Taco Chicken Mac

This is a quick dish, for some of that shredded chicken in the freezer.

 

My kids love taco anything, so this works for a quick fix after a day in the garden!

Taco Chicken Mac

4 cups cooked pasta,cooked with one large diced onion

1 1/2 cups cooked beans (pinto, canned chili beans, whatever is on hand, even black beans)

1 small can green chilis

1lb shredded chicken

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

taco seasoning (use one pack or equivalent of homemade or bulk mix)

shredded cheese (opt)

Bring the 1/2 cup water to a simmer and toss in the chicken and taco seasoning. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and add the ketchup, chilis, cooked pasta, and beans. Heat to a simmer. (Add more liquid if necessary.)

Serve topped with cheese if desired.

*********

Frugal notes:

Chicken was bought on sale at .99lb as split chicken breasts. Cooked in bulk and frozen.

Ketchup and sauce are bought in bulk as well.

Chilis were bought at a discount store.

Pasta was whole grain, bought in the clearance bin in a bulk ziploc bag.

This dish was made for less than $2.

Psa 136:26  O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Bean Loaf

Often I've used beans to stretch my meatloaves but I decided to go all bean today and just see what happened. What do you think? :)

Looks okay, huh?

How does it taste? Yummy

Is it obvious that it's not meat? Well, yeah.

Could you add a little meat to give it a better pass with suspicious eaters? Certainly!

More frugal than meat? Absolutely!

You could use any beans; pinto might be the best but I used cranberry beans for this one.

I can't seem to make up my mind on how 'mashed' they need to be though.

Left a little chunky, they give a meat-like texture but perhaps completely mashed they might be less obviously beans. 

BEAN LOAF

2 1/2 cups beans

1 chopped onion sauteed in fat (bacon grease is a good choice!)

1 t minced garlic

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground marjoram

1 t Worcestershire Sauce

dash of black pepper

1/4 t garlic powder (plus a sprinkle for the top)

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 2 slices of bread)

3/4 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup ketchup

2 eggs

top: 

3 to 4 T ketchup

garlic powder

dried parsley

Mash beans and blend with garlic, salt, marjoram, Worcestershire, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Add ketchup, eggs, oats, and bread crumbs.

Lastly blend in the onions once they've cooled slightly.

Spread in sprayed loaf pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Spread on ketchup and sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and dried parsley.

Return to the oven for 3 minutes or so.

 

Serve- and see if you fool anyone ;-)

And then be sure to let me know!

Oh and- this is great sliced on sandwiches!

Rom 14:15  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

Venison Sliders

When a friend of ours called a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I wanted a deer, I hesitated...you just never know what people mean when they ask you if you want an animal down here in the south!

But- free for the picking up- was a crate of venison!

And you wanna know what's really neat about the timing? My 16 year old had just come upstairs that morning from the freezer to let me know that we were almost out of red meat and well, deer is the other red meat! We love it!- God is good!

It's lean and we don't seem to think it's 'gamey' and it can do anything beef can do 'cept only better- especially when it's free!

Venison Sliders

1 lb loin, cut in small strips

1 large onion, sliced

2 heaping tablespoons of fat (lard*)

1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce (love French's)

cheese (Swiss)

buns

Saute onion and venison in fat on medium-low heat until meat is no longer pink.

Add Worcestershire and continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes on low heat.

Add to buns top with cheese- and you have- amazing!

*You gals know I love to render my own lard when I can get it, but for these, I actually used bacon grease. Someone at church had given me a whole jar of leftover bacon grease. Sweet!

You KNOW you're loved when folks share their bacon grease with you!

Psa 42:1  As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Roasted Marrow Bones

I can't think of any other form of a meat or beef cut that would trump marrow bones. They are my favorite!

I was just whining saying to someone the day before I stumbled on these, how hard they are to find.
These are quite popular overseas, but sadly not-so-much here.

Don't you just wanna sink your teeth into that meat around the outside? ..Sorry- my carnivorous side is acting up.

I was scouting for turkey prices when I glanced at the area where they keep all the 'weird things' in the meat department- and it was like the windows of heaven opened!

I confess- I bought every pack they had.

Yeah- they're THAT good!
(Well- to me they are- my kids think I'm sick.- 's okay- more for me!)

What do they taste like?

When you roast them, they have a buttery-beefy flavor but also like that of grilled beef.

The meat on the outer part of the bone is similar to that of ribs.
"Amazing" really sums it up!

They are lower in protein than meat cuts but very high in those bone-building minerals.

Yummmmm!

They're also very quick and easy to fix and you can boil the bones for broth when you're done.

Roasted Marrow Bones

-marrow bones

-salt

-pepper

-parlsey

Place bones in baking dish or lipped baking pan. 

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley.

Roast at 450 for 22 minutes.

