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Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup
October 14, 2016 Lee
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Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

Sounds really good, This can be made on the stove top or in a slow cooker. I am looking forward to making this!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 7 cups potatoes, diced, skin on or off is up to you
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 cups ham, diced
  • 2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 5 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

For Stovetop

  • In a large pot, add the diced items, parsley, thyme, mustard, and chicken stock. Season with pepper to your liking. Bring this to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes, stir occasionally.
  • When the potatoes are tender, take about 2 to 3 cups of potatoes out and place in a bowl, if you get some carrot, that is ok as well. Mash this then put back in the pot and stir in. To get a thicken consistency, mash another cup or two of potatoes. Add the milk and sour cream and stir in and simmer for about 5 more minutes, then stir in the cheese until melted and mixed in, serve hot.

For Slow Cooker

  • In a large slow cooker, add the diced items, parsley, thyme, mustard, and chicken stock. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours or about 3 hours on High setting. The potatoes should be cooked and tender.
  • Take about 2 to 3 cups of potatoes out and place in a bowl, if you get some carrot, that is ok as well. Mash this then put back in the slow cooker. To get a thicken consistency, mash another cup or two of potatoes. Stir in the milk and sour cream and cook about 5 more minutes on Low setting, then stir in the cheese until it melts and season with pepper to your liking. Serve.

Notes

For the ham, Makro has excellent cooked ham in 1 inch thick slices, 2 slices is about 2 cups diced, this would cost about 100 Baht. The chicken, use thighs or breasts or a combination and just boil with some carrot, onion, and celery and you have your stock as well. Two cups of cooked chicken is maybe 40 Baht. The Swiss cheese will run about 180 Baht for a 250 gram block. For 10 servings, this is about 94 cents per serving.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili I
October 13, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili I

Not only does this sound good, there is lots of things you can do to save money such as shortcuts and using dried beans. On my to cook list as I do like a good chicken chili! I did not list a prep time as this depends if you are using the shortcuts and or using dried beans. Using the dried beans, you need to plan well in advance. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can black beans, about 410 grams, OR see Step 1
  • 1 can red Kidney beans, about 410 grams, OR see Step 2
  • 1 can refried beans, OR make from a shortcut on this site, see Step 3
  • 3 chicken breasts, large, boneless and skinless
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalepeno pepper, minced, or use several Bird's Eye Chilies
  • 1 can corn, about 410-425 grams, OR use 1 1/2 cups fresh corn
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, juice reserved, chopped, 565 grams
  • 3/4 cup salsa, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

Instructions
 

  • For the Black Beans, if using dry beans, soak 1 1/2 cups of beans overnight, rinse, then boil the beans until tender, rinse then use.
  • For the Red Kidney Beans, if using dry beans, soak 1 1/2 cups of beans over night, rinse, then boil beans until tender, rinse, then use.
  • For the refried beans, if using the shortcut for dry beans, follow that recipe as listed in the Recipe Notes section, you will need about 1 1/2 cups of refried beans. This makes a lot, so plan a Mexican dish for later in the week.
  • Once you have determined, the beans you are going to use, canned or dry, put the chicken (whole breasts are fine, no need to chop or anything), bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, corn, beans (but NOT the refried beans), onion, and tomatoes that you drained and chopped, into your slow cooker. Cook this on Low setting for 6-8 hours, or on High setting for 3-4 hours. If on Low setting the chicken shreds easily at 6 hours, it is done.
  • Once the chicken is done and shreds easily, remove the chicken to a large plate and shred with 2 forks, return to the slow cooker and stir in. Add the refried beans and stir that in and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes on Low setting to heat through. Serve with chili toppings of your choice if desired. I think some shredded Cheddar cheese on top would be great.

