Dinner on Dime Ideas

As I was publishing a few the few last minute doubler ideas (see HERE)- I realized that you could make some pretty cheap dinners with what's on sale this weel. So here are a couple of ideas for dinner on a dime this week.

I got this one from KraftRecipies.com

Tossed Italian Salad with Tuna

2 cups sliced plum tomatoes
1 can (12 oz.) white tuna in water, drained, flaked (free at Albertsons!)
1 bag (10 oz.) salad greens (find $1/1 inside coupon books at Albertsons)
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cooked, drained and halved (2 cups)
1 cup Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (only $.16 at Fred Meyers 2 weeks ago)
1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing
-artichoke hearts optional

Chicken Pasta Toss

1lb Chicken (only $1.88 lb at Albertsons)
1 to 1/2 box Pasta (free at Albertsons)

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce ($.33 at Albertsons)

Minced Garlic

Parmesan Cheese

-Cook pasta and leave in water

-Brown garlic in skillet

-Cook Chicken in thin strips in skillet w/ garlic until white on outside

-Add in sauce and drained pasta and heat until hot and chicken is cooked thoroughly

Top with cheese and serve!

Dinner On A Dime

I'm not exactly what you would call a good chef, but I love hearing what everyone else is serving for dinner, so maybe someone else might be interested in what I'm making :). Or not, but it's worth a shot!

This is sooo easy and cheap!! I found it on Kraft.com a while ago and its turned into one of those - nothing else to cook - dinners. Anyone have any extra ranch dressing lying around? Or chicken? How about salsa?




Ingredients:


1 Tbsp oil - ($.10)
1 lb chicken ($1.88)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Chicken broth ($.20 -I bought some large containers w/ coupons, or ~ .50)
1/4 cup ranch dressing (FREE with doublers)
2 Tbsp flour (.02?)
6 flour tortillas, cut in small pieces (I got these FREE at Ablies a while ago, or ~ $.60)
1 cup cheese ($.44 - $.88/2 cups at Albies)
1/2 Salsa ( I got this FREE w/ a coupon a while ago or ~ $.40)


Directions:

HEAT oil in large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.

MIX broth, dressing and flour until well blended; gradually add to chicken, stirring constantly. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 3 min. Stir in tortilla pieces.

SPRINKLE with cheese; cover. Simmer 3 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with salsa.



Total for a family of 4 (plus leftovers!) = $8.78 (most of you could probably make it for at most this price)

My cost = $2.62!!!

Did Anyone Miss Me?

Has anyone even noticed that I have not posted any recipes in a few weeks? Well, this would be because I have been entertaining FOUR DIFFERENT groups of house guests! Just last weekend I had a big group of my husband's family visiting. I had to feed TWELVE people for three days. One of the best things about couponing like crazy is that a weekend like that didn't break the bank. I am known in my husband's family as a great cook, so I have a reputation to defend and could not possibly feed my visiting family members any old meals. But, I was able to provide gourmet food, toiletries, etc. for the entire weekend for 12 people for less than $150. (I think I went through 30 rolls of toilet paper in one weekend...) I am grateful that I was so stocked up on everything... I was able to plan meals using what I have on hand. Here is a delish desert that I served last weekend that I would bet most of you have ingredients on-hand for.

Strawberry and Brownie Hot Fudge Sundaes

Place a big brownie slice in the bottom of a bowl. Top with a generous scoop of your favorite ice cream. Drizzle with hot fudge (recipe below) and then top it all off with whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries. The tart strawberries paired with the rich and creamy flavors in everything else is super yummy! I promise!

Hot Fudge
1 stick butter
6 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan over mdeium high heat. Let the butter melt and start to bubble. Remove pan from heat. Stir in 6 heaping Tablespoons of cocoa powder -- whisk well to remove any lumps. Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk and continue to whisk until smooth.