Psa 63:5-6  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Homemade Noodles

One of my dearest friend's mother used to make homemade noodles. I was so fascinated by this because I was sure they could only come from a box. :)

She rattled off the recipe one day and I've never forgotten it, thankfully.

It makes a fantastic (and super frugal) noodle!

(My best guess is that you can make this batch for less than a quarter. Yeah, for real!)

Now- to help you remember- here's the 'rattle' I told you about: 1, 1, 1, 1.

See?!?! Now you can remember it - in case I forget it!

Lelah's Homemade Noodles

1 cup plain flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon oil

 Mix together in a bowl and knead for several minutes to incorporate all the flower. 

(If necessary add a drop or two of water at a time.)

This will make a VERY stiff dough but it will be moist once you knead it.

Break the dough into 3 or 4 pieces and roll out very thin, like 1/16 of an inch or so.

(If your dough is super stiff, drip a little oil in your palm before kneading each section.)

Cut into strips (any size) with a pizza cutter and allow them to dry while you make ready your soup/broth.

Drop noodles into boiling water/soup/broth and cook approx. 10 minutes until no longer doughy.

You can drain them and serve with sauce or leave them in the soup pot.

Tips:

You can add salt to the dough if you like but it isn't necessary if you're cooking them in a broth or soup, or even salted water.

Some of you might like to use wheat flour too but you will likely have to up your water.

You can also dry them for a couple of hours and freeze them for later use.

This makes enough for an average pot of soup, those of you with bigger families like mine may want to double them, especially if serving with sauce.
p.s.
You can do this in just 10 minutes!

 This post is linked to The Shabby Nest,HomemakerOnADime,KatheWithAnE, Our Delightful Home,

 1 Tim 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Score!- 100lbs of Meat!

When meat runs at .99lb (or less!) it's time try to stock up!

Split chicken breasts were on sale for .99lb and so was loin end pork roast.

I normally don't buy a lot of pork but at .99lb, I couldn't pass it up.

Ground beef was at 1.99lb; a little more than I prefer to pay but better than other stores have it priced right now, and I was getting quite low in my freezers. Ground beef can stretch far, fix up really quick, thaw pretty fast, and so it's really a blessing to have on hand.

So- how much did I buy?

40 lbs chicken @.99lb= $40

30lbs pork end loin @ .99lb= $30

30lbs of ground beef @ 1.99lb= $60

100lbs of meat for $130!

Not bad!

one big box of pork loin

one big box of ground beef and one big box of chicken

When I got it home, I browned over 1/2 of the ground beef and boiled up almost all of the chicken,shredded it, and made broth.

I divided up some of the beef for meatloaves, meat balls, etc, then divided up the cooked meat, bagged, and dated.

It was a lot of work when I got home (cooking, dividing, repackaging), but no more grocery shopping for a month -except for milk and eggs (in about 2 weeks)!

Praise the Lord!

Prov 31:14  She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

Falafel in Pita with Tahini

I made a big pot of chick peas this week and decided to use my leftovers for falafel.

I started by using Tammy's Pita Bread Recipe.

Those are so soft and delicious!

Simple Tahini:

1 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup of olive oil

Toast seeds at 350 for 10 minutes, tossing every couple of minutes.

You don't want them to brown.

Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Whirl seeds and oil in small processor until pasty.

Falafel:

3 cups chick peas, cooked and drained

1 medium onion

1 t minced garlic

2 t dried parsley

1 1/4 t coriander

2 t cumin

1/2 cup plain flour*

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Form into small patties (or balls) and fry in hot oil until crisp and golden.

*You may need a little more flour if your chick peas don't drain well, but it should be just enough to make them hold together.

Spread tahini in pita. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, onions and falafel.

 

*Served here with Greek yogurt for dipping.

Ham and Egg Macaroni Casserole

This is a tasty dish!

It's also pretty frugal if you buy those little turkey hams that I've told you about before or dice up your leftovers from those hams that you bought on sale at Christmas.

This (9x13) dish can be made for about $2, not bad for a main dish!

2 cups macaroni pasta, uncooked

1 (or two) cups diced ham

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (plus extra for top)

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta just until tender, drain.

Pour pasta into a sprayed or greased 9x13.

Beat eggs, milk, cheeses, and seasonings together.

Stir in the ham and pour over the pasta.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

 

I served this with a chunky Cole Slaw and Southern Style Green Beans.

*You could add onions, peppers, more cheese, sausage rather than ham, other seasonings, etc.

This would be a nice dish for a brunch!

Beef Rice-a-Roni

An easy, frugal, and fast dish that could be your main or your side!

1 1/2 cups white rice

1/2 cup (wheat) spaghetti, broken into 1 inch or so, pieces

2 1/2 T dried onions

2 T dried parsley

2 t minced garlic

1 1/2 T beef base

4 1/4 cups water or broth

1 frozen hamburger patty (about 1/4 lb)*opt

Brown hamburger meat in sauce pot. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for approx. 20 minutes.

