$0.94 per serving ~ Gingered Beef and Rice

This came from Mom's school of protein + starch + veggies = dinner in one pot.

Gingered Beef and Rice ~ $0.94 per serving, $3.75 total cost
1 lb. lean ground beef ($2.00)
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 6.2 oz box rice and vermicelli mix - Fried Rice flavor ($0.75)
2 cups water
1 medium bell pepper, chopped ($0.25)
8 oz. frozen sugar snap peas ($0.50)
1/4 slivered almonds, if desired ($0.25)
soy or teriyaki sauce to taste

1. Saute beef and ginger in large skillet until beef is thoroughly browned. Drain.
2. Add rice mix and seasoning packet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add pepper and snap peas. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Serve with soy or teriyaki sauce.
Makes 4 servings.

The Verdict
Josh, who has been sick with strep throat, found his appetite again when I gave him a bowl of this. He said "Mommy, this is SO yummy!" Jim thought it was just ok. I thought it was boring until I topped it with some Thai sweet chile sauce. All in all, not a bad experiment, and very easy for a work night!

$1.13 per serving ~ Buffalo Chicken Cacciatore

Buffalo Chicken Cacciatore ~ $1.13 per serving, $4.50 total cost
1/2 cup brown rice ($0.15)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces ($2.50)
2 celery stalks, sliced thin ($0.25)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained ($1.00)
1/2 cup wing sauce ($0.30)
1/4 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing ($0.30)

1. Preheate oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice according to package directions. Spoon into greased 8 inch square pan.
2. Heat oil over medium heat. Saute celery and chicken until chicken is completely cooked.
3. Remove from heat, stir in tomatoes and wing sauce. Spoon over rice. Do not stir.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
5. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve.
Makes 4 servings

The Verdict
Josh said "So spicy, mama!" and asked for some cheese instead. Jim said it was spicy too, but he ate two helpings. I think it was fine, but the leftovers will get spicier with time. I will decrease the wing sauce next time, but this was a nice dinner when we want something a little different!

$0.97 per serving ~ Creamy Wild Rice Soup and Garlic & Cheese Biscuits

It's been grey and rainy for nearly a week... it's time for SOUP!

Creamy Wild Rice Soup ~ $0.77 per serving
1 package quick-cooking long grain and wild rice ($1.00) ~ Rice a Roni
4 cups milk ($1.20)
1 can condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted ($0.70)
8 ounces easily melted cheese ($1.50) ~ American
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled ~ ($1.75)

1. In a large pot, prepare rice according to package direction, omitting any butter or oil.
2. Stir in milk, soup and cheese, mix well over low heat until cheese is melted.
3. Garnish with crumbled bacon.
Makes 8 servings

The Verdict
I served this with Garlic & Cheese Biscuits made with Colby Jack. The soup was DELICIOUS. A few changes... it is a bit salty so I think I would use a less-salty cheese and low sodium bacon in the future. I'd also change out some of the milk for half and half so that the broth would be a bit quicker. Jim was crazy about this one.

$0.20 per serving ~ Leftover Rice Pudding

Jim's mom LOVES Chinese food. But she always has a ton of leftover brown rice and she gives it to us. Other than some of the rice dishes my mom used to make in the crock pot, this is one of my very favorite ways to use it up.

Leftover Rice Pudding ~ $0.20 per serving
2 cups rice, cooked (free!)
3 cups milk, any kind ($0.60)
1/4 cup white sugar ($0.05)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.05)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg, to taste
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins ($0.50)
1 tsp cinnamon, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
2. Heat over medium high heat and stir often until milk and rice thicken, about 20 minutes.
3. Serve warm or chill, if desired.
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
Jim and Josh both love rice pudding more than any other dessert, so I love to make this for them. You can use any type of milk or cream or a combination. Omit the raisins, substitute golden raisins, cranberries, or cherries. Use all white or all brown sugar. Change the proportions of spices if you want. (If you want to make an Indian-style pudding, subsitute honey for both sugars, chopped dates for the raisins, and use ginger and cardamom in addition to the nutmeg and cinnamon. )

$0.92 per serving - Autumn Sausage Casserole

Today we decided to take the family to the Deerfield Township Harvest Festival to have a little fun in the beautiful fall weather. I didn't want to have to deal with cooking when we got back, so it was a day for CrockPot cooking. I have been avidly following A Year of CrockPotting and after spending last Thursday picking apples, we were totally ready for her Autumn Sausage Casserole! If you try it and like it, please pop on over to her blog and let her know, I take NO credit for this one :)

Breakfast- $1.05
Bagels ($0.70 each) with peanut butter (about $0.15 per serving)
Pears (about $0.20 each)

Lunch- FREE!
Leftovers are already paid for :)

Autumn Sausage Casserole - $0.92
1 pound sausage (chicken with basil and pecorino romano) $5.99 per pound
2 small apples, chopped $0.75
1 onion, chopped $0.30
1/2 cup carrots, chopped $0.65
3 cups cooked brown rice $2.00
1/2 cup raisins $0.50
Parsley, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper to taste (I never measure)
1/3 cup broth or water (vegetable broth) $0.75

If sausage is uncooked, brown and drain.
Dump all ingredients in CrockPot and stir well.
Cook on low 5-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.

The Verdict:
Wow. This really does taste like a bowl of autumn! I used brown rice which gave it more of a risotto texture, where the original recipe used long grain and wild rice which had a texture like fried rice. Jim loved it, my mother-in-law loved it, Josh loved it, and I'll eat it all week. It's a winner! And because it's in a CrockPot, it's a big recipe... I'm estimating 12 servings, which ends up at a tiny $0.92 per serving!