Creamy Baked Ziti

Creamy Baked Ziti

2 cups uncooked noodles (ziti or pasta of choice)

1 - 700 ml can of spaghetti sauce

1 - 250 g package of cream cheese

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Combine spaghetti sauce and cream cheese in pot. Heat until cream cheese is melted. Add diced tomatoes and pasta. Pour into casserole dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

This is one of the most delicious and cheapest meals I cook. It's a definite family favourite, too. This meal generally costs me less than $6.00, if I have a good stockpile of sale items. It also lasts more than one meal. Most times, unless the family is especially hungry, we get two meals or at least a dinner and lunches from one batch.

A general breakdown looks like this:

pasta - no more than $1/pkg
spaghetti sauce - $1/can
diced tomatoes - $.99/can
cream cheese - $1.99
mozzarella cheese - approx. $1.00 (this is a bit harder to determine, but I pay no more than $5.00 for a brick and use about a fifth of the brick.

The main thing here is to really watch the sales and stock up on the basic ingredients when they are cheap. I have about 20 packages of $1.00 pasta and spaghetti sauce in the pantry. Mozzarella cheese and cream cheese both freeze fine if you're going to use them for cooking.

Add a loaf of homemade bread to this dinner or a nice salad and you have a meal your family will love and ask for again and again!

Asian Beef Noodles

1 pkg stewing beef *
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion chopped
6 packets Mr. Noodles Beef or Oriental flavour
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp Teriaki sauce

Stir fry beef, ginger and Teriaki sauce until beef is partially cooked. Add carrots and onions and continue cooking unitl veggies are tender.

Cook Mr. Noodles according to directions, except drain the water after cooking. Add noodles to stir fry, sprinkle with seasoning packets. Mix well and serve.

This is a wonderfully quick, very easy and rather delicious meal. Mr. Noodles, regular price are only about .$.33 each. If, however, you watch the sales, you'll be able to pick up cases on sale, which will lower your costs. For instance, I was recently able to pick up a case on sale, which made each packet only $.22!

Also, if you watch your meat prices, you will be able to buy a full roast, either pork or beef, which you will be able to cut up into stewing size. For instance, I purchased a roast that was in the clearance meats, for only $6.00. I cut that roast into three different pieces, which means that there is only $3.00 worth of meat in one dinner.

If you are able to have a vegetable garden, you can grow and freeze your own veggies, which will mean that you won't have to pay a single cent for that part! If not, you can often purchase carrots on sale. On my last trip, I picked up 1lb of carrots for only $2.00. I will get 9 meals from this, which is a total of $.22 per meal

When I make this meal, my highest cost is:

meat - $3.00
carrots - $.22
onions - free from garden
Mr. Noodles -$1.32
spices - unknown at this time

Total $4.54 to feed my family of 4. That's $1.14 each. :)

Savory Creamy Chicken Breasts

Savory Creamy Chicken Breasts

5 chicken breasts, halves, boned and skinned
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
10 3/4 ounces cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon tarragon or rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic
Salt to taste
1 8-ounce can mushrooms, drained

This recipe makes 5 servings.

 

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry; place in Crock-Pot. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and heat until smooth and hot. Pour over chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup of salsa
1 cup frozen corn

Line chicken breasts in the bottom of a crockpot. In a very small bowl, mix the chili powder with the lime juice, and pour over the chicken breasts. (I turn them over to make sure they are evenly coated.)

Set crockpot on Low and cook for 5-6 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and is easy to shred.

Remove the chicken, shred, and put back in crockpot. Add salsa and frozen corn and mix thoroughly. Let cook for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream.

 These are SO easy to make and are never short on flavor. You can add other ingredients as well to your liking: black beans, jalapeno’s, etc. It really can be customized to your tastebuds. Enjoy!!

Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup

1 package stewing beef *

1 cup raw pot barley

1 onion

2 carrots

2 large potatoes

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 cans beef broth

2 cans water

soya sauce to taste

pepper to taste

1 tsp dried parsley

Gravy mix (optional)

Cut beef into bite sized pieces. 

Rinse barley.

Cut potatoes, onion and carrots into small bite size pieces.

Add everything except the gravy mix to crock pot. Cook 6-8 hours on low. Add gravy mix to thicken, just before serving.

Serve with rolls or bread. 

*if you purchase a roast when it is on sale, you can make this recipe very inexpensive to make by cutting it up to use in soups and stews. You will get much more value for your money this way with very little effort.*

Autumn Soup

Autumn Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups water
1 cup carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup cubed potatoes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp bottled brown bouquet sauce (optional)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp basil (1 tsp if no bay leaf)
6 tomatoes (4 cups)

Cook meat till brown. Cook and stir onions with meat till onions are tender. Stir in rest of ingredients except tomatoes. Heat to boiling, covr and simmer 20 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer till veggies are tender. Serve with warm, homemade bread for a wonderful, hearty autumn treat!

This recipe is already very frugal, however, if you have your own garden, it can be almost free to make!

Country Salisbury Steak

Country Salisbury Steak

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix

1 1/2 cups water, divided

3/4 cup chopped onions

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup bbq sauce

Mix meat, stuffing mix, 1 cup of the water and the onions until well blended. Shape into six 1/2 inch thick oval patties. Place in baking dish. 

Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, cook on medium heat 5 minutes, or unitl lightly browned, stirring occsionally. Add bbq sauce and remaining 1/4 cup water. Reduce heat to low. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce is heated through. Serve over the patties.