Monday's Money-Saving Recipe - Chicken BLT Taco Salad

If you use tortilla chips, dressing and salsa from your stockpile, chicken from the freezer bought on sale and you have bacon, cheese and sour cream on hand (purchase on sale of course) then all you need for this is fresh produce. That makes this a money-saving recipe! :) I realize, I'm stretching it, but it looks DELISH! It's like my 3 favorite things (chicken, BLTs and tacos) all in one bowl! Thanks for sharing Stretching Your Budget!

Chicken BLT Taco Salad

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/2 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup French dressing

Salad:
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
6 cups torn romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 medium yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey-Jack cheese blend
1/4 cup sour cream, if desired
1 cup small triangular tortilla chips

Monday's Money-Saving Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Easy Frugal Buffalo Chicken Wraps!!

Perfect for summer time!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. tortillas
2-3 fresh tomatoes
1 bottle ranch dressing
1 jar hot wing sauce (mild or hot)
1 pkg. breaded or plain chicken breast (you can also use fresh chicken breast, breaded and fried--or grilled--however I think it costs more and takes much longer)

Directions:

Cook chicken as directed on package then cut into slices. Heat tortillas in the microwave (quickest). Place tortilla on plate, add chicken, tomatoes, wing sauce and ranch dressing. Wrap and enjoy!

These are super delicious and you can mix and match your toppings to suit you. All together it takes about 25 minutes to make and feeds a bunch so it goes a long way!

Thanks Budget Savvy Diva!

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Veggie Burgers

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but anytime you can make a meatless meal you're saving money! (I do have a black bean burger recipe that I have tried that is very similar to this one.)

Veggie Burgers
Mash 2 cans drained, rinsed black beans in a bowl (or you can buy them dry for cheaper and cook them yourself - hey, we're all about saving money here!).
Add 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (you can make your own breadcrumbs)
1 tsp Tabasco sauce, 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes, 2 lightly beaten eggs, salt and pepper.

Form 4 patties. Grill until done. Serve in buns (toasted if preferred).

Topping options:
Salsa
Avocado slices
Red onion slices

If you try this recipe before I do, tell me how it is!

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - FRUGAL Banana Muffins

FRUGAL Banana Muffin Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 c. mashed bananas
1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a bowl combine salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl combine honey, eggs, oil and banana making sure to mix well. Add banana blend to the flour mixture, careful not to over mix. Pour into greased muffin pans or paper muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Remove pan to rack, and let stand for 10 minutes. Invert pan and let finish cooling on rack. Best served warm. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Variation: Banana bread... bake mini-loaves 40-45 minutes and for 1 regular loaf bake 1 hour.

Fresh from the Budget Savvy Diva Kitchen. Thanks BSD!

Memorial Day Tips from Frito Lay

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer and a great reason to get together with friends and family. It also means summer barbecues, picnics and outdoor parties are soon to follow. Make summer entertaining fun, easy and oh-so-tasty with these party tips and appetizer and snack recipes featuring fruits and veggies:

Keep Your Cool – When it’s hot outside, the last place you want to be is in a kitchen with the oven blazing! Cool down with appetizers and snacks made from fruits and veggies, like our easy-to-make Garden Lime Dip — a perfect pairing with snacks like Tostitos® Hint of Lime chips!

Keep it Simple – A party isn’t a party without chips and dip, but not all chips are created equal. For example, some of Frito-Lay’s most popular snacks, such as Tostitos Scoops! tortilla chips and Lay’s Classic potato chips are made with only three simple ingredients: potatoes or corn, healthier oils and salt - that’s it! Use your favorite chips as a vehicle to dish up extra nutrition by pairing them with dips made with fruits and vegetables, like our Mango Salsa Chutney.

Keep it Fun – Give a traditional potluck a modern twist by asking guests to share their recipes before they arrive. As guests leave the party, provide them with a festive printout of all the recipes so they can recreate the tasty dishes at home.

This information (and a generous sampling of Frito Lay products) were provided to me by Frito Lay. I can't wait to try the Garden Lime Dip! Sounds delicious!

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Ramen Noodle Stir-Fry

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Ramen noodles

1/2 or full bag of generic frozen veggies (or fresh, in season)

Inexpensive cut of meat to match Ramen flavor; for "beef" use cube steak, breakfast steak, etc.--whatever is on sale. Or go vegetarian, extra firm tofu, cubed and seasoned is great too.

Your choice of spices.


Directions:

Thinly slice or chop your choice of meat. Heat small amount of oil in wok or large pan. Add meat and brown quickly. In another pot, boil noodles about 2 minutes. Remove meat and let sit on paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease. Add veggies, Ramon flavor pack, any other seasoning (soy sauce, Chinese five spice, curry, red pepper flakes... use your imagine or gear toward family favorites). Add a splash of liquid (water, white wine, orange juice, etc...), stir constantly. Add noodles and meat to warm through and mix flavors.

If you prefer a more "saucy" dish, thicken chicken or beef broth with cornstarch and add to the veggies and beef. Leave noodles out and serve the mixture ON TOP of plain noodles for best results.

Cheap, Fast, Variety.

