serve over rice.

This whole meal costs around $4.75 to make or only $1.18 a serving!

Italian Meatloaf

A great friend brought us this recipe a few weeks after Levi was born and we LOVED it!!! I took her recipe and changed it a little to fit my frugal lifestyle:)

Italian Meatloaf: 1 loaf, serves 4

• 1lb. ground turkey or beef=$1.59 (Honeysuckle ground turkey has been 1.59/lb. at Dillons for a while now)
  
• 1 tbsp. minced onion=pennies (Aldi price per bottle is 1.09)
  
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder=pennies (Aldi price per bottle is 1.09)
• 1 tbsp. dried basil =pennies (Aldi price per bottle is 1.09)
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley =pennies (Aldi price per bottle is 1.09)
• 1/2 - 1 sleeve saltine crackers crushed (4 sleeve box at Aldi=.99)= .25
  
• 1/2 cub spaghetti sauce (1 jar at Aldi= .99) = .15 cents maybe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and shape into loaf. Put this either on a baking sheet or into a loaf pan. Brush a little bit of spaghetti sauce on top. Bake 45 minutes, drain off fat and let it cool for 20 minutes before cutting.

I served this with Alfredo noodles (.25 package I picked up during a sale a while back) and salad.

Total to make this 1 loaf is only $2.00 or .50/serving!!!