Notes

Chicken breast run about 60 Baht/kilo, you might be looking at 50 Baht for 3 breasts. Canned beans, kidney beans are readily available, black beans I have not seen, canned kidney beans can be 50 to 90 Baht/can, using dried beans is about 15 Baht each. For refried beans (I have never seen them canned) you need Pinto beans, to make the full recipe (recommended as they are good beans) will cost about 50 Baht. Salsa, say from Tesco will run about 50 Baht/jar of 1 cup, make from the shortcut, will cost about 25 Baht. The canned corn will cost about 30-40 Baht/can, using fresh, half of that. Everything else is minimal.
Making this using canned items where stated, for 6 servings, this is about $1.38 per serving.
Making this using dry beans and shortcuts where stated, for 6 servings, this is about 85 cents per serving.
Over all, the cost is not that bad really for using canned items where state and if you can find them.
Shortcuts: Refried Beans, Salsa.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
12 Minute Chicken Schnitzel
October 13, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

12 Minute Chicken Schnitzel

Well, not sure about 12 minutes, but this is quick! This sounds good, and unlike traditional schnitzel that is deep fried, this is baked. These are juicy and have a bit of crunch like the deep fried version. And this is very low cost. On my to cook list for sure.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 chicken breast
  • mayo
  • Dijon mustard
  • panko breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • olive oil, in a spray bottle or oil mister

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your broiler to High setting and place the rack 8 inches from the heat source. Don't have a built in over with a broiler? No problem, just use your oven (go with a 180 C oven and go from there) but watch the time and adjust as necessary to make sure the chicken is cooked through as well as golden brown. Only have a counter top oven, such as me? No problem, use the middle rack and the top coil only, start with 180 C and adjust as needed.
  • Cut the chicken breast in half horizontally and pound to 1/3 inch thickness, an even thickness ensures even cooking. Place the chicken on a baking sheet then spread about a tablespoon or a bit more over the chicken, then spread about a tablespoon or a bit more of Dijon mustard over the mayo then season with salt and pepper to your liking. Sprinkle with some panko breadcrumbs and press into the mustard/mayo so it sticks well. Broil or bake for about 8 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve with a vegetable and salad for a complete meal.

Notes

Minimal cost for 2 servings, well under $1 per serving, more like 20 cents per serving, if that, even with a salad and vegetable.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
All Purpose Chicken Meatballs
October 13, 2016 Lee
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All Purpose Chicken Meatballs

Holly - Spend with Pennies
This recipe can also be used for ground turkey as well and was originally posted as that in the title, but I am going to list this using chicken. This sounds really easy and the meatballs are baked which will aide them keeping their shape. Make a batch and freeze them, then use as needed as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, pasta sauces, etc. Consider this a base recipe to be used in a variety of recipes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 50 meatballs

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo ground chicken, OR ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Place all ingredients in a large bowl. I ground 1 kilo (2 lbs) of chicken tenders.
  • Use your hands and mix to just combine, do not over mix as that will result in a tough meatball.
  • Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until just cooked through, do not overcook or once again, tough meatballs. One inch meatballs should make about 50 meatballs. I use an ice cream scoop to measure, then place that in your hand and roll that, mine came out to about 1 1/2 inches and I made 26. I baked them for 35 minutes and they were perfect.
  • Now, if you have a specific need for 1 kilo of meatballs at one time, go ahead and use, but more than likely, you are going to freeze these. Let the meatballs cool to room temperature, then place on another baking sheet and put in the freezer, once frozen then place all in a freezer bag or container, then you can take out the meatballs you need for a specific recipe.

Notes

The Tesco website lists Grade A Mince Chicken as 79 Baht/kilo, which very good considering 50 meatballs or so and can be used in several dishes. Easily under $1 per serving.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
 
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,INGREDIENTS,MEATBALLS
Creamy Dill Pickle Chicken with Bacon
October 13, 2016 Lee
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Creamy Dill Pickle Chicken with Bacon

Creamy chicken sounds great, with the chopped dill pickles, this sounds very interesting! On my to cook list. Link to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil, as needed
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 500 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 60 grams Cream cheese, softened, this is about 1/4 of a standard block of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup dill pickle, chopped, plus more to serve, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • scallions, OR spring onions, chopped, for garnish
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a non-stick pan heat a splash of olive oil and cook the bacon until it is almost crisp, remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Add more olive oil if no bacon remains, heat and add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through.
  • Add the stock and once it simmers, add the cream cheese and break that up with your spatula. When the cream cheese is melted into the liquid, add the sour cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine into the sauce, cook for several minutes to thicken the sauce and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
  • When the sauce has thicken, mix in the bacon and pickle and server over mashed potatoes or rice. Garnish some scallion and pickle slices if desired.