Thanks Budget Savvy Diva!

Monday's Money-Saving Recipe - All-in-one-box Chicken Dinner

Thanks to the Budget Savvy Diva for this delicious looking recipe!  I can't wait to try it!


How yummy does this look - less then $10.00 !!!! Wonderfully Filling!


Ingredients:


1 pound chicken breasts, about 3 large 4 small breasts (you can get a bag of skinless boneless chicken breasts for a reasonable price, but its not really that hard to skin and de-bone breasts which will save you a good bit of money)


1 small can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken, any variety of creamy soup works but make sure the flavor is one you enjoy because it will be a main taste in this meal--my family likes chicken, mushroom, and celery but cheese and broccoli struck out)


1/2 cup milk


1 box stuffing mix (any brand, any variety- I use store brands and whatever kind comes to my hand first)

Monday's Money-Saving Recipe - Homemade Frozen Pancakes

Okay, so I happen to LOVE my pancake recipe.  And it's not a big secret.  In fact, you've probably seen it.  It's right there on the back of the Bisquik box.  :)

• 2 Cups Bisquik
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extra

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Turkey Chili and Veggie Chili

Thanks to Sara at Budget Savvy Diva for these two great recipes! For more Monday's Money Saving Recipes from Saving Toward A Better Life go here.

To check out more frugal eats recipes from the Budget Savvy Diva go HERE. 

Turkey Chili
Makes 8 servings at 86 cents each

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or ground beef

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Pasta with Homemade Sauce

This recipe comes from Sara at Budget Savvy Diva!


Pasta with a Homemade Tomato Sauce ( Green Beans and Broccoli ) with Grilled Chicken Breast - and Homemade Garlic Bread.

Here is me with the pasta - costing 1.50 for the pound. I love getting pasta with the ridges really helps soak up all the yummy sauce.



So the rest for the pasta sauce:


My secret to an inexpensive tomato sauce is using inexpensive canned tomatoes - also there really is no difference between the store brand and the known brand such as Hunts - I use two cans plus a clove of fresh garlic and ( not in the picture) one whole onion.

Also another quick trick is try and use some inexpensive veggies in your sauce - I found a bag 1/3 full of greens beans and broccoli

When I am making a sauce from scratch like this - I try and think what vitamins and protein do I want in it - then I look at my fridge or canned goods to fulfill the requirements that I want.

Using a bit of butter - no I did not use the whole box - I use only about tablespoon or two - really helps make the sauce yummy. Plus a little cheese as well helps.

I also got a deal on Tyson grilled chicken - 3.99 for the bag so I ended up using half - :)

Here is how the sauce looks cooked.


First it is important to heat up about a tablespoon of Olive Oil - then add the cut up onion and garlic - I really brown them - takes out the harsh taste - which my husband HATES.

Then I add the tomato then the chicken - I wanted the chicken to heat up in the tomato sauce so it could soak up all the flavor - totally worked! Then I add the veggies at the last 5 minutes - worst thing to have is mushy veggie - icky.

I decided to take some clearance bread we hand on hand - and melted 3 tablespoon of butter and added one clove of minced garlic with cheese and drizzled it on three slices of bread and put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Here is the outcome


I decided the cut the bread into three pieces for each piece of bread  - so it would be bite-size perfect to soak up sauce.

After the pasta was cooked I rinsed the pasta added a little olive oil - so the pasta would not stick together then ... I added the sauce and pasta together and added the bread on top  - here is the final product.



Not to shabby for a little over $1.00 per serving.

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Super Cook!

I am now in love with this little faceless man in a chef's hat!

Super Cook is a new recipe search engine that finds recipes you can make using what you have on hand!

You can type in an ingredient and it will give you a list of other ingredients.  Simply click on the additional ingredients that you have and it will narrow down the recipes.

Anytime you can cook a meal using what is already in your pantry (fridge, freezer, etc) you are saving money!

What's Cooking?

I've linked up some of my favorite recipes at What's Cooking Thursday at Feeding Four's site!

Link up YOUR favorite recipes and discover some NEW favorites!  Go here!

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Skillet Chicken with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Okay, so that's a completely made up name for something I completely made up that was actually edible!  I really need to start taking pictures of the final product!

Here's what I used -

Frozen B/S chicken breasts (the bagged kind)
Hunt's Fire Roasted tomatoes
Pasta (I used Linguine - but any kind would really work)
Sliced Black Olives


I put a little olive oil in a skillet and cooked the chicken until done (I seasoned the chicken with pepper and garlic salt).  I boiled the pasta while the chicken was cooking.  Removed chicken breast, drained the skillet.  Drained the pasta, added it to the skillet, put the chicken on top, add the fire roasted tomatoes and olives and heated it through.  I also sprinkled a bit of dried cilantro on top just for good measure.  And served it with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan on top.


Hubs said it was "okay" and I'll take that!  I thought it was a simple dish - it wasn't bursting with flavor, but sometimes I like something simple.  (I'm trying to avoid the word 'bland' - because it wasn't...just can't think of a better word.)  The fire-roasted tomatoes gave it a good flavor (regular tomatoes would've been 'bland'). 


