Chicken Enchilada Chili

IT'S SOUP & CHILI SEASON!!

 

Yes, I just yelled that at you. 

 

I'm so excited (in case you couldn't tell from all the yelling!).  I love soups & chilies.  That's my one top reason why I like the Fall season so much.  This recipe is so easy to throw together...literally, just dump everything into the crockpot and 4-8 hours later you've got yourself an awesome dinner!

 

Chicken Enchilada Chili

Budget Dinner Total: $9.00 (without toppings) that's about .75 cents per serving!
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2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (28 oz.) prepared enchilada sauce (or 1 recipe of my homemade stuff)
2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted...yum!)
2 cans (15 oz.) pinto beans, undrained
1/4 cup dried onion peices (or 1 raw onion, diced)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
monterey jack cheese, for topping
sour cream, for topping
cilantro, for topping

Pour enchilada sauce, tomatoes, beans, onion and spices together in a 6 quart crockpot.  Place chicken on top of soup (yes raw!).  Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Pull out the chicken and shred.  Return shredded chicken to chili and stir to combine. 

Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro.  Divine! 



Fried Rice

I think my family would be good for life if we just ate rice for every meal.  They love Spanish Rice & Hawaiian Haystacks, and this Fried Rice!

 

You really can't mess up this rice either, and you can totally play around with it.  Throw in some green onions or some chopped ham, whatever vegetables you like and it will still be delicious!  I usually use frozen mixed vegetables in ours because I always seem to have some of that on hand, but you can use whatever you like.  I think fried rice needs to have at least peas and carrots in it, but that's just me...do what you like.:)

 

This recipe makes quite a bit of rice, I'm going to say about 5-6 cups.  But we love it because (like I said in last weeks post) it's perfect for lunches for the middle schoolers who have access to a microwave at lunchtime.  But feel free to half the recipe if needed.  Also, we love to use Jasmine rice, but you could use any rice that you perfer.  Brown works wonderfully as well!

 

Fried Rice

(Budget Dinner: the entire recipe cost only about $3.20!  That's 53 cents per 1 cup serving!)
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2 cups uncooked rice

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cups frozen vegetables, thawed (your choice but make sure you have peas and carrots!)
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup soy sauce

Cook rice.  You can use leftover rice or you can cook the rice ahead of time if desired.  I usually just cook my rice right along with this recipe.  I use my rice cooker and it takes about 20 minutes to have my jasmine rice ready.  If you are using brown rice it will take longer.  Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the thawed vegetables, onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes. 

Turn heat down to medium low.  Push the veggie mix to one side of the skillet & then add the eggs to the other side and fry them until scrambled.  Add the rice and soy sauce and mix all ingredients together.  Stir and cook until heated through.



Coupon Shopping "Rules" (Guest post by MLBB!)

I'm so excited to have my beautiful & talented cousin Julie from My Lil' Budget Book (MLBB) guest posting here today!  She has an awesome blog which I frequent daily, and she's here to teach us a few things she knows about grocery shopping using coupons!  I sure learned a lot from her post & am excited to give it a try!! 

Here's Julie!:)

Quite a few years ago in the beginning of 2008, I began making accordion style cash envelope systems then selling them online at Baby Be Jeweled, then a year later, due to demand of the product I opened up shop at My Lil' Budget Book.  I began feeling like my budget conscious buyers needed something more than just a cash envelope system to help them stick to a budget and in my efforts to bring that to them, The MLBB Blog was created, and taken over, lol!  I plan to get back to making MLBB Designer cash envelope systems again but for now I am blogging my heart out about budgeting, coupon shopping, saving money and so much more-including giveaways!  I just LOVE giveaways!  Be sure to come by and check out my Giveaways!:)

If you don't know by now, the best way to save on groceries is to match up coupons (up to 2 coupons per item - keep reading) with store sales.  And YES you can get coupons for things like sugar, flour, milk, cheese, canned milk and other cooking supplies:)  Even some fresh foods on occasion.

There are many sites that will show you EXACTLY what coupon matches up with what item in the ad EACH WEEK taking most of the work out of coupon shopping for you!

My Favorites are Grocery Smarts and Freebies 2 Deals.

I also share some match ups at My Lil' Budget BookJ

There are some "Rules" to coupon shopping that you need to know.

