Pizza Pasta w/ garlic toast! $2.20 per person!

This recipe is just simply amazing. I came across this recipe while I was pregnant with Brendan, my 15 year-old son. I worked at a grocery store as a checker and someone left behind a package of "pizza blend" cheese. So, as I was taking the cheese back to restock the item I noticed a "pizza pasta" recipe on the back - being pregnant any recipe looked amazing :). Anyway, I took a mental rundown of the recipe and have been making it a couple of times a year every since ;)

Ingredients to buy:
Italian Loaf - $1.50

3 jars of Great Value Pizza Sauce - $1.00 each = $3.00

1.5 boxes of Great Value Rotini - $1.00 each = $1.50

1 can Great Value Black Olives - $1.58

1 can Great Value Sliced Mushrooms - $.64

2 Bell Peppers - $1.76

2lb Italian Sausage - $2.98 each = $5.96

Pepperoni - $2.00

2 cups Great Value Italian Blend Cheese - $1.86

Pantry Items:
Olive oil
Garlic powder
1 onion

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown Sausage with chopped onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and olives.
3. Cook Rotini as directed.
4. Add pizza sauce and pepperoni to meat and veggie mixture and combine.
5. Then mix in rotini and add to a oil coated 9 x 13 baking dish.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, then add the cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.
7. Brush the italian bread, both sides, with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and toast in a heated skillet.

Total cost is $19.80! We fed 9 people with this recipe and had no leftovers, costing $2.20 per person!!!

Mexican Chicken Casserole ($1.67 per person)

This recipe is SUPER easy and SUPER good! All of the kids loved this one. We came across this recipe early in our marriage and it got filed away (otherwise lost) in our "recipe folder". So we decided to dig it back out and give it another whirl. Why we let this one get lost for so long, is beyond me! Anyway, here goes:

Ingredients to buy:
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup - $1.32
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cheddar cheese soup - $1.32
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup - $1.22
1 (10 ounce) can of ro-tel - $.88
1 whole rotisserie chicken (boned and chopped) - $4.98
1 (11 1/2-ounce) package flour tortillas - $1.78
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese - $1.86

Pantry items:
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.
3. In large bowl, stir together the 3 soups and ro-tel.
4. Stir in chicken.
5. Layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture in the pan, beginning and ending with tortillas.
6. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes!

That easy!!!

Total cost for the meal is $13.36 ($1.67 per person) and there will be NO leftovers! :)

Chicken Alfredo ($.85 per person)

Well, this week we will hopefully have NO snow days! However, we do have 3 middle school basketball games @ 4:00, thankfully at home or close to home. Which still means we need easy, convenient meals. We made our menu for the week yesterday: Monday-Chicken Alfredo, Tuesday-Pork Sandwiches and rice, Wednesday-Patty Melts and french fries, Thursday-Left over Chicken Alfredo, and Friday-Veggie Beef and Barley Soup. Also, Saturday we will be making Mexican Chicken Casserole - this one is super easy and YUMMY! :) The purpose of the menu is to make the week go by easier and there is no wondering what should I make for dinner. Also, we try not to duplicate the school menu either :) To me, a menu is a sure way to make sure you are keeping a budget when it comes to preparing your meals. It helps you not buy food that is not needed. Anyway, here is last night's recipe:

Chicken Alfredo~

Ingredients to buy:
1.5lbs of brocolli - $3.14

2 jars of Ragu Alfredo Sauce - $1.76 each = $3.52

2 boxes of Great Value Linguine - $1.00 each = $2.00

4-5 boneless chicken breast - $5.00

Pantry items:
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Cook linguine as directed and drain
2. Blanche the chopped brocolli (place in boiling salt water for about 3 minutes and move to an ice bath)
3. Salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil the chicken breast and broil until cooked.
4. Dice the chicken.
5. Combine ALL ingredients (salt and pepper to taste) in a pot and stir over low heat until heated.
6. Serve and enjoy!

We had plenty left over for Thursday! :)

Total cost is $13.66 (that is $.85 per person for 2 meals!)

Mac "n" Cheese Product w/ Tuna and Corn :) ($.59 per person)

My mac "n" cheese product is what I made to win my husband over! When we got together, he was what I called health food freak. So, when I mentioned to him about my special mac "n"cheese and its ingredients, I got this, "Velveeta is not cheese, it is a cheese product." with a look of disgust. However, his attitude totally changed after he ate some :) From that point on, my mac "n" cheese has been referred to as my mac "n" cheese product.

