Tomato Basil Soup

Pretty quick and easy.

2 - 28oz cans Diced Tomatoes (I sometimes do a mix of 14.5 oz cans with and without salt)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

4 0z (1/2 block) lowfat cream cheese, softened

1/2 - 1 cup milk

1/2 c chopped fresh basil

1. Saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant.

2. Add tomatoes (undrained) and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so.

4. Stir in cream cheese, basil and milk and stir until cream cheese is melted.

5. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend until smooth and creamy.

I often stir in cooked sea-shell pasta to make it a filling one dish meal.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pizza

Not the healthiest, but oh-so-good!

Ingredients:

One pizza crust (I used the bread machine)

ALFREDO SAUCE

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

4 Tbsp flour

1.5 c milk

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

GARLIC BUTTER

2 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 spring rosemary, chopped

2 c cooked chopped chicken

2 c steamed broccoli

1/2 c mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preparation:

1. Make pizza crust

2. Make Alfredo Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in salt, pepper and flour. Whisk in milk and cheese and cook until thick.

3. Make Garlic Butter: Melt butter in a saucepan. Saute garlic and rosemary until fragrant and browned.

4. Toss chicken and broccoli with half of Alfredo sauce.

5. Brush Garlic Butter over pizza crust. Top with alfredo sauce and then chicken/broccoli mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

6. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is browned.

7. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

I modified this recipe. I like that it uses only 1/2 lb of beef, which keeps the cost down. I made it with Original Rotel and it made it way too spicy for my Minnesota-bland 3 year old. Next time I'll make it with mild Rotel and just add red pepper at the table.

We used the leftovers to make burritos.

Ingredients

1/2 pound beef - $1.00
1 cup chopped onion - $0.25

1 cup chopped red bell pepper - $0.50

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained -$1.00

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained -$0.50

3 cups cooked brown rice - $0.75

1 cup sour cream -$0.50

1/2 cup sliced green onions $0.25

1/4 cup skim milk - $0.25

3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese - $0.75

Preparation

1.Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Cook first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add water and next 6 ingredients (water through chiles); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. Combine the rice, sour cream, sliced green onions, and milk in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into a 2 qt baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I served with homemade bread ($1.00/loaf), sliced vegetables ($1.00) and strawberries ($1.00).
Total = 8.75

Beef and Barley Hotdish

We learned about Hotdish in Minnesota. I first thought they were referring to a warm plate. Not so much. Hotdish usually has a cream of something soup as a binder, so this isn't technically a true hotdish. And, if it was a truly Minnesotan meal, it would have been served with bars.

This recipe is modified from The Great Minnesota Hotdish by T. Millang. The Rotel was my addition - and made it much spicier than a typical MN-bland hotdish. It also made it too spicy for my kids, so I will probably tone it down when I make this again.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef ($1.00 - got a good deal on organic beef that was about to reach it's sell-by date)
1 c chopped onion ($0.30)
2 cloves garlic, chopped ($0.20)
1 c uncooked barley ($0.50)
1/2 c diced celery ($0.15)
14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained ($0.90)
10 oz can Rotel, undrained ($0.50 - stocked up during a good deal recently)
2.5 c water (free)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Brown beef and drain all but 1 Tb drippings. Place beef in a 2.5 or 3 qt baking dish.
3. Saute garlic, celery and onion in beef drippings until tender.
4. Add all ingredients to baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 1 - 1.5 hours or until barley is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
I served with cheese toast ($1.00)
Total: $4.55

Baked Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Vegetables

Also posted here....





This isn't a gourmet meal, but it makes a little meat go a long way and is kid friendly.

1/2 lb cooked and drained 90/10 ground beef - $1.50
1 16 oz box WW Rotini - $1.25
1 jar spaghetti sauce - $1.00
1 c diced carrot - $0.25
1/2 c diced onion - $0.25
1 diced red bell pepper - $0.50
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese - $0.75
1 small loaf french bread from Costco - $1.00

1. Saute carrot, onion and bell pepper in olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add ground beef and jar of spaghetti sauce, bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes or more.
2. Cook pasta.
3. Combine pasta and sauce in large casserole dish.
4. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
5. Top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
Total: $6.50 (and we got two nights worth of meals out of it)

Bread Machine Butter Rolls

I made these last night and they were so yummy. Husband and I ate 3 a piece.

Ingredients:
1/2 c warm milk
2 Tb butter
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 c bread flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp yeast

Preparation:
1. Add all ingredients and set machine for dough cycle.
2. Grease 8 in baking pan.
3. After cycle completes, remove dough and shape into balls. I shaped into 9 balls.
4. Let rise for at least 1 hour (I did 2.5 hours).
5. Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Double Potato Vegetable Soup

I love the cinnamon in this - it goes so well with the sweet potatoes. This is better the 2nd day.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 slices bacon, chopped (could omit to make vegan)
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato
2 cups diced unpeeled red potato
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, mostly drained
3 cups vegetable broth
4 cups chopped kale
1 (15.5-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon; sauté 3 minutes.
2. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add potatoes through thyme, stirring to combine; cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes.
3. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
4. Add kale and simmer 25 minutes.
5. Add beans; simmer 5 minutes