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Creamy Swiss Chicken Casserole
January 23, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Creamy Swiss Chicken Casserole

This sounds good. This is slightly modified from what I read. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded, if you like cheese, you know what to do
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, slightly chopped, lightly fried in olive oil
  • 1 package egg noodles
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • onion powder, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch casserole dish. Add chicken pieces to the casserole dish. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, to taste.
  • In a bowl, mix the soup and milk. Sprinkle cheese over the chicken. Pour soup and milk over the chicken. Sprinkle with mushrooms.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until juices from chicken run clear and sauce is bubbly. Cook your noodles while baking. Serve over noodles with a green vegetable for a complete meal.

Notes

The chicken and cheese is the most expensive part of this meal. 4 chicken breasts will be about 100 Baht, cheese will run about 100 Baht for the 1 cup (buy a 250 gram block and shred yourself, that will be about 1/2 block for 1 cup of shredded). Make the soup yourself, dead easy and is half the cost of a canned soup and you know what is in it. Basically 200 Baht or about $1.50 per serving for 4 people.
Alternative would be to use chicken thighs (think skin on and bone in, as thighs are a bit more flavorful), or just quarters that are cut apart.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CASSEROLES
Cheesy Sloppy Joe Burgers I
January 23, 2016 Lee
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Cheesy Sloppy Joe Burgers I

I am not a fan of "sliders", you know the tiny hamburgers on the tiny buns. I like normal size burgers. The original recipe I seen was for slider sized buns. This is like a cross between a cheese burger and a Sloppy Joe sandwich, which are equally good. The original recipe I seen called for onion powder (I will use real onion in the recipe), and Velveeta cheese, which is one of the most horrendous things you can actually put into your body, I will use real cheese and regular size buns. This is a must try for me! This is not a $1 meal mainly because of the real cheese you use.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR ground chicken
  • 500 grams bulk sausage, OR you can make from a shortcut listed on this site
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 500 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
  • salt, to taste
  • buns, split and toasted, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Add onion, ground beef, and bulk sausage to a a large, heavy, non-stick pan and season with black pepper and salt to taste and cook until cooked through, drain all fat completely.
  • In a large sauce pan or preferred is a slow cooker (Low setting), combine the cooked meat with the shredded cheese and allow the cheese to melt into the meat and heated through.
  • Serve on toasted buns.

Notes

This is not a inexpensive meal! The cheese alone is pricey at about 130 Baht/250 grams, ground beef will run about 75 Baht/500 grams, and sausage at least that much. You can make the sausage from a shortcut on this site for about 60 Baht/500 grams. This is about $3.30 per person for 4 meals and about $1.70 for 8 meals, this can be reduced by using minced pork instead of beef, and using chicken instead of pork or chicken.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Mike Early.
United States.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken I
January 23, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Orange Chicken I

This has potential and is on my list of must tries. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite size pieces
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup orange marmalade
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, OR make from a shortcut listed on this site
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Instructions
 

  • Add chicken to the slow cooker pot and sprikle with the flour, mix to coat the chicken.
  • Add all other ingredients and light stir to combine. Cover.
  • Cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. Serve over rice with some green beans on the side for a complete meal.

Notes

You can get chicken thighs or quarters at almost every market, about 60-65 Baht/Kilo, the thighs on quarters are larger, so get those and cut your self and debone and remove skin, takes a mater of seconds. Chicken cost would be about 120-150 Baht (with quarters, you have legs left over to put on a grill and BBQ for another meal). Make the BBQ sauce your self for greater savings. At 150 Baht, this is about $1.10 per serving for 4 people, and for 6 people it is about 75 cents per serving. All other ingredients are minimal.
Shortcut: BBQ Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Chicken - Slow Cooker
Basic BBQ Sauce
January 23, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Basic BBQ Sauce

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Easy to make sauce great for BBQs or using in other recipes that call for BBQ sauce. The yield from this recipe is about 2 cups. I made this on 14 Dec 2016, recipe modified slightly, my report below.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 2 cups

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1½ cups ketchup
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon Worcherstershire sauce
  • 2½ tablespoons dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons black pepper
  • 2-4 dashes hot pepper sauce
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely mixed and smooth. This is the ingredients before I added the water.
  • I was making BBQ Beans & Weenies, this photo just shows the sauce after it was cooked and refrigerated when I added it to the beans recipes.
  • Pour into a pot and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate overnight before use.

Notes

If using as a sauce say in a bean recipe, the sugar amount is spot on, if using for grilled anything, feel free to increase the sugar a bit. Keep in mind the sugar is what caramelizes and makes that gooey goodness on say BBQ Chicken. This is my Go-to Recipe now.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
#1 Go-To Recipes,CONDIMENTS,Ingredients - Sauces
Indonesian Fried Rice
January 22, 2016 Lee
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Indonesian Fried Rice

Denise Georgiades, South Africa.
This is a classic Indonesian version of fried rice, simple but hearty, serve as a side dish or as a main dish. The purpose of fried rice is to use leftovers, not only does it reuse food, it prevents wasted food.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine Indonesian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked white rice, add another cup to stretch this if you like
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 fresh green chili peppers, chopped
  • 200 grams chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces, (7 oz)
  • 200 grams prawn/shrimp, head and tail removed, peeled, (7 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
  • olive oil
  • cucumber, sliced, for garnish
  • tomato, cut into wedges, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large nonstick skillet with a splash of olive oil. Pour eggs into hot skillet. Cook until the eggs begin to set. Flip omelet in one piece and cook until fully set, about 30 seconds. Slice omelet into 1/2 inch strips. Set aside.
  • Heat a tablespoon or so olive oil in a wok (preferred) or large frying pan. Stir in the onion, leek, garlic, & chile peppers. Cook, stirring until onion is soft. Stir in the chicken, prawns, coriander, and cumin, mixing well. Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes.
  • Mix in the rice, sweet soy sauce, and omelet strips; cook until shrimp are bright pink and chicken is no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve on a platter, garnish with cucumber slices and tomato wedges.

Notes

The ingredients are minimal cost at best, and if you have leftover roast chicken or leftover prawns, even better and nearly zero cost for this dish.
Variants: 1. Omit the omelet slices and cook as listed, then top each plate with a fried egg. 2. Add chopped leftover vegetables. 3. No prawn or chicken on hand? Use any meat you have, keep in mind leftovers, perfect use and less waste.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: INDONESIAN,LEFTOVERS,SIDES
Slow Cooker Pinto Bean, Jasmine Rice, Chicken Soup
January 22, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Slow Cooker Pinto Bean, Jasmine Rice, Chicken Soup

This recipe comes from a good friend, he just threw this together and enjoyed it. This is a must try for me.
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Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 9 hours
Total Time 1 day 9 hours
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams dry Pinto beans, soaked overnight, rinsed, drained, (1/2 lb)
  • 1 cup brown Jasmine rice, soaked overnight, rinsed, drained
  • 500 grams chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into large cubes, (1 lb)
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry Mung beans
  • sea salt, to taste
  • handful fresh peppercorns
  • fresh chilis, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add beans and rice to the slow cooker, add water until it is about 1/2 inch above the beans and rice. Cover and set the slow cooker to High.
  • After 2 to 3 hours, boil the chicken on the stove. Use just enough water to cover the chicken by 1/2 inch or so. Cook just long enough to cook the chicken through and get a bit of broth going. Pour broth and chicken into the slow cooker.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients. This way you don't need to take the top off of the cooker again unless the water seems to get low. The goal is to keep the water in slow cooker just covering the beans and rice. Continue to cook on High setting for a total of 9 hours.
  • This seams odd, but adding the rice early is crucial in making the soup a bit more gravy-like. The rice doesn't need that long to cook, but by cooking it for a long time, it sort of dissolves and makes the soup into a nice gravy.

Notes

1 kilo of chicken breasts will run about 80 Baht, easily making this a meal for under $1 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Dave Williams.
Thailand.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
January 20, 2016 Lee
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Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

It has been probably 5 years since I had cabbage rolls, and they were delicious! Here is a cheater recipe, no need to boil the cabbage leaves or roll anything, just make on the stove top in a large pot. I have not tried this yet but it sounds really good and I will give my remarks after I make this. The recipe is normally made with beef but feel free to use pork or chicken. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo ground beef, OR minced pork, OR ground chicken
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 1 head cabbage, small, chopped
  • 1 cup rice, uncooked
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, 425 gram can, OR fresh chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato sauce, 225 gram can, OR make from a shortcut on this site (1 1/4 cups)
  • 1/2 cup water, OR beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet pot, brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic. Drain off the fat.
  • Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce temp to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

