Dinner Under $10 - Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1-1/2 cups picante sauce, divided

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup chopped green onions, divided

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, 3/4 cup picante sauce, cheese, 1/4 cup onions, cumin and oregano. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Place seam side down in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with butter.Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining picante sauce and onions
Serves 6

Serve with a side of Spanish rice

Dinner Under $10 - Smothered Chicken

2 

tablespoons butter or margarine

1

 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

1

 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups) OR 1 large can of Mushrooms (water drained)

2

 teaspoons sugar

1 

jar (12 oz) chicken gravy

1 

tablespoon dry sherry, if desired

1

 deli rotisserie chicken (2 to 2 1/2 lb), cut into serving pieces, skin removed if desired OR 4/5 cooked Chicken breast or tenderloins

1 tablespoon  parsley

 

1. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and mushrooms in butter 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and beginning to brown. Stir in sugar. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very brown.
2. Stir gravy and sherry into vegetables. Add chicken to skillet; spoon sauce over chicken.
3. Cover; cook 5 to 10 minutes, turning chicken after half the cooking time, until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over rice or egg noodles

Makes 6 servings

Dinner Under $10 - Sloppy Joes

1 pound   ground beef
  1/2    small onion, finely chopped
  1/2    small green pepper, finely chopped
  1  can (8 ounces)  no-salt-added tomato sauce
  2  tablespoons  ketchup
  1  tablespoon  distilled white vinegar
  1-1/2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce
  2  teaspoons  sugar
  6   hamburger buns

Cook ground beef; add onion and green pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.Drain grease. Add tomato sauce, ketchup,vinegar, Worcestershire,and sugar. Mix well. Simmer on medium-low, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon equal portions of meat mixture onto buns.

Serve with a side of Mac & Cheese, Coleslaw, Chips, etc

Dinner Under $10 - Skillet Pasta Bake

1 pound rotini pasta or penne (prepared)
¾ pound Kelbasa sausage
2 sweet red peppers *
1 large onion *
1 jar (26 ounces) Speghette sauce
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Halve and quarter the sausage and add to a large pan.  Add vegetables  and let simmer until the onion is transparent.  Drain any grease.  Add noodle and sauce, cook until slight boil.  Top with cheese.

* Most stores have a store brand bad of frozen onion and peppers.  Usually I can find them around $1 each.  I use 2 for a family of 6!  Saves on time and Money!

Dinner Under $5 - Chicken Pasta Salad

3 Chicken breasts - cooked and cubed ( $2.00)
8oz - cooked tri color pasta noodles ($1.00)
Small bottle of favorite balsamic or Italian dressing ($1)
1 Tomato - quartered ($.50)

$4.50

Mix together and serve cold

Great with 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese and Garlic French Bread (found in WalMart for $1.50)

Dinner Under $5 - One Dish Meatball Meal

Meal number two from the meatloaf mix: 

• Create meatballs - I used my hands but I know others that have used an ice cream scoop -abt. 14 
• 2 cans of whole potatoes ( or slice potatoes into eighths)
• 2 cans of sliced carrots ( I have used leftovers)

Slice some onion to sprinkle on top

Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with aluminum foil.  add the meatballs leaving room on the sides for the vegetables   Add vegetables   Sprinkle a little salt,pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Add about 1/2 c shredded cheese.  Bake about 1 hour or until done at 350 degrees.

Click here to see Meal #3 - great for lunches!  Check out Meal #1 for meat recipe
reposted with permission from www.HoosierHomesteader.com

Dinner Under $5 - Meatloaf

Just when I thought I had stretched the 2.25 pounds of ground beef to it's limits the creative juices started flowing!

First I made a big batch of meatloaf: 

mix 2-3 lbs of ground meat
chop 1 medium onion
2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbs yellow mustard
4 tbs ketchup
3 eggs
2 packages Ritz crackers

Mix together

Separate out 1.5 lbs of meat mixture and place in a greased loaf pan. (I put a little water in the bottom to keep moist.  Spread ketchup on top.  Cook for 1 hour (or until done) at 350  degrees.

I served with mashed potatoes and cooked carrots.

reposted with permission from www.HoosierHomesteader.com

Dinner Under $5 - Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

3 chicken breasts (I use frozen)  ($2.)

1 can cream of chicken soup (.79 cents)

sprinkling of dried onion soup mix (.10 cents)

1 can (small) of sliced mushrooms (drained) (.59 cents)

put everything in crock pot - cook on low all day.  Serve over noddles (40 cents) with side salad. (.99 cents)

$4.87

prices are from Aldi's.

Make your own Onion Soup Mix :: Click Here ::

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients:

for the Pancakes:
4 cups all-purpose flour
8 tsps baking powder
2 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
4 tbsps vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the Cinnamon Filling
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

for the Cream Cheese Glaze
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

To make the Cinnamon Filling:
Mix the three ingredients together. Place in a disposable piping bag and snip the end off or put in a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off.


To make the Pancakes:
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Stir them together until everything is moistened leaving a few lumps.

Heat your griddle to exactly 325 degrees. You don't want these too cook too quickly, and you won't want your cinnamon to burn.

Make desired size pancake on greased griddle and then using the piping bag and starting at the center of the pancake, create a cinnamon swirl. Wait until the pancake has lots of bubble before you try to turn it. You will find that when you turn it the cinnamon swirl will melt. The cinnamon will melt out and create the craters which the cream cheese glaze will fill.

To make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and cream cheese and then stir together. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add a little milk if needed to make
it a glaze consistency.

Place pancake on plate, then cover with cream cheese glaze.

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 slices cooked bacon,crumbled
• 3-4 slices cooked ham or 1/2 c cooked sausage
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese,divided 1/2c
• 6 slices buttered bread

Preparation:

In a large bowl beat together first 7 ingrediants; pour mixture into a greased 11 x 9 inch dish.  Cube the slices of bread or break apart and sprinkle on top of the egg mix.  Cover with remaining cheese.

Cook 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until bread is no longer soggy and cheese is melted.  Serves 6-8

Crockpot Chicken Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup peach preserves OR apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken with salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, curry powder, and ginger. Place sweet potatoes and onions in 3-1/2 quart slow cooker and top with chicken. Top with peach preserves, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with fork.

Combine chicken broth and cornstarch and mix well. Add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 10-15 minutes until sauce is thickened 4 servings

Adapted from : http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenthighrecipes/r/peachcpchix.htm

Crockpot Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1-2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• 2 cups cubed pasteurized process American cheese or chedder cheese
• 10 hamburger buns

Preparation:

Cook ground beef in large skillet until thoroughly cooked (I like to add finely chopped onion to the ground beef), about 5 minutes. Meat up into small pieces. Drain beef.

Combine in slow cooker with ketchup, mustard, and basil and mix well.  Add cubed cheese. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir beef mixture gently. Serve beef mixture in hamburger buns. 10 sandwiches

Great with a side of fries,chips,salad or carrots and ranch sauce!

Quick Fiesta Burrito

Another night where I forgot to unthaw anything to make for dinner!  So thankful for Tyson and their "Grilled and Ready diced chicken breast"   Fat Free and Preservative Free!

Step one:

• Chop about 1/4 medium onion
• Cut up about 7-8 fresh mushrooms (or use 2 small cans)
• 2 T Butter
• 1/2 package any brand Taco seasoning

Saute onion and mushrooms with butter until mushrooms are tender.  Add seasoning, but turn down the stove top temp as to not burn the seasoning!

Step Two:

Add Chicken

Directions on bag says to cook 5-10 minutes

During this time heat up your flour tortilas and get out your toppings.

I also made some brown garlic rice (not shown).  This was a packaged rice that was gluten free, vegetarian and only took 90 second in the microwave.

Here is my burrito - I am watching what I am eating so I only used a Table spoon of rice and 2 of the chicken mix.

My husband added salsa, sour cream and some queso cheese dip!

There were 2 tortilla's left (out of 10) so I prepared them as I did mine, with chicken and rice, folded and secured with a toothpick.  This will be packaged for lunch!

Valentine Heart Muffins

Valentine Heart Muffins

for 12 muffins you will need:

• 7/8 cup (7oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups     caster sugar (Or "C&H Bakers Sugar")
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• red food colouring

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time until it gets creamy. Put in the powder, soda, salt and vanilla extract and mix it until it's smooth. 
3. Add in the flour and milk alternatively in batches and beat it until light and creamy.
4. Set aside about 2/3 of the batter and colour it red (or pink). Pour into a small (20x30 or smaller) greased and lightly floured pan and bake for about 20 minutes.
5. Allow it to cool down completely. Take a small heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut out 12 small red hearts that will fit into a muffin paper case well.
6. Once that the cutting is done, line the muffin pan with 12 paper baskets and fill them about halfway with the white batter. Then take the hearts, put them in the batter and push them down a bit. You can take a black marker and make a small dot on the paper case in the direction the heart is facing - this way you will know how to cut the muffin. Make sure you cover the top of the heart with batter so that it is not poking out. Even though the batter will rise in the oven, it will not engulf the heart completely if not covering it already.
7. Bake the muffins for 24 minutes. 

Left Over Chicken Casserole aka KFC Bowls

Ingredients:

•  1 (10.5 oz) can of Cream of Chicken soup or chicken gravy.
• 4-5 strips cooked chicken  
• 1.5 cups of mashed potatoes
• 6 Tbs chicken gravy
• 1 can green beans
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preparation:

Mix 1 (10.5 oz) can of Cream of Chicken soup with enough milk to make 2 cups.

Pour into 11 X 7 baking dish and add 4-5 strips cooked chicken.  Cover with leftover mashed potatoes or 1.5 cups of mashed potatoes.  Add Gravy - Salt & Pepper to your liking.  Add cooked or canned green beans and shredded cheese - enough to cover.  Top with prepared stuffing

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and is "bubbly"

Usually about 30 minutes

*Notes: I have used grilled, home-fried and store bought Southern Fried (frozen) Chicken to make this meal - all were very good!