Author Archive
Greek Meatballs
June 1, 2020 Lee
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Greek Meatballs

These sound tasty, and are baked, not fried. On my to make and taste list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 250 grams ground beef, (8 oz)
  • 250 grams ground pork, (8 oz)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 220 C (425 F) and line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack about the foil.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the milk and panko, let this soak for 5 minutes.
  • Add all of the rest of the ingredients and use your hands and mix everything together.
  • Divide and roll the meat mixture into 20 meatballs, I will determine a weight for each when I make this if you prefer to weigh them out for uniformity.
  • Place the meatballs on the prepared the baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until browned and cooked through, sacrifice a meatball to determine doneness.
  • Serve as an appetizer or as a main with say a pasta salad as a side. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,BEEF,MEATBALLS,PORK
Kielbasa Lazy Pierogi
June 1, 2020 Lee
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Kielbasa Lazy Pierogi

Just a Pinch Recipe Club - Nor Mac, United States.
I made this on 12 Jun 2020 exactly as written and went with 1¾ lb kielbasa. The family loved this, it is easy to put together and delicious.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams sour kraut, rinsed and drained well, (1 lb)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons butter, for cooking the onion
  • ½-1 kilo Kielbasa sausage, (1-2 lb)
  • 500 grams dry egg noodles, (1 lb)
  • ¼ cup butter, softened, (½ stick, ¼ block)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • black pepper, as desired
  • ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1-2 pinches poppy seeds

Instructions
 

  • Drain and rinse the sour kraut well, set aside.
  • Heat a non stick pan and melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter, when hot, add the onion. Saute the onion, adding butter as needed, until the onion is softened and turning golden brown. Set the cooked onion aside.
  • While the onion is cooking, add the whole sausage to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sausage is heated through, about 5-10 minutes after the water starts boiling.
  • Place the sausage on a cutting board, slice into coins about ½ inch thick, then cut each slice in half.
  • Using the same or another pot, add enough water to cook the egg noodles, lightly salt and bring to a boil, when boiling, add the egg noodles and cook until tender. Drain water from the pot leaving the noodles in the pot.
  • Add the ¼ cup butter and mix in until melted, then stir in the Parmesan, onions, salt, pepper as desired, and a pinch or two of poppy seeds.
  • Drain the sour kraut again, gently squeeze out any water. Add the sour kraut and sausage to the egg noodles. Place on low heat and mix together. Stir often and heat through.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost in the US, I will have to research this in Thailand for the sausage and sour kraut.
Variant: 1. For a milder sour kraut, soak the kraut in 2-3 cups water and 1/4 cup brown sugar for 15-20 minutes, then rinse and drain well.
This recipe was awarded a Blue Ribbon on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Beef - Sausage,PASTA,Pork - Sausage
Egg Scrambles
May 30, 2020 Lee
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Egg Scrambles

This is a cheater recipe based on the popular store bought item named Just Crack an Egg Cups. This is a perfect make ahead dish, think freezer meals. To prepare one of these, just thaw in the fridge overnight, crack in an egg or two, stir, and microwave. I plan on putting together a number of these dishes to keep on hand in the freezer. Prep and cook time listed does not include the time to prepare these or cook the meats used, only to prepare a single serving. There is 4 versions listed here, you can certainly make them to your taste as well. Each version listed is for 1 serving (1 Egg Scramble), prep more ingredients and make more to freeze for use later.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 serving

Ingredients
  

All American

  • 1/4 cup sweet potato, cooked and diced
  • 1/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, shredded

Denver

  • 2 tablespoons onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons green bell pepper, any color, diced
  • 2 tablespoons ham, diced
  • 2 tablespoons sweet potato, cooked and diced
  • 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, shredded

Meat Lovers

  • 1/4 cup chicken sausage, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ham, diced

Veggie Lovers

  • 2 tablespoons mushrooms, diced
  • 2 tablspoons broccoli, chopped
  • 2 tablspoons cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 tablepoons bell pepper, any color, diced
  • 1 tablespoon onion, diced

When ready to cook:

