Ziti all mixed up and ready to go into the oven.

You will need the following ingredients:

Two Boxes of Prince Ziti (1 lb. packages at 99 cents each)
One pound of ground beef (on sale for $1.99)
One Jar of Prego Pasta Sauce (26 – 28 oz. on sale for $1.50)
One 8 oz. Bag of Shredded cheese mix -Mozzarella and cheddar ($1.89)
Oregano (optional)

[Total cost – $7.36)

Prepare Pasta as directed on box. Start frying the ground beef. When both are cooked, drain pasta, then return it to its pan. To this, add sauce and beef.  Mix together.

I use a rectangular, glass, lasagna pan. There is no need to grease this first. Just carefully pour the pasta-mixture into the pan and spread it out to fit. It will overflow if you are not careful.

Once you have this all set in the pan, top with cheese, as if you were making pizza. (You can also sprinkle oregano over this is you would like.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for around 20 – 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Bonus – I was able to find a package of red, seedless grapes on sale for $2.00. I served this in a decorative bowl at the table, along with our pasta.

Leftovers anyone? – This provided good size portions for all of us. It also makes a good leftover meal. Sometimes, I will prepare this in the morning, wrap it up with aluminum foil, and store it in the fridge. My teens and husband can help themselves for a few days, when no one has time to cook, or when they just want a late night meal.

I actually made this before the baby was born. And of course, froze the extras. Because there were lots of extras. And we are eating those leftovers tonight!

Ingredients
1 cup dried red kidney beans ($.40)
1.5 lb. ground beef ($2.09) On sale for $1.39/lb!
1 onion, chopped ($.30)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ($.29)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste ($.19) Used $1 coupon on can that cost $1.19!
1 Tbsp garlic powder ($.10)
3 Tbsp chili powder ($.25)
2 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
2 cups uncooked pasta “wheels” ** ($.25) Bought with $1/2 coupon when on sale for $1…used half the box!
Shredded cheese to top in each serving bowl (optional) Omit if dairy-free
4 small apples ($1)

**Use rice pasta for a GF meal

Directions
1. Soak and cook dried beans in large pot. Drain and rinse the beans.
2. In the same pot that you cooked the beans, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion. Drain and rinse. Return to pot.
3. In small saucepan, cook 2 cups uncooked pasta wheels as directed on package.
4. Combine the ground beef/onions, cooked red beans, diced tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste PLUS 4 cans of water, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, allowing time for flavors to mingle.
5. Slice or dice apples.
6. Serve Chuckwagon Chili with sliced apples.

Cost $4.86 for 1 pre-baby meal and 1 post-baby meal!!!

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I originally intended on making these Mexican Stuffed Shells from Tricia’s March Menu.  Just not feeling that “unstuffed” or “Mexican” vibe this afternoon.

Ended up making Italian Stuffed Shells.  And a whole lotta ‘em.

And a dairy-free version, too.

Recipe below is the doubled version.  Will make at least 2 9×13 pans.  And costs just over $10! Got another meal stashed into the freezer!

And I need to include this.  I only ate 4 of these.  Because that’s all that my teeny-tiny stomach would allow.  I totally would have had 8. Or 10. Maybe even 12!  They were THAT good.

Ingredients
2 boxes of jumbo pasta shells ($4) I used about 2/3 of the shells, so you could get by just cooking 1 1/2 boxes.
2 26 oz. cans spaghetti sauce ($2) Currently on sale for $1/can.
1 box frozen spinach ($.50) These guys are regularly on sale for $1 and use $1/2 coupon.
1.5 lb. ground beef ($2.09) On sale recently for $1.39/lb!
1 medium onion ($.30)
2 tsp garlic powder ($.10)
1 tsp each salt and pepper
2 eggs ($.20)
2 cups shredded cheese ($1.25) Omit if dairy free

Tonight’s Veggie: 2 Broccoli heads ($.50) On sale for $.99 a bunch this week!

Directions
1. In large pot, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. Spread 1/2 – 1 cup spaghetti sauce into base of each baking dish.

3. Cook frozen spinach as directed on package.  Drain excess liquid after cooking.

4. In large skillet, brown the ground beef with chopped onion. Drain, rinse and return to skillet.  Add the rest of the spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Stir in the spinach.

Here is where I divided the meat into 2 parts.  One part dairy-free.  The other part with cheese.