Notes

Ground beef can run as high as 200 Baht/kilo. For this dish, that is your most expensive item, if using minced pork, you can almost cut the cost in half. For 200 Baht, 6 servings would be less than $1 per serving, less for 8 servings, and a lot less if using minced pork or ground chicken.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BEEF
Big Mac Burgers
January 13, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Big Mac Burgers

This is the home made version of the famous burger served all over the world. With this, you know what is in it, not the assembly line product that has an ingredient list longer than your arm. This a a double decker burger with a Big Mac sauce. I made these on 16 Feb 2017, very very good! I made the classic double decker for myself and just a jr Big Mac for my wife with just one burger. Highly recommended to make these with just one burger, much easier to handle. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 Big Macs

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • 2/3 cup mayo
  • 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
  • 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Burgers

  • 500 grams ground beef, OR make from a shortcut
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 sesame seed buns, sliced into 3 pieces

Toppings

  • 4 teaspoons onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups lettuce, shredded
  • Cheddar cheese, use real cheese, not processed
  • 8 slices dill pickles, OR make from a shortcut on this site

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Refrigerate for a while is even better.
  • Mix the salt and pepper into the beef, split the mixture into 4 parts and roll into balls. Flatten each ball and shape into a patty.
  • Place patties into a non stick pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cook the patties for 3 minutes each side. Meanwhile, slice the burger buns into 3 parts and slightly toast them. (I do not mess around with burgers, I make thick large burgers.)
  • To assemble, spread the sauce over the base and middle bun. Add onion and lettuce on both buns. On the bottom bun add cheese and one of the burger patties, on the middle bun add 4 pickle slices and burger patty. Lift the middle bun onto the top of the base and finally add the top of bun.
  • To make a Jr. Big Mac, use only 1 burger and no middle bun. On the bottom bun add sauce, lettuce, onion, and cheese, and one of the burger patties, top that with 4-5 pickle slices, add sauce to the top bun and cover the top with that.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy!
  • And the Jr. Big Mac.

Notes

Ground beef runs about 100 Baht/500 grams. For 2 servings, this is about $1.47 per serving. If you went the route with just 1 burger patty and made 4 Jr. Big Macs, you could stretch this to 4 servings at a cost of 74 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Dill Pickles, Best Hamburger Meat.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Bangers & Mash Rolls
January 13, 2016 Lee
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Bangers & Mash Rolls

I do love a good plate of Bangers & Mash with a side peas and a bowl of onion gravy. Here is a twist on the common sausage roll to include mash as well. Bangers being thick pork sausages and mash being mashed potatoes. This is a must do for me, and I will take photos as well.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 thick pork sausages, aka Bangers
  • 1 package puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • mashed potatoes, cold, can even be leftovers

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  • Brown the Sausages on all sides in a large skillet - until mostly cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Unroll a sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4 pieces. Spread mash down the center of each pastry, top with cooked sausage and add additional mash to the top and sides. Roll up each sheet - pinch together to seal and trim off any excess. Place on the baking sheet - seam side down - and brush each roll with beaten egg.
  • Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes - until the pastry is golden and crispy on all sides and the meat has cooked through. Serve with a side of Onion Gravy as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Thick pork sausages, Bangers, run about 200-250 Baht for 10 sausages in Makro. 4 sausages (figured at 250 Baht) would be about 100 Baht, for 2 servings this is about $1.50 per person, more than reasonable.
Variants to this would be to add shredded Cheddar cheese to the top before rolling.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,LEFTOVERS,Pork - Sausage
Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker Style
January 12, 2016 Lee
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Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker Style

Use your favorite brand of pasta sauce, make from tomato paste, use or tinned chopped tomatoes. Add chicken, green peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms and you're done (at least for 7-9 hours). The slow cooker does the rest. Serve with roast potatoes, mash, rice, or pasta. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 can tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 2 green bell peppers, diced
  • 250 grams fresh musrooms, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours. Check at 7 hours for tenderness. How easy is that?
  • Serve with roast potatoes, mash, rice, or pasta.

Notes

A kilo of Chicken Breast is about 88 Baht, 6 breasts would run about 120 to 140 Baht, for 140 Baht, for 6 servings, that is about 70 cents per meal.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Slow Cooker