Frugal in Franklin

Baked Oatmeal (Make Ahead Mix Version)

Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge is talking about make ahead mixes today.  One of our favorite breakfast foods, which is easy to make up on a weekend several batches at a time, is Baked Oatmeal.

Mix Together:

1c. of Brown Sugar

4 1/2 C. of Rolled Oats

3tsp of Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1/3 c. of Powdered Milk

Pour all of these ingredients in a bag and label.

When you are ready to cook, add:

3/4C. Oil, melted butter or a combination of oil and applesauce

3 Eggs

1 1/2 C. Water

Mix these ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Baked at 350 for 40 minutes.  (You can also mix this up the night before and put the pan in the fridge.  When you wake up in the morning, just pop it in the oven.)

To make ahead several mixes at once, I simply line up 3 or 4 open ziploc bags on the counter.  I pour the cup of sugar in each, then the oats, etc...  This is a great project for kids to help with!

Chicken (Or Whatever) Pot Pie- A Flexible Recipe

Making a pot pie is one of my favorite dinners.  Although I admit to rarely putting a pie crust on top!   Pot pie is a great way to use up what you have on hand.

For starters, you probably want some meat.  I most often use some chopped chicken (1-2 c.)  However, I would also consider:

• diced ham
• diced beef
• shredded pork
• leftover turkey
• diced lamb
• venison stew meat
• whatever else you might have (though I'd rather not know if it's something cute and fuzzy)

Next it's helpful to have some kind of base for making the sauce.  Most often, I would use chicken or beef broth.  You could thicken it with flour or cornstarch.  If you don't know how to make a basic white sauce, try googling "white sauce how to."  The procedure for making pot pie gravy would be the same, except that you would replace the milk with broth (although a milk based sauce might be good with ham).

To make this a little more concrete, I would place a few tablespoons of butter in a pan and melt them. I would remove it from the heat and mix in about 1/4 c. of flour.  To that I would whisk in about 3-4 c. of broth or milk.

If you have jar or canned gravy, or gravy in an envelope you could use that.  If you have some canned cream soup, you could thin it a little with milk and use that. 

After making about 4c. of sauce, I would add the meat and a package of frozen mixed vegetables.  I just eyeball this.  If I have a lot of meat, I add less veggies.  More often, I add a lot of veggies to compensate for a lack of meat.  You could also use canned vegetables.  If you're working with ham, a California blend veggie might be nice.  Pour the whole mixture into a large casserole dish.

You can top a pot pie lots of different ways, depending on what you have on hand.  Here are some things you might consider:

• pie crust
• mashed potatoes
• dropped biscuit dough placed like dumplings
• canned biscuits
• frozen biscuits
• premade pizza crust (thin crust)
• corn bread batter
• Filo dough

Set the oven at the temperature you would usually use to cook the topping.  In other words, if your not sure how long to cook it, consult the regular cooking time for the topping.  Say canned biscuits at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes, etc...

If you are in a big hurry or are looking for something different, don't top the filling.  Instead, use a biscuit or potato as the base and pour the filling on top.  The sky is the limit.

I know this recipe may seem vague, but you can do it.  Let your taste buds and common sense be your guide.  You may be pleasantly surprised by what you create!

Becky's Low Fuss Stewed Chicken and Broth

I'll just warn you now, if you're a food snob, you should skip right over this post.  One of the things that helps us keep our food budget in check is the ability to be flexible in the kitchen.  I really take this to heart when it's time to make chicken broth. 

I start by throwing some chicken in the stockpot.  I sometimes use a carcass from a whole chicken, boneless skinless breasts, a whole chicken, or most often leg quarters.  Then I add just enough water to cover  the chicken. 

When it comes to seasoning the broth, I get really creative.  I always add a teaspoon or two of salt, or a 2-3 chicken boullion cubes.  I toss in a bay leaf and a several good twists of fresh ground pepper.  If I have some veggies in the crisper drawer that need used up, I'll toss those into the pot...a carrot cut into a few pieces, celery, an onion cut into quarters.  If there are no veggies, I just do without.

I cover the pot and put it on the stove to boil.  When it is at a full rolling boil, I set the timer for 5 minutes.  At the end of the 5 minutes, I turn the heat off (be sure the pot is covered), but leave it on the hot burner.  I set the timer for an hour and let it sit.

This style of thermal cooking is common in countries where cooking fuel is very expensive.  I learned it from my Aunt, who is a great dollar stretcher.  If your chicken was completely thawed before cooking, it will cook thoroughly.  You could also toss all of the ingredients in a crockpot and let it sit for the day.

At the end of the hour, I remove the chicken to a shallow container using tongs and place it in the fridge to cool.  If the broth has a watery taste, you can try simmering it for a little while to reduce the amount of water in the stock. When I'm satisfied with it, I pour the hot broth through a mesh strainer to get out the large solids.  I place the broth in the fridge. 

After about an hour, I pull the chicken back out of the fridge.  Using a fork, I remove the skin and bones from the chicken and put the meat in a storage container.  Sometimes I'll chop the chicken up, depending on my future plans for it.

The broth gets left in the fridge overnight.  That gives the fat time to congeal.  In the morning you can skim off the fat and you have free broth!  Broth does not keep long in the fridge, so I usually freeze mine as soon as I skim the fat. 

When your ready to use the broth, heat it up and season it to taste.  Don't know what to do with your chicken and stock?  Stop back by tomorrow and find out.

Twice Baked Potatoes (A Flexible Recipe)

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One of the most important aspects of being a frugal cook, is being a flexible cook.  You have to be able to work with whatever is in your stockpile.  A Flexible Recipe is my attempt to help you consider the possibilities for a food.

Flexible Twice Baked Potatoes

1.  Begin by baking your potatoes.  I always bake mine in the crock pot.  A child as young as 6 or 7 could be taught how to do this and make a significant contribution to dinner.  (The crock pot also uses 1/3 the energy of the stove and doesn't heat up the kitchen in summer.)

2.  When the potatoes are finished cooking, take them out and let them cool. Then split them in half and scoop the insides into a large mixing bowl.  Leave a 1/4" of potato inside the shell to help it keep it's shape.

3.  Add some creamy options to bind, season, and improve the texture of the potaoes.  You could use:

• cottage cheese
• sour cream
• cream cheese
• butter
• milk
• creamed spinach
• evaporated milk, cream, or half & half

4.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.  At this point you want to have potatoes that are the consistency of very creamy mashed potatoes.  Then you can add whatever you want to beef the potatoes up.  If you using them as a side dish, you may just want to add cheese.  But for a main dish, be creative:

• cubed ham
• bacon bits
• chicken pieces
• shredded beef or pork
• leftover taco meat
• leftover chili

Some veggies would be good.  How about:

• finely chopped broccoli
• corn
• spinach or other cooked greens
• green onion (minced)
• caramelized diced onion

5.  Scoop the mixture back into the shell.  Top with a little more grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

You can also wrap these in foil and freeze them before cooking.  The day you want to cook them, just pull them out to thaw and cook as normal.

You really can't make a mistake, it's all about what you have on hand and what tastes your family enjoys.  Have fun and be creative.

Lentil Rice Casserole

This is a super quick (10 minutes), super cheap (about $1), and very healthy recipe that my family loves.  I originally found it in The Complete Tightwad Gazette.  If you don't own this book, you are missing out on a frugal standard.  I don't buy books (I'm a library gal), but this one is a must own.

Lentil-Rice Casserole

• 3c chicken broth or water w/3 bouillon cubes


• 3/4 c lentils, uncooked


• 1/2 c rice, uncooked (whatever kind you have on hand)


• 1 onion chopped


• 1/2 tsp dried basil


• 1/4 tsp each oregano, thyme, and garlic powder

I toss it all in the crockpot on low for about 6 hours.  When it is finished, you can melt some cheddar cheese on top and serve it just the way it is (maybe with a little salsa on the side).  My family likes to use it as burrito filling.  We load up tortillas with lentil-rice casserole, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and shredded lettuce.

Italian Turkey and Spaghetti Squash

This may not be a food that your family is familiar with, but it's fun, healthy, and easy to cook.  It's a food that we often receive in our CSA.  Give this recipe a try. 

• Medium Sized Spaghetti Squash (about 18oz.)


• 1/2c. diced onion


• 1/2 c. diced bell pepper


• 1-2 cloves of garlic


• 1lb. grnd beef, turkey, or pork


• 1-14oz can of tomatoes


• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano


• 1 tsp dried basil


• Salt and Pepper to taste

Rinse spaghetti squash and pierce all over with a fork.  Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes.  Slice in half, remove seeds, and use a fork to remove "spaghetti" strands to a bowl. 

In a skillet, saute the garlic, onion, peppers, and meat.  When the meat is fully cooked and the veggies are translucent, add all the other ingredients (including the squash)  to the pan and heat through.  Serve with parmesan if desired.

It's Raining Meatballs

I did my Kroger shopping last night and ran across an unexpectedly fabulous deal on meatballs.  During the Mega event you can purchase Armor Meatballs for 2.49 a bag.  Buy 10 items from the Mega event and the price drops to 1.99.  Buy 4 bags of the meatballs and receive a $2 catalina (coupon that prints at register) for your next purchase at Kroger.  I added a .55  coupon to sweeten the deal.  My final cost was .94 a bag.  I bought 8!

So what will we do with 8lbs of frozen meatballs?  Here are some ideas that I had:

 

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatball Sandwiches

Meatball Stroganoff

Swedish Meatballs

 

If you really want to go crazy you can find 102 recipes using frozen meatballs here.

Want to try making your own freezer meatballs?  Debi at Frozen Assets has a great recipe here

Black Beans and Rice

Dave Ramsey is a huge favorite of mine.  He often says on his show that if you want to get out of debt, you will have to live on "beans and rice, and rice and beans."  But giving out bean recipes is not in the scope of what he does.  This recipe for black beans and rice is a huge favorite with everyone in my house, and it is easy on the grocery budget.

Black Beans and Rice

• 2c water


• 1tsp salt


• 1c rice


• 3 bay leaves

Add all of the above ingredients to your rice cooker or pan and cook according to directions on the rice package.

• 1T Olive or Canola Oil


• 1c chopped onion


• 1 bell pepper (if you have a cheap source for one, otherwise this is very optional)


• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced


• 2 cloves minced garlic


• 1 can of black beans (undrained)

Sautee the onion, garlic, and peppers in the oil over moderate heat.  Keep them covered and stir frequently for about 10 minutes.  Be sure this mixture has turned golden brown and has carmelized (it will taste sweet if it has).  Add the beans and salt to taste.  A teaspoon of cumin is another nice optional addition.  Heat through and serve over rice.

What's for Dinner?

As you know, I got a great deal on chicken breasts today.  I also picked up some hamburger buns that were reduced to .59 a package.  So, it looks like barbecued chicken sandwiches for dinner.

I simply placed the chicken breasts in the crockpot, sprinkled them with some seasoning salt, and turned the crockpot on high.  When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, I will take it out of the pot and shred it with two forks.  After mixing it with bottled barbecue sauce, I will return it to the crock and turn the setting to serve.  Dinner doesn't get much easier than that.

Menu:

• Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches ($2.83)


• Carrot Sticks (.25)


• Apple Slices (.38 )

Total cost of dinner-$3.46 for a family of 5