  • 1-2 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Prep veggies by dicing, and prep the sweet potato by cooking first then dicing. Prep meats by cooking then crumbling or chopping. Allow meats to cool.
  • Label freezer zip lock bags then add measured out ingredients. Roll and flatten bags to get out as much air as possible, then seal.
  • Place the bags in the freezer.
  • When you want to enjoy one of these, simply remove a bag from the freezer and place in the fridge and allow to thaw overnight. The next morning, empty the contents of the bag into a microwave safe coffee cup, bowl, or an ideal container would be a wide mouth pint mason jar.
  • Crack in one or two eggs, stir into the veggies/meats.
  • For 1 egg: Place dish in microwave and cook for 1 minute. Stir, then cook for another minute. Cook for additional 30 second intervals until the egg is completely cooked through.
  • For 2 eggs: Place dish in microwave and cook for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir, then cook for an additional 1 minute 30 seconds. Cook for additional 30 second intervals until the egg is completely cooked through.
  • If cooking in a mason jar, a give away is the color of the eggs, cooked eggs will be a lighter yellow, with the uncooked a darker color. Cook until the color is a light yellow and uniform throughout.
  • Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,EGGS - ALL,Eggs - Chicken
Baked Jalapeno Poppers
May 30, 2020 Lee
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Baked Jalapeno Poppers

These are really good, I made these on 31 May 2020 to test these out, excellent poppers. Now I need to grow some of these peppers in Thailand! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 12 fresh Jalapeno peppers
  • 250 grams Cream cheese, softened, (8 oz)
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix, Shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs

Instructions
 

  • Slice each pepper in half lengthwise, leaving the stem on one of the halves, remove the seeds.
  • Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F). Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and taco seasoning. Mix together.
  • Spread the cheese mixture into the pepper halves and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese filling in the peppers. I used two teaspoons to add the filling to the peppers, worked great.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are just tender, so start checking on them at 15 minutes. Serve as appetizers or as a side dish, enjoy.

Notes

In the US, this is low cost per serving, in Thailand I have not seen Jalapenos in any grocery stores but I am going to try and grow them again soon.
Shortcut: Taco Seasoning.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,SIDES
Tuna & Noodles
May 28, 2020 Lee
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Tuna & Noodles

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is an old time favorite when I was growing up, and it is just as good now as it was then. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry egg noodles, (16 oz)
  • 2 cans tuna, drained, (12 oz / 340 g each)
  • 1 can sweet peas, drained
  • 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
  • salt and pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the egg noodles and cook until just tender. Drain noodles and return to the pot.
  • Add the soup and tuna and mix in, then add the peas and mix together (I used a variant and used frozen peas and carrots that were steamed first).
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Variants: 1. Use frozen peas, steamed, in place of canned peas. 2. Use peas and carrots (I used a 12 oz bag of frozen). 3. Add sliced mushrooms. 4. Use pasta of your choice. 5. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese.
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Fish - Tuna,PASTA
Unwrapped Wonton Soup
May 28, 2020 Lee
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Unwrapped Wonton Soup

Holly - Spend with Pennies
This sounds like an excellent soup, on my to make list for sure. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs

  • 250 grams ground pork, (8 oz)
  • 1/4 cup spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

For the Soup

  • 8 cups chicken broth, Shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 cups frozen mixed stir-fry vegetables
  • 2 cups egg noodles, uncooked
  • 4 spring onions, sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl, add all the meatball ingredients and mix together.
  • Form meat mixture into 1/2 to 3/4 inch meatballs.
  • In a pot, add the broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic and put on heat. After bringing to a boil, add the meatballs then reduce soup to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes.
  • To the pot, stir in the stir-fry vegetables and egg noodles and simmer until the egg noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the spring onion, serve, and enjoy.
  • If you intend to prepare and have leftovers, prepare the egg noodles separate from the soup and portion out to serving bowls. This is so they can be drained before going in the fridge, then you can heat them with the soup the next day.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Chicken Broth.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PORK,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Fruit Cocktail Pie II
May 16, 2020 Lee
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Fruit Cocktail Pie II

This is an excellent dessert, easy to prepare, and delicious! Highly recommended! I made this on 16 May and served the next day, highly recommended to chill overnight in the fridge.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2 pies, 12 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans fruit cocktail, (15 oz / 425 g cans)
  • 1 can condensed milk, (14 oz / 396 g)
  • 1 jar maraschino cherries, (10 oz / 283 g)
  • 2 tubs Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 226 g each)
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 graham cracker crusts

Instructions
 

  • Open and drain the fruit cocktail and cherries, slice cherries in half, drain well. I used a Variant and used a can of tart cherries in place of maraschino cherries (got a hater in the family).
  • In a mixing bowl, add the condensed milk and lemon juice, stir to mix together until incorporated.
  • Add the fruit cocktail and cherries and gently stir into the milk mixture.
  • Add 1 3/4 containers of cool whip, gently fold into the fruit mixture so you do not deflate the cool whip.
  • Divide the mixture between two pie crust. Place the covers on the pies, seal the edges, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Can easily make the night before.
  • Slice, serve, and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving in the US, I will have to experiment making this with homemade whipped topping (stabilized) in Thailand.
Variants: 1. Use a can of tart cherries, drained and cut each cherry half, in place of the maraschino cherries (I got a maraschino cherry hater in the family so I used tart cherries and it worked perfect). 2. Use a chocolate Oreo crust (I had one on hand and used it, also worked perfectly).
Recipe adapted from Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Amber Franks, and the original recipe is here.
United States.
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Chicken Sausage
May 15, 2020 Lee
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Chicken Sausage

