Author Archive
Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
I love a good meatloaf, and this is by far the best I have made! Excellent flavor from the use of butter crackers and cheese. Highly recommended.
Equipment
- Loaf Pans (two, 4x8 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 32 butter crackers, crushed, like Magic or Ritz
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 120 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (4 oz)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or a mix of black and white pepper
- 1 kilo ground beef, (2 lb)
- ½ cup ketchup, or chili sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out two loaf pans. I used my Pyrex pans.
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and crackers and stir together. Add the onion and cheese and stir together. Stir in the salt and pepper.
- Add ground beef. Mix well.
- Divide mixture between the 2 loafs, pack lightly and smooth off the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. While the meatloaf is baking, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard to make the topping. I used chili sauce in place of the ketchup.
- After 30 minutes of baking, spoon ¼ of the topping onto each meatloaf, return the pans to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Then spoon on the rest of the topping, dividing between the loaves, and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let the loaf rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve right from the pan with your favorite side dishes, and enjoy.
Notes
For 8 servings this is actually low cost per serving and also depends on where you source the beef from. I purchase in bulk from a local butcher and grind myself.
Updated on 2 July 2022.
Cream of Green Chili Soup
Sounds good!
Ingredients
- 2 cups big green chilies, roasted, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 3-4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and salt. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another minute or so until the mixture is very fragrant.
- Add the chilies and broth (3 cups for a thicker soup, 4 cups for a thinner soup) to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until vegetables are extremely soft and flavors have blended, about 15 minutes.
- Blend until very smooth in blender or food processor (about 2 minutes).
- Return the mixture to the pot and stir in cream. Gently heat until the soup is heated through. Add more salt to taste, if you like. Enjoy.
Notes
This would be low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Jerry Juliana.
United States.
United States.
Three-Ingredient Baked Chicken
This is a basic baked chicken recipe, very customizable. If you have a recipe calling for cooked chicken as an ingredient, this sounds like it would work perfect. Or add a few vegetables to the dish and bake those as well and you have a meal.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skin on or off
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, 1/4 of a standard block
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. Lightly butter a baking dish.
- Place the chicken in the baking dish, skin side up. Add the salt to the melted butter and brush onto the chicken and pour the remaining butter over the chicken as well.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear.
- Use as directed by another recipe or serve with vegetables on the side.
Notes
Figure about 100 Baht for 4 chicken breasts. For 4 servings, this is about 74 cents per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Mushroom Chicken
Chicken, mushroom soup, and cheese, sounds like my kind of meal. On my to cook list. I will verify the cooking times when I make this. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 2 cups sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C.
- Prep the chicken by cutting into the standard 8 pieces; 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings minus the tips, and 2 breasts. Use the carcass to make chicken stock, link provided in the Recipe Notes.
- Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish in one layer and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Mix the soup and sour cream together, if it is too thick, thin it out with a bit of milk, this needs to be pourable. Pour the mixture over the chicken.
- When the chicken is near done (maybe about 30 minutes), sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Remove from oven, let rest for 5-10 minutes, serve.
Notes
The whole chicken will cost about 180 Baht at a Tesco, more than likely less at a fresh market near you. The cheese will be about 70 Baht for 100 grams. For 4 servings, this is about $1.84 per serving.
Variants: Fry the chicken to brown before baking.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Basic Chicken Stock, Sour Cream.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Frances Collins.
United States.
United States.
Basic Chicken Stock
This recipe is assuming you are using a raw chicken carcass and wing tips.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass, wing tips, neck, feet included
- celery, chopped large plus tops
- carrot, chopped large
- onion, chopped large
- fresh parsley
- black peppercorns, to taste
- salt, to taste, up to you
Instructions
- Chop the chicken carcass into about 2-3 inch pieces.
- In a large stock pot, heat a splash of olive oil, then add the carcass pieces, neck, feet, cook to just brown them, this brings out some flavor.
- When the carcass pieces are browned, add some celery, carrot, onion to the pot as well as a some black peppercorns, and a pinch of salt. Add water to the pot to cover the chicken and vegetables by about 2 inches. Set to a simmer.
- Simmer for 4-6 hours, skimming off any foam at the top. Add water as needed to keep it above the chicken.
- Remove the bones and vegetable pieces and discard, and pour this through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove any solids.
- Pour the liquid into jars, let cool to room temp, and you can store this for up to 3 days. Use as needed in other recipes.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant, use the bones, and skin from the picky eaters, and add to a pot, omit the browning part and just follow the rest of the recipe.