5. To each meat, stir in 1 egg.

6. To meat sauce with dairy, stir in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

7. Spoon meat into pasta shells and place into baking dishes.  (If making dairy free and ones with dairy, use separate baking dishes!)

8. Sprinkle cheese over the ones that contain cheese in the meat sauce.

9. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

10. Prepare veggie as side dish. Tonight for us, it was steamed broccoli!  Steam broccoli in stovetop steamer, or in microwaveable dish with water and covered in plastic wrap for 4-5 minutes.

11. Serve Italian Stuffed Shells with Steamed Broccoli.  Freeze the rest for later!

Cost $10.44 plus veggies

**This easily made 2 dinners plus 2 lunch leftovers for us!

Janice shares her favorite “Poor Man’s Stoup” recipe with us tonight!  What a fantastic and filling meal!

And if you’re looking to save a little extra on ground beef, there’s a new coupon available..details here!

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef or chuck (sausage or chicken works well too) ($1.50)
Carrots (from the garden)
Celery ($.20)
Onions (from the garden)
Beef stock (2 cans)/also works with chicken stock ($1.00 bought on sale for $.50 a can)
1 to 1 1/2 cups of rice ($.25)
Bay leaf, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper, terragon, sage ($.25)
1 can of cream of mushroom/chicken ($1.00-unfortunately not on sale)
dollop of sour cream ($.15)
parmesan (if desired) ($.10)

Directions
1. Brown hamburger in a stock pot. Drain, rinse and return to pot.
2. Add grated carrots, chopped onions, and chopped celery and let them sweat out until tender.
3. Add beef stock and bring to a boil.
4. Add rice (not cooked); 1 bay leaf, couple shakes of thyme, parsley, terragon, sage and salt and pepper, then turn down heat to simmer and let it cook until dinner time.
5. 10 min. before you eat, add the cream of mushroom/chicken, and the sour cream and parmesan. Give it just enough time to heat through, about 3-5 minutes.

Cost $4.45

Hint: You might have to occasionally add a little water here and there if it looks like it’s getting too thick.
Hint: This makes a TON of soup. We usually eat half, then I store the other half in the freezer for a day I don’t want to cook! Easy cheesy!

Enjoy this great one pot supper!!

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I doubled this meal and then froze it in 2 parts: Few dinner portions without cheese.  Another few portions with cheese.

After seeing the pasta box on the counter, my oldest asked, “Are we having macaroni for dinner?”

I replied, “Yeah, but this is Taco Macaroni.”

To which he responded, “Yum. Tac-aroni!”

Clever, huh?

Not sure how to pronounce this…Listen below.

Little stinker…trying to tell you we were having spinach!

I made this Taco Mac recipe from Stolen Moments Cooking “as is”…meaning no modifications, other than no cheese for the boys!  Great meal Kate!!!

*Note: Recipe below is for a single meal.  I doubled the below recipe to have enough to freeze.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 lb. elbow macaroni Use rice pasta for a gluten-free meal!
1 1/2 c. beef stock or broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. frozen corn
1 c. shredded cheese

2 cups frozen greens beans

Directions
1. Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in seasonings.
2. Add noodles, stock, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Stir in corn until heated through. Top with cheese and serve.
4. Cook green beans as indicated by package instructions.
5. Serve Tac-aroni with Green Beans.

Jeannine emailed this great gluten free Black Eyed Pea Casserole recipe to me a few weeks ago and I knew we had to try it! It’s not dairy free, but the cheese could certainly be omitted, or just added to individual servings!  And although we are not eating entirely gluten free at the moment, I do try to keep the gluten to a minimum! 

It’s so easy to get in a rut or feel like “there’s nothing to cook” when dealing with food allergies and tolerances. I enjoy trying new GF and dairy free versions of recipes like this one!

And Jeannine suggests adding a dollop of sour cream to each serving!

