$0.90 per serving ~ Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew

I had ever ingredient on hand, all things I wanted to use up, and I found this recipe in an old newspaper as I was tying up the recycling. Had to try it, since our Tuesdays have become so hectic with Josh in gymnastics and me in AquaFit class now.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew ~ $0.90 per serving, $7.20 total
1 large butternut squash, seeded and diced ($2.00)
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced ($0.50)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds ($0.50)
1 can green beans, drained ($0.45)
2 cups beef broth or stock ($1.75)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. crushed rosemary
1/2 pound turkey kielbasa, sliced ($1.00)
3 medium onions, chopped ($1.00)
1/4 cup cold water
2 tbsp. corn starch
Parsley to garnish

1. Combine all but last 3 ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.
2. In a measuring cup, mix water and cornstarch and pour into the stew. Mix well and heat until liquid has thickened.
3. Serve garnished with parsley.
Makes 8 servings.

The Verdict
This was just "ok." Kind of bland, kind of boring, just kind of "there." I make better dishes with variations on these ingredients. If you try this one, play with the spices to get the flavor more interesting!

$0.66 per serving ~ Veggies and Kielbasa with Rotini

Veggies and Kielbasa with Rotini ~ $0.66 per serving
1 box uncooked rotini ($1.00)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces (free, from party leftovers)
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges ($0.30)
2 cups snow peas or sugar snap peas (free, from party leftovers)
1 lb. turkey kielbasa, sliced ($2.00)
1 cup milk ($0.30)
16 oz. processed cheese, cubed ($1.65)

1. Cook penne as directed on package. Drain, cover, and keep warm.
2. Saute vegetables 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain if necessary.
3. Add kielbasa, milk, and cheese. Simmer over low until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, stirring constantly.
4. Add cooked rotini. Stir gently to coat. Cook a few more minutes until heated through.
Makes 8 servings

The Verdict
I usually use a box of frozen sugar snap peas, but the fresh works just as well. This is my mother-in-law's favorite dinner. I had a ton of leftovers, which is good, as I am going back to work on Monday and we could use all the leftovers as lunches that are easy to transport, heat and enjoy.

$0.53 per serving ~ Football Food! Sausage Cheese Dip

Another Sunday, another pot full of dip to enjoy...

Sausage Cheese Dip ~ $0.53 per serving
1 pound ground sausage, any type ($2.80)
1 2 pound loaf processed cheese, cubes ($3.80)
1 cup sour cream ($1.00)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained ($1.00)

1. Brown sausage evenly. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt cubed processed cheese over medium heat, stirring often.
3. Add browned sausage, sour cream, and diced tomatoes. Mix until well blended. Transfer to crock pot to keep warm.
4. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or corn chips.
Makes 64 servings!!!!

The Verdict
We'll also have veggies and hummus so we're not eating nothing but garbage all day. This is some seriously tasty garbage, though! I use turkey sausage, lite sour cream, and the low-fat Velveeta just to take the edge off of how bad it is. I make no bones about the fact that this is BAD for you. That may be why we only have it once in a blue moon...

$0.87 per serving ~ Dogs, Beans n' Cornbread

This is a family favorite, and on a miserably cold & dreary day this felt like comfort food. Strictly speaking this isn't the healthiest meal, but it is wonderfully flavorful and fun.

Dogs, Beans n' Cornbread ~ $0.87 per serving
1 28 oz. can baked beans ($1.67)
1 package hot dogs, halved lengthwise and sliced ($2.00)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 package corn bread mix ($0.50)
1 egg ($0.25)
1/3 cup milk ($0.10)
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese ($0.70)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and transfer to a greased baking dish.
2. Prepare cornbread mix according to package direction (Jiffy brