Simple.

Take your basic chili…and add 2 green peppers. Diced, of course!

(I made this on the Dayton Fox News morning show this week!  So if you’ve been looking for the recipe, here it is!)

Remember those crazy wicked cheap green peppers I scored!?!  That’s what inspired the green pepper addition.  I think I’ll be adding green peppers to everything from now until Thanksgiving!

Loved the flavor the green peppers added to this chili.

Ingredients

About 3/4 lb. ground beef ($1.12)
1/2 red onion, diced ($.50)
2 green peppers, diced ($.66)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ($.16)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste ($.19)
2 cups cooked black beans ($.40)
2 cups cooked red beans ($.40)
2 garlic cloves, crushed ($.10)
1 Tbsp chili powder ($.10)
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco or hot sauce, optional

1/2 cantaloupe ($.67)

*Substitute 1 can black beans and 1 can red beans to save on time!

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef. Drain and return to saucepan.

2. Add diced red onion (or yellow, or white), diced green peppers, diced tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste (plus 1-2 cans worth of water), black beans, red beans, garlic cloves, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Add some Tabasco or hot sauce if you need a lil kick.

3. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  If you simmer longer, cover it so you don’t lose too much moisture. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

4. Cut cantaloupe into wedges or bite size pieces.  I love the sweet, coolness of cantaloupe paired with a thick, hearty chili.

5. Serve Green Pepper Chili with Cantaloupe.

Cost $4.30

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How about the ooey-gooey cheese-ness of your favorite burger coming from INSIDE the burger?!?

Yes, please!

And for those watching calories…serve it on a Sandwich Thin…I liked it better than the bulky buns!!!

(And one more thing I like about the Sandwich Thins…they freeze really well. That, and they are just 100 calories per thin!)

Ingredients
1.4 lb. ground chuck ($2.37) Recently on sale for $1.69/lb
1 Tbsp steak seasoning (Free) $1 coupon with $1 sale price
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($.20)
4 slices cheese ($.75) I made cheese-less for the kiddos
4 Sandwich Thins ($.50) Bought on sale with coupon for $.99
Lettuce, ketchup and mustard ($.25)
Fresh fruit ($1) (We ate this with cantaloupe wedges and orange slices)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, steak seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce.  Form into 4 balls, then divide each ball in half.  Form the “bottom” patty.

2. Place the cheese in the middle and place the other half of the patty on top.  Pinch the edges together, unless you want cheese oozing all over your grill!  Sprinkle with a little more of that steak seasoning.

3. Grill until meat has cooked through, or the cheese is oozing all over your grill!!!

4. Serve on sandwich thins with favorite hamburger fixin’s…in our case, Romaine lettuce, some ketchup and mustard.

5. Enjoy the Grilled Inside Out Burgers with favorite fresh fruit.

Cost $5.06

These didn’t stay on our plates very long!

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour ($.28)
2 cups white flour ($.40)
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
1 tsp Italian seasoning ($.05)
1 Tbsp sugar ($.05)
1 package yeast ($.25)
1 cup spaghetti or pizza sauce ($.50)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($.50) Using up that $.99/bag Kraft cheese
About 40 pepperonis ($1)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
Couple shakes of garlic salt (free) Used $.50 coupon doubled to $1 with a $1 sale price
Fresh fruit – 4 clementines and 1/4 cantaloupe ($1.50)

Directions

Place the first 9 ingredients into bread machine on dough cycle. By hand instructions for pizza dough can be found here.

1. Once the dough cycle is complete, place the dough on a clean, floured surface.

2.Knead into a ball.

3. Divide the dough into 2 balls.

4. Further divide into 4 balls.

5. And divide one more time into 8 little dough balls.  (From here, I took 2 of these dough balls and made them into 4, so that I could make “mini-calzones” for the boys.)

6. Roll out the dough balls into rectangular-oval-ish shapes.  Place onto greased baking sheets.

7.Place a few pepperonis onto one half of the dough.

8. Top with some sauce, cheese and more pepperonis. (I made cheese-y ones for Steve, and dairy-free ones for the rest of us!)

9. Fold the other half over.

10. Pinch the edges together.

11. And mash the edges together with a fork.  (This step is not necessary, but I like to do it to prevent the sauce from leaking out!)

12. Brush the top with olive oil.

13. Sprinkle garlic salt on top.

14. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

15. Serve Pepperoni Calzones with Fresh Fruit.

Cost $4.68

PLUS, there were 2 leftover for Steve to take for lunch!

