Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Not So Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Chicken
April 28, 2016 Lee
3 Comments

Not So Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Chicken

When I first found this recipe, it sounded really nice, but the ingredients, wow, but I am going to leave the ingredients the same as listed and I will have to make this to check this out. Now the recipe called for 10 chicken thighs, I am going to scale that back a bit as our thighs are a bit larger than the US. This is a must try. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5-6 chicken thighs, skinless, bone in, fat trimmed off
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 4 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1-2 packages fresh mushrooms, sliced, Straw, Shitakii, and King Oyster would be great options
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 can tomato sauce, OR make this from a shortcut on this site
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 green olives with pimento, BET YOU DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! Super Collosal in size
  • 1 tablespoon olive juice, OR THAT!
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for topping

Instructions
 

  • Except for the chicken or fresh cilantro, put everything into your slow cooker and mix well.
  • Once mixed, add the chicken thighs and push them into the mix to cover.
  • Cover the pot and cook on Low setting for 6 hours or High setting for 4 hours. Serve with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro on top.

Notes

There is a lot of interpretation with this recipe.
I am going to base this on what I just bought in April 2016, I bought 5 quarters, used 5 legs for one recipe, and have 5 thighs in the freezer for another recipe. Cost was 100 Baht for 2 kilos. To say the thighs are 50 Baht is correct. Everything else is minimal. The cost for 5 servings would be 30 cents per serving.
Now serving, that is wide open. The sauce is screaming for pasta. My report soon on this.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Slow Cooker
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
April 28, 2016 Lee
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Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

This looks like a really good appetizer or side dish, a must try for me.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams zucchini or summer squash
  • 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, heaping, shredded
  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, heaping
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200 C. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly coat with butter.
  • Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch thick rounds and toss with olive oil to coat.
  • In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Place rounds in breadcrumb mix, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side. Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown, no need to flip them, they will cook up on the other side as well. Serve.

Notes

Nothing really high cost here, this is well under $1 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,SIDES
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
April 25, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

This is an easy recipe, brown the meat, and add that and all ingredients to a slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours, done. The time in the slow cooker lets the flavors blend, resulting in a better tasting meal, unlike cooking in a skillet. You can use ground beef, pork, or even chicken. I like Sloppy Joes, this is a must try for me. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR ground chicken
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 3/4 cup tomato ketchup, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Brown the ground beef (or pork, or chicken) in a pan with a splash of olive oil, along with the onion and garlic, brown it, no need to cook it all the way through. Drain fat and put into the slow cooker pot.
  • Add all other ingredients, mix well and cook on Low setting for 4-6 hours. Serve on toasted buns.

Notes

Ground beef will run about 75 Baht/500 grams, if using minced pork, that will cost about 60 Baht/500 grams, chicken even less. Everything else is minimal. For 4 servings this is 55 cents per serving, even less for 5-6 servings.
Variations, try 1/2 BBQ sauce and 1/2 ketchup. Added diced bell pepper.
Shortcut: Tomato Ketchup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken
April 22, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken

This is really good but not a dump and go recipe, you have to do some work for this one. Lots of possibilities. This is excellent, I made this yesterday, 26 Apr 2016. This will be one of my regular meals.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5-8 chicken drumsticks
  • dash olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 strips bacon, chopped, OR just cut a pack of bacon in half and go with that
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2-3 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 can whole tomatoes, chopped, reserve the juice so you can enjoy later
  • 2 cups chicken stock, make from powder
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1/2 cup yard beans, chopped in 1 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream, OR use plain yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Heat a dash of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan, brown the chicken legs on all sides, brown them, not cook them, then put in your slow cooker. This photo, still browning them.
  • Using same pan, add a dash of olive if needed, add the onion and bacon, cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add the bell pepper, cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
  • Then add the garlic and paprika. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Now add the flour, stir to coat all over, cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the tomato and stock, stir until well combined. Season with pepper.
  • Carefully pour this into your slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low setting for 3 1/2 hours.
  • Increase setting to High and add the rice and beans, stir just enough to get them into the liquid. Cook uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes until beans are cooked and soft. Turn off slow cooker and leave uncovered for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Serve with pasta and a vegetable for a complete meal, ladle some sauce over the pasta.

Notes

I based the servings on one leg per person, when served with pasta and a vegetable, it is a filling meal. 5 legs for large ones cut from quarters, and 8 legs that are normally smaller.
Chicken legs run about 60 Baht/kilo, but can also be small. I will estimate 8 legs would be just less than a kilo, maybe 750 grams. If you buy quarters and cut the leg off yourself, not only do you get larger legs, you get larger thighs as well for use in another recipe. Everything else is minimal cost. At 60 Baht, for 5 servings, this about 40 cents per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup
April 19, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup

This sounds really good. This is a must try.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 gram chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped, any color but red or yellow would be excellent
  • 3 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 5 cups chicken stock, fresh or make from powder
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 250 grams Penne pasta

Instructions
 

  • In slow cooker, add garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken, stock, onion, 1/2 cup of the cheese, basil, and oregano. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours or Low setting for 6 to 7 hours.
  • 30 minutes before end of cooking time, remove chicken breasts and shred using 2 forks, return chicken back to slow cooker. Add uncooked pasta and stir to combine. Cook additional 30 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
  • Season with salt and pepper if needed, server with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Chicken would run about 32 Baht for 500 grams, Parmesan cheese would run about 150 Baht, estimate. This comes out to about 67 cents per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken
April 18, 2016 Lee
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Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

This sounds very good, a must try! 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 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons dry Italian salad dressing mix, OR make from a shorcut on this site
  • 1/2 cup butter, this is 1/2 a standard block
  • 1 1/2 cups cream, OR milk
  • 250 grams Cream cheese, softened

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken, dry dressing mix, and butter in a crock pot. Cook for 6 hours on Low setting or 4 hours on High setting.
  • Shred chicken with 2 forks, add cream and cheese and stir to combine. Cook for another 1/2 hour on Low setting. Server over pasta or rice.

Notes

Chicken breasts can range from 65 to 85 Baht/kilo, depending if you want to remove skin yourself. Based on 85 Baht for chicken for 1 kilo, and 110 Baht for the Cream cheese, this comes out to about 95 cents per meal per person. Very reasonable.
Shortcut: Italian Dressing.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Slow Cooker
Baked Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos
April 18, 2016 Lee
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Baked Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I know Taquitos as rolled tacos with no filling, this sounds really good, and written as I seen it, but realistically, go with large flour tortillas, fill and roll, and top with a cheese sauce and then bake. But I will try these as written first and will post step by step photos. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded, can be dark or white meat
  • 125 grams Cream cheese, softened, (4 oz)
  • â…“ cup salsa, Shortcut
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon spring onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded, or Cheddar cheese
  • 8-10 small flour tortillas

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 220° C (425° F) and grease a baking dish with butter and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, salsa, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice, and salt. Add in the shredded chicken, Colby jack cheese, spring onions, and cilantro. Stir until combined well.
  • Add about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture about 1 inch from the edge of the flour tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with each one and place about 1 inch apart not touching each other. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tortilla is lightly browning around the edges. Serve with sour cream, ranch, or your favorite sauce!

Notes

Well under $1 per serving.
Shortcut: Salsa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,TEX-MEX, sort of
Skillet Sicilian Chicken
April 16, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Skillet Sicilian Chicken

This sounds really good, going to have to give this one a try. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, OR make this from a shortcut listed on this site
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180 C. In a large cast iron pan on medium high heat, heat the oil. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sear until golden and skin is crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off half the fat from the pan.
  • To the same pan, add garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes and let cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken to skillet and bake for 15 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked through.
  • Serve over buttered egg noodles, boiled or mashed potatoes, or rice.

Notes

5 chicken thighs might cost 60 Baht, but buy quarters, you get larger cuts and can use the legs in another recipe. I will figure this at 100 Baht, tis would be about 75 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Chicken Loaf
April 16, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Chicken Loaf

This is a great way to use leftover chicken or turkey or use purposely cooked chicken to make this. This is great for sandwiches that do not spill the contents on to your plate. You can make this plain or with what ever you wish to add. This is a must try for me as I love chicken sandwiches. No quantity is listed as to what this makes as the original instructions were quite unclear. I will make this and add step by step photos as well. This recipe is for purpose cooked chicken for this, but after you read through the instructions, it will be clear on how to use a leftover chicken or turkey.
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Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

Cooking the Chicken

  • 6 chicken quarters, seperated for legs and thighs, skin on and bone in
  • 1 cup celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 bay leaves

Making the Loaf

  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin, this is Agar powder, very common

Instructions
 

Cooking the Chicken

  • Add the chicken to a large pot and fill with water to cover the chicken by an inch or so. Add the celery, onion, white pepper, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then put on simmer until the chicken can be pulled from the bones with a fork. DO NOT cook this until the chicken is falling off the bone, just simmer until the chicken is done.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot when cooked through and strain the liquid (see, you just made chicken stock). Reserve the stock. When the chicken as cooled enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, save the bones and skin for your dog. Make sure you remove all cartilage, skin, and fat from the meat. Once it is all separated, chop the meat slightly for small pieces, like you would for a chicken sandwich.
  • Mix the meat and bell pepper and parsley together. and pack into a loaf pan (this can be a non-stick metal pan or even a glass loaf pan).

Making the Loaf

  • Mix the gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water and stir until the lumps have dissolved. In a small pot, add the gelatin mixture and add 2 cups of stock you made and heat this on low temp until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
  • Pour this mixture into the loaf pan to completely cover the chicken, if you do not have enough liquid, make another batch of the gelatin/stock mixture.
  • Once the liquid covers the chicken, allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator. Once the loaf has gelled solidly, it is ready to use. One option is to slice and serve as is on a bed of lettuce with chopped tomatoes, another option is to slice and simply make sandwiches using bread of your choice, a few lettuce leaves, and lots of mayo.

Notes

Chicken quarters run about 62 Baht/kilo, you might have 120 Baht invested in 6 quarters. At 120 Baht, this about 90 cents per meal assuming 4 meals from this. More accurate pricing when I make this.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY,LEFTOVERS
Egg Salad I
April 12, 2016 Lee
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Egg Salad I

Basic Egg Salad, enjoy as is or make a sandwich from this. I have been making this for years. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced
  • 3-4 slices pickle, diced, optional, (Shortcut)
  • mayo, as needed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add eggs, onion, pickle to a bowl and mix to combine, add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add mayo a large spoonful at a time and mix, you are looking for well mixed but not dripping in mayo.
  • Serve as is on a bed of lettuce, in a sandwich, on crackers, etc. This will make 4 thick sandwiches.

Notes

Less than $1 for the whole thing.
Shortcut: Dill Pickles.
Family recipe I have been using for many years.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Sides - Salads