Ginger Pumpkin Soup and Cheesy Sausage Muffins

**UPDATE: Giveaway now closed!  Winner is Jennie!!!  Congrats

Stretching my food and my dollar are ESSENTIAL in my kitchen!

So when challenged to come up with 2 holiday recipes using 1 can of Carnation Evaporated Milk, I was all for it!!!

(And keep on reading…cause there’s a SUPER COOL giveaway below!)

Ginger Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter ($.20)
1 cup chopped onion ($.15)
2 cups homemade chicken broth or 1 15 ounce can chicken broth (free – $1)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp brown sugar ($.05)
1 tsp ground ginger ($.05)
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin, or 2 cups pureed pumpkin ($1.50)
1 cup Carnation Evaporated Milk ($.75)

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the chopped onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until begin to turn opaque. Add the chicken broth, water, brown sugar, ginger and salt and pepper. Stir ingredients together.
2. Whisk in the canned or fresh pureed pumpkin and the Carnation Evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat, or at a rolling bubble, for 15 minutes.
3. Pour soup into blender or food processor and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until soup is pureed.
4. Return the soup to the saucepan and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
5. Garnish each serving bowl with a dash of cinnamon and/or ground ginger.

Cost $2.70

Since I didn’t use the entire can for this soup, I thought I’d use the remaining to whip up some muffins for breakfast the following morning! Or you could freeze them to eat another morning! They thaw beautifully!

Cheesy Sausage Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup flour ($.20)
1 tsp baking powder ($.05)
1 tsp sugar ($.03)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil ($.20)
2 eggs ($.20)
1/2 cup Carnation Evaporated milk ($.25)
1/4 cup water
1/2 lb. cooked all-natural sausage ($1)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($.75)

Directions
1. Grease 12 muffin tins and preheat oven to 375.
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the oil and 2 eggs, then pour in the rest of the Carnation Evaporated milk and 1/4 cup water. Whisk together.

2. Stir in the cooked sausage and shredded cheese.
3. Fill the greased muffin tins 2/3 full with batter.

4. Bake muffins in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. Let cool on cooling rack before serving. Eat up or freeze for another morning!

Cost $2.68

Now you’ve got breakfast ready for the next morning!

Giveaway

It’s so easy in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to fall back on old favorites because you’re in a rush and have no time to look for new recipes to experiment with…so to help you come up with some new ideas and try out some new dishes for your family feasts, Carnation has created a Holiday Recipe Guide that is sure to stir up some creativity in your kitchen.  I know it did in mine!!!

You can request the Holiday Recipe Guide to be sent by mail or you can download a .pdf version from the website.

Not used Carnation Evaporated Milk before when cooking or baking?  Simply substitute it cup for cup in recipes that call for regular drinking milk.  Pretty simple!

Are you up for some experimenting with Carnation Evaporated Milk this holiday season???

I’m offering a $100 Visa Gift Card to 1 lucky winner to do just that!  Winner will also receive a copy of the Holiday Recipe Guide booklet, as well as several free item coupons for Carnation Evaporated Milk.

Entry Details

1. Contest ends Thursday, November 12th at 10 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want to win.

3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting it in a forum, posting about it on your blog, Tweet about it, emailing all your friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).

4. Entry #3: Leave another SEPARATE comment telling me which of the recipes from the Holiday Recipe Guide you’d like to try this holiday season!

5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk. I did receive compensation for the ingredients purchased to make this meal, as well as for my time in preparing the recipes.  You can read the full disclosure policy for $5 Dinners here.