P.S. These are totally freezer friendly and would be great for OAMC or Freezer Cooking! Freeze after baking.

I started to make this meal in the 9×13 baking dish, but them switched to the smaller baking dish because I didn’t want there to be any leftovers…and I know that with a 9×13, we’d have lots of leftovers.  And from my past experience, baked french toast meals and egg casserole meals just taste better right out of the oven.

And not leftover.

So I went with the smaller 8×8 baking dish and heavy on the fruit!

Ingredients
6 eggs ($.60)
1/2 cup milk ($.05)
1/4 cup maple syrup (free with Swagbucks from Amazon)
6-8 slices of bread ($.50)
1 cup chopped walnuts, divided ($.50) Bought on sale over the holidays!
Butter and syrup ($.75)
Fresh Fruit ($1.50) We had cantaloupe and clementine oranges

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and maple syrup.

2. Place a single layer of bread slices in the base of the baking dish.  Top with about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.

3. Pour about 1/2 of the egg mixture over the bottom layer.

4. Pour enough to cover the bottom layer.

5. If necessary, move the bread slices around so that they are completely covered with eggs.

6. Place another layer of bread and the other 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts on top of the first layer of bread and eggs.

7. Pour remaining egg mixture over the top layer.

8. Cover the top layer with the eggs, just as you did the bottom layer.

9. Again, press the bread slices around so that they are covered with the egg mixture.

10. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

11. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until begins to golden on top.  Prepare fresh fruit while it’s baking.

12. Serve baked Walnut French Toast with Fresh Fruit.

P.S. This easily doubles into a 9×13 glass pan.

Cost $3.90

This was one of those dinners that, well, evolved, as I was working on it.  I had all intentions of just making your basic french toast. But then I opened the baking cabinet to add a touch of vanilla to the eggs and milk.  And the bag of almonds practically fell off the shelf.  And nothing goes better with vanilla than almonds.

So…I ground them up, added them to the eggs/milk and that’s that.

And just to show you what it looks like on the counter when I’m dreaming up new recipes.  It’s high tech, really. 

Scrap paper and a broken green crayon! Glamorous, huh?!?

Ingredients
4 eggs ($.40)
2/3 cup milk ($.10) I used rice milk to keep them dairy free.
1 Tbsp maple syrup (free!)
1 Tbsp vanilla ($.10)
1/3 cup ground almonds ($.50) Look for sale prices around $2/lb!
12 slices bread ($.60)
8 eggs, scrambled ($.80)
Salt and pepper
1/2 pineapple, diced (How to Select and Cut a Pineapple) ($1)
1/4 cantaloupe, diced ($.50)

Directions
1. In mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and ground almonds.

2. Dip bread into mixture.

Note: Be sure to stir up the mixture before dipping each bread, as the almonds will sink between dippings!  Stir it up so that each slice will have a nice almond-y flavor!!!

3. Place double dipped bread slices onto griddle.  I set my griddle at 300°.

4. Cook to perfection.
5. Scramble eggs. Cut pineapple and cantaloupe.
6. Serve Almond Vanilla French Toast with Scrambled Eggs and Fruit.

Cost $4.00

**Note: I actually made this a few weekends ago and saved it to post after baby was born!

Well.  We’ve been dealing with a bit of a crisis around here.  Remember my “Stock the Freezer” list?  Well, I’ve been busy the last few weeks stocking up our fridge freezer and our deep freezer.

So last night I noticed that the power light on the generic brand deep freezer (wish was just about stuffed to the gills!) was out.

Uh oh.

Checked all the electric, fuses, etc.  All fine and in working order.  Made some calls and “they” deemed the freezer broken.  Made some more calls and was able to get my money refunded.  Thankfully!

Made some calls this morning and learned we could have a new, brand name freezer for the SAME PRICE by Sunday.  Woohoo!

But, what to do with the food in the mean time?  I was NOT about to let $100s of dollars and a whole lot of kitchen time go to waste.  We made arrangements and the food stayed frozen and is safe.

Sigh.

All that to say, we’ve had a bit of a change in the menu plan this week.  My “fall back” meals are usually spaghetti or breakfast for dinner. Tonight, breakfast won.

In the freezer, I found English muffins (that contain dairy) for Hubs and myself to make Sausage Eggwiches.  Since the boys can’t have the English muffins, they had leftover pumpkin pancakes from the freezer, scrambled eggs and fruit. (I’ll share the pumpkin pancake recipe tomorrow!)