I have always been single mother of two and usually worked two jobs, prior to marrying Stephen. So, I have always cooked on a budget and usually made meals that were convenient. Not all my meals are healthy, but I try to squeeze in something healthy when I can (whole wheat pasta, etc)

By the way, this recipe is doubled because we anticipate another snow day tomorrow so we can have left overs for lunch :)

Ingredients to buy:

2 boxes of Great Value Whole Wheat Elbows - $1.00 each = $2.00

3 cans of Bumble Bee Tuna - $1.00 each = $3.00

1/2 box of Velveeta Cheese made with 2% milk - $4.98 so half would be $2.49

3 cans Great Value Corn - $.67 each = $2.01

Pantry Items:

1/2 stick of butter or margarine

2 cups of milk

salt and pepper

1. Cook elbows as directed and drain

2. Over low heat add elbows, milk, butter, tuna, cubed velveeta, salt and pepper.

3. Stir frequently until cheese is melted. Add more milk if needed.

4. Heat corn with salt and pepper.

That is it, that easy! Remember this will feed 8 people two times!!!

Total cost is $9.50 and feeding 8 people twice makes it $.59 per person!!!!

MIni pepperoni pizzas ~ SUPER easy and always a hit!!!

We kind of came up with this about 3 years ago and always forget about it. The kids really love it and they can even make their own!

Ingredients to buy:

Great Value Mozzarella Cheese (2 cups) - $1.86

2 pkg english muffins (whole wheat 6 per package) - $2.00 each=$4.00

Great Value Pizza Sauce (1 jar) - $1.00

Mini pepperoni - $2.98

Makes 24 mini pizzas

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Separate the english muffins (split in half) an lay out on baking sheet

3. Spoon sauce on each

4. Place a few pepperoni on each

5. Sprinkle with cheese

6. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted

You can do any variation on these, we have added peppers, olives, etc.

Price for this meal is $9.84 ($1.23 per person)! Way cheaper than Pizza Hut!

Mixed Bean and Corn Tortilla Lasagna ($.86 per person)

This recipe was found in the Topeka Capital Journal back in September 2009. Stephen pulled it out yesterday when he was left alone with the kids for the day :) So, this is obviously an easy recipe when a husband pulls it out to make it ;) AND it is cheap and very filling!

Ingredients to buy:

Monterey Jack Cheese (2 cups shredded) - $1.86

2 bell peppers (chopped) - $1.76

1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained - $.66

1-15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained - $.66

1-14 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice) - $.96

1-4 oz can chopped green chilies - $.42

12 white corn tortillas - $1.68

Pantry Items:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 chopped onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. In large saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic. Saute until vegetables are soft, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chilies, chili powder, cumin and salt. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a 9x13" baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of bean mixture. Arrange 6 of the tortillas over the bean mixture, overlapping them slightly and having them come about 1" up the dish.

4. Spread half of the remaining bean mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese, then arrange the remaining 6 tortillas on the top. Cover with the remaining bean mixture.

5. Coat one side of a piece of foil with cooking spray, then tightly cover the dish. Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted!

There are about 229 calories per serving and 14 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per serving!

Total cost for this meal is $6.68 ($.84 per person)!!!!!

Shrimp Teriyaki Noodles ($1.63 per person)

Our family LOVES Asian food. So, one night Stephen and I were watching "Everybody Loves Raymond" (that show is so right on when dealing with family issues and in-laws, just saying) and an Applebees commercial comes on and it was advertising "Shrimp Teriyaki Noodles". I paid close attention to the picture on the screen and that is how I came up with this recipe. We totally winged it and it went over semi-successfully in our household. The girls were the only ones that complained; Makena said the noodles tasted like they were soaked in tears, yes she said tears, and Talulabel said they tasted like they were soaked in tea. However, the boys ate it without complaining. Fozzie, our youngest, kept saying, "Angie, I love your chinese food!". I found out the way to that kid's heart IS through his stomach (he is a typical male) :)

Anyway here is the recipe:

Ingredients to buy:
Great Value Whole Wheat Spaghetti (I would do some Asian noodles or thinner spaghetti next time) - $1.00

Teriyaki Sauce - $2.24

41- 60 Medium Raw Shrimp (remove tails) - $4.98

1 zuchini (diced in medium chunks) - $.62

1 pkg green onions (cut into strips) - $1.18

Broccoli (about 2 crowns and coin the stems) - $3.02 (it is better to buy this by the pound, not the pre-packaged stuff)

Pantry Items:
Peanut or Olive oil
Garlic (minced)
Salt and pepper (if needed, we didn't need any, there was plenty of salt in the teriyaki sauce)

1. Marinate the shrimp in some teriyaki sauce (1/4 cup) and garlic (about 1 tablespoon)
2. Blanche the broccoli in salted water (boil water, put in the broccoli, cook for about 3 minutes, remove and put in ice bath)
3. Heat a skillet or wok with the oil and more garlic (1 tablespoon), the green onions, zuchini and shrimp. About 2-3 minutes into stirring those around and the broccoli.
4. Cook spaghetti as directed. After draining those, toss with the remainder of the teriyaki sauce.
5. Add the veggies and shrimp to the "noodles" and toss, then serve.

I think I would serve egg rolls with this next time (you can get a pack of 5 for $2.50 at Walmart).

The total cost of this meal was $13.04 ($1.63 per person).