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This sausage sounds great! This can be made into patties, links, meatballs, or just cooked in bulk. On my to make and taste list for certain, I look forward to making meatballs and cooking then freezing them, and freezing some links as well. Feel free to use turkey or chicken for this.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground chicken, or turkey, (1 lb)
  • 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • ⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup chicken broth,

Instructions
 

  • Add everything to a mixing bowl.
  • Mix together with your hands.
  • Form into 12 patties, stuff into collagen casings for links, make meatballs, or use as bulk. For links and meatballs, I will add those quantities when I prepare this and will update this.
  • For patties and meatballs, go ahead and cook those then freeze if desired for a quick go to ingredient. Bake patties and meatballs in a 190° C (375° F) oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool, then freeze for later use.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Sausage,INGREDIENTS,MEATBALLS
Italian Bean Soup Mix
May 15, 2020 Lee
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Italian Bean Soup Mix

This is a straight forward bean mix using common beans. This makes 1 bean mix of 452 grams (1 pound). Measurements are in grams as that is more accurate. This is a make ahead recipe, and you can make several types of bean mixes at one time and the beans are then all prepped for use in another recipe. The recipe that uses this mix is in the Recipe Notes section at the end.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 1 bean mix

Ingredients
  

  • 113 grams dry white kidney beans
  • 113 grams dry chickpeas
  • 113 grams dry red kidney beans
  • 113 grams dry Pinto beans, or cranberry beans

Instructions
 

  • Weigh each bean type, place in a zip lock bag, label, use as directed in a recipe to make bean soup.

Notes

These are common beans in Thailand and this is low cost per mix.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
 
My creation from researching a bag of Italian beans, Lee Thayer,
United States. 
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,INGREDIENTS
Italian Chicken Bean Soup (Slow Cooker)
May 15, 2020 Lee
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Italian Chicken Bean Soup (Slow Cooker)

Hurst's HamBeens, United States.
This is an excellent soup, and I made this on 28 Dec 2021 using my own bean mix as well. You can use a bag of Hurst's Italian Bean Soup beans or make my bean mix from a Shortcut. This recipe also uses a pressure cooker to cook the beans first, then everything goes into your slow cooker. For this I use my 9 liter (9½ quart) 80 kPa (12 psi) stovetop pressure cooker, follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Passive Time 6 hours
Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Slow Cooker (6+ quart)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bag Italian Bean Soup beans, (15.5 oz / 440 g), Shortcut
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, (about 1½ lb)
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, or 1 sprig fresh
  • 2 quarts chicken broth, (8 cups), Shortcut
  • 2 cans Italian diced tomatoes, with juice, (15 oz / 425 g each)
  • salt and black pepper, as desired, to taste

If using homemade bean mix

  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, Shortcut
  • 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil

Instructions
 

  • Place beans in a colander (if using Hurst's beans, remove the seasoning packet and set that aside), rinse the beans, remove any debris or bad beans, then add to a container and cover with 2 inches of water. Set aside to soak for at least 6 hours.
  • Drain and rinse the beans after 6 hours, place in your slow cooker, add 2 quarts (8 cups) of water, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Place the lid on the cooker and lock in place. Add the weight on top and place on high heat. When the weight (jiggler) starts to move and vent pressure, turn heat to low or medium low to keep the weight moving and venting. Set your timer for 9 minutes.
    When 9 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and move the pressure cooker to an unused burner and allow to release pressure naturally (about 15-20 minutes) until you have indication of zero pressure inside the cooker. While waiting for the pressure to release, continue with the next step.
  • Add the chicken breasts, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and seasonings to the slow cooker. (If using the bag of Hurst's beans, add rosemary, and if using the homemade bag of beans, add the Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil.)
  • When you have zero pressure in the slow cooker, remove the lid, drain the beans, and add the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, give the pot a stir, place the lid on, and set to the High setting for 3 hours.
  • At the 3 hour mark, remove the rosemary sprig if you used fresh. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cube and return to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes, and if using the Hurst's beans, sprinkle in the seasoning packet from the beans. Give the pot a stir, cover, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes to an hour.
  • Taste, season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Italian Bean Soup Mix, Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker), Italian Seasoning.
Updated on 28 December 2021.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker