Soups for the Soul

Fishmama's Ultimate Recipe Swap calls for favorite soup recipes...
So here's what I'm sharing over there today:
Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Low fat Tomato "Chili" (can be a freezer meal) A favorite of Coach's!

Photo credit

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1lb boiled chicken breasts, cubed: $1.79
1 pkg. ready pie crust, like Pillsbury (top & bottom): .90cents (on sale 2/$4, coupon doubled to $1.20)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (reduced fat): $1.96 (coupon used)
1/2 bag frozen peas: free with coupon
1 lg. organic potato peeled and cut into small cubes : .35cents

Instructions:

1. Place one pie crust in pie plate and bake in 350 oven for 15 mins just until beginning to crisp.

2. Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes.

3. Mix soup, potatoes, chicken, and peas together and pour into prepared pie shell.

4. Place remaining pie crust over top (you may cut and lattice it if you like)

5. Bake at 350° for 45mins, until brown on top and filling is bubbly.

Under $5, hearty, and delicious!!

If freezing: Place refrigerated pie crust in bottom of pie plate, but do not bake. Prepare filling as instructed, put on top of crust in dish, and place remaining pie crust over top. Wrap and freeze. Defrost in fridge, then bake at 350° for 45mins to 1hr. until bubbly.

No Es Mexicana "Enchilada"

Our family...we're pretty much a "meat-and-potatoes" type of clan. I don't think I've ever served up a taco, made a pot of "Five Alarm Chili", or wrapped a burrito (aside from swaddling my newborn babies!!). We're just not spicy. Our personalities are, but our taste buds, not so much.

After all week of being locked indoors with sick children, I took some time to watch one of my Tivo'd shows...imagine that!! Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Warning: Do NOT watch while famished, stressed, depressed, sleep deprived, or any other time when your resistance is low. It will make you so hungry, you could literally, eat a horse!! (Okay...not that I know from experience or anything ;) !!)

Well, Guy (the host of Triple-D) visitied with many restaurant-goers while they were delving into cheesy, delicious looking enchiladas. I had never had an enchilada. After they showed how they were made and what ingredients were used we (my family and I) would probably not eat the conventional, regulation made enchilada. However, I had to have one...at that very minute!! They looked so good!! I do love soft tortillas, seasoned ground beef, and cheese... so how could I make this delicious looking creation work?

Here's what I came up with:

The Not-so-Mexican, "No Es Mexicana ", "Enchilada"

6 soft tortillas (I had flour ones on hand, but next time will be using whole grain)

3/4 lb. cooked ground beef, seasoned with Mortons or Lawry's Seasoning Salt

1 1/2 C. tomato sauce

1C. Shredded Cheddar (I've been in with sick kids all week and haven't been to the store, so we were out, but I did have Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Cooking Soup, so I cooked that up and used that instead)

1. Line bottom of baking dish with a thin coating of tomato sauce.

2. Place a good amount of meat inside middle of tortilla.

3. Fold in the sides and then roll/wrap the tortilla and place in baking dish seam side down.

4. Top burritos with remaining tomato sauce to prevent drying out in the oven.

5. Cover with shredded cheese (or in this case, cheese sauce).

Cover dish with foil and bake at 375° for 15 mins. Carefully remove the foil...watch the steam!!

These are SO delicious...SO creamy...SO filling...SO budget-friendly...and just SO GOOD!! (I could only eat one!!) It's like having a cheesy Sloppy Joe without the huge roll to go along with it!! This is my new go-to recipe for when I need to prepare a meal for my husbands football or basketball teams!!

I guess you could serve these with Spanish Rice (if you like) or beef flavored Rice-A-Roni, and a vegetable.

Cost Breakdown: (for 6)

Flour Tortillas: .60

Ground Beef: $1.26

1/2 Can of Cheddar soup: .50

Tomato Sauce: .25

$2.61

Grilled Chicken with Bacon & Cheese- Under $5

(The picture does not do this meal any justice)

Grilled Chicken with Bacon & Cheese

1lb. grilled boneless chicken breast (I use a little less...I slightly freeze the breasts, then thinly slice them, then pound them thin...I got 6 pieces.)

6 slices crisp bacon

4 slices american cheese (or any other cheese you choose)

2T. BBQ sauce

First grill your chicken, either in a pan or on your grill. (I grill the whole 1.75lb. package, and use the other half for another nights dish)

Brush lightly with BBQ sauce for flavor, top with crisp bacon and cheese (I slice the cheese to fit the chicken breasts as not to waste). My husband does not like BBQ sauce...but loves this dish. I won't tell if you don't!!

Either continue grilling on low on your grill, in your pan, or you can put under broiler on low for about a minute. You decide.

Cost breakdown:

Chicken breasts: $1.85

bacon: $.54

cheese: $.64

BBQ sauce: free (couponing)

Total: $3.03

Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce- how to stretch your $$$ further

I've already changed our menu up for this week (and it's only Tuesday!) but that is the beauty of meal planning...you have a plan, but when you serve the meals can be interchangeable...it all works out by the end of the week!

So, tonight I made spaghetti with meat sauce. It was absolutely delicious! (I don't know if it was just because we were so hungry or it was really that good!) But I must say one thing...it was frugal!!

I had gotten the linguine Smart pasta free with a coupon. Then I made sauce with a RedPack 8oz. can of sauce (that I got for .25cents), and added in one cup of water and a beef bouillon cube. I then added in 1lb. of cooked ground beef (from my $1.47 freezer stockpile), and 1T. grated parm. cheese. We had so much sauce...and another meal for leftovers!

Total cost: $1.72 (because our pasta was free...but match coupons to a great deal and yours too can work out to be the same!) So, be creative at how to stretch your ingredients, such as soups, meats, and sauces. A little can go a long way!

Chicken Fried Steak

Tonight I made Chicken Fried Steak. I bought one package of cube steaks (they cost just $2.37!) and we have so much left over! The steaks were huge!

Chicken fried Steak:

Ingredients:

4 cube steaks 1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

4 cups Ritz crackers crushed to fine consistency (tonight I will use Ritz since I don't have Saltines...it is just as delicious!)

canola oil

Directions:

1)Pour enough oil to cover bottom of skillet or frying pan. Heat pan to medium heat

2)Mix flour, salt and pepper in pie dish.

3)Pour Milk into a bowl.

4)Put cracker crumbs in another pie dish.

5)Dip steaks in milk, then flour mixture, then eggs, then cracker.

6)Place steaks in pan. Repeat with each steak.

7)Cook steaks for approximately 5 minutes each side or until a golden brown.

8)Remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease.

9)Serve with gravy to top.

10)Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup (Under $5)

Since we're having yet another snowy night here I thought this soup with grilled panini sandwiches would be the perfect meal!!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup: (Many proclaim this soup has medicinal benefits!!)

Ingredients:

2lg. boneless chicken breasts (poached/boiled) and shredded or cubed: $1.20 @ $1.79lb

3 1/2 quart water: free

1/2 box of organic chicken stock or broth: $1.25

1teaspoon onion powder: .05cents

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning: .05cents

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning: .05cents

1T. minced garlic: .25cents

3 bay leaves: .25cents

3 chicken bouillon cubes: .25cents

salt and pepper to taste :.05cents

Directions:

For the stock:

line bottom of stock pot with thin layer of oil. Add in garlic and onion powder. Add rest of ingredients.

Next add in:

2 cups sliced carrots: $1.00

1 cup celery if desired (I omitted)

1/2pkg egg noodles: .50cents

Total: $4.85

Bring to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook another 10mins.

Chicken and Stuffing Bake (Under $5)

This is the meal I made tonight. Go here for the recipe. Here is a picture of how mine came out. This will definitely be added to one of our faves! It was delicious!

This recipe constitutes as a "frugal" recipe. You can make this dinner for under $5.

My cost:

chicken: 1.02lbs.: $2.29
box of stuffing: .98cents (Walmart)
cream of chicken soup: .46cents (I bought a Great Val. fam. size 3C.(Wal.M.) for $1.38. I divided into 1C containers.

2 slices American cheese sliced over top: .30cents??

(I didn't add in the milk...it was creamy enough)

Total cost: $4.03

Crockpot Beef Tips (Under $5)

Tonight I changed it up a bit...due to time constraints and a special request from DH. I added in 1/2 bag of organic mixed veggies instead of baby carrots and potatoes and served over white rice. What a delicious, hearty meal!

I also made my butter roll recipe into a loaf of bread. I just followed the dough directions, substituting in 1 cup of white whole-wheat flour. Instead of placing in muffin tin, I greased a bread pan to make a loaf. It was so good!

This recipe constitutes as a "frugal" recipe. You can make this dinner for under $5. See below for the breakdown.

Crockpot beef tips:

1 1/2-2lbs. beef tips or beef stew cubes cut to one inch chunks
1/2 pkg. of onion soup mix (or whole packet if you like...DH not huge fan of onion)
1 c. water
beef bouillon cube

Place beef tips in crockpot. Pour in 1C. water, drop in bouillon cube, then sprinkle onion soup mix over beef tips. Add in baby carrots or cut up carrots and peeled cubed potatoes if you'd like. If you prefer, you can brown beef in 1T. oil in frying pan before placing in crockpot. I set on high for 3-4hrs. or low 8-10hrs..
When done, you can remove beef and veggies from crock and whisk in 1-2T. in juice in crockpot to make a thicker gravy or just keep juices as is.
Serve over white rice or serve with veggies as the whole meal.

My cost breakdown:

beef tips 1.06lbs: $2.62
1/2 pkg onion soup mix: .25cents
rice: .45cents
1/2 bag Steamers veggies: .50cents or free
(froz. Vall. Fresh Steamers often go on sale for $1.00, and there's almost always a 50cent or $1 off coupon making them free or close to free...which goes without saying...use coupons!)

Total cost: $3.32 or $3.82