Mom's Homestyle Chili

One of my favorite winter meals to make is a big pot of chili and Fritos! I love making my Mom's Homestyle Chili .  It is so easy to make with items that I keep in my pantry and aside from the spices I put in it there is only five ingredients!  It tastes so much better than the canned chili you get off the grocery shelves too.  I like to make a big pot so there is plenty of leftovers to makeover and use in other dishes, like nachos or for topping a baked potato.

My kids wish that I did not have to put beans into every pot I make but I just can't bring myself to make it without beans! It just wouldn't be chili and the beans add extra nutrients to the pot.  I have started taking 1/2 of the can of beans and mashing them or pureeing them in the blender so it appears that there is not a lot of beans in the pot. I found that pureeing the beans actually helps to thicken the chili so it is easier to use for nachos and baked potato topping.

Mom's Homestyle Chili

2 lb ground meat(venison or beef)
2 cans tomato sauce(15 oz)
1 can tomato soup
1 can red kidney beans(or ranch style beans)
3 medium size carrots, shredded
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 TBSP dry minced onions


Mix all together. Simmer in crockpot all day(4-6 hours) on low.

Notes: The carrots are used as the sweetener instead of sugar. You can add other veggies, like shredded zucchini, chopped green peppers, and celery; but I haven't been able to find a way to add them to my pot due to picky eaters.  You can adjust the amount of chili powder in the pot to effect the "hotness"/zing of the pot.

I serve this with a double batch of corn muffins or a bag of Fritos or sometimes both!

This post is linked to:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace!
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!
• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff!
• $5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

I picked up the 30 Day Gourmet Cookbook from the library and have been looking through it and finding yummy recipes.  Even though I haven't taken to freezing any of the main dish recipes yet, I have throughly enjoyed finding new ideas to use with some old favorites.

One of the recipes that I have tried is Parmesan Crusted Tilapia.  Not only did I use the seasoned bread crumbs with tilapia but with some shrimp.
These were easy to make and yummy!

 

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

1 lb frozen tilapia filets (or 1 lb shrimp)
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil

3 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
3 tbsp. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

Thaw. Drain any liquids from the fish. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a shallow container thoroughly mix butter and mayonnaise until combined. Stir in seasoning mix until combined. Place crumb mixture in another shallow container. Coat fish/shrimp on both sides with butter/mayonnaise mixture then dip one piece at a time in the crumbs flipping over to coat both sides. Place fish/shrimp on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish easily flakes when touched with a fork.

Notes: Instead of using the butter/mayonnaise mixture, you can use 1 beaten egg with 1-2 tsp. water added to dip the fish or shrimp. Also for the shrimp, instead of baking in the oven, I put 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet and fried them on the stovetop.  Also if you don't have use italian seasoned bread crumbs, use plain bread crumbs and add 2 tsp. italian seasoning to the plain bread crumbs.

This post is linked to:

• Food On Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!
• Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum!

Crockpot Roast and Veggies

As we get into the holiday season, I love making meals that are simple and easy to prepare or fall under the "fix and forget it until dinnertime" category.

Crockpot Roast and Veggies falls under both of those categories and is enjoyed by the whole family!  The other thing about this dish is that if I fix it and end up having unexpected guests there is still plenty to serve up for dinner.

When I make this dish, I use a beef eye of round roast from Sam's Club that is usually between 4 and 5 pounds.  I get one this size because I know that it will work for two meals for my family.

I cook the whole roast along with 9 or 10 potatoes and at least 1 pound bag of carrots. I have several kids that do not like cooked carrots of any kind but will eat crunchy fresh carrot sticks so I serve those with this dish as well.

As for spices that I put on the roast, I use a packet of onion soup mix,  about 2-4 tsp. garlic powder and shake on about 1-2 TSP black pepper.  I also put 2 cans of beef broth in the pot.

I put all the ingredients in my crockpot on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Lately for this dish I have been using my small roaster at 225° for about 5 hours.

Once the roast and veggies are cooked, I drain the liquid off and use it for making up some homemade beef gravy to use with it.  I drain the liquid into another pan.  I put it on the stove and bring it to a boil.  Once the broth is boiling I add thickener (flour, cornstarch and milk mixture) to it.

When I make this meal, I try to make sure that there are leftovers, not just the roast but the veggies so that I can make a second quick meal.  If there are meat and veggies leftovers, then I make my veggie beef stew. If there is only meat leftovers, then I make my beef gravy and noodles meal.

This post is linked to:

• Food On Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!
• Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum!

Fried vs Baked Bacon

The last time I went to fix bacon I decided that I was going to try baking it rather than frying it.  I heard and read of many people baking their bacon and the reviews were making me start to think twice about frying it.  However, I am have been a die hard bacon frying person only so making the change seemed so hard to do! I have picky eaters to worry about and just the thought of "change" seemed to haunt me. But I pressed on and made the effort to trying to bake some bacon!

In order to make the change over to baking the bacon,  I decided that I would fry half of a pound of bacon in my skillet.

I baked the rest of the pound of bacon in the oven at 400°on my Pampered Chef large baking pan(jelly roll style pan with edges to catch the grease).

(fried on the left, baked on the right)

Here is the results:

Fried:

• more greasy
• more crispy
• cooked to smaller pieces
• more wavy--not really flat for putting on a sandwich!
• had grease to clean up all over my stove!

Baked:

• thicker pieces
• flatter pieces that fit better on a sandwich
• crispy yet chewy
• less greasy
• less mess
• took less time and less watchful eye

Overall Results: The baked bacon got rave reviews from my family! My "picky eater" hubby raved about the baked bacon!!  He told me that he would appreciate it if I baked the bacon from now on because he enjoyed it so much.  He said that it tasted more like how the restaurants cook their bacon. My kids even could tell a difference between the cooking styles. They enjoyed it as well.

So this Momma is making a change in her kitchen!!  I am switching to baking the bacon!

This post is linked to: 

• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!
  
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace!
• Tuesdays at the Table over at All the Small Stuff!

Easy BQ Pork Sandwiches

Are you looking to feed a crowd any time soon?? If so, I have a great recipe for fixing and forgetting while you work at getting the rest of your food ready to feed all those hungry mouths!

Here is what you will need:

• 1 boneless half pork loin
• 1 or 2 bottles of BBQ sauce--I love Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce because then I don't have to add any other sweetener to the pot. If you don't use the Sweet Baby Ray's, I would recommend putting in a 1-2 tbsp. honey or sugar to give it more of a sweet tangy taste over a sour tangy taste.
• 1 crockpot

Here is what you will need to do:

Take the pork loin and cut in half again so it is like two small pork roasts.

Put it in the crockpot

Pour the BBQ sauce over the pork loin.

Turn the crockpot on low. Let it simmer for 6-8 hours

About half way through the cooking time, taking the time to shred the meat with a couple of forks and add more BQ sauce if it looks dry.

When you are ready with the rest of your meal. Serve on hamburger buns. I love using whole wheat buns for making these pork sandwiches!

If you are not serving a crowd and are just using this for a family dinner meal, I like having some kind of potato, usually fries and then a green veggie or salad as my sides to round out the meal.

The BBQ pork is very freezer friendly too! Once it has cooled, put in a freezer container or freezer ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

This post is linked at:

• Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom!

Versatile Homemade Marinade

Grilling Season is here!!

Instead of going out and buying a bottled marinade, I make my own with ingredients that I keep in my pantry. What ingredients do I use....olive oil and my choice of spice/seasoning. I put the spice/seasoning in a small bowl and then I wet it with the olive oil. How much olive oil you put it will determine how "hot" you make the spice. You put more olive oil to spice and it will be a "soft flavor. You put just enough olive oil into the spice to wet it and you have just kicked the "hot" of the spice up.

Last night, I fixed grilled chicken, grilled catfish, and potato pockets along with corn. Instead of just having plain old grilled chicken and catfish. I turned up the flavor and made up a couple different marinades.

For the catfish, I made it cajun! For some of the chicken, I made it cajun and the rest was lemon pepper. Also for my picky kids, I kept some of the chicken plain(no spices). To grill the catfish, I put one fillet on a piece of foil and then I took my marinade and poured some of it on! Oh just look at the goodness!!

We also had potato pockets last night. Oh were they good. Instead of using olive oil in the pockets, I find it easier to use sticks of butter or margarine because it seems to "stick" to the potatoes more(as you can see from the pic--they got a little crispy because our grill is acting wacky!). For the potatoes, I put approximately 2 TBSP of butter/margarine and then usually garlic powder and parmesan cheese. So that when it is cooking it makes a garlic butter that the potatoes are cooked in! Yummy! If I don't use garlic and parmesan, I'll use cajun seasoning while still using the butter/margarine over the olive oil. I am sure that you could use the olive oil, I just prefer not to in the potato pockets.

I make up a bunch of the marinade at once and I use it on fish, chicken, and shrimp,

Here is the recipe:

olive oil
your choice of seasoning/spice

Mix together. Brush or pour on food.

This post is linked at:

• Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
  
• Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker!
  
• Fearless Fridays at Home Ec 101!
  
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!
  
• Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!

Mexican Bubble Pizza

I was called earlier in the week by one of my church's compassion ministry coordinators asking if I was available to bring a meal to a couple who just had a baby within the last week.  I told her sure I would do it and once I hung up from the call, the fun began as to what to bring to this couple.  There was just the two of them and the new little one so I had to think small rather than feeding my army.  Usually when I get these calls I go for something quick, easy, and can be made ahead without affecting the taste along with not breaking the bank.

What I came up with is a new recipe that will become another one of my "leftover makeovers" or a quick  pantry meal.  It is called Mexican Bubble Pizza.  I got the recipe off of Pillsbury's site.

First you make your taco meat.  I usually take 1lb of browned ground beef, 1 can tomato soup, 2 tbsp. taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup water and stir together.  I had made tacos earlier in the week so I had some leftover taco meat already mixed up that I used for the bubble pizza.

You take an 8ct tube of Pillsbury Grands Biscuits and cut each biscuit into 8 pieces.

Take the biscuit pieces and the meat and stir them together and place in a 9x13 pan.  I put the mixture into TWO 8 inch round pans.  One foil pan to take for the meal and another pan for us to have it for lunch.

Put in the oven at 375° for 18-23 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.  I had the 8 inch pan baking for about 20 minutes. I should have let it go a little longer as the biscuits were still a little chewy/doughy in the center. 

*photo courtesy of Pillsbury

Once the dish is baked. Place 2 cups of shredded cheese on the top and put back into the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  I turned off the oven and put the dish back in for about 3 minutes to melt the cheese. 

Let cool for 5 minutes.  And enjoy!!  Eat as is or pile with taco toppings of your choice!

It is a different twist to the palette and yet is quick, easy and frugal all in one.

I took an iceberg lettuce salad,  fresh strawberries & cantaloupe bowl, and mini no bake cheesecakes along with the bubble pizza to complete the meal for the couple.  

This post is linked at: 

• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Mouthwatering Mondays at From the Land of Monkeys and Princesses!
• $5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners!

Being Real with a Recipe Flop!

The ladies over at Home Ec 101 are starting a new blog meme called Fearless Fridays.  It is going along with their new series, "Kitchen Bravery", basically it is a meme to brag about your successes and failures in the kitchen.

I decided to play along today and humbly brag about a failure that I had in the kitchen this past week!  I am not sure what exactly went wrong with my main course meal on Monday night but to have only one or two people out of seven tolerate the meal means something was not right.

A little background...I am working at trying at least one recipe a week because I really need to get out of the rut of the same meals over and over again. In taking inventory of my freezer, I found that I had several packages of already browned ground beef and they were in need of getting used up.  So I did some recipe searches to find some ground beef recipes that did not use a tomato based sauce. 

I came across this Hobo Casserole over at Recipezaar that looked yummy and definitely fell into the new recipe category.  I decided to give it a try.  The only substitutions I did was using dry minced onion instead of fresh onion and garlic powder for the minced garlic.  I also made up some beef broth using water and bouillon for some of the milk. Everything else I used as according to the recipe. Here is how I put it together...

Hobo Casserole

2 lbs ground beef, browned (thawed from freezer)

8  potatoes, peeled, cubed and cooked

3 large carrots, peeled, diced, and cooked

2 tsp. garlic powder*

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can 2% milk (used the soup can)

2 tbsp. minced onion*

4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*

a few shakes of salt and pepper

1 beef bouillon in 1 cup of water for beef broth

Cook the potatoes and carrots on the stove until tender. While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, combine soup, spices, milk, broth and meat together in a separate bowl.   Once the potatoes and carrots are done, mix into the meat mixture.  Pour into your baking dish and cook at 350° for 30-40 minutes until heated through.

*spice amounts are approximate

The Results: It was fairly easy to put together. It smelled and looked appetizing. However, the texture was mushy, that it was hard not to have my(and hubby) gag reflex engage while I was eating it.  It was not very flavorful and what flavor there was seemed more of a bitter, vinegary taste, maybe because I did not measure out the spices or worcestershire sauce.   It also came out more like a stew/soup in consistency rather than casserole-y. 

Now I have a TON of it as leftover and not even sure if I can salvage it into a better dish as a "leftover makeover" or if I just need to bite the bullet and trash it.  

What do you think??  What could I have done differently? Do you think I should trash it or is there a way of salvaging it?  

This post is linked at: 

• Fearless Fridays at Home Ec 101!

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna/Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies(optional)
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 tablespoons hot salsa(optional)
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese,divided (or mild cheddar cheese)
12 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles or egg noodles
1 jar (16 ounces) mild salsa
2 cups water
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained(optional)
3 green onions, chopped(optional)
1 medium tomato, chopped, optional


In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, chilies, taco seasoning and hot salsa. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer a third of the noodles and meat mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice. Combine mild salsa and water; pour over top. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until heated through. Top with sour cream, olives, onions, tomatoes if desired and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

NOTES: I love this recipe and how I can change it to meet my family's tastes. One can make it with all the toppings or without them! One can use different heats of salsa depending on how hot one desires.

I love using wide egg noodles or even strips of tortilla shells instead of lasagna noodles. I have also used mild cheddar cheese instead of the blend cheese with great results. Also I have only used ground beef but I am sure that one could use chicken or ground turkey in place of the ground beef and get good results as well.

This recipe can also be made ahead.

This post is linked at:

• Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
  
• Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker!
  
• Mouthwatering Mondays at From the Land of Monkeys and Princesses!
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace!

photo courtesy: Taste of Home

Pantry Meal--Beef Gravy and Noodles

Toward the end of last week, we had roast, carrots and potatoes for dinner. At the end of the meal when I was putting the food away I realized that the roast leftover was not going to be enough to make another big meal for the seven of us so I was a little stuck on what to do with it. Taking the time to reheat roast as is causes it to dry out and making veggie beef stew wasn't an option either because it isn't a favorite with the family.  I didn't want to shred it for tacos either.  

So I started thinking about what to do with it, and then remembered that I had on my freezer spring cleaning list another small roast(1.83lbs) that I had picked up on a meat markdown rack that I hadn't found a use for either.  The light bulb went on and another pantry/leftover makeover meal was created!  Here is what I created...

I cooked up the little roast in a skillet on the stove with a little water. Once it was done cooking, I diced up the roast and removed the fat.   I then diced up the leftover roast and added it to the roast I just cooked in my skillet on the stove.  

I added enough water to cover the meat in the skillet.  I then added minced onions, worchestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, beef bouillon cubes and seasoned salt.  I brought the meat mixture to a boil and then added in flour/cornstarch/milk mixture to thicken to a gravy consistency.  Brought the mixture back to a boil and then let simmer with a lid on the skillet while I cooked the noodles and the green beans to compliment the meat. 

I served the meat over egg noodles and served the green beans on the side. It was a delicious meal!  My hubby even commented that he loved the flavorful meat gravy! He asked me what I did differently...the only thing I did differently from other times that I have done this dish is I made the gravy from scratch using bouillon and water rather than using a can of beef broth!

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2- 2lbs beef roast, cooked & diced

4 cups water*

3-4 tsp. dry minced onions*

2-3 tsp. worchestershire sauce*(used for coloring purposes rather than flavoring)

1 tsp. garlic powder*

1 tsp. seasoned salt*

4 beef bouillon cubes

Combine altogether. Bring to a boil.

In a separate cup, mix together 3 heaping spoonfuls of flour, 2 heaping spoonfuls of cornstarch. Add in enough milk to make a thick pourable paste.  Once mixture doesn't have any lumps pour into the meat slowly(Might not use all the of the flour/cornstarch paste!!). Stir meat while pouring the flour/cornstarch paste in to the skillet. Use just enough of the paste to thicken the meat.  

Serve over egg noodles that are cooked al dente.

*the amounts are approximate!

This post is linked at:

• $5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners!
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace!
  
• Kitchen tip Tuesday, over at Tammy's Recipes! 
  
• I am Blissfully Domestic at Blissfully Domestic!
  

Easy Crockpot Pork Chops

I made these for dinner earlier this week and they were awesome!!  The pork chops just fell apart and they were not dry at all(something that I have trouble with doing)!!

Easy Crockpot Pork Chops

6-9 pork chops, browned

2 cans cream of chicken soup(or cream of whatever soup)

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1/2 can water

Brown pork chops in a skillet.  Once brown put in the crockpot, dump the packet of dry onion soup mix on the pork chops.  Dump the 2 cans of cream of whatever soup on the pork chops and onion soup mix.  Make sure that the cream of whatever soup is covering the pork chops.  Rinse out soup cans with 1/2 can of water and pour onto the pork chops. Turn crockpot on low and cook for 6-8 hours or cook on high 4-6 hours. 

Notes: I put this together last night before Sunday evening church to eat when we returned but before I turned it on, hubby decided that we just pick up fast food on the home. I put the stoneware insert of my crockpot in the fridge and then today put in my crockpot on low. 

The gravy is thick enough to serve it over rice or potatoes. I chose rice and green beans as my sides for Monday night's dinner. 

This post is linked at: 

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace!
  
• Kitchen tip Tuesday, over at Tammy's Recipes! 
•  Tasty Tuesday at Forever, Wherever
  
• I am Blissfully Domestic at Blissfully Domestic!
  

Smothered Chicken

After my friend, Sherry posted this really yummy looking chicken recipe and looking through one of my Taste of Home cookbooks to find a very similar chicken recipe, I decided that I would take a stab at creating a chicken dish that was very similar to them on my own. 


I had six chicken breasts to use and instead of pounding/flattening the chicken out, I cut it in half longwise.  I put the chicken in my skillet with about 1 tbsp. olive oil and cooked the chicken on medium high heat.

Once the juices started running clear, I sprinkled cooked real bacon bits over the pieces of chicken. I didn't measure the bacon bits but I would say that I put about 1/2 cup on 10 pieces of chicken(I kept a couple pieces of chicken plain for leftover chicken sandwiches for hubby's lunch).  I put the lid of my skillet on for about 5 minutes--just enough time for the bacon bits to heat through. 

Once the bacon heated through on the chicken, I sprinkled about 8oz of shredded cheddar cheese over the chicken. I turned the heat down to low and I put the lid back on the skillet long enough to melt the cheddar cheese.  Once the cheese was melted, the chicken was ready to serve! 

This was something really quick to put together!! I served it with french fries and corn.  A leafy green salad would have been nice too, however that got forgotten in the preparation of things! 

My family gobbled it!  I had a couple of pieces for a leftover! 

Smothered Chicken

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut long wise

1 TBSP. olive oil

1/2 cup real bacon bits

8oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook chicken in olive oil on medium high heat til juices run clear. Top with bacon bits and melted cheddar cheese. 

For more delicious recipes, head over to Happy To be At Home or to Blessed with Grace!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday--Chicken Veggie Stew

This is my second week participating in this meme over at Blessed with Grace and I must say there is some great looking recipes over there!! This week, Lisa shares her "quick meal" so I thought I would share one of mine! This meal is really quick when you have leftovers in the fridge that need to be used up but you don't want to eat them all separate! I love making this "leftover makeover"!


Chicken Veggie Soup/Stew

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup milk
1 can of chicken broth
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
2 cups sliced or diced cooked potatoes
1 can green peas
1-2 cups carrots, diced and cooked

In a large bowl, combine soup, milk, broth, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken, corn, peas, beans and potatoes. Pour into a greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings

Sonshine's notes: This recipe can be doubled and even tripled! This recipe works well in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours! When I put it in the crockpot I don't grease it. I even have decreased the liquid(didn't use the chicken broth) and used as the filling to potpie!

For other tempting tummy recipes and more; head over to Blessed with Grace!

Fall Recipe Collection

I love the fall season! Not because it means that I will be a year older(my birthday is in October); but because of all the homemade goodness that I can make in my kitchen that I really have hard time doing in the summer heat. Life as a Mom is hosting a Favorite Fall Food Recipe Swap, so I thought I would join in the fun and share some of my favorite fall recipes!

Where to start.....there's muffins, and stews, and crisps, and cakes...OH MY!

Pumpkin Muffins

2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c. oil
4 eggs
1 (15-oz) can of pumpkin

Mix together all dry ingredients first, then add oil and eggs. Once this is mixed well (it will be thick), add pumpkin. Put in 2/3 cup batter into well greased muffin cups or or greased wrappers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins (my oven baked them just right at 18 mins). I iced them with Cream Cheese icing!


Apple Cider Muffins

Pumpkin-Oat Muffins



Apple Crisp

Pumpkin Cake Squares


Chicken Rice Soup





Veggie Beef Stew


Go take a look at the many other fall recipes over at Life as a Mom or share some of your own!!

Frugal Friday--Restaurant Style Meal

This past week, I was able to make a restauraut style meal for all 7 of us for under $10.00 plus I ended up with 2 single serve lunches and extra meat to serve for a lunch!

Here is what was on the menu:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

or

Homemade Breaded Chicken Tenders

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Steamed Corn

Iceburg Lettuce Salad

Hot Biscuits

Now to explain how I managed it!

For the Chicken Cordon Bleu, I used this recipe as my guide. I use 2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast that I got for $1.87/lb ($3.74). I got a 1.87lb mini half portion boneless ham for $7.46($3.99/lb--cheaper than ham from the deli counter) and thinly sliced it with my electric slicer. I used only 6 thin slices so I figured just $1.00 for the ham. I used 4 slices of swiss cheese out of a 24ct. pkg. that I got for $1.88 so that figures to 32 cents for the 4 slices. Then for the 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/2 stick margarine and spices, I figured about another 75 cents. That brings my total just for the meat portion of my meal to $5.81. I used the 1/2 stick of margarine as my "oil" for the pan. However, instead of melting it in the pan before adding the chicken to the pan, I used little pats of it on top of the chicken and it melted in the oven as the chicken cooked. Doing it this way makes it where you don't have to worry about flipping the chicken at the halfway point of cooking. Also, if you are wondering, I only made 6 of the 13 pieces of chicken that I had in the 2lbs of chicken into the Cordon Bleu. The rest of the chicken I used just the bread crumb and parmesan cheese mixture to coat it.

I used 2 1/2 lbs of white pototoes which costed me 65 cents. I got a 5lb bag of white potatoes from Save A Lot for $1.29! You can figure in 1/4 cup milk, 3 heaping tbsps. sour cream and the other 1/2 stick of margarine for another 25 cents brings the total for the potatoes to 90 cents.

I used two cans of sweet corn that I got on sale for 67 cents/can. So the "steamed corn" was $1.34.

For my salad, I used a head of iceburg lettuce that I got at Save A Lot for 50 cents and 1 large carrot. I also sprinkled shredded cheese, real bacon bits, and croutons on it so I figured that the salad costs me $1.00. It is hard to know exactly how much the cheese, bacon and croutons costs as these are a few things that I get in a monthly Sam's run.

The biscuits was a tube of Pillsbury biscuits that I got for 66 cents with a sale and coupon!

So the grand total for this restauraut style meal for a family of 7 was $9.70!!! If I were to take my family out to eat at a "sit-down" restauraut we would have spent at least $30 or more if you include the tip! That is why I like to take the time every once in a while to fix a more elaborate meal rather than heading out to a restauraut and spending 3 times as much.

For other frugal tips, recipes, or resources; head over to Biblical Womanhood!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday---BLT Pasta Salad

I know that summer is almost over, so the pasta salads, no-oven meals are starting to become a thing of the past until next year when the heat is upon us again. However, I wanted to share this recipe with you that I made up by combining parts of other similar recipes.

I had this type of salad at a wedding about year ago and have been wanting to try it but just didn't have the nerve to with my picky eaters. So I decided to make it for a picnic that I was hosting a few weeks ago when I knew that I would have others around to help me enjoy it! However, my hubby and one son ate some as well! Yeah! So since I didn't ask the caterer at the wedding for the recipe, I took to looking online to find something that resembled the salad. Here is what I came up with....

1 lb rotini pasta cooked, drained and cooled

1/4 cup Real Bacon bits

1/4 cup Miracle Whip Light

1/4 cup Ranch Salad Dressing

1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped

2-3 leaves of iceberg lettuce, chopped

I cooked, drained and cooled the rotini the night before along with adding in some of the bacon bits and some of the Miracle Whip and Ranch Dressing. Then the following day before I was going to serve it, I chopped the tomatoes, and lettuce. I added more Miracle Whip and Ranch Dressing and Bacon Bits and it was ready to serve!

You might have to play with the measurements for the salad because the only measurements that I know for sure is the rotini pasta and the grape tomatoes. The rest of the ingredients I just put in with the rotini and when it looked good I stopped adding them. I don't like pasta salads dripping with dressing so I made it where the dressing part of the salad was light---just enough to stick the ingredients together. Also, I used grape tomatoes instead of the "sandwich" size tomatoes so that I ended up with more tomato "meat" than tomato seeds.

One of these times that I make it, I will probably get some romaine lettuce or fresh spinach to use in place of the iceberg lettuce! So far the few times that I have made it, I have change things up with different shaped pasta including using tri-color rotini. Also I have used roma tomatoes as well, if you use any other tomatoes besides the grape ones you will want to de-seed the tomatoes! I didn't one of the times I have made it since that picnic and regretted not doing so!

With this pasta salad you will want to make sure that it is eaten within a day or two after making it because the tomatoes really get mushy after the first 24 hours!

After the picnic that day, I sent some home with my parents and told them that they could do up some grilled chicken and have this salad for a nice simple summer meal!

For other kitchen tips, recipes or ideas, head over to Tammy's Recipes!

OR

Looking for more breads, pasta, or potato recipes, head over to Jen-Frugal Upstate's Frugal Food Series--breads, pastas, or potatoes.

Orginally posted July, 2008

Frugal Friday--Pizza Lunch

Last week it was breakfast! Now this week, I seem to be stuck on a lunch theme!! Maybe it is because that the summer is over the half way point and back to school sales are in full swing so that means making school lunches is on the horizon! Yes I homeschool so I don't have to worry too much about packing school lunches but I still worry about providing nutritious lunches that are quick, easy, and on the cheap! I also like lunches where I know that my kids can do a lot of the work themselves.

Here is our lunch from today....Biscuit Pizzas!

1-8oz bag shredded mozzerella cheese
1/4 lb. pepperoni
1/2 can pizza sauce
2-5count tubes Grands buttermilk biscuits
some parmesan cheese

Flatten biscuits. Put on a cookie sheet. spread sauce on biscuit. sprinkle parmesan cheese on the sauce. Top the sauce and parmesan cheese with mozzerella cheese. top with pepperoni. Bake according to biscuit tube...350° for 10 to 15 minutes.


It was a little hard to figure out the actual price for this because I keep these items in my pantry! Also, I buy the parmesan cheese, and pepperoni in bulk.(sometimes I buy the mozzerella in bulk as well but getting these 8oz bags on sale recently proved to be cheaper than the getting it in bulk. So the best I figured that to make 10 personal size pizzas was under $5.00 for all the ingredients.

I am also sure that it would have cost less if I had just made up pizza crust dough and divided the dough for small personal size pizzas. However, when time is of the essence using the biscuits makes putting lunch together that much easier and quicker.

These pizzas taste great cold and are easy to wrap in plastic to stick into a lunchbox! They also freeze well once they are cooked.

Looking for other lunch ideas that don't involve PB&J sandwiches??? Here is a great list to check out!!!

For other frugal ideas, recipes, or resources; head over to Biblical Womanhood!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday--Pantry Meals

There are days when I don't feel like putting any effort into doing anything in the kitchen! You know those days where you just want to close the kitchen and eat take out for all your meals??!! I am sure that no one else gets that way!?! When I get like this, I would rather find something else to do like curl up on the couch and get lost in a good book than to work in the kitchen! These days seem to come especially when I know that my hubby is going to be working long hours. It ends up being just the five kids and me for all 3 meals so I don't feel/need to fix anything fancy just filling. I don't need them coming back in an hour saying they are still hungry!

Yesterday I had one of those days!!! So instead of ordering take out, I pulled out one of my "pantry meals". My pantry meals are those meals where I have all the ingredients that I need either in the freezer or in my pantry stockpile and I can get in and out of the kitchen in less than an hour! I don't do OMAC or have freezer meals but I do up meals partially to pull out on my lazy days.


I pulled out of the freezer about 1lb of already browned ground beef, grab a can of tomato sauce, some elbow macaroni, and a few spices and whipped up a meal in less than a 1/2 hour!!! I call it goulash/chili mac/homemade hamburger helper.

Here is the recipe I used(approximate measurements)...

1lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 can water
1-1 1/2 cups dry pasta
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
2-4 tsp. minced onion(or 1/4 of a fresh onion)

Mix all together. Simmer til the pasta is tender. Serve on to plates, and sprinkle with parmesan or cheddar cheese.

Serve with veggies or a leafy salad and homemade bread.

Notes: You can change the spices to change the dish. I have used taco seasoning. I have used italian seasoning. Instead of using water, I have used milk. It all depends on what I feel like throwing together.

I love putting one dish wonders together because on lazy days it makes the clean up a breeze!

For other kitchen tips, or recipes...head over to Tammy's Recipes

Works For Me Wednesday--Simple Meals

Yesterday, I was talking about not having that all day in the kitchen feeling. Two of the things that I mentioned to not having that all day in the kitchen feeling is keeping meals simple and using "modern day servants". How do I keep meals simple? By using basic items that I keep on hand in my pantry and freezer. Nothing exotic here!

Most of meals consist of a meat, two starches(potatoes, rice, or noodles and some kind of bread) and then veggies and/or fruit.


Like this meal from last week...BBQ boneless pork ribs,cheesy potatoes (no meat), and green beans. Simple but yet filling!

For today's meal, I am using a couple of my favorite "modern day servants" along with keeping the meal simple.....Crockpot roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and bread.


I season my chicken breasts with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and seasoned salt. I would use minced onion or fresh onion BUT my picky eaters do not like the "chunks" of veggies. I didn't put any water or canned broth in the crockpot because the chicken will do quite well making its own!

As you can see from the picture, I seasoned the chicken quite liberally! It will make some flavorful chicken and broth! I cook this in the crockpot for 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. I didn't get it started right after breakfast like I had planned so I have the crockpot on high for now.
These are just two examples of simple meals that work for me! I am always looking for new simple meals to try with my family! What are some simple meals that you do for your family?

Want to read what works for others, check out WFMW over at Rocks in My Dryer.

Frugal Food Series--Ground Meat

Jenn over at Frugal Upstate is in week three of her Frugal Food Series. She has done a week all about eggs and all about tuna and all about beans! This week it is all about ground meat!

Confession time...
I haven't used ground pork, or turkey in my cooking ever! I do use LOTS of ground beef! I usually buy two big 6-7 lb package at Sam's Club and I am able to divide it up into 10-12 meals for my family. I also love it when I can find it the leaner ground meat on Manager's Special markdown like what I did this last week so I can stock up my freezer!

The other confession I have to make is that I don't rinse my meat! You can if want but for me I can't bring myself to do it!! I can rinse off fruits and veggies but not my cooked meat. However, I do drain it well by using my strainer and paper towels.

Well enough confessions on to some recipes that I make for my family!

I love this recipe it makes a quick item to make to take to a party!

Queso Dip (This makes a quick lunch or appetizer!)
One large Velveeta Cheese
1 can Rotel tomatoes
½ pound of hamburger (approximately)

Slice up the Velveeta cheese in to a big bowl
Add ¼ cup milk
Melt in the microwave

Add ground beef and Rotel tomatoes
Stir and put in crock pot

Serve with the tortilla chips!

To make for large get-togethers I make 2 large Velveeta Cheese, 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, and 1-1 ½ pound of hamburger.


Besides grilled burgers, here is a list of other dishes that I make:

1. Tacos--1lb ground meat, a can of refried beans(or make your own), and 2 tbsp. of taco seasoning. Or instead of using beans in the meat I'll use a can of tomato soup.
   
   
2. Goulash--1lb ground meat, a can of tomato sauce, 1-2 tsp. chili powder, 1-2 tsp. minced onions, 1/2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard, 2 cups of elbow macaroni.
   
   
3. Spaghetti--1 lb ground meat or meatballs and a jar of spaghetti sauce. I usually will add more spices(italian seasoning, garlic powder, and minced onions to the pot. Also instead of adding sugar to the pot, I add shredded carrots. I also put this in the crockpot and let it simmer all day!
   
   
4. Hamburger gravy--1lb ground meat, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1-2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder, and minced onions. Mix all together. Serve over egg noodles or rice.
   
   
5. Chili--1lb ground meat, 1-150z can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato soup, 1 can red kidney beans, 2-3 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, minced onions. Mix all together. Simmer in crockpot all day.
   
   
6. Sloppy Joes--1 lb ground meat, 1 can tomato soup, 1-2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. yellow mustard. Mix altogether. Simmer. Serve on hamburger buns. In my opinion, this is better than Manwich!
   
   
7. Meatloaf--1lb. ground beef (I usually use ground chuck or ground round which is like 86%-91% lean meat)
   1 egg
   1/4- 1/2 cup bread crumbs or crushed saltines or regular/quick oatmeal
   1 tsp. garlic powder
   2 TBSP. minced onion
   3-4 TBSP. ketchup
   1 TBSP bbq sauce
   1-2 tsp. yellow mustard
   1/2 green pepper, chopped(optional)
   1-2 medium size carrots, shredded(optional)
   
   Mix altogether. Form into mini meat loaves and stick on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper to "flash freeze". Once frozen, stick in a freezer bag and label!
   
   If you do not want to freeze them uncooked, place in a 9x13 pan and place in the oven at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until done. Let cool completely before freezing!
   
   Other notes: if the meat looks too wet add more bread crumbs/crushed saltines/oatmeal. This recipe makes tasty burger patties too! If you want to make an actual loaf, you can do that as well, I would let the loaf cool completely first then slice it into individual servings, wrap them and then stick in a freezer bag for later consumption.
   
   
8. Salisbury Steak--take the meatloaf recipe and instead of forming loaves I make patties. Cook the patties. Once cooked, add beef gravy. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

For other ground meat recipes, head over to Frugal Upstate--Frugal Food Series!