Since I only used half of the sausage for this meal, I browned the rest of it to make breakfast burritos for Hubs.

This recipe makes 6 eggwiches…since I had 6 English muffins! 

*Note: Extra eggwiches can be frozen.  Or sent to work for lunch the next day. Or reheated for breakfast the following morning!

Ingredients
6 eggs ($.60) On sale $1/dozen this week!
1/2 lb. natural pork sausage ($.50) Bought 1 lb. natural sausage roll on sale this week for $.99 after sale and coupon!
6 slices cheddar cheese ($1)
6 English muffins ($1.50) Bought on sale for 6/$1.50 and froze
Apple slices ($.50)
Cantaloupe wedges ($.75)

Directions
1. In skillet, spray with cooking spray and turn on medium high heat.  Crack an egg and let it fry.

Like this…But I prefer mine…

Eggs Over Easy…so that’s how I made them for these eggwiches.

2. In same skillet, brown the sausage. Slice sausage roll into 1/3 inch thick circles and fry in skillet until cooked through.
3. Assemble sandwiches. Place fried egg, cooked sausage patty and cheese onto bottom muffin part. Place in toaster oven or under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Add top muffin part.
4. Slice fruits.
5. Serve Sausage Eggwiches with Fresh Fruit.

Cost $4.85

Making breakfast for dinner once a week is a SUREFIRE way to bring your weekly meal costs and your overall grocery bill down a bit!  This dish would also be great for a brunch/potluck or weekend breakfast.  Just double the recipe and make in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

If you’ve got milk, eggs, bread, the spices and some apples in the fridge, you should totally make this. Like right now.

Ingredients
6 eggs ($.60)
1 cup milk ($.10) I used rice milk
1 tsp cinnamon ($.05)
1/4 tsp nutmeg ($.02)
4 medium or 3 large apples, peeled and diced ($1) On sale 4/$1 this week!
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted ($.40) I used a dairy-free margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar ($.20)
1 tsp cinnamon ($.05)
6 slices of bread, torn ($.30)
1/2 Cantaloupe ($.75) On sale 2 weeks ago for $1.49!
Syrup (optional…I thought it sweet enough and syrup unnecessary!)
6-8 Sausage Links or Turkey bacon ($1.49) We did not have these, but I’m including them in the cost because I think they would nicely round out this meal! Plus I’ve seen lots of coupons for sausage and bacon out recently!

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Peel and dice the apples.  In a smaller mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Toss with diced apples.

3. In a greased 8×8-inch glass baking dish, tear 3 slices of bread and add to the bottom.  Then add a layer of the diced caramel apples.

4. Tear the other 3 slices of bread and spread on top of the apples. 

5. Pour egg/milk mixture into the baking dish.  Cover with foil and let stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour (overnight, ideally!).  Preheat oven to 350.

6. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until eggs have cooked through.

7. Serve Caramel Apple Breakfast Casserole with fresh fruit and sausage or bacon.

Cost $4.97

This was a most delicious quiche!  Straight from the garden!

When it was time for dinner, I called the boys in from outside.  Bubby asked what was for dinner and I thought about it for a second.

Quiche.

No.  Don’t tell him that.  He won’t eat it!

“Egg Pie,” I told him.

“Yeah.  I like egg pie.”

And he runs inside to wash up.

By the time he gets to the table…”I love egg pie.”

And Cheeks was even saying, “I wu egg pie”…copycatting his big brother.

And they both ate it up!

Just like we call broccoli, “trees.”  So we now call quiche, “egg pie!”

Homemade Whole Wheat Crust.  Squash from the garden.  2 tomatoes from the garden.  And cheeseless.  Yet still delicious!

Oh yeah.  I intended to make this in a pie plate.  But after I saw how many veggies there were, I doubled my pie crust recipe to make enough crust for a 9 x 13.  What you see below in the “crust” portion is enough crust for a 9 x 13 or for 2 pie plates.

Ingredients
1 small onion, finely chopped ($.30)
1 medium yellow summer squash (free from the garden)
2 medium tomatoes, 1 chopped, 1 sliced (free from the garden)
10-12 whole basil leaves (free from the garden)
2 garlic cloves, crushed ($.10)
6 eggs ($.60)
1 1/2 cup milk ($.15) I used rice milk!
Salt/Pepper
Optional: 1-2 cups shredded cheese ($.75-$1.50)
1/2 canteloupe ($.72)

Crust
1 cup white flour ($.20)
1 cup wheat flour ($.28)
2/3 cup shortening or butter ($.50)
1 tsp salt
6-8 Tbsp COLD water

Directions

1. Slice 1 tomato.  Chop all other veggies.  Leave basil leaves whole.

2. In mixing bowl, combine both flours with salt.  Add shortening.

3.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening.

4.  Add 4 Tbsp of COLD water.  Using a fork, mix to form a dough ball.  Add COLD water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough ball forms.  I used almost 7 Tbsp to form my dough ball.

5.  I laid the dough onto a long piece of plastic wrap.  Then put another piece of plastic wrap over the top and roll it out so that it will fit into the base of the 9 x 13.  (No extra flour necessary for this step!)

6.  Remove the top plastic wrap layer and flip over the dough into the 9 x 13 baking dish.  Remove the other plastic wrap.

7.  Press crust dough up the sides about 2/3 of the way.

8.  Load crust with chopped onions, squash and 1 tomato.

9. Top with whole basil leaves and sliced tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

10. Whisk eggs and milk in mixing bowl.  (If you add cheese, whisk it in with the eggs and milk!) Pour into the crust over the veggies.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.  Serve warm.

11. Cut cantaloupe into wedges or bite size pieces.

12. Serve Tomato Basil Quiche with Cantaloupe.  There was not much left from in the pan…glad that I made a 9 x 13, and not just a pie plate!

Cost $2.85 or $3.60 with cheese

Even if I had paid for the tomatoes and squash, this meal would still be under $5!  Especially with the great produce sale prices these days!!!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
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I don’t know what it is about  beans these days, but I’m just cravin’ ‘em y’all! 

I LOVED eating bean and cheese tacos from Taco Cabana back in my high school days.  It’s a shame that Taco Cabana won’t expand their franchise to Dayton.  Last I heard they were just in TX…so if you’re listening Taco Cabana people, this pregnant mama NEEDS her Taco C!

But, since the chances of a Taco Cabana sprouting up in Dayton in the next 6 months tomorrow are slim, I decided to do a little experiment and make my own bean and cheese tacos…a healthier version!

Ingredients
1 bag regular size whole wheat flour tortillas ($1.29)
1 15 oz. can vegetarian organic refried beans ($1.42)
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ($1.17)
1/2 canteloupe, sliced ($.75) On sale for $1.49 this past week
2 apples, peeled and diced ($.50) “Lunchbox” apples still on sale for $.25 each!

Directions
1. Lay tortillas flat and spread about 1/4 cup of refried beans down the midline of the tortilla. Sprinkle with handful of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Roll up and place next to each other on dinner plate. Microwave 2-3 minutes, depending on the number of tacos. Microwave longer if necessary, until all the cheese has melted.
2. Cut canteloupe in half and then cut of slices or wedges.
3. Peel and dice apples.
4. Serve Bean and Cheese Tacos with Canteloupe and Apples.

Cost $5.13

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P.S. I have tried several times, UNSUCCESSFULLY, to make my own refried beans from scratch using dried beans.  I would have preferred to do that, but went for the easy way out this time!  If anyone has any refried beans pointers or recipe links, please let me know!!!

Breakfast for dinner is always a frugal option. And one that I tend to forget about!

Sorry. No photo again! Camera battery is recharging

Ingredients
10-12 eggs ($1.25)
4-5 small potatoes, peeled and diced ($.50)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
Salt/pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ($.38) Omit if GFCFSF
1 cup salsa ($.50)
8 corn or flour tortillas ($.69) Corn if GFCFSF
Canteloupe or pears or apples ($.75)
Banana Smoothie ($.50)

Directions
1. In large skillet, add olive oil and let warm for 1 minute. Add peeled and diced potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring often. (Add a little water to help them cook faster!) Season with other favorite seasonings if you like!
2. In bowl, whisk together eggs. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Pour over the potatoes after they have been cooking for 6-8 minutes. Cook eggs with potatoes and scramble them as they cook.
3. Warm tortillas in oven wrapped in foil or tortilla warmer (so they don’t get crispy!).
4. Cut canteloupe or pears or apples.
5. Make banana smoothie.
6. Serve potato/eggs with cheese and salsa in a warm tortilla with side of fruit and a banana smoothie!

Cost $4.67

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