Been making this for many years.
Clams with Mushrooms & Basil
This is an easy recipe that takes just minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo fresh clams, washed and scrubbed, (2 lb)
- handful fresh mushrooms, chopped large
- handful fresh Thai Basil
- 5 cloves garlic, smahed
- splash fish sauce
- splash olive oil
- Bird's Eye Chilis, optional, chopped
- chili paste, optional
Instructions
- Heat a pan on medium high heat with a splash of olive oil then add the garlic and clams.
- When the clams start to open, about 4-5 minutes, add the mushrooms.
- When the mushrooms are cooked, add the basil.
- The liquid from the clams cooks the mushrooms and steams the basil. When the basil is wilted, it is done.
- Pour onto a large plate and serve along side rice and other Thai dishes.
Notes
Low cost.
If a spicy dish is preferred, add some chopped Bird's Eye chilies and a spoon or so of chili paste.
Sausage, Egg, Cheese Sandwiches
Everyone has heard of the well know biscuits and muffins that contain these ingredients from McDonald's. I liked those those as well. I decided to step these up a bit from a small biscuit or muffin and went with homemade dinner rolls, homemade breakfast sausage, and real cheese. And they are very good! Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- patties breakfast sausage, OR make from a shortcut
- dinner rolls, OR make from a shortcut
- eggs
- Cheddar cheese, sliced, or cheese of choice
- olive oil, as needed
- mayo, as needed
- white pepper powder, as desired
Instructions
- Cook the patties in a non stick pan with splash of olive oil, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- I used a ring to cook the eggs, lightly scrambled and seasoned with white pepper. (I had two rings, one seems to have walked away.)
- Cut the rolls in half, spread mayo on each piece, add cheese to the bottom, then a sausage patty, then the egg, add the top part of the roll.
- Enjoy.
- This was for my wife, when I asked her if she wanted 1 or 2 slices of cheese, she asked what kind, I said Provolone, so she took a bite of the cheese, and said oh that cheese, two slices!
Notes
Low cost if using homemade sausage and rolls.
Shortcuts: Breakfast Sausage, Dinner Rolls.
Variants: 1. Use cheese of choice, Provolone goes real well with this. 2. Use butter in place of mayo on the rolls.
My version of the popular restaurant item.
World's Best Meatloaf
Now I cannot vouch for world's best, but this does sound good, on my to cook list as I do like a good meatloaf. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground meat, beef, or beef and pork mixed
- 1 1/2 cups torn bread
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 can condensed tomato soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 3/4 cup celery, grated
- 3/4 cup carrot, grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C.
- Place ground meat in a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients BUT only 1/2 can of the soup, use your hands for a good mix.
- Turn into greased loaf pan or glass casserole dish 7x11 and pat out flat, pour remaining soup over the top, smoothing it evenly over all.
- Bake for 75 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Some potato mash and a vegetable, you have a good meal.
Notes
Beef would cost about 150 Baht/750 grams, pork would cost about 125 Baht/750 grams. Going with 150, and for 6 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Tomato Soup.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Condensed Tomato Soup
This is used is some recipes here on this site, this is the condensed version, and you can make this from paste to make tomato sauce. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato sauce, Shortcut
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk everything together in a mixing bowl. Done, now wasn't that easy?
- If needed to use as an ingredient that states condensed tomato soup, you can use it as needed in the recipe.
- If you want to make soup from this, heat this in a sauce pan with 1 cup of milk and add seasonings of your choice.
Notes
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Chicken Stew with Biscuits
Sounds like hearty and filling meal for sure. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, skin on
- olive oil, as needed
- salt and pepper, as needed
- 5 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, this 3/4 of a 227 gram block
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, OR make from a shortcut
- 4 cups frozen peas and carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
For the Biscuits
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, diced, this is 1/2 of a 227 gram block
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet and rub them with olive oil on both sides, then position them skin side up. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the skin. Cut the chicken into large cubes. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.
- In a large pot melt the butter and saute the onions over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thickened. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the milk.
- Then add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew large, deep casserole baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the milk and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter.
- Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash mix 1 egg with a tablespoon of water), and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.
- Remove from oven, let rest 5-10 minutes, serve.
Notes
Figure about 120 Baht for 6 chicken breasts, for 8 servings, this is about 45 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream Substitute.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
United States.