1) Coupons must NOT be expired (This may seem like a no brainer) - If you are military overseas then you can use them for up to 6 months PAST expiration date.

2) Pay attention to the BRAND and SIZE allowed by the coupon.  This is a VERY strict rule to follow-otherwise you could be committing coupon fraud...and yes it is illegal.

3) Pay attention to the QUANTITY allowed by the coupon.

EX: Only 4 like coupons (with 4 like products) in one transaction.  This is very common.

4) One manufacturer coupon + One store Coupon per Item + Sale Price=

BUY IT CHEAP OR GET IT FREE!!

Here is a recent example of how to get FREE items at Target.

5) Take store coupon policy with you- each store handles them differently.

In general you can use ONE STORE coupon and ONE MANUFACTURER coupon per item.

HELPFUL HINTS:

AD MATCH :)  Wal-mart is the best by far!

You don't NEED to take an ad with you but it does help in many instances to do it.

If  Harmon's has a killer deal on Kellogg's Cereal, Smith's has a deal on cheese, and Albertson's has a deal on ice cream you can take ALL THREE ADS to Wal-mart and ad match them as long as the item, size, quantity, and brands are all the same.

This can save a TON of time on grocery shopping with coupons.  Just remember to separate your items into groups of ad matching.  EX: All Smith's Ad matches together; All Albertson's together, All Harmon's together.

This makes check out sooo much easier!

**When looking up coupons on Grocery Smarts or F2D, you'll notice some codes for the Coupon Inserts- The most common are the following:

SS= Smart Source

P&G= Proctor & Gamble

GM= General Mills

RP= Red Plum

When you see something like $1 off 2 Kellogg's cereal SS 7-1 that means you need to refer to the Smart Source ad that came in the newspaper on July 1st.  If you look in the tiny binding of each insert, there is a date- for quicker identification, just write that date on the front of the insert.

There are different techniques to organizing your coupons, you can refer to this post I wrote a while back here for more details on that.

If you would like to learn more about how to coupon, please come follow My Lil' Budget Book and email me any questions you have- chances are I'll answer them in the form of a post and notify you directly about it.:)

Thanks so much Julie for the wonderful insights! I hope everyone takes a look at MLBB & starts saving lots of green on their groceries!

Tomato & Mozzarella Penne Bake

I was told by a good friend that I needed to try this recipe she found on Pinterest.  (you can follow us by clicking the button on the right!) 

I'm so glad she looks out for me!:)  This is an awesome throw together, quick & easy, kid friendly, inexpensive, blow-your-mind-it's-that-good-with-just-these-few-ingredients-and-hardly-any-time kind of meal!

I absolutely love this one & it will definitely be a staple in our home!

Tomato & Mozzarella Penne Bake

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Budget Dinner: Total for pan: $7.50.  That's about 62 cents per serving!

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1 pound ground turkey (or beef)

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

2-14 oz. cans diced Italian tomatoes (I used Hunt's basil, garlic & oregano)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound penne pasta

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook ground turkey and garlic in skillet over medium high heat until meat is no longer pink.  Drain any juices.  Add the tomatoes, and oregano, and heat through.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain & then toss with the meat sauce. 

Place half of the mixture in a greased (just spray with cooking spray) 9 x 13" baking dish.  Cover with half of the Parmesan & mozzarella cheeses.  Top with remaining pasta and then Parmesan and mozzarella. 

Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Smoky Red Beans & Rice

I know everyone is probably shocked that today's recipe isn't a cupcake.  What can I say...I've made a TON of cupcakes in the last couple of weeks & I want to share them ALL with you! 

I've still got 4 more cupcake recipes waiting, but I decided we should at least throw in one recipe that's a little heartier & healthier before I dive back into the cupcakes (and don't you worry, there will be one coming this week sometime!)

My hubby (Tony) could live on rice I believe.  He would love to have some with every meal.  So when I found this recipe I thought it would be one he would love.  And it was.  And the kid's really liked it.  And it's pretty inexpensive to make.  And it's low in fat.  And it's super filling.  And it's really easy to throw together. 

Now doesn't that make you want to go try it TODAY!!

