Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

I mentioned on Monday's Menu plan that I was whipping up some homemade mac n' cheese. Here's my no fail recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Elbow Macaroni (14.5 oz)
• 3 Tbsp butter or Margarine
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups of Milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp of pepper
• 1/4 tsp of onion powder
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• A pinch of paprika

Boil pasta, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350' and make a roux.
In a saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour and then milk. Continue to stir over medium heat until sauce thickens. Add salt, pepper & onion powder, then add cheese - continuing to stir until cheese has melted. Combine sauce & pasta in pasta pan, then spoon into greased 8x8 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs , Parmeasean cheese and paprika. Bake 30-35 minutes. Devour!

Favorite Frugal Recipes!

Looking for a fun & frugal new recipe? Check out some of my frugal recipe test drives:

Pasta:

• Creamy Marinara Sauce
• Homemade Marinara Sauce
• Easy Pasta Primavera
• Easy Basil & Walnut Pesto
• Pasta with Cream Cheese Basil Sauce
• Spinach Manicotti
• Pumpkin Penne with Rosemary
• Spaghetti Pie
• Creamy Artichoke Pasta
• Homemade Mac & Cheese
  

Casseroles:

• Creamy Rosemary Penne
  
• Chicken Suiza Cornbread Bake
• Stove Top Stuffing Bake

Chicken:

• Foil Wrapped Chicken
• Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce
• Ginger Sweet Potato Chicken Bake
• Garlic-Lemon Double Stuffed Chicken
• Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Crockpot chicken recipes:

• Salsa Chicken
• Pineapple Chicken
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For whole chickens:

• Rotisserie Style Crockpot Chicken
• Lemon & Herb Chicken

Other recipes:

• Baked Potato Soup
• Homemade Pizza
• Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Homemade French Fries
• Crab Rangoon Dip
• Microwave Cake

Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Creamy Artichoke Pasta!

A few weeks ago, I told you how I cleaned out my pantry & searched for recipes that included specific ingredients. (Read my recipe for Chicken Suiza Cornbread Bake). Last night I found a jar of artichoke hearts and decided to find a recipe that included them. So I logged on to allrecipes.com and came across this delicious (& frugal!) pasta dish!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (6 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place olive oil, butter, and liquid from artichoke hearts in skillet. Cut artichoke hearts into bite-size pieces. When olive oil mixture is hot, add onion and garlic. Saute until soft and lightly browned. Stir in artichoke hearts and saute until heated through. Season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Toss mixture with cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Verdict: This pasta was quick, easy and delicious. My husband isn't really into artichokes but even he enjoyed it! Because I used a whole box of pasta (16 oz instead of 12), I did add a little extra olive oil, cottage cheese and more spices.

Read the original recipe here: Creamy Artichoke Pasta

Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Chicken Suiza Cornbread Bake!

Last week, in true stockpiling fashion, I was cleaning out my pantry & checking expiration dates. I had two packages of cornbread expiring soon and a huge can of corn that's been in there for awhile. So I checked out Allrecipes.com for a recipe that included corn & cornbread - and here's what I found. And it was gooood!

My recipe (modified from the original)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 - clove garlic, minced
• 1 - 29 oz can whole kernel corn (or equivalent )
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
  
• 2 - eggs
• 1 - 8.5 ounce package corn bread mix
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons canned green chile peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup of salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1 - can cream of chicken
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine corn, garlic, salt, milk and eggs. Add muffin mix. Pour into the baking dish.
3. In another large bowl, combine chicken, green chiles, salsa, sour cream, cream of chicken, salt and pepper. Spoon over corn mixture to within 1 inch from edge. Sprinkle top with cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

This was really easy and smelled (as well as tasted) really good! The best part? You probably have all these ingredients in your pantry right now! (You can substitute one 15 oz can of creamed corn instead of two cans of regular corn - I had regular so I used that and added the milk to keep it moist.)

Verdict: DH gave this one an 8/10!

Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Creamy Marinara Sauce!

Craving pasta? Then you MUST try this awesome recipe that Annie sent me!

Creamy Marinara Sauce

• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 3 cans (14.xx oz.) diced tomatoes (I'm up to my ears in tomatoes so I used fresh)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped (I substituted a few sprinkles of onion powder)
• 3/4 C. sour cream
• 1/4 C. parmesan
• 1/4 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 T. basil
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano

Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes all ingredients after mixing thoroughly. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

This sauce was sooo good! It was so simple and I had everything (except for the onion) already on hand! Thanks again Annie for this wonderful recipe- it's a new favorite!

Frugal Recipe: Homemade Marinara Sauce!

Here's an idea for all those homegrown tomatoes: homemade marinara sauce! This recipe is a variation of one from our friend Jimi, who is Italian and calls it "gravy!" Love it! Thanks Jimi! :)

Basic ingredients for one jar (feel free to multiply!)

4 or 5 - Large Tomatoes
1 - Small can of tomato paste
2 - tsp sugar
1 - tsp chopped garlic
2 - Tsp Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Additions:
1 - tsp of Italian Seasoning
1 - tsp of Basil
1 - tsp of Oregano
1 - tsp of Onion Powder
1 - tsp of Garlic Powder

Chop tomatoes and puree in a blender or food processor. Strain out the seeds and pour into sauce pan. Add tomato paste, and ingredients and simmer until sauce has thickened and ingredients have melded (10-15 minutes). If storing, cool before bottling.

Do you make your own marinara sauce? What do you put in it? LMK!

Frugal Recipe: My Easy Pasta Primavera

This tomato "sauce" makes a great light pasta - and also serves as a great filling for omelets!

• 1 - pint of cherry/grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 - package of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup of - frozen spinach (or a cup of fresh)
• Add garlic, Italian seasoning or just salt and pepper!
  

Lightly coat a skillet with olive oil. Add tomatoes, mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes. Then add spinach and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked through. Toss with pasta, and top with Parmesan cheese.

Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Easy Basil & Walnut Pesto

Here's an easy pesto recipe that incorporates ingredients that you probably already have on hand!

* 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
* 1/2 cup and 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts
* 1 clove garlic, peeled
* 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve over pasta. Devour. Makes 4 servings.

Check out the original recipe here!

Frugal Recipe: Foil Wrapped Chicken!

A few weeks ago I tried out a recipe for Foil Wrapped Chicken. This recipe was so easy and delicious - I've made it three times (with variations) over the past few weeks!

Here is the Foil Wrapped Salsa Chicken Recipe:

• 4 chicken breasts (or equivalent, I used chicken tenders)
• 4 tsp Taco Seasoning Mix
• 3/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Chunky Salsa
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 4 sheets of foil

Heat oven to 400°F. Place a chicken breast in the center of each sheet. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix. Top with salsa and cheese. Fold foil into packets, leaving room for heat circulation inside (i.e. not too tight!). Place packets in glass 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done. (Chicken tenders will be cooked in about 25 minutes!) Cool 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening. Top with sour cream.

See the original recipe here!

For variations, I have baked marinated chicken in packets for the same amount of time. The chicken comes out super tender and has virtually no clean up! And it's a great way to use all that extra foil! :)

P.S. Interested in this recipe but don't want to heat up your kitchen? Try this delish Crockpot Salsa Chicken Recipe!

Frugal Recipe: Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

I diverted from yesterday's meal plan to test out a new recipe! And it was delish! :) And easy! And frugal! (All of my favorite things in a meal!) So here it is:

Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1lb of Chicken Breasts or Tenders (I used tenders)
• 2-4 Tbsp. of flour
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 3/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Coat chicken with flour (I used more than 2 Tablespoons). Add chicken; cook 4 to 6 min. on each side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet. Cover chicken to keep warm.

Pour chicken broth into the skillet; stir to scrape up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add cream cheese; cook 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly with wire whisk.

Return chicken to skillet; turn over to coat both sides of chicken with sauce. Cook 2 min. or until chicken is heated through. Sprinkle with parsley (I had some in my garden so this was free!) or other fresh herbs.

Verdict: This chicken was very tender and delicious. It's pretty basic on its own so feel free to customize it any way you'd like! DH and I gave this recipe an 8 out of 10! :)


P.S.: See the original recipe here!

Stockpile ideas: What to do with all that mustard!?

If you look here, here, and here - you'll notice I've gotten a lot of free mustard over the last few weeks. Of course I'll be donating some of it, and giving to friends/family, but I wondered what else I could do with it! (And with summer fast approaching, I think I'll definitely be getting more before the summer's end!)

Here are a few fun recipes I found today that use yellow mustard:

• Yellow Mustard Potato Salad


• Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

• Mustard Based BBQ Sauce


• Cheesy Honey Chicken

How many bottles of mustard do you have, and what are you going to do with it? Do you have any ideas for me? If so, please share! :)

Frugal Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Style Pizza

Remember my homemade pizza recipe?

DH and I have a new favorite pizza! We mix equal parts Frank's RedHot Sauce and Ranch Dressing in a bowl, stir in cooked chicken and top the pizza with a little bit of cheddar cheese. DELICIOUS! :)


What's your favorite Homemade Pizza Topping? :)

Frugal Recipe Test Drive: Ginger Sweet Potato Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 pound of sweet potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into one inch cubes
  
• 1 15 oz can of crushed pineapple
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Salt/Pepper
• Rice (I had saffron, but you can use white/brown)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Drain pineapple juice, reserving about 1/2 cup to use when cooking the rice. In large bowl, toss diced chicken breast, sweet potato pieces and pineapple piece. Add extra virgin olive oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, ground cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to 9×13 baking dish. Cook 20 for minutes uncovered. At the 20 minute mark, pull the dish out, cover it, and bake another 30-40 minutes. (This will prevent the sweet potatoes from drying out. I like them soft and moist!)

In saucepan, cook rice as directed on packaging. I substituted 1/2 cup of the liquid suggested on the package with the reserved pineapple juice.

See the original recipe: HERE!

Verdict:
I loved this recipe. It made for really good leftovers too! DH didn't care for it - we now know he does not like ginger or sweet potatoes. (Believe it or not, this was my first time ever cooking sweet potatoes!) This took me a good 30 minutes to prepare, and then another 40 minutes to cook, but it was worth the wait!

1 Chicken =5 Meals!

Last week I lucked out and bought 3 whole Perdue chickens at $.59/lb. In this post, I described how I cooked a 6 pound chicken (costing $4.18).

I was able to use that one chicken for 5 meals! (With a little left over!)

• First meal: Rotisserie Chicken with vegetables & mashed potatoes (3 servings)

• Second meal: Chicken sandwiches with ranch dressing (remember my quest on how to use up salad dressing?)

• Third meal: Chicken salad sandwiches (Chicken finely chopped or food processed with celery, a little mayo and salad dressing)

• Fourth meal: Homemade chicken pot pie

• Fifth meal: Grilled Burritos Frugal Jen's recipe!
  

My kitties also got some special treats... :)

What do you use leftover chicken for? Let me know!

Frugal Recipe: Rotisserie Style Crockpot Chicken

I love cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot. It's fool proof and seriously tender! This is my favorite recipe (Another fabulous crockpot 365 test drive!) :

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (mine was about 6lbs, but smaller is fine too!)
  
• 2 tsp kosher salt (if you'd like it as salty as the ones in the store, add another 1 tsp.)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 or 5 whole garlic cloves
  

Directions
Rinse the chicken and remove bag from inside. I skinned the chicken, but this is optional. (If my former vegetarian self could see me now!) In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot. Place the garlic in side the bird. Do not add water!

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat. Devour!

Stay tuned to see all the things I used the chicken for! :)

View the original recipe here at Crockpot 365 ! The 'Crockpot Lady' rocks!

Frugal Recipe: Garlic-Lemon Double Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients: oil, for greasing pan 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 4 oz (1/2 an 8 ounce package) of cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup milk 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese 1 or 2 cloves of garlic minced Directions:

1. Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with oil.
2. Butterfly each breast by slicing in half horizontally through the center, cutting almost but not completely through. Place one slice each of Cheddar and cream cheese in the center of each breast. Close again as if placing between the pages of a book. Set aside.
3. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Romano cheese. Carefully dip each breast first in milk, then in breadcrumb mixture, patting lightly to firmly coat. Place breasts side by side in a single layer in pre-oiled baking dish, tucking edges under to seal.
4. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice and garlic, and drizzle evenly over chicken. Season breasts with garlic salt and paprika, if using.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

Verdict:
This chicken was delicious!!! We will definitely be making this again! We gave it a 9/10! :)

***View the original recipe here ! (You can scale it up or down!)

Frugal Recipe: Spinach Manicotti!

Gooey Delicious Cheese!

Here is my secret (okay, not so secret anymore!) Manicotti Recipe !

Ingredients:

• 1 -Box of manicotti noodles
• 1 -Jar of Tomato Sauce
• 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
  
• Shredded Cheese (mozzarella)z
  
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4- tsp pepper
• 1 T basil
• 3 T Parmesan cheese
• 1 - 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
  
• 1 package (or 1/2 package if you're not really into it) of frozen spinach

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350'. Cook manicotti in salted water for 7 minutes. Strain manicotti and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 in pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce. In a medium sized bowl combine ricotta, spices, garlic, parmesan cheese and about 2/3 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Cook spinach according to directions and add to bowl. Scoop filling into a pastry bag (or in a plastic bag with a corner cut off) and fill noodles. Cover the noodles with more tomato sauce and top with additional shredded cheese (we like to mix it up and add a little cheddar.) Cover with foil and cook 30-35 minutes or until bubbly!

Frugal Recipe: Pumpkin Penne with Rosemary!

First of all, I was OUT of penne. And when you have 9 boxes of rotini in your pantry... you get Pumpkin Rotini! :)
Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Fresh or dried Rosemary leaves
• 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1/2 cup half & half (you can substitute heavy cream or evaporated milk)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt

Directions:

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the penne until al dente. Drain pasta but reserve one cup of pasta water. Rinse pasta in cool water to stop the cooking and set aside.

If using fresh rosemary: In pasta pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add rosemary leaves and fry, stirring, until browned, 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot with slotted spoon and let the rosemary drain on a paper towel. (If using dried rosemary skip this step and just add the rosemary on top or mix in at the end!)

Now add the pumpkin puree to the pot. Careful, it will splatter. Add 1 cup of pasta water, half & half, garlic, Parmesan, vinegar & crushed red pepper. Stir sauce until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Add the drained pasta back to the pot and stir. You can add a bit more water to get the sauce to the consistency you want. Salt generously.

Garnish each serving with the fried rosemary or set it out in a small dish for people to garnish themselves.

Verdict:
This was good but... dare I say it? It tasted "healthy." If you make it, make it as a side dish and you might want to top it with a little melted cheese. DH rated it a 6.5, I rated it a 7. Worth a try but not really our thang.

See the original recipe here !

Frugal Recipe - Spaghetti Pie!

Ingredients:

• About 8 oz. (half a box) spaghetti, cooked
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup shredded cheese
• About 1/2 a jar of pasta sauce
• More shredded cheese for topping
  

Directions
"Combine drained spaghetti with egg and shredded cheese. Press into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Spoon spaghetti sauce over spaghetti crust. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and top with shredded mozzarella. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Slice and serve!"

**I found this great recipe at Fun Foods on a Budget. It came out pretty good if I do say so myself. :) It's a nice alternative to leftover spaghetti!!!

Frugal Recipe - Homemade French Fries!

While making the delish baked potato soup the other night, I realized I'd peeled one too many potatoes. So I decided to try my hand at some homemade fries! (Okay, I really just wanted to try out my new wavy knife!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450'. On a baking sheet, place two tablespoons of oil, swerve to coat. Slice or quarter potato(es). Places slices on the sheet, sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices (I just put a little onion powder on them.) Bake for 30 or so minutes of until at desired crispness. Place on paper towel to blot/cool. Enjoy!

DH and I gobbled these up in mere moments... I will definitely make these again! :)



ps: I loooove the wavy knife. Best $2.99 (-10% coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond, I ever spent!) Picture here if you're interested!