Ingredients
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, cooked and drained ($.50)
1 lb ground beef ($1.39)
1/2 yellow medium onion ($.15)
1/2 green pepper, diced ($.25) I diced quite a few and froze them when they were on sale for $.50!
1 cup white rice ($.20)
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic ($.67)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded ($.60) Omit if dairy free!
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 heads broccoli ($.79)
Leftover cornbread from last night

Directions
1. Soak the black eyed peas in bowl of HOT water for at least 2 hours, or ideally, overnight.  Drain soaking water, rinse and add to large saucepan with 6-8 cups of water.  (The peas should be covered by at least 2 inches.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.  In a time crunch? Substitute with 2 15 oz. cans of black eyed peas. When beans are soft, drain cooking liquid and place black eyed peas into 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In small saucepan, cook 1 cup of rice in 2 1/2 cups of water.  Bring water to boil, add rice and return to boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Fluff with fork and then add 1 1/2 cup to the glass baking dish with the black eyed peas.  (I saved the leftover cup for tomorrow’s breakfast: Rice Pudding!)
3. In medium saucepan, brown ground beef with chopped onion.  Drain, rinse and add to 9×13-inch baking dish with the black eyed peas and rice. Add un drained canned tomatoes, shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir together.
4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese melts and sauce bubbles. Season each serving with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Steam broccoli in stovetop steamer or in microwavable bowl covered with plastic wrap for 4-5 minutes.
6. Serve Black Eyed Pea Casserole with Steamed Broccoli and leftover Cornbread.

Cost $4.60

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Kristie sent me this super easy and “throw together” recipe for Bachelor Stew.

Ingredients…

1 lb ground beef (Kroger had it for 1.97/lb where I live)
1 can of Vegetable Soup
1 can of Ranch Style Beans ($.79)
1 box of Corn Bread ($.44)

1. Cook the meat in a large pot then drain. Dump in the soup and beans, mix together, and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. When I make the cornbread I throw in a bit of sugar when mixing to add a bit of sweetness.

Since the cans of vegetable soups that I checked out all had potatoes (which my oldest is allergic to!), I decided to forgo using the can and just add some frozen veggies in with some canned tomatoes to give the same flavor.  And I used some frozen pinto beans from a big batch instead, added a dash of salsa and we’ll call them Ranch Style Beans!

A perfect hearty meal to warm my tummy, just before an hour of “begging” in our neighborhood!

Ingredients
3/4 lb ground beef, cooked ($1.12)
1 cup dried beans ($.10)
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped ($.30)
1 green pepper and 1 red pepper (FREE!!!)
1 can diced tomatoes ($.23)
1 can tomato sauce ($.33)
1 T chili powder ($.03)
1 t garlic powder (I’m all outta the fresh stuff!) ($.01)
Salt and Pepper
6 Red Potatoes ($1) 1 cup shredded cheese ($.75) Recently on sale at Kroger!
1/2 cup peas ($.25)

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in crockpot and BREW! Cook on high 8-10 hours.
2. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on their size. Remove, slice open and pour the chili on top!

Cost $4.12

There’s lots of fun to be had at BooMama’s Crockpotalooza! Crockpot Crashing and all sorts of other craziness is going on at BooMama.net!

And for even more great crockpot recipes, head on over to Diary of a Stay at Home Mom’s Slow Cooking Thursday!

A trick or treating we will go! What a handsome young doctor!

I have the pleasure of taking dinner to some dear friends, as she just had a major surgery. This meal will serve 4 adults and 4 kids. If you’ve got a larger family, this is the post for you!

Ingredients
1 package ground beef ($2.25) On sale this week
1 package taco seasoning ($.50)
1 8 oz ccan tomato sauce ($.33)
2 cups rice ($.60)
1 bar cheese, shredded ($1.50) Bar cheese tends to be cheaper than pre-shredded or pre-cubed!
1/2 watermelon ($1.50)
6 ears corn ($2.25)

Directions
1. Cook 2 cups rice with 4 3/4 cup water. Bring water to boil, add rice, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Brown ground beef. Drain. Return to skillet, add 3/4 cup water, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Stir through.
3. Add ground beef to rice. Put into 9×13 baking dish. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until cheese melts.
4. Boil or nuke corn.
5. Slice watermelon.
6. Enjoy the feast with friends or family!

Cost $8.93

Ingredients
4 Buns ($.50)
4 Patties ($1.69)…using 1 lb ground beef
4 slices cheddar cheese ($.55)
4 tomato slices ($.50)
4 lettuce pieces ($.10)
Condiments: Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Mayo…whatever your hearts desire! ($.25)
4 Corn Cob ($1)
1 small can baked beans ($.44)

Directions
1. Grill burgers. Season as you like! Slap between buns with your favorite fixins!
2. Warm Beans. Boil corn. Serve it all up nice and hot!

Cost $5.03