Smoky Red Beans & Rice

Budget Dinner: about $.93 per serving.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

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1 pound dry red kidney beans

6 cups water

5 bouillon cubes

1 Kielbasa sausage, cut into bite size pieces

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (Tony Chachere's is good & you can find it at Walmart & most grocery stores)

3/4 teaspoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon coriander

3/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups water

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 cups long-grain rice (we love jasmine rice)

Place beans in your crockpot & cover with water.  Let sit overnight without turning on your crockpot.

In the morning, rinse & drain beans.  Put them back in the crockpot along with the water, bouillon, sausage, garlic, liquid smoke, creole seasoning, cumin, coriander, oregano and cinnamon.  Cook on low all-day.  (Put it together in the morning & it will be ready by 5:00 or 6:00, perfect for dinner!)

When the beans are tender you can mash some of them or most of them or all of them.  Just whatever your preferences are.  I just pulled a few to the side of the crockpot & using a fork mashed them.  That works pretty good.

When it's about time to eat, start the rice.  In a medium saucepan bring your water, vinegar & rice to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes.

When rice is done you're ready to serve!  Just place a large ladle of beans into a bowl & top with some rice.  Dig in!! 

Mom's Sloppy Joes

These sloppy joes are a repeat recipe here, but I knew they'd fit into my Budget Dinners, so I figured out the cost & am here to bring you my Mom's fabulous sloppy joes again!

We always use Bullseye BBQ sauce because that's my Mom's favorite, but you can use your favoirte brand.  (Just don't tell my Mom!!:))

UPDATE:  I went to the store to get some ground beef so I could make these last night & found some 93% lean ground turkey on sale for $2 a pound so I thought I'd try it.  It was delicious!  My beef lovin' hubby couldn't even tell the difference!!  Score!  And it took the price down to .58 cents a serving!  Awesome!:)

Mom's Sloppy Joes

(Budget Dinner Totals: $8.93 total.  Makes about 12 sloppy joes which equals .74 cents per sloppy joe. (not including cheese)

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2 lbs. lean hamburger

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon Whorchestershire sauce

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon mustard

1/2 cup BULLSEYE bbq sauce

Cook hamburger and onion together until burger is no longer pink. Sift the flour over and then add the remaining ingredients. Heat the slop throughly and serve on buns.

I like to use deli rolls or something like that (the picture is taken with just regular old hamburger buns...which is still good too!) and then I will spread a little butter on the insides and then place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until a little crispy.

Place sloppy joe on bun and add a slice of cheese. Whatever kind of cheese your family likes.  I love me some Havarti on these...YUM!!

SO GOOD!! Enjoy with a salad or coleslaw!



Taco Seasoning Mix & Chicken Soft Tacos

We love hearing from our readers.  In comments, e-mails, through facebook, in person, you name it!!  Even if it's just a little hello, it really makes our day!

This last week we received an e-mail from a reader that just sent us over the moon!  Some of the things she shared in her e-mail were perfectly stated that I just had to share! (with her permission)

These are her words: 

"I've lived away from my family (who love food) for most of my adult life after leaving for college and I often find myself on the phone with my Mom asking her for a recipe of a favorite dish.  If I can learn how to make it, I can recreate a sense of home no matter where I happen to be. I think a culinary legacy is a very important part of family life not only to draw from in the present but also to connect us with our past as well as to pass on to future generations....I think it's terrific that your culinary legacy is being created and shared from generation to generation.  Our food tells the story of who we are."

Sounds a lot like me.  If you've been a follower of this blog for a while you know I'm always calling home getting recipes from my Mom as well. 

There are just certain dishes that will always remind me of a loved one.  Carrot Pudding with Lemon Sauce (Grandma Wilson), Aloha-Soyu Marinade (Brother Jared and wife Candy), Frape (my Dad), Mom's famous Spudnuts (my Mom), Jello Poke Cake (brother Chad), and the list could go on and on and on. 

Thanks Blayne for your wonderful words and for letting me share them with our readers!!

Taco Seasoning Mix & Chicken soft Tacos

Budget Dinner Totals: Chicken for tacos=$5.21 and makes about 12 tacos, which equals 43 cents per taco. (tortilla, rice, cheese, lettuce, sour cream & any other ingredients you stuff in there are not included in this total.)

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  For the Taco Seasoning Mix:

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons salt

4 teaspoons cornstartch

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons beef bullion granules

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Combine all ingredient and mix together.  Store in an airtight container for up to a year.  (I did the best I could figuring out how much the seasoning would cost.  From my estimations this recipe would cost you about 36 cents.  That means every tablespoon of seasoning mix you use is gonna cost you a whoppin' .06 cents...that's 1/6th of a penny!!!)

For the chicken:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup water

Cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Heat oil in large frying pan.  Add the chicken and cook until browned and chicken is cooked through.  Add the water and taco seasoning and stir to combine. 

Serve in warm tortillas with Spanish Rice, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes. 

African Pancakes

Growing up we always called these African pancakes. 

But everyone else I've ever known calls them German pancakes, but they will always be African pancakes to me!  Although they are pretty much the same thing...they just taste better when you know they're African...try it, you'll see!:)

These are such a fun kid pleasing recipe!  If you haven't tried these yet, you should (adults like them too!)  They are best served with Buttermilk Syrup (recipe to come tomorrow!) and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

We do breakfast for dinner at my home once a week because they are easy and inexpensive meals.  So on that crazy night of the week (Wednesday for me!) we go the breakfast route...and these are perfect for one of those nights!

African Pancakes

(Budget Dinner Totals:  $1.75 for whole pan.  Cut into 6 servings = 28 cents)

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1 cube butter

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

6 eggs

dash of salt

dash of sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour and milk together in a blender until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time and then the salt and sugar.  Set aside.

Place butter in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Put in the oven until butter is melted.  Pour the egg mixtures into the pan and return to the oven. 

Bake for 15-30 minutes or until it starts browning.  Mine took about 20 minutes, but it will just depend on your oven, so just start watching it around 15 minutes.

Stay tuned for the best Buttermilk Syrup recipe tomorrow!!

Spanish Rice (budget dinner side or main dish)

If you need something really inexpensive to add to any meal, or to use as a meal with different sides, that tastes wonderful & is the most loved food that my 10 year old asks for almost every DAY....you've come to the right place!:)

This is a recipe we have already posted here, but since I started the Budget Dinners section I thought I'd introduce it again.  If you add the ground beef in you've got yourself a main dish.  Serve it with some tortillas and some fruit. 

My family loves rice and I love that they love rice cause it is really economical right now!  You'll be blown away by these numbers!

Oh, and incidentally, another reason I love this recipe.  MY HUSBAND MAKES IT!!  You heard me right!  This one dish he has mastered & it gives me a break from the kitchen!  What a perfect meal!:)

Spanish Rice

Budget Dinner Totals: Makes about 12 (1 cup) servings.  Without meat (as a side)=$2.59...that's 21 cents per serving!!  With meat (as a main dish)=$5.59 or 47 cents per serving!

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(pictured without meat)

3 cups rice (we use Jasmine rice...it has a nuttier taste and is perfect for Spanish rice)

1-2 Tablespoons oil

1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef, browned(optional)

2 cans (small ones) tomato sauce

5 1/2 tomato sauce cans full of water

4 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed

1 teaspoon cumin

pepper and salt to taste

Put your rice in a large pot and place on the stove top. Add enough oil to coat all the rice.  Brown the rice and oil on medium high heat stirring frequently. The rice will start to turn white(er) than it already is and then it will start to brown. You don't want it a dark brown but a light golden brown and not all of the rice will brown, but when the majority is browned it is ready.  This is what gives the rice the wonderful texture that it needs, so don't skip this part!!!:)

Once the rice is ready add the remaining ingredients. The key to the salt is to taste the broth before you start timing the rice. It needs to be a little saltier than normal because the rice will soak up a lot of the salt. When it tickles your taste buds, bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Enjoy with absolutely anything!!! We usually don't put in the meat if we are using it as a side dish, but sometimes Tony just likes to make it to eat as a meal in itself and he'll add the meat then (actually I think he would add the meat every time...It's me that doesn't think we need double meat at a meal!:))

Chili Seasoning Mix (with Chili recipe)

We had Chili the other night.  Eli (my 8 year old) asked me as I brought the chili to the table what kind of chili I made.  I told him it was the same one I'd always made. 

He responded, "you mean it's a homemade Chili?" 

"Yes Eli, I've always made homemade Chili."

"What?  I thought you just used the boughten Chili!  Wow, I knew you were a good cook, but you're even better than I thought!"

Glad that a bowl of Chili can excite my 8 year old!  And I'm surprised that it's taken him this long to notice that I don't just open a can of Chili every time we have it!:)

I've been using this recipe for years and it is so easy and so good!  We eat the Chili with Cornbread, over baked potatoes, and over our Scones for Navajo Tacos. 

Chili Seasoning Mix (with Chili recipe)

Budget Dinner Totals: Makes 8 (1 cup) servings (approx.) for $6.57, making each serving a whopping 82 cents per serving!

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For Seasoning:

1/2 cup Chili Powder

4 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 Tablespoon season salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on if you like it HOT!)

2 teaspoons thyme

2 teaspoons oregano

dash of red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container.  I put mine in a 1/2 pint jar.  This recipe can also be doubled or tripled for however much you think you may need.  This recipe is enough for about 6 Chili recipes.

For the Chili:

1 pound ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (I like the petite, but regular works fine too)

2 cans (15.5 oz.) kidney beans (dark or light)

3 Tablespoons Chili Seasoning (from above)

Brown beef with the onion in a large saucepan.  Drain.  Add the rest of the ingredients with their juices, don't drain and rinse the beans!  Stir together and bring to a simmer.  Turn heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Bourbon Chicken over Rice

I hate it when I have an awesome recipe to share & I just sit here in front of the computer with no idea what to write!  Gotta be honest....it happens quite often.  I'd say I have writers block, but I'm not a writer.  Have never been any good at it, so what do you call it?  Maybe a course in writing is needed.  I'm getting kind of sick of writing "This is good...try it" or "Delicious" or "We loved this one" (these are all phrases found quite often here!)  Hmmmm.

So anyway....here goes!:)

When I found this recipe I knew it would be something that I would love.  And I figured the rest of the family would as well since we are all rice lovers. (Hawaiian Haystacks, Spanish Rice, etc.)

So.....it not only is delicious, but it also made it on to our Budget Dinners list.  Very affordable to make since it uses small amounts of items most everyone has on hand.  Hope you enjoy!

Bourbon Chicken over Rice

Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Budget Dinner Totals: Feeds 6 for $8.45.  That's $1.40 a person!

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5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup pineapple juice or apple juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until chicken starts browning. 

In a bowl, combine the garlic, pineapple or apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, water, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch.  Whisk it all together until the cornstarch is dissolved.

When the chicken is browned pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat.  Reduce heat to low and cover with lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice.

Angel Hair Pasta & Chicken Bowl

We're back!  Our trip was great!  There are so many great memories to look back on!  So glad we were able to take our kiddo's and let them see where their Grandma grew up!

And....we got to eat at Hillbilly Hot Dogs!!  We ordered the Single Wide Burger (5 pounds of burger) and boy was it awesome!  Looked fantastic & tasted fantastic as well!  Also, loved the fried macaroni and cheese wedges.  I tell ya, they can fry anything! (Go to the end of the post if you'd like to see the hubby and son Rhett with the Single Wide!)

So anyway, we know we promised some Budget Dinners, and we're here to deliver.  And this is a good one!

Angel Hair Pasta & Chicken Bowl

Budget Dinner totals:  Feeds 6 for $6.50 which equals $1.08 a bowl!

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2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2 chicken breasts)

2 carrots, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces

1 (16 oz.) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz package Angel Hair pasta

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
 

Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. 

Heat remaining oil in same skillet.  Begin heating the water for the pasta.  Add the carrots to the skillet, cook while stirring for 4 minutes.
 

Add the broccoli and garlic to skillet and cook while stirring for 2 minutes longer.
 

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, add the chicken broth, basil and Parmesan cheese to skillet.  Stir to combine.
 

 Return the chicken to the skillet and reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes.
 

Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl.  Top with chicken and vegetables and stir to combine.  Serve Immediately.
 

Enjoy!

Here's a couple pictures of the Single Wide...IT. WAS. HUGE!!!

It looks even bigger next to my 4 year old!
 

 

 We fed 8 people with that burger & boy was it yummy!!