Author Archive
Chicken Nugget Sandwiches
I just kind of winged this to use chicken nuggets, and they are good! I made these on 6 Aug 2022 and they were very well liked by the family. For myself, I made one with lettuce and one with sweet pickle relish, both are equally good!
Ingredients
- 1 package soft rolls, can be soft rolls, dinner rolls, or even hamburger buns
- chicken nuggets, figure 1 nugget for each small roll, and 3 nuggets for average rolls, and 1-2 sandwiches per serving (I made 6 sandwiches and used 18 nuggets)
- Ranch dressing, as desired
- butter, as needed to toast the rolls
Additional Items - As Desired
- lettuce
- cheese slices, your choice
- dill pickle slices
- sweet pickle relish
Instructions
- Fry the nuggets in a non stick pan until crispy, remove to paper towels to drain.
- Split each roll in half, butter the cut sides. Heat a non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, place the rolls, buttered side down and toast until browned. Work in batches if needed.
- On the bottom rolls, spread Ranch dressing as desired, I topped one with lettuce and one with sweet pickle relish, the top with nuggets. I used 3 nuggets per roll.
- Spread more Ranch dressing on top of the nuggets.
- Top with a slice of cheese. I was going to use sliced Gouda I had in the fridge, that was dried out so went with the back up of processed cheese slices that we have on hand for the family when they make grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Top with the top bun, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Basic Waffles
This is the recipe that was included with the instructions for my waffle iron, and it sounds good.
Equipment
- Waffle Iron
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1¾ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar, and salt, whisk together. Using a pastry brush, lightly oil the top and bottom irons or lightly spray with cooking spray, then preheat your waffle iron.
- In another mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. and whisk together.
- Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined, lumps are ok. Stir in the melted butter.
- Ladle batter in an even layer onto the hot bottom iron and close the top of the iron. Cook until the waffles are golden brown and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes.
- Serve with butter and syrup, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Classic Waffles
Sounds like a great recipe to test out my new waffle iron.
Equipment
- Waffle Iron
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1¾ cups milk, warmed
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Whisk together. Using a pastry brush, lightly oil the top and bottom irons or lightly spray with cooking spray, then preheat your waffle iron.
- In another mixing bowl, add the eggs and whisk. Add the milk, butter, and vanilla. and whisk together.
- Pour the liquid into the flour mixture, and whisk until well blended.
- Ladle batter in an even layer onto the hot bottom iron and close the top of the iron. Cook until the waffles are golden brown and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes.
- Serve with butter and syrup, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Sausage Cheddar Breakfast Strata
This sounds like a great tasting dish, and can be tailored different each time you prepare it. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (7x11 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 250 grams bulk breakfast sausage, (8 oz), Shortcut
- ½ cup red bell pepper, or green, diced
- 6 cups bread cubes, slightly dried
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, divided, (8 oz / 250 g)
For the Egg Mixture
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Heat a non stick pan, when hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with your spatula. Cook until almost no pink remains. Get out a 7x11 baking dish and grease with butter.
- Add the bell pepper and continue cooking until no pink remains in the sausage and the bell pepper is starting to soften. Remove from heat, drain any fat, and set aside to cool a little.
- In a mixing bowl, add the Egg Mixture ingredients and whisk together.
- Gently stir in the bread cubes, sausage with the bell pepper and 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese. Let this rest for 5 minutes, then gently toss again until the bread has absorbed the liquid.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan, cover, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or even overnight. This is to allow the bread to fully soak in the liquid.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and take the dish out from the fridge and set on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the strata is set when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice into squares and serve, enjoy.
Notes
Fair value per serving with the cheese used.
Shortcuts: Breakfast Sausage, Italian Sausage.
Variants: 1. Swap out the sausage for diced ham, Italian sausage, or even bacon. 2. Swap out the Cheddar for Swiss or Gouda. 3. Swap out the dry mustard for equal amount of Dijon mustard. Â
Tomato Eggs (西红柿炒蛋)
This is a classic Chinese dish normally served at home, key things to keep in mind, you do not want to overcook the eggs and you do not want the tomatoes to watery. On my to make list and soon.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- ground white pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 225 grams fresh tomatos, cut into thin wedges, (8 oz)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- hot cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Crack eggs into a bowl and mix with a fork, then add the salt, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and ground white pepper as desired, mix well.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet or wok, when hot, add the egg mixture, use a spatula to move the eggs around and cook to form lumps, gently breaking up larger into smaller lumps.
- When the eggs are just cooked and not runny, removed from the pan to a plate and set aside.
- Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, when hot, add the tomato wedges and just give a few quick stirs to start to soften them.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and add the 2 tablespoons of water, give a quick stir, then cover to steam for 30 seconds.
- Add the eggs back to the pan, and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a serving dish.
- Serve with rice on the side, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Slow Cooker Taco Pasta
This recipe comes from a social media friend and it is delicious! The pasta is cooked and added at the end so there is no chance it can get soggy.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (4+ quart)
Ingredients
- 750-1000 grams ground beef, or pork, (1½-2 lb)
- 1 can corn, drained, (15 oz / 425 g, or 2 cups frozen)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, (20 oz / 565 g)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can diced green chilies, (7 oz / 198 g)
- â…“ cup taco seasoning, (1 packet), Shortcut
- 3 cups sour cream, Shortcut
- 340 grams dry rotini pasta, (12 oz)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a non stick pan, cook the beef until no more pink remains. Drain.
- Butter, or use non stick spray of your choice, the inside of the slow cooker. Add the browned beef, corn, tomatoes, onion, green chilies, and taco seasoning.
- Mix together, cover, and set to Low setting for 4-6 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until just tender, drain.
- To the slow cooker, add the sour cream and drained pasta, mix everything together.
- Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the top.
- Cover and let cheese melt.
- When the cheese has melted, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving if using beef.
Shortcuts: Taco Seasoning, Sour Cream.
Updated on 1 September 2022.
Hot Crab Dip
This is an excellent hot crab dip, easy to put together and common ingredients. I made this on 20 Jul 2022 and it is very well liked by the family. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Casserole (2 quart)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams lump crab meat, four 6 oz cans drained is 4 oz each, perfect, (1 lb)
- 250 grams cream cheese, softened, (8 oz)
- ½ cup mayo
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons spring onion, sliced, green and white parts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160° C (325° F), get out a 2 quart casserole.
- To a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the crab.
- Mix together well.
- Gently fold in the drained crab meat.
- Add mixture to the casserole and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve hot as an appetizer with crackers or even as a side dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Old Bay Seasoning.
Crockpot Goulash
This is an American Goulash and is from a social media friend. I made this on 16 Jul 2022 and modified it slightly to what I have available to me. Wonderful goulash, excellent flavor!
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (3½+ quart) (6 quart if doubling the recipe)
Ingredients
- 500-600 grams ground beef, (1-1¼ lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ cups water
- 2 cubes beef stock
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained, (565 g / 20 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, or more as desired
Instructions
- Heat a non stick pan and cook the beef, breaking it up with your spatula. Cook until no pink is visible, drain and add to the slow cooker.
- To the slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients except the dry macaroni and cheese, those will be used later.
- Stir together then cover and set to High for 2 hours or Low for 4-5 hours.
- About 30 minutes before you plan to serve, add the dry macaroni and stir together. Cover and continue cooking on Low, check the macaroni at 15 minutes, and cook until just tender. Remove the bay leaves and discard those, then add the cheese and stir together.
- When the cheese is melted, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on beef used and the amount of cheese you use. The cost of the beef will depend on if you can source locally and grind yourself, or store bought ground beef.Â
Shortcut: Italian Seasoning.
Variants: 1. Use ground pork or chicken in place of beef. 2. Use bulk Italian sausage in place of beef. 3. Stir in a packet of taco seasoning. 4. Use small shell pasta in place of elbow macaroni. Â
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Cocktail Sausages
I prepared this on 26 Nov 2022 exactly as written, and wow is this good! Excellent flavor, great combination of ingredients. This is now my go to cocktail sausage recipe to use.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (3½+ quart)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- â…“ cup honey
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 kilo cocktail sausages, (2 lb)
Instructions
- To your slow cooker, add the first 5 ingredients, stir to mix together.
- Add the cocktail sausages and stir to coat.
- Set your slow cooker to Low setting for 3 hours, quickly stirring once an hour.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.Â
Variant: 1. Use chili sauce in place of ketchup.
Broccoli, Chicken & Rice Casserole
I love a good casserole and this one not only sounds really good, it is delicious! I made this on 11 Jul 2022 and it was well liked by the family. I used my pressure cooker to cook the chicken, and that also provided me with 2 quarts of broth for other recipes. I also made the homemade Stove Stop stuffing using my shortcut. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces, steam or boil until tender, drain well
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked and cubed, Shortcut
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g each), Shortcut
- ½ cup mayo
- â…“ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 box stuffing mix, just the contents of the box, not the additional ingredients it calls for, (6 oz / 170 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the soup, mayo, milk, and lemon juice.
- Whisk together and place on low heat and heat until warmed through, set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a 9x13 inch baking dish and lightly grease with butter or non stick spray.
- In the baking dish, add the cooked and drained broccoli and spread out in an even layer. Then add the rice over the broccoli in an even layer.
- Then add the cooked cubed chicken over the rice.
- Add the soup mixture over the chicken, spreading it evenly over the top.
- In a mixing bowl, add the contents of the stuffing mix and the melted butter and mix together. Spread the buttered stuffing over the top of the casserole.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Quick Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker), Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Homemade Stove Top Stuffing.
