Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Monte Cristo Sandwiches
September 3, 2016 Lee
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Monte Cristo Sandwiches

A Monte Cristo sandwich is a cross between a grilled cheese sandwich and French toast in my opinion, but they are delicious none the less. For people in larger cities with a deli, you should be able to find sliced cooked turkey or chicken, or just substitute with leftover roasted turkey or chicken that you sliced or shredded.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 8 slices thick cut bread
  • deli ham, thin sliced
  • Swiss cheese, thin sliced
  • deli turkey, thin sliced
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • mayo, optional
  • mustard, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a shallow dish, mix together the eggs and milk. Heat a large non stick pan to medium heat and add the butter and olive oil.
  • Build the sandwiches (optional to spread mayo on one slice of bread and mustard on the other slice, top and bottom), add some ham, cheese, and turkey, amounts are up to you.
  • Now take a sandwich, dip one side in the egg mixture and remove, flip over and dip the other side, place in the hot pan. Cook until gold brown on one side then flip over and brown that side. Patience is needed, don't flip too early. Serve with home made fries for a complete meal.

Notes

I cannot price this as I am not sure of the amounts used, essentially you can make these from leftovers so this is really an economical meal. Be generous on the deli ham and turkey. If you cannot find deli turkey, go with left over turkey or chicken and just shred that.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES,LEFTOVERS
Drop Biscuits and Gravy
September 2, 2016 Lee
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Drop Biscuits and Gravy

This is a great meal for breakfast or dinner, filling and hearty. The biscuits are drop biscuits, even better! On my to cook list. A couple of fried eggs on the side, you have a meal. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Biscuits

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons butter, melted

For the Gravy

  • 500 grams breakfast sausage, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and butter and incorporate into dry ingredients just until blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until cooked through. Add the butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage mixture and mix, then gradually add the milk, salt, and pepper. Stir over medium heat until it thickens to desired consistency. Serve over warm biscuits. Serve as is, with a side of fried or scrambled eggs, hash browns, and or toast.

Notes

Make the sausage yourself from minced pork will cost about 50 Baht/500 grams. For 4 servings, this is about 37 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Breakfast Sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Pork - Sausage
Mashed Potato Pancakes
September 2, 2016 Lee
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Mashed Potato Pancakes

Sounds great! Use this as a side to chicken or pork, or as a main for breakfast topped with a couple of eggs and some sausage on the side. This makes a lot as written, so cut this recipe in half or when making the first time. On my to cook list for sure. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 15 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 kilos potatoes, washed and cut into large pieces, peel if you desire
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 1/2 cups Bisquick Mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • olive oil, for frying

Instructions
 

  • Boil the potatoes in a large pot until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and put back in the pot. With a cheese grater, grate in the onion into the pot. Add the beaten eggs, Bisquick, salt and pepper. Mix and mash thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated and you have a batter the same consistency as mashed potatoes.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form pancakes from the potato dough, about the size of your palm. Cook in the oiled skillet, about 3-4 minutes each side. Serve topped with sour cream as a side dish with chicken or pork, or as a main with a couple of eggs, and bacon or sausage on the side.

Notes

Low cost dish. Make the Bisquick yourself for greater savings.
Shortcut: Bisquick Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SIDES
Chicken Noodle Soup
September 2, 2016 Lee
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Chicken Noodle Soup

This is an old time classic. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, or just go with a 1 kilo
  • 3-4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen, optional
  • noodles, of your choice, cooked, Fettccine would be a good choice

Instructions
 

  • Boil chicken and veggies in the water for 20 minutes, when the chicken is cooked through, remove from the water, shred and return to the pot. Add cream of chicken soup, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil again before adding noodles and peas (if desire). Simmer for 5-10 minutes, serve.

Notes

Chicken will cost about 67 Baht/kilo for breasts, if you want to add some dark meat as well, the cost will increase slightly. This is about 32 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Chicken Rice Soup
September 2, 2016 Lee
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Chicken Rice Soup

Sounds easy, and good, and turkey would be a great choice as well if you can find local raised turkeys, they are here! This makes a lot of soup. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo cooked shredded chicken, roasted or boiled chicken, OR turkey
  • 3-4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon powdered chicken stock
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2-3 cups uncooked rice
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, add the water, rice, veggies, and stock powder, for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Add the turkey (or chicken), the soup, basil, and pepper to your liking then brink to a boil again, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Chicken will cost between 67 and 84 Baht/kilo (breasts, thighs). No idea on the cost of turkey yet. I have found a source for local raised, free range turkeys, cost coming soon. Make the condensed soup your self for great savings on that. I will estimate this using thighs at 84 Baht/kilo and 6 servings. This is about 42 cents per serving. Excellent value.
If you are going to boil the chicken and not use roasted, boil the chicken with the rice and veggies, skin on and bone if possible, and omit the powdered stock. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the water, shred and return to the pot. Easy!
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Creamy Garlic Pasta
August 31, 2016 Lee
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Creamy Garlic Pasta

This is a base recipe that is open to have anything added like shrimp or chicken for a main dish, or as is as a side dish. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams spaghetti
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, plus a little extra
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, OR use milk, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley

Instructions
 

  • In a medium sized pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add butter and melt, stirring constantly, then add the salt, pepper, and 3 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook until just done. Add a little more stock if the noodles start to stick to the bottom. Reduce heat and add the cheese, cream, and parsley and mix thoroughly to heat through. Serve immediately as is for a side dish.
  • For a main dish, feel free to add 1-2 cups of any of the following: cooked diced chicken, cooked cubed ham, cooked shrimp (remember to take the tails off), even sliced smoked sausage. Also consider adding steamed broccoli, cauliflower, pea pods, asparagus, or even baby corn.