Price Breakdown:
Breyers ice cream- FREE (I had a freezer full of Breyer's for all my guests and I just picked up 10 more pints today using my rain check from a few weeks back... Can you ever have too much ice cream?)
Brownies- $0.50 (estimate)- I made mine from scratch but don't we all have a brownie mix hanging around...
Hot fudge- $0.50 (estimate)
Strawberries- $1.99
Whipped Cream- $0.99

TOTAL: $3.98

I FED DESERT TO 12 PEOPLE FOR LESS THAN $4!!!! THAT's 33 CENTS A DESERT! BEAT THAT BASKIN ROBBINS...

Perfect 4th of July Recipe

Here is my FAVORITE potato salad recipe of all time. It does not have the traditional fattening dressing made of mayo, but don't let this scare you off. I PROMISE that if you bring this to your 4th of July BBQ you will be forever thought of as a GOURMET CHEF!

Lemon-Basil Potato Salad

3-5 pounds potatoes
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup olive oil
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese

Peel and cube potatoes. Boil just until tender. Drain and cool

Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, mustard and salt. Whisk in oil. Pour over potatoes and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle in basil, cheese and bacon and toss.

PRICE BREAKDOWN:
$1- Potatoes (on sale at Albies through tomorrow for $1.99 for a 10 lb bag)
$1- Lemons (around many stores for 3 for $1)
$0.10- garlic
FREE- Basil from my garden
FREE- French's Dijon Mustard (from Albies double coupons a few weeks back)
$0.50- Olive oil (estimate)
$2- Bacon I bouht on a meat clearance about a month ago
FREE- Kraft Parmesan cheese I bought with an Albies doubler a while back

TOTAL: $4.60

Not bad for a side dish that will feed a dozen or more people. Especially not a bad price to come away from a party thought of as a culinary genious. Enjoy and have a great holiday weekend!

Six Healthy Meals for less than $20

Yep, you read the title correctly. In this edition of Dinner on a Dime I am giving you recipes to make Six HEALTHY meals for less than $20.

I am putting together six days of recipes for you (treat yourself to an evening out for meal # 7!) All of these meals are using items I have purchased over the last month. So, many of you probably already have everything you need to make dinner all week and don’t even know it. Please note that I am making this even better for you because you will really only be cooking THREE TIMES! Watch the recipes closely because you will need to save half the meat from some meals and save it for a day later in the week.

All of these recipes are things I have made in the past and I am actually making this week, so email me or leave a comment if you have any questions. They are for a family of 5 (me, hubby and 3 small children). Enjoy!


Day 1: Grilled Chicken & Veggies
Day 2: Pasta with grilled chicken
Day 3: BBQ Chicken Pizza
Day 4: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Day 5: Mango Peach Pork Chops with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
Day 6: Taco Salads with Pork
Day 7: Treat yourself to dinner out!


Day 1: Grilled Chicken & Veggies
2 lbs chicken
1 bottle Kraft sun dried tomato vinaigrette salad dressing (or another flavor you like)
1 bunch asparagus
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste


In the morning, place 2 pounds of chicken in a ziploc bag with a jar of kraft salad dressing. Allow to marinade all day.

30 minutes before dinner toss the asparagus with the olive oil, garlic and salt to taste. Grill the chicken on the lower rack of your BBQ and grill the asparagus on the upper rack, turning occasionally.

I am serving cherries and a spinach salad with this meal for my family.

Serve HALF of the chicken for dinner and SAVE THE OTHER HALF FOR DAY 2!!!

Price Breakdown Day 1:
$1.59- 1 lb chicken (the other lb is reserved for day 2) I bought chicken from Fred Meyer about a month ago at this price.
FREE- Kraft Salad Dressing (this is from a few weeks back, Wishbone Salad dressing was also free last week using coupons and doubles, etc)
$1.99- Asparagus
$0.10- Olive oil and garlic (from my staples)
$0.25- Cherries ($1.99/lb at Albies about a week ago and I still have some nice ones left!)
FREE- Salad- the spinach in my garden is beautiful!
TOTAL: $3.93


Day 2: Pasta with grilled chicken

1 lb marinated and grilled chicken left over from day 1
1 box penne pasta
1 jar bertolli pasta sauce
¼ cup Grated Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the sauce in a saucepan.

Thinly slice the chicken and set aside.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and pour onto a large platter. Pour the sauce over the top.