Notes

Chicken thighs will cost about 35 Baht/500 grams, you can bone and skin these yourself. The cheese needed for this is minimal so I will estimate about 50 Baht for the cheese needed. For 4 servings, this is about 63 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Shortcuts: Dill Pickles, Sour Cream.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Chicken Giblets & Basil
October 13, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Chicken Giblets & Basil

Rrayada Thayer, Thailand.
Giblets are the hearts, livers, and gizzards, even Thais refer to all these items sold together as giblets. This is how simple a Thai dish can be, and can be made to any degree of heat you like, my wife made this yesterday and she likes it on the spicy side. Minimal ingredients and takes just a few minutes to prepare.
4 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams chicken liver, heart and gizzards, (1 lb)
  • 40-60 Bird's Eye Chilis
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2-3 handfuls basil, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a heavy mortar, grind up the chilies and garlic. Clean the chicken by removing the fat from the hearts and livers, cut the livers into 2-4 pieces. If the gizzards are fresh, clean the gizzards by splitting nearly in half and removing the lining, then chop each gizzard into smaller than bite size pieces.
  • In a large non-stick pan, heat cooking oil of your choice, when hot, add the livers, hearts, and gizzards, and the chili and garlic paste from the mortar, and just a small amount of water, cook until the liver is no longer pink inside. While cooking, sprinkle in the chicken stock powder and stir that in. Stir the giblets occasionally. When the liver is cooked through, add the basil and stir that in until it wilts. Serve with rice.

Notes

If you buy the giblets at say Tesco, the cost is about 70 Baht/500 grams. If bought from a local chicken farmer, you can probably get these for about 40-50 Baht/500 grams. The basil and chilies are free from our yard. For 6 servings (based on store bought giblets), this is about 35 cents per serving, even less for 8 servings. Excellent value per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,Chicken - Giblets
Bacon Cheeseburger Pie
October 12, 2016 Lee
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Bacon Cheeseburger Pie

Sounds very good, a must try for me. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pie crust, uncooked, bought, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 500 grams ground beef, I would not use ground pork for this
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 2 teaspoons Worcherstershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, this is about 1 standard block of cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 205 C. Get out a 9 inch pie dish and get your crust placed in the dish.
  • In a large non-stick skillet, brown the ground beef, onion, and bacon until cooked through. Drain this in a colander would be good to drain the best. Place in large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs, mustard, BBQ sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper, pour this mixture into the prepared pie crust.
  • Using the same bowl, mix the cheese, milk, and egg (why dirty another bowl?) and spread this over the pie mixture. Cover the edges of the crust with foil (to prevent over cooking those) and bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for anther 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve with a side of your choice, corn on the cob sounds excellent here or even just a dill pickle on the side.

Notes

The ground beef, or beef in general is costly. Depending on your location, you may be able to get ground beef and will pay top dollar for it. Getting large cuts of beef and grinding (or chopping) yourself is preferred and most cost effective. For ground beef, I will go with about 100 Baht/500 grams. The Cheddar cheese will run about 180 Baht for a 250 gram block. For 6 servings this about $1.37 per serving, less for 6 servings. Overall, not a bad cost.
Variants, keep in mind variants can add cost to the meal. Add sliced, cooked mushrooms to the top. Replace the Cheddar with Swiss Cheese.
Shortcuts: Basic Buttery Pie Crust, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,BEEF
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
October 11, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