Notes

As a side, this is minimal cost. Adding a meat and even the vegetables to make a main dish, this is still under $1 per serving for 4 servings.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Porcupine Meatballs I
August 31, 2016 Lee
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Porcupine Meatballs I

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I remember having these when I was a wee boy. Always tasted great. Meatballs with rice simmered in tomato soup or tomato sauce. Perfect. Can be made with beef or pork, or even chicken. I made this on 11 Sep 2016, excellent and on my Go-to list as a regular meal. Recipe modified to reflect my findings. The recipe is broke into cooking on the Stove Top and for Baking. Photos I took were for the baking method. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR bulk Italian sausage (sausage has a shortcut)
  • 1/4 cup rice, uncooked
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 small onion, or one large shallot
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • dash black pepper
  • 1 can tomato soup, divided, OR make from a shortcut on this site (1 1/4 cup), or tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons Worcherstershire sauce

Instructions
 

For Stove Top

  • Combine ground beef, rice, eggs, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the tomato soup or tomato sauce. Mix well. Shape mixture into about 20 small meatballs.
  • In a large non stick skillet, mix rest of soup, water, and Worcestershire together and bring to a boil. Carefully add the meatballs (this will or should prevent the meatballs from falling apart). Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and rice is soft, stirring often. Serve with pasta or potatoes and a vegetable for a complete meal.

For Baking

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a 9x13 baking dish.
  • First thing I did was made the tomato sauce from the shortcut using tomato paste, very easy. You will use the full amount that the shortcut states. Use a ladle and put 2 scoops of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish to cover it evenly.
  • Combine ground beef, rice, eggs, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of the tomato soup or tomato sauce. Mix well. Shape mixture into about 12 medium sized meatballs and place in the baking dish. If you have more meatballs than what will fit in the dish, use another smaller dish for those. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
  • Pour the rest of the soup or tomato sauce over the meatballs.
  • Bake for 1 hour. Then if using a counter top oven, switch to the top coil to brown up the tops a bit.
  • Not the greatest photo, as I topped 3 meatballs on my plate with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

Notes

The meat is the only costly item in this dish. Ground beef would be about 125 Baht/500 grams, pork about 60 Baht/500 grams, and chicken would be about 42 Baht/500 grams (think thighs). This comes out to about 62 cents per serving for 6 servings using beef, less for pork or chicken.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Tomato Soup, Tomato Sauce.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MEATBALLS
Italian Spaghetti with Ham
August 30, 2016 Lee
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Italian Spaghetti with Ham

Sounds really good, quick and easy. This is a buttered pasta with ham and black olives. Lots of room for changes to this. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams spaghetti
  • 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 of a standard block of butter, or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water, drain well..
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non stick pan and cook the garlic and ham. Turn down heat to low and stir in the pasta, cheese, eggs, olives, and half of the parsley, when the eggs are cooked, remove from heat and salt butter to taste. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.

Notes

The ham slices, 2 thick slices was about 100 Baht from Makro is about 2 cups diced. All the rest is minimal cost. This comes out to about 75 cents per serving for 4 servings. Very economical meal.
Variants, add peas, and a bit of Cream cheese, substitute the ham for cooked cubed chicken, or even Italian sausage or even smoked spicy sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Creamy Ham & Mushroom Pasta
August 30, 2016 Lee
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Creamy Ham & Mushroom Pasta

Sounds very nice. This is one of those recipes that you can substitute the ham for chicken, add some vegetables, etc, to make this dish many different ways. Very universal recipe. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 400 grams dry Penne pasta
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 250 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced, King Oyster, Button, Shiitake, etc
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 5 slices cooked ham, start with 2 cups of cubed ham
  • 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon corn flour
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
  • splash olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just cooked. Drain and cover to keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until just soft, then add the mushroom and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and ham and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Meanwhile, mix together the corn flour and 1 tablespoon water until it forms a smooth paste. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Add the cooked pasta, salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to the pan and toss until well combined. Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.

Notes

The ham, I would estimate at 2 to 3 cups of cubed, would be about 100 to 125 Baht. Everything else is low cost. This comes out to about 92 cents per serving for 4 servings. Excellent value for this meal.
Variants, use cooked cubed chicken in place of ham for additional savings.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MUSHROOMS,PASTA
Chicken Pineapple Stew
August 29, 2016 Lee
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Pineapple Chicken Stew

When you and I think of stew, we are probably thinking cubed beef, chunks of potatoes and carrots, and a thick gravy. This stew is chicken, pineapple, red bell pepper. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 250 grams pineapple, canned, retain the juice
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock, fresh or from the powder
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions
 

  • In your slow cooker, add all the ingredients except the corn starch and pineapple juice. Mix together and cook on Low setting 8 hours or High setting for 4 hours. When cooking on Low setting, check at the 5 hour mark, temps can vary in slow cookers.
  • When the chicken is cooked all the way through, and the bell peppers are tender, mix the reserved pineapple juice with the corn starch in a small bowl until smooth, pour this mixture into the slow cooker and stir. Increase the heat to High setting and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve over white rice or pasta. Steamed broccoli or spinach would be a good side.

Notes

Chicken would be about 30 Baht for 500 grams. For 4 servings, this is about 22 cents per serving, even less for 6.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker