Comfort food when you don't feel well!! Teriyaki Chicken noodle bowls

Toddler Serving

Mommy Serving, Daddy's working late!!

Teriyaki Chicken noodle bowls

I haven't been getting much sleep lately and as a result I have a cold.  Sore throat and a cold sore.  Also I ate some fruit that I occasionally have a allergic reaction to and now I have little canker sores in my mouth.  So eating?? Not fun!!
But I have a 19 month old toddler to feed and she doesn't get that mommy is tired and doesn't feel like cooking, and because we are watching our finances, ordering out is well.... OUT!!   So I am making up a recipe tonight.   I often make up recipes, its how I cook!!

2 chicken breasts- $1.66
enough water to cover chicken breasts in pan
1 onion diced.13 cents
2 carrots diced. .10 cents
2 TBS butter-.50 cents
1/2 TBS oil- .25 cents
Dash of soy sauce- .05 cents
Dash of Worcestershire sauce.05 cents
1 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables- (broccoli, red bell peppers, onions and mushrooms).99 cents
1/2 cup water
2 pkg of Knorr Asian  sides Teriyaki noodles (Lo mein noodles in a sweet teriyaki sauce) $1.76
3 cups water
2 TBS butter-.50 cents
and a dash of Agave-.50 cents

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Put your frozen or fresh chicken breasts in sauce pan or deep fry pan.  Cover with water, and add dash of Soy sauce and Dash of Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and cook till done.  10 to 15 minutes.  Meanwhile saute onions and carrots in melted butter in another frying pan.  After about 5 to 8 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water and cover.  Steam carrots and onions for about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add frozen veg.  Cover again, adding more water if needed.  ( I just used a ladle or two of the water I was boiling chicken in.) Remove chicken from sauce pan and dice into cubes or strips.  Put on top of veggie mixture in frying pan and cover.  In saucepan you cooked the chicken in, remove any excess water and cook noodles as directed except a dash of agave.

Mix it all together and serve in bowls.
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Total cost $6.49, servings- (6) so $1.08 a person

Chicken and vegetable gravy over biscuits

Ingredients:
3 chicken boneless breasts- $2.50
1 onion diced-.13 cents
3 stalks of celery diced-.15 cents
3 TBS butter- $1.00
1 bag of California blend vegetables-.99 cents
1/4 cup frozen corn- .25 cents
1 can of cream chicken soup-.88 cents
3/4 of the soup can of milk.75 cents
Poultry seasoning to taste.. 1 to 2 tsp.- .25 cents
Salt and pepper to taste- .20 cents
1 can of refrigerator biscuits-.65 cents
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serves 3 adults and 1 hungry toddler- $1.93 each serving
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In large saucepan, boil chicken breasts and California Blend vegetables in water for about 10 to 15 minutes. In another frying pan saute onion and celery in melted butter till tender. Dice your chicken and drain vegetables.  Add to frying pan along with soup, milk and seasoning.  Add corn and heat on medium/low till warmed through.  Bake biscuits according to directions.  Split biscuits and serve chicken mixture over biscuits.

Ways to stretch meat

I don't claim to be a expert on this subject, I just know what works for me!  I often buy ground turkey instead of hamburger unless its on sale.   If I am making a casserole or one pot meal like spaghetti, I try to use 1 pound versus 2 pounds of meat.  Tonight for instance I am making "Grandpa's Spanish rice" and I browned hamburger with some onion, and grated carrot.  I added a can of corn that was drained as well, because canned corn tastes better if you let it caramelize a bit with the other vegetables and meat.  I also stretch my Rice mixes, by adding a handful of broken spaghetti noodles.  My goal is to make dinner for my family and have enough leftover for a couple of lunches.  My hubby is not big on leftovers.

I also add beef broth to ground turkey sometimes to make it taste beefier.   If I am using chicken breasts, I try to serve 1/2 a breast to each adult with enough sides to fill in the cracks.  If you use meat sparingly, for texture and flavor you can use less.  I know other people add beans to their meals, but I have a hard time digesting beans.  I occasionally add a can of chili to taco meat, or to my Spanish rice.   I have used potatoes that were cubed and fried in taco's with meat.

So these are some of my tips or tricks:
Meat as an ingredient, not the main feature. Instead of serving a chicken breast with veggies and rice, why not make fried rice, stir fry or a curry? I generally use 2-3 chicken breasts in these dishes, we get plenty of meat but use half of what we would if the chicken was the main feature.  Another bonus is that you can make fried rice and stir fry in one pot, bonus!!
 Buy cheap cuts and use them wisely. Stir fry and fried rice are excellent ways to use cheap cuts of beef, but so is stew and curry. I love cutting cheap cuts of skirt or flank steak against the grain, brown them in oil and spices, and serve them in a tortilla with onions and peppers.                                                                 
Use meat in casseroles. You can use more vegetables, pasta or rice and only half the meat.

Substitute other meats. Sometimes ground turkey is cheaper, I can still find it frozen for $1/lb. No, it doesn’t taste quite the same but generally we find it an acceptable alternative. If you don’t like the taste you can try using ½ lb beef and ½ lb turkey, or ground chicken or pork.  You can add chicken or beef broth or stock for added flavor, and don't be afraid to use other spices!

Leftover meat?  What can you do with it?

Leftover roast beef or steak can become a“planned over” beef quesadillas

Convert the flavors of roasted beef to Asian beef stir-fry flavored with 

fresh ginger, julienne bell

peppers, scallions with orange zest and segments

.

Transform leftover cooked roast beef into creamy beef stroganoff with 

mushrooms and served over egg noodles.

Utilize leftover hamburgers by crumbling the cooked patties 

into spaghetti and lasagna sauces.

Disguise Sunday’s leftover roast beef in colorful fajitas for a quick 

evening supper. Sprinkle fajita seasonings on sliced onions and

 peppers. Saute the vegetables until tender, then add thinly sliced 

cooked roast beef to the vegetables and heat until warm.

Prepare Asian lettuce wraps with leftover cooked 

pork loin or roast.

Offer enchiladas with second-night cooked pork mixed

 with salsa, cilantro and Jack cheese.

Transform leftover pork chops into a quick entree of 

pork fried rice with the addition of cooked rice,

ginger, scallions, vegetables and eggs.

Invent a new version of the grilled Monte Cristo sandwich 

by tucking thin slices of cooked pork

with Swiss cheese between bread slices.

Enhance a package or homemade potato soup with 

the addition of cooked pork cubes.

Sweet and savory chicken and teriyaki rice with vegetables

~Chicken~
3 boneless chicken breasts- $2.50
1 pkg Good season's Italian dressing seasoning- $1.25
1 TBS dry onion- .05 cents
1/2 Cup dark brown sugar- .35 cents
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Total-$4.15-  per serving-$1.03- (serves 4)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a casserole or Pyrex dish with foil.  Spray with baking spray.  Cut Chicken breasts into strips.  Mix brown sugar, Italian seasonings and onion in a bowl, blend well with a fork.  Dip Chicken strips in sugar/seasoning mix. Rolling around until covered on all sides.  Place in Pyrex.  Pat tops of chicken with any remaining topping.  Bake 25 to 35 minutes.  You can place it under broiler for 5 minutes at the end, turning till sauce is sticky on all sides.
My chicken was slightly frozen so it took about 10 to 15 minutes longer to cook.
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~Teriyaki rice with vegetables!

1 box Teriyaki chicken rice a roni= .98 cents
1/2 onion diced-.07 cents
2 TBS butter or margarine- .80 cents
1 cup frozen vegetables- (mixed corn, carrots, green beans, and peas)- .35 cents
1/2 can diced  pineapple- .50 cents
2 1/3 cups of water plus two tablespoons for vegetables- free for me
2 to 3 splashes of Soy Sauce- .05 cents
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Total-$2.75  per serving (4 servings)  .69 cents
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Cook onion in butter till it becomes fragrant, add vegetables and pineapple, stirring frequently but let it slightly caramelize.  Add rice a roni mixture, brown as directed.  Add water and soy.  Cook as directed.
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Total for whole dinner- $.6.65   - per person- $1.66

Red Velvet Cheesecake dip

I wouldn't say that this was the most cost effective recipe I have made this season but I will say its yummy!!
I found the original recipe on  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/08/red-velvet-cheesecake-dip.html
but I made a few additions.  I was able to divide each batch into 2 (2 cup) portions as gifts.  I am just giving vanilla wafers and pretzel sticks in baggies to go with it.  I figure people have a lot of sweets coming in, but I am taking a full serving to Christmas Eve dinner.  Shh. Don't tell my in laws.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temp- .98
1/2 cup of butter, at room temp-.87
2 TBS brown sugar.10 cents
1/2 cup powdered sugar.25 cents
1 TBS baking cocoa..25 cents
splash of milk .05 cents
1 1/2 cups of Red velvet cake mix( about 1/2 a box)- $2.00
1 tsp vanilla- .05 cents
1 cup Chocolate chips- 1.50

Vanilla Wafers- $1.00 (1/2 a box)
Pretzel sticks- $2.00
Apples- $1.00

Mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy,  Add brown sugar.  Mix till blended.  Add powdered sugar and cocoa.  Blend well, scraping sides of bowl.  Add cake mix and vanilla.  Use a splash of milk if it gets really thick.  You want it spreadable or dippable.  Fold in Chocolate chips.  Chill.

Serve with Vanilla Wafers, Graham Crackers, Pretzels and Apple's cut into wedges or sticks.  Its a appetizer or Dessert, so servings are hard to determine.  I would say 6 to 8 adults?
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Total $9.80  per serving-1.23 a person, if you serve 8, it makes about 4 cups.

Enchilada Casserole

My husband is not really fond of Mexican food.  He likes Nachos and Soft taco's on occasion.  But as much as I LOVE Mexican we don't eat it very often.  Today I had a craving for Mexican food.  As long as its not too spicy and has plenty of cheese my sweet man will eat it.
I make a Enchilada casserole that is easy, and fairly inexpensive.  It makes about 6 to 8 servings depending on how hungry you are.

Ingredients:
4 soft taco's- (Cut into quarters).44 cents
1 pound ground beef or turkey- 3.28
1 can Mild red enchilada sauce-1.50
2 Tbs dry chopped onion.-05 cents
1 cup water- free for me
2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese-3.25
1 can of olives chopped- .98 cents
(optional if needed)1 TBS corn starch and 2 TBS cold water- .05 cents
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total 9.55  6 servings- 1.59 a serving
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Heat oven to 375 F.  Spray a 8x8 casserole with cooking spray. Brown hamburger on stove.  Add 1 cup water and the dry onion. Cook until most of the water is gone and onions are reconstituted.  Add Enchilada sauce, reserving about 3 TBS of sauce.  My sauce seemed a little thin to me, so I tightened it up with a slurry of cornstarch and water. 
Add 3 TBS of reserved Enchilada sauce to bottom of casserole.  Lay 4 to 5 pieces of tortilla on sauce, kind of filling in gaps like a puzzle.  Top with 1/3 of the meat and sauce mixture.  Top with 1/3 cheese and 1/3 of the olives.  Repeat, ending with cheese and olives.   Bake for 25 minutes.  Let set for 10 minutes on top of stove to set up.
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Serving with a jello parfait with pineapple and whipped cream, about 1.00 per person.  and canned corn with butter .24 cents a serving
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total for whole meal- 13.27 with leftovers- about 2.83 per person.

Slow Cooker ham & Scalloped potatoes& Green beans and dessert!!

I love Pinterest!!  I am always looking up new recipes.  I recently found a pin about "best Ham ever" so last night when I found Ham's on sale at Winco, I thought sure I will try it.   This is the pin I found it on.  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/914862400535152/
and the link:  http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/03/crock-pot-ham/
So Mine was a 12 pound ham, and I have a 6 quart Crock pot.  So I 

cut the ham into thirds.  1 third went into the crock.  1 third I cubed for corn and potato/ham chowder and froze, and the last third I sliced into ham steaks and froze for those nights we want breakfast for dinner.  I don't think we will eat the whole third tonight, so I will slice leftovers and make Ham and pineapple sandwiches.  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/03/slow-cooker-ham-and-pineapple-sandwich-recipe.html  Also from Pinterest.

So it produced a lot of liquid.  So I just transferred most of the liquid to a saucepan on the stove and I am cooking it down, so its more a glaze.

We LOVE  Idahoan Steakhouse Scalloped potatoes, and I got them at Winco for $1.25 a box.  I know that home made is best, but I tend a 2 1/2 year old, 5 days a week, and my 18 month old 24/7 .  I have a home to keep up, and I am in charge of the children in our congregation.  In the LDS faith I am the Primary President.  So I am pretty busy!!  Plus making home made scalloped potatoes for two adults and a toddler seems like a waste of time!!  
So we are having glazed ham with pineapple and scalloped potatoes and baby  "M"s  favorite Green beans.

Chocolate peanut butter cookies for dessert!
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Ham
Ingredients
7 pound ham- ( mine was closer to 4 pounds)-----------------------------4.25
2 cups pineapple juice (Me- 1 1/2 cups of pineapple plus the pineapple)- .98 cents
1 cup brown sugar( I just smeared brown sugar all over my ham, I didn't measure) .25 cents
1/2 cup maple syrup( about 1/3 cup for me)- .25 cents
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                                                                           Total- 5.73 for the whole thing- 
I am guessing 8 servings---------------------------------.71 cents a serving.
Directions
1. Unwrap ham and place in the Crock-Pot
2. Rub ham with brown sugar on all sides.
3. Pour pineapple juice and maple syrup over the ham
4. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on low.
5. Remove liquid to saucepan and cook down till a thicker syrup.  Pour over sliced ham in slow cooker.

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Steak house potatoes-  made as instructed on box --$1.25

1/2 cup milk  -----------.50 cents
2 TBS butter------------.30 cents
water--------------------Free for me
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                                                             total $2.05 for whole box
                                      In our house- 6 servings- .34 cents a serving

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Green beans and butter .  58 cents canned green beans
                              1 TBS Butter- .15 cents

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Total- .73 cents- in our house 3 servings- baby "M" LOVES green beans!!! .24 cents per serving
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Chocolate peanut butter cookies
1 cup Peanut butter- 1.50
1 cup sugar- .35 cents
1 egg-.10 cents
2 TBS Hershey's cocoa- .20 cents
2 TBS brown sugar- .10 cents
splash of vanilla- .05 cents

Combine all ingredients.  Chill for at least a hour- bake at 350 F for about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven.  Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes to set.

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$2.30 for 24 cookies- .09 cents a cookie
Baby "M" will eat 1, Hubby and I will eat 2 each so 8 servings.
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Total for dinner per person- 1.74 a person!!!