Tips: Rice mixture can be made up in advance and stored in air-tight containers.

(Can use brown rice, just increase cooking time to 45 minutes.)

Homemade Pork and Beans

I cook large batches of beans at a time. Usually the first day we eat them plain with cornbread and the typical Southern sides ;-)

Leftovers get frozen or remade into other dishes for 3 to 4 days. This is both frugal and time-saving.

Not to mention, it covers up the fact that we're eating the same pot of beans for days :)

The pork I use is from leftovers from cooking pork loin roasts. (I only buy these when they are .99 per lb.) I  dice the leftovers and freeze in 2-cup portions so I can just drop them in.

8 cups of cooked white beans

1 1/2 cups  ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

2T brown sugar

1 minced onion

1 t ground mustard

1/2 t black pepper

salt to taste

2 cups diced cooked pork*

Place all ingredients in crockpot, on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

(Could also bake them or simmer on low on the stove until the onions are soft and flavors are blended.)

*Many people use bacon, rather than pork. The store-bought, canned version appears to use pork fat. You could trim fat from your loin roasts before cooking and dice for this as well. You could also use salt pork or fat back. I find the diced fat or diced pork loin to be the most frugal for me.
**********************
This post is linked to The Ultimate Beans and Rice Recipe List 
We Are That Family 
Thrifty 101

Simple Hash

I love a simple hash for supper. For hubbies, it doesn't get any better than meat and potatoes, and for kids- well- it doesn't get any better than something you can eat ketchup with! :)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

6 medium sized potatoes, diced

1/3 cup water

salt and pepper 

Crumble ground beef in large pot. Cook until most of your meat has browned and you have grease in the bottom of the pot. Toss in potatoes and onions. Stir and add water, salt, and pepper.

Cover and allow to cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

*You don't really want to use an extra lean meat with this because you need the fat to cook and flavor the potatoes.

*Served here with green peas and slaw.
****We sometimes use other meats in this dish. Leftover pork and ham is cheap and yummy!

What does 100lbs of ground beef look like?

(I posted this on Facebook but thought some of you may not see it!)

What does 100 pounds of hamburger meat look like? Well- I didn't get a picture of the whole lot but below is about 40lbs.

Yes- I confess- I did something REALLY crazy this month and bought 100lbs of ground beef!

Why did I do this?

Well, I'm concerned that this may be my last 'big' shopping trip for a while for one.

Second- our local store that grinds their own beef- not regrinds what they're sent that's full of water (Leo's Market) ran this meat on sale for $2.49. ....I know- this is high compared ...BUT... Here was my thinking....roll with me.....;-)

The only cheaper meat was chicken thighs and legs at 1.19 (Kroger's) and in a few days .99 (Food Lion). It takes several pounds of those meats to feed my family, with the kids getting one piece of chicken and dh getting....well...you know how many our fellas can eat!

The cost per meal with chicken pieces is several bucks for meat. I have many recipes that I use with only 1 pound of ground beef and that price would be better than the chicken pieces.

So- here's the break down on the beef:
I brought it in, patted out about 225 patties, sectioned the rest up per meal, and all total, have approx. 70 meals divided out. That's about an average of $3.55 per meal...which will include hamburgers several times!

To sum it up, my youngest was looking at all of it and asked; "Mom, how long would all that meat last us?" I told him that if we ate one meal from it a day, it would last about 2 1/2 months!

Not bad methinks!

Home On The Ranch (one dish meal)

My family loved this meal today. It's frugal and easy and has most of the food groups in it!

-1 lb ground beef
-1/2 cup finely chopped celery
-1 cup finely chopped carrots
-1 large onion, chopped
(Cook these together in large pot until beef has browned,drain if necessary.)

-5 cups uncooked egg noodles
(Cook in lightly salted water, just until tender.)

Toss pasta in beef mixture, along with;
-5 medium-sized kale leaves, chopped

-Add 1 1/2 cups milk and
-1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half, or just use all milk).
-Add 1/4 cup powdered Ranch dressing/seasoning mix.

Simmer on low for 5 to 10 minutes until sauce has thickened.

*Tip: Kick it up by adding a little crumbled bacon when serving.

Served here with Crispy Rustic Spelt Rolls. 

Sausage Pilau

This is a one-pot dish that is super easy and can be cooked up in about 25 minutes. 

You can make many variations of it by changing up your seasonings and/or your vegetables.

You could even use other meat!

(Diced chicken would be cheapest.)

I usually buy turkey sausages when they go on sale for $2. If I happen across a better deal, I buy extra and freeze them for later. I have several recipes that I make that uses only one package to feed my entire family. 

That keeps it frugal!

1 pkg smoked sausage, sliced thin

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (mix of green and yellow here)

4 1/2 cups water

2 cups long grain white rice

1/2 t (or more) paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Lightly saute the sausage, onions, and peppers for approx 3 minutes in a large pot.

(If necessary add a couple of tablespoons of oil or water. Bacon grease is great!)

Add water, rice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for approximately 15 to 20 minutes

until the water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. 

Chinese Lemon Chicken

THIS is my kind of  food! It's light, yet filling. The flavors satisfy every taste bud I have! 

I love my veggies with a little crunch and my chicken with a little tang.

And the smell- oh my!

2 lbs chicken breasts cut into strips 

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

3/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup water

juice of 2 lemons

1 1/2 t ground ginger

1/3 cup (cane) sugar

1/2 cup oil or fat for frying

Dip chicken strips into the flour. Brown in the oil on all sides, lightly.

Bring broth, water, juice, and ginger to a simmer and drop browned chicken into the simmering liquid.

Sprinkle with sugar. Cover and simmer on low heat until chicken is cooked through and the liquid has thickened. Approximately 10 minutes.

Serve over rice that has been cooked in chicken broth, with a side of stir-fried vegetables, that have been cooked lightly in a little oil and soy, preferably Kikkoman.

* Tips: Cut chicken into chunks to stretch it further and/or serve with lots of rice!

Taco Zucchini Bites

2 large zucchini

1/2 pound (leftover) taco meat

1/3 cup shredded cheddar

opt parsley leaves

opt sliced black olives

Slice zucchini and place on buttered baking sheet.

Top with a spoon or so of taco meat.

Sprinkle on cheddar.

Top with parsley, olives, etc if you like.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Frugal Pantry-Style Sweet and Sour Chicken

I don't know what it is about kids and sour stuff, but mine LOVE this chicken!

1 1/2 pounds of diced chicken

2 to 3 cups of self-rising flour

salt and pepper

1/4 cup (or more) of oil or fat for frying

2 T soy sauce (love Kikkoman's for this)

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cups jelly (I used pear-basil for this and it's great!)**

1/3 cup ketchup*opt

1/2 t ground ginger *opt

Dredge chicken pieces in flour. Fry in large pan, in oil or fat, just until golden on all sides. Salt and pepper in the pan.

(You may need a little more oil/fat. You want this to fry up a little dry, not in a pan full of oil.)

Sprinkle soy over chicken and drizzle vinegar into the pan. Pour jelly and ketchup over and stir lightly. Sprinkle ginger over and stir gently.

Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened. Approx. 10 minutes.

** I make lots of jelly so this is a great way to use last year's leftovers, those that didn't set up so well, or wacky flavors that my kids didn't go bonkers over, despite my enthusiasm. But- if you don't have extra jelly, use 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water.

Served over rice here, with steamed broccoli.

Mexican Pasta and Kale Soup

I just threw this together the other day and everyone loved it. I was told to BE SURE to write out how I made it. (They know me- and if it isn't typed up, it isn't remembered! ;) 

1 quart of broth

1 quart of home-canned tomatoes, pureed

1 pack of taco seasoning (or homemade)

 2 cups cooked ground beef

1 bell pepper & 1 large onion chopped (cook with the ground beef)

1 T chili powder

2 t cumin

1 t garlic powder

1/2 oregano 

1 bay leaf

2 cups elbow macaroni

1 bundle of kale, chopped

Tapatio sauce

Brown meat with the onion and pepper. Drain. Add liquids and seasonings.

Bring liquids, seasonings, and meat to a simmer. Add kale and simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Add pasta and simmer, covered for 8 to 10 more minutes. 

Serve with Tapatio and cornbread. 

Tangy Baked Whiting

This is an easy and tasty way to fix whiting or any other fish (or chicken). 

Whiting is an inexpensive way for me to feed my family fish since there's dozens of pieces in each box.

Line a cookie sheet with foil.

Place pieces of whiting, skin side down on foil.

Chop one large bell pepper and sprinkle over and around fish.

Zest one large lemon over fish and then squeeze the juice over each piece.

Sprinkle 3/4 t thyme over fish pieces.

Evenly sprinkle parsley across the pieces.

Shake on onion powder to taste.

Lightly salt and pepper.

Pull the foil up around the pieces but leave leave open and loose.

Bake at 450 for approx. 20 minutes until done and peppers are tender.

This post is linked to:
The Grocery Cart Challenge

Baked Eggs in Toast Cups

I saw something like this a few weeks ago on another blog, but they actually scrambled the eggs and tossed in cooked, crumbled bacon. They also used store-bought bread and cut it into circles.

Here I just halved a slice of homemade bread, tucked it in a buttered muffin tin, and poured an egg in. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or more. You might like your yolks a little more set.

Served here with turkey bacon and applesauce.

I actually made this for lunch, since I was in a rush :-)

This whole week (and last) has been one big rush!