Holly - Spend with Pennies.
This is a recipe that screams for the use of a slow cooker. As the author of this recipe stated, slow cookers can maintain a very low temp, much lower than a hob can maintain, so this will simmer for 6 hours and the flavors will blend perfectly and the beef will be tender. For this recipe, it involves some work on the hob first, then the slow cooker takes over. This feeds a crowd, perfect for visiting friends or family. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil, as needed
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 kilo ground beef, for this recipe, I do not recommend pork, (2 lb)
  • ½ cup beef broth, fresh or from powder
  • 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved, (565 g / 20 oz each)
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons beef stock powder
  • 2 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce
  • 3 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 500 grams spaghetti, (1 lb)

Instructions
 

  • In a large non-stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is soft. Place this in your slow cooker. Add another slash of olive oil in the same pan. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, add the ground beef to the slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT THE SPAGHETTI, to the slow cooker and give that a mix. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours.
  • For the spaghetti, you can do this two different ways.
  • 1st Way. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just tender. Reserve about 2 cups of water from the pasta pot and set aside, drain the rest and return the pasta to the pot and add sauce, about 4-6 cups and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, gently mix over medium heat for a few minutes and the sauce will thicken and coats the pasta, serve.
  • 2nd Way. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain and plate a serving of pasta and top with sauce, serve.

Notes

The ground beef, or beef in general is costly. Depending on your location, you may be able to get ground beef and will pay top dollar for it. Getting large cuts of beef and grinding (or chopping) yourself is preferred and most cost effective. For ground beef, I will go with about 200 Baht/kilo. For 8 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Pasta - Slow Cooker
Crock Pot Corn on the Cob
October 11, 2016 Lee
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Crock Pot Corn on the Cob

Spend with Pennies, Holly, Canada.
This is an interesting one and I am quite happy to list this and is a must try for me. This takes a few hours, but when you think about it, you can start this then go about getting the rest of meal, think a outdoor BBQ together, and you are not tying up a burner on the hob or space on the grill, the corn is seasoned and buttered, seems like a win win.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker (6+ quart)

Ingredients
  

  • 6-8 ears corn, husked and break each in half
  • olive oil, as needed
  • â…” cup water
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • butter, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add the water to your slow cooker.
  • Lightly brush each ear of corn with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to your liking, and place in your slow cooker. Cook on High setting for 3-4. When the corn is bright yellow in color add the butter, it will melt down to the bottom of the pot, toss the corn with buttery liquid and serve.
5 Ingredients or Less,Sides - Slow Cooker
Shrimp Pasta Salad
October 11, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Pasta salads I love, pasta salads with shrimp, even better! Ingredients are easily available, and if you are near the coast, the local caught small shrimp is very inexpensive. This is a base recipe, meaning change this up with anything you want, such as crab, imitation crab, more or less bell peppers for color, with our without relish or change to chopped pickles. Very easy dish to put together. I made this on 12 Oct 2016, modified to what I had on hand, and it is very good! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Main Ingredients

  • 250 grams dry elbow macaroni, or shell, spirals, or any bite size pasta
  • 1 tablespoon onion, minced
  • 2/3 cup celery, use import or local
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 1/3 cup shrimp, peeled,tails removed, cooked

For the Dressing

  • 1 cup mayo
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, OR chopped dill pickle, OR make from a shortcut
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook until just tender, drain and rinse under cold water. (I made this using #32 Maccheroni.)
  • While the pasta is cooking, mix the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, then add the pasta and the rest of the ingredients and gently mix with the dressing. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to chill before serving. (I added the chopped items on top of the drained pasta, I like eggs in a pasta salad so I added a few chopped eggs as well.)

Notes

If you can get small White shrimp from a local fisherman, this is minimal cost. If you get from Tesco, the small Whites will run about 48 Baht for 250 grams, which is plenty. This is easily about 23 cents per serving for 6 servings. More than reasonable for a side dish with shrimp.
Variant: I think real or imitation crab would work well in this, either with or without the shrimp.
Shortcut: Dill Pickles.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
Sides - Salads