Put the chicken into the empty pot you used to cook the pasta and quickly toss over high heat just to heat through. Add the chicken to the pasta platter on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with your favorite cheese (I used a Kraft Italian blend).

Serve with a salad.

Price Breakdown Day 2:
$1.59- 1 lb chicken (the other lb is reserved for day 2) I bought chicken from Fred Meyer about a month ago at this price.
$0.88- Penne pasta from Walmart
$0.20- Bertolli pasta sauce last week from Albies after double coupons
FREE- 2% Kraft Cheese (a few weeks back from Albies using double coupons)
TOTAL: $2.67


Day 3: BBQ Chicken Pizza
I know I have posted this before, but it is one of my family’s favorites, so I am serving it again this week.
Dough

1 3/8 cups water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Pour into a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise until double in size. (If you have a bread maker, place all ingredients in the machine and select the dough setting.)

Divide the dough in half and roll out on greased baking pans into 2 pizzas.

Toppings

2 lbs chicken breasts, cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 green peppers, sliced
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
BBQ sauce
1-2 pounds mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown chicken in olive oil with garlic. Season with salt to taste. Add green peppers and mushrooms and cook until green peppers begin to get tender.

Divide the BBQ sauce between the two pizzas. Top with cheese and chicken mixture. SAVE HALF OF THE CHICKEN/PEPPER/MUSHROOM MIXTURE FOR DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!

Cook at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Price Breakdown Day 3:
$1.59- 1 lb chicken (the other lb is reserved for day 2) I bought chicken from Fred Meyer about a month ago at this price.
$1- Dough (Since all of the ingredients for the dough come from my pantry and it is hard to break them down I am just estimating $1 for all the ingredients)
$0.05- garlic cloves

$0.68- 1 Green Pepper (On sale at Albies for 68 cents each)

$0.50 - MushroomsFREE- BBQ Sauce (Do I really need to explain free BBQ sauce?

FREE- Kraft 2% Mozzarella Cheese (from my freezer from a few weeks back where I used doubles coupons in a kraft promo)

FREE- Green Onions (from my garden)

TOTAL FOR 2 PIZZAS: $3.82!

Day 4: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chicken Mixture left over from yesterday
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup Catalina Salad dressing
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup yellow mustard
1 can pineapple chuncks or tidbits. drained
2 Tablespoons soy sauce


Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low about 3 hours. Serve over rice.

Price Breakdown Day 4:
$1.59- 1 lb chicken left over from day 3 (the other lb is reserved for day 2) I bought chicken from Fred Meyer about a month ago at this price.
$0.05- garlic cloves left over from day 3

$0.68- 1 Green Pepper left over from day 3 (On sale at Albies for 68 cents each)

$0.50 – Mushrooms left over from day 3
$0.20- onion
FREE- Kraft Catalnia Salad Dressing (this is from a few weeks back, Wishbone Salad dressing was also free last week using coupons and doubles, etc)
$0.25- Brown sugar (estimate)
FREE- French’s Mustard (Using double coupons a few weeks back)
$0.50- Canned Pineapple (estimate)
$0.25- Soy sauce (estimate)
$0.50- Rice (estimate)
TOTAL: $4.52


Day 5: Mango Peach Pork Chops and Roasted Potatoes & Carrots

2 lbs pork chops (I like boneless)
1 jar mango peach salsa
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
4 cups baby carrots and potatoes, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh herbs


Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet. Add the pork chops and brown quickly on both sides. Pour in the salsa and cook on low until meat is fully cooked.

Meanwhile, toss the potatoes with the additional oil, garlic and the herbs. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Stir occasionally.

Serve with fresh fruit and a salad for a complete meal.

RESERVE HALF OF THE PORK FOR DAY SIX!!!

Price Breakdown Day 5:
$1.03- 1 lb pork chops (these were in the clearance meat section with a Manager’s $3 off coupon attached. I also used a $1 off Hormel coupon and an Albertson’s double. Wahoo!)
FREE- Mango Peach Salsa (From Target last week with a promotion where you got free salsa if you bought 2 bags of chips. You could really use any salsa, or even some salad dressing or a can of jam….)
$0.50 Potatoes & Carrots (estimate)
$0.50 Oil & Garlic (estimate)
FREE- Fresh Herbs (from my garden- if you don’t have fresh herbs you can use dried)
FREE- Salad (from my garden)
$0.50- Seasonal Fruit
TOTAL: $2.53


Day 6: Taco Salads with Pork
Pork saved from day 5
Tortillas
1 can black beans, drained
Lettuce
Cheese
Salsa or “Simply Santa Fe” Wishbone Bountifuls Salad Dressing
Sour cream

Finely chop the pork and add to a small skillet. Add the black beans and heat thoroughly.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray both sides of 6 tortillas with cooking spry and shape into a “bowl shapes” in a muffin tin. Bake until crispy and starting to brown.

Fill the tortilla bowls with the meat mixture, lettuce, cheese, salsa/dressing sour cream and any other favorite taco toppings.

Price Breakdown Day 5:
$1.03- 1 lb pork chops (these were in the clearance meat section with a Manager’s $3 off coupon attached. I also used a $1 off Hormel coupon and an Albertson’s double. Wahoo!)
FREE- Tortillas (I bought these a couple of months ago at Albies with double coupons and I have been stockpiling them in my freezer)
$1.00- Black Beans
Free- Lettuce (from my garden)
FREE- Kraft 2% Cheese (from my freezer from a few weeks back where I used doubles coupons in a kraft promo)
$0.20- Simply Santa Fe Wishbone Bountifuls Salad Dressing (From a promo and double coupons)
TOTAL: $2.23

GRAND TOTAL FOR 6 DAYS OF HEALTHY FOOD FOR MY FAMILY: $19.70!!!

This is why I coupon. We are eating yummy HEALTHY food for an amazing price.

Many of you may not have some of these items, but I bet that even if you shopped for the items you need, with this six-day menu you can serve your family for a week at a pretty great price.

If anyone does this, leave me a comment to let me know what your final total is.

My family of 5 is eating for less than $3 tomorrow night

Try out this recipe for Crockpot Meatloaf using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen:

Crockpot Meatloaf

Meatloaf
1 pound lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded carrot
6-10 thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese (or 1-2 cups shredded)
BBQ Sauce (see recipe below)

Mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, onion and carrot. Press in the bottom of a crockpot. Cook on low 3-4 hours. About 20 minutes before serving drain any grease from the crockpot and then top with the cheese. Replace the lid. Allow the cheese to melt thoroughly. Top with half of the BBQ sauce. Provide the rest of the BBQ sauce for people who want more.


BBQ Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 spoonful yellow mustard

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until boiling and smooth.


Price Breakdown:

• 1 lb ground beef- $1.88/lb this week at Albertson's
• 2 eggs- FREE from my neighbor who has chickens
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs- $0.25 (estimate)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion- $0.10 (estimate)
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot- $0.10 (estimate)
• cheese- FREE (2 percent Kraft Naturals cheese on sale through Tuesday at Albertson's for $2. I used a $1 IP from my stash of Kraft coupons and a doubler from Sunday's paper)
• brown sugar- $0.10 (estimate)
• ketchup- FREE (I used a Hunt's coupon for a free bottle)
• mustard- FREE (from a bottle of French's mustard I bought a couple weeks back with an Albertson's doubler)

TOTAL: $2.43!!!

I plan on pairing this with a salad and some fresh peaches from Albertsons and I have a complete meal for less than $3 plus leftovers for the next day.

My family loves this meal! I always have the ingredients on hand and it is perfect for days when you will be gone for a few hours and want to come home to a hot meal. Even if you don't like meatloaf, you might change your mind after trying this...

Dinner on a Dime: Garlic-Ginger Chicken

Thanks to everyone who has let me know that they have tried out some of my recipes and loved them. I love to cook so it makes me happy when other people think things I have created are yummy too! Secretly my dream is to have my own show on the Food Network...

For this weeks yummy Dinner on a Dime I give you:

Garlic-Ginger Chicken

2 Tablespoons cilantro, finely minced
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 chicken breasts
2 potatoes, cubed

Paprika

Combine cilantro, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and refrigerate 30 minutes- 8 hours.

When ready to cook, add the potatoes to the bag and toss to coat. Pour entire contents of bag into a large baking dish. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Note: this also makes a great marinade if you want to leave out the potatoes and grill the chicken.

Another note: For those health nuts out there this recipe is only 5 Weight Watcher points per serving and has approximately 250 calories. This includes the chicken, potatoes and sauce.

Cost Breakdown:

Ziploc bag to mix everythin in- FREE last week with Albertson's double coupons

Cilantro- FREE from my garden
Soy sauce, rice vinegar, paprika- $0.25 estimate since these are regular pantry items

Fresh Ginger- about $0.25

Fresh Garlic- about $.05

Chicken Breasts- about $3.00 ($1.88/lb at Albertson's through today or $1.59/lb (pre-frozen in bags) at Fred Meyer through Saturday

Potatoes- $.50

TOTAL $4.05 for dinner for my entire family!

Dessert on a Dime

Chocolate anyone? After a round of Albertson's doublers I am in need of a sweet treat. Try out my easy recipe for the BEST BROWNIES I have ever had! And, the bottom line is about the same as buying a brownie mix. For those of you who stocked up on Tillamook butter at Fred Meyer last week, this one is for you!

Fudge Brownies

Brownies
2 cubes butter
6 Tablespoons cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients and spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Batter will be thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Frost with fudge frosting when cool.


Fudge Frosting
1 cube butter
3 Tablespoons cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar

Melt butter. Add cocoa and boil one minute. Add milk and vanilla. Blend in sugar until desired consistency. Beware: the frosting thickens as it cools so leave it slightly on the thin side. These brownies are best when fresh as the frosting gets "crusty" as it sits out. They don't freeze well either so eat them all or take a plate to a neighbor!

Yes, there are THREE cubes of butter in these brownies. Remember, they are the BEST brownies I have ever eaten. Go ahead and splurge every once in a while. Especially when you get butter for cheap!

Price Breakdown:
3 cubes of butter- $1.13 (butter was $1.50/lb at Freddies last week and I used 3 of 4 cubes)
All other ingredients are from items I always have in my pantry & fridge- $1.50 (just an estimate)
TOTAL: $2.63

Dinner on a Dime for Cinco de Mayo

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. For those of you who want to learn about world history as well as coupons, here is a brief overview: On May 5th, 1862 the outnumbered Mexican Army defeated a much better-equipped French army that had known no defeat for almost 50 years. Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence day (that is September 16th) and is only observed regionally in Mexico. But, in the United States it has come to be a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. So, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I bring you one of my favorite recipes that you can make for your family tomorrow night for a great price! Buen Provecho!

Chicken Burritos

1 pound chicken breasts (thawed or frozen)
1 jar medium or hot salsa
1/4 – 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream

Put chicken breasts in crock pot and cover with salsa and brown sugar. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Shred chicken. Stir in sour cream and cook an additional hour.

Serve in warm tortillas with favorite taco toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc)

This is a super easy meal- especially since you can just pop frozen chicken breasts, salsa and sugar in the crockpot and you are done! It would also be yummy with other cuts of chicken that you pick up for even less (usually around $.99 a pound for valu-paks.)

Here is my price breakdown:

Chicken $1.88/lb at Albertson's a couple weeks back

Salsa- free (I made my own last fall from my garden. Taco Bell Salsa was also on sale a few weeks back for less than $1)

Brown Sugar $.10 (from food storage)

Sour Cream $.58 (Daisy Sour Cream from Walmart on sale for $1.08, used the $.50/1 from 4/5)

Tortillas- free (Mission Tortillas are on sale at Albertson's this week for $.97 w/ in-ad coupon. I also used a $1 off any Mission Tortilla coupon to make them free! BTW- this is a good one to stock up on and freeze for future use!)

TOTAL: $2.56!

Add a salad and some fresh fruit (strawberries at Fred Meyer are a great buy this week!) and you have a yummy Dinner on a Dime!