Saturday, August 2, 2008

Super Savings Saturday

It's Super Savings Saturday over at MoneySavingMom.com again. If you have yet to wander on over to Crystal's site, you need to go now. Right now!


Go on, get! I'll wait.


Okay, now that you're back - see, I knew you'd like it - I need your help.

I've decided that while the savings are great buying items on sale and with coupons, I think I can do better by making more at home from scratch. This will be quite a task considering I'm basically someone who meanders through the kitchen either to, A) get a cookie or B) make my way to the bathroom on the other side. I'm not much of a cook is what I'm trying to say.

Anyway, I've decided to drastically cut back on buying anything in a box (except pasta, I'm simply NOT going to learn how to make my own pasta) such as Hamburger Helper, PastaRoni, brownie & cake mixes, rice mixes, etc. I like the fact that I'll also be throwing away less as well.

I have recipes for cakes and brownies, so I'm good there. What I really need are sauce mixes. Sauces to put over pastas, chicken, turkey and whatnot. Crockpot ideas would be MOST helpful!

Care to help a super savings sister out? Leave me one or two of your favorite recipes. Nothing too difficult, I'm a kitchen newbie remember!

I really appreciate your help! Thanks in advance!

9 comments:

SCutler said...

I would love to see what you come up with. I have to cook gluten and yeast-free for my daughter. Most boxed mixed have one or the other in them. I have tried some of the recipes on the internet and they are just not the same. HELP!

valley view farm said...

A super yummy somewhat homemade dish we eat all the time is Pasta Bake.
Take a large lasagna sized casserole dish, spray non-stick spray and toss in;
1 can (or jar) pasta sauce
1 can (or jar) water
1 box pasta
any other ingredients you wish

Cover w/ foil, bake 375 for 40 minutes, remove foil, stir, top w/ cheese (or bread crumbs or parsley, ect) bake 10 minutes longer.

This is the base I use and always toss in other ingredients I have on hand. My favorites; diced onion, shredded carrot, zucchini, veggie meat balls, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, ect, ect, ect...

Check back to my site from time to time, I often post easy home cooked recipes (especially on mondays!) http://thriftysoaper.blogspot.com/

Good luck!

Lynn said...

I have a couple of really easy pasta sauces on my site. I rarely by the jarred stuff. I also have a couple of easy pasta dishes like skillet lasagna and pasta salad.

Liz said...

Here's one for ya:

Brown one lb of grown beef (you can add onions if you wish)

AT the same time, boil about 2 cups of pasta (anykind - bowtie works good)

When the meat is browned, add a 15 oz can of stewed tomoatoes or canned tomatoes. Let that simmer together for about 5 or 10 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and mix it all up.

Turn off the heat and sprinkle cheese over the top and over it for a couple of miuntes to let it melt.

EAT!

Anonymous said...

My family LOVES enchiladas. They are SO easy to make. I use ground turkey, beef, or chicken.

For ground turkey enchiladas (or even soft tacos):
- brown 1 lb ground turkey - if you have a Aldi near you it is $0.79 for a frozen 1 lb tube
- add 1 package taco seasoning mix ($0.29 at Aldi) and 1/4 cup water and heat through

At this point you can just serve as tacos if you want. I add lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream.

To make enchiladas -
- spray a 9x13 casserole w/ cooking spray
- heat oven to 400
- place 1-2 tbsp meat in the center of a flour tortilla and roll - place seam down in baking dish
- top with 1-2 cans of either red or green enchilada sauce - we like lots of sauce (look for coupons on these - they are usually $1 or so each)
- cover with either shredded monterey jack or the semi-soft Mexican melting cheese - I admit we usually splurge and get the Mexican cheese - It is around $2.50 - $3.00 for package, but it comes out EXACTLY like the enchiladas at a Mexican restaurant.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes
- Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

YUMMY!!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I forgot to tell you how to do the beef and chicken ones. lol Oops! The easiest way I have found is to cook the beef (I usually look for brisket or roast on sale or marked down) or chicken (boneless, skinless breasts or thighs) in the crock pot. I just put the meat in and mix a packet of taco seasoning with 1 cup of water and pour over it. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, and then add a little more taco sauce to taste, if necessary. Then I either use it for tacos or enchiladas. The last time I did this with a roast (on sale at Kroger for around $4), we ended up with enough for 2 meals. We had soft tacos one night and enchiladas the next.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and top the baking dish with foil if you make the enchiladas.

Another dish I make a lot is Orzo (a rice-like pasta) with summer veggies and either shrimp or smoked turkey sausage (sometimes both if I am feeling decadent ;) ).

- Cook orzo according to package - you can also use any other pasta you want
- If using raw shrimp, saute in a skillet with some olive oil before adding veggies
- Cut 2 each zucchini and yellow squash in half, then slice finely into half-moons.
- Saute these in a skillet with some Italian dressing or just oil and italian herbs
- Sometimes I also add sliced or chopped onion and mushrooms
- If using cooked shrimp ($3.49 for a frozen bag at Aldi) or sliced smoked turkey sausage (usually around $1.98 for a package), add that now and heat through

You can add more seasoning to taste. I sometimes mix it all together before serving, but more often than not, don't have enough room in the pot for it all. I actually made this with chicken last night and had enough for 2 servings for my husband and son, and leftovers for me for lunch today. It makes A LOT.

You can eat it as is, or top it with pasta sauce and cheese. We like it both ways.

Anonymous said...

Green Chili Chicken: Throw some chick breasts in crockpot, cover with large can green chili enchilada sauce. Cook high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. Shred chicken and serve in tacos, soft tacos, over rice. etc. So easy!

Amanda said...

Wow! Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and recipes. I can't wait to get cookin'! :)