I liked this because it was all stockpiled stuff.  The chicken breast I stock up on when they are BOGO at Winn Dixie (I love them because you can cook them from frozen!  I also use them to make Chicken Quesadillas)  Canned tomatoes, pasta and olives are all things I get for close to free too!  If I had to guess, I'd say this dish (using 2 chicken breasts from the bag) cost around $3.  I made some Homemade Garlic Toast and a can of green beans flavored with onions making the whole dinner about $4!  :)))

Monday's Money-Saving Recipes - Lazy Mom's Lasagna

Haha!  I'm sure there is a better name for this, but I just came up with that one and liked it!

If I serve honest-to-goodness lasagna, it's Stouffers.  If I make lasagna from "scratch" then you can bet there is a twist to it.

This is Lazy Mom's Lasagna:

Start with frozen cheese filled raviolis (I buy Celentano when they are BOGO at Winn-Dixie).  Boil them slightly less than what the directions on the package say.  Drain and add half to a casserole dish.  Layer sauce and cheese (shredded mozzarella, parmesan  or an italian blend) over raviolis, add second layer of raviolis, add more sauce and top with cheese.

The "sauce" is whatever flavor pasta sauce I'm in the mood for (I made this last night with Hunt's Garlic and Herb).  You can add crumbled ground beef to the sauce if you want a meatier dish.  You can add chopped spinach if you want a healthier twist.

Bake in oven at 350* til heated through (20-25 minutes).  Optional, add more cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Dinner is served!  :)))

Monday's Money-Saving Recipe - Chicken Tortilla Soup (repost)

I have raved about this recipe before that came from Melissa's Bargain Blog.

After all the "Christmas food" we've consumed this week, I'm ready for something different!  So this is what I'm toss in the slow cooker for tonight!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
 
3 cans chicken broth
3 cans cream of chicken soup
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can Rotel
Mrs. Dash original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Add Mrs. Dash's seasoning to taste. Add broth and cream of chicken soup, and Rotel. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot.




Serve over chips and add toppings!  (Sour cream, sliced green onions, olives, cheese...anything you want!)
 

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12 Days of Christmas Traditions - What to eat?

Why is that we feel like there are certain foods we can only have certain times of the year?  I mean, I never decided on a random night in the middle of May that I'm going to make a sweet potato casserole for dinner.  Do you?

With that said, here is a list of things I love, but only actually eat them between Thanksgiving and Christmas:

• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Watergate Salad
• Dressing
• Mexican Layer Dip
• Sausage Balls 
• Red Velvet Cake
• Pecan Pie

As I was typing this list, it occurred to me that aside from the Watergate Salad, everything on that list is a bear to make.  Which may be why it only gets fixed 1-2 times a year.

What about you?  What's something you can't get enough of to eat during the holidays?

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - Breakfast on Christmas morning (and sausage ball recipe)

We have a tradition when it comes to breakfast on Christmas morning - Sausage balls!

My mom began this many years ago as a way to keep her out of the kitchen on Christmas morning so she could be part of everything going on in the family room.

She would make the sausage balls up the day before and put them in the fridge.  Then on Christmas morning, all she had to do was put them in the oven.

Her sausage ball recipe is sooooooo yummy that I continued to do this on Christmas morning after I got married.  Hubs loves sausage balls.

Here is the recipe:

• 1 lb sausage
• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 water

scramble sausage, drain.
add Bisquick, cheese and water
roll into small balls
bake 400-450 degrees 12-15 minutes until brown  (I've found that 450 for 12 minutes works in my electric oven)

balls can be frozen and baked as needed.

recipe makes 36 balls.  you can double it and get 75.

Do you have something special that you make for breakfast on Christmas morning?

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Garlic or Cinnamon Sugar Rolls

Using your stockpile effectively can sometimes mean that you have to figure out a new way to use the same old thing.  When you do this long enough you begin to see the things that go on sale a whole lot more than other things.

One thing I find myself always having a lot is Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough.  As much as we love these rolls, sometimes we just want something a little different.

I've experimented with this idea and it's actually very good!

You make them just like the package says only you add one step.  After you roll out the dough flat, brush it with a little melted butter.  If you want Garlic Rolls, sprinkle some garlic salt over the dough.  If you want Cinnamon Sugar Rolls, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over then.  The roll them up brush a little butter on the top and sprinkle your topping of choice and bake as normal.

I love this recipe because it's quick, simple and delicious!

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Ham or Chicken Fried Rice

Ham or Chicken Fried Rice

1 cup frozen carrots and peas
3 cups cooked rice
1 cup cooked cubed ham or chicken
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 egg
2 Tbsp soy sauce


In a large bowl, combine the peas and carrots, rice and ham or chicken. Mix well. Heat oil in a large skillet. Pour rice mixture into skillet and stir over medium heat until heated through, a couple of minutes. Add the egg. Cook and mix in with the rice mixture until the egg is done to your liking. Mix in the soy sauce just before serving.

This recipe is courtesy of Dede and she also has a recipe for Apple Rice Toffee!  (Have you ever used rice in a dessert before???  I haven't!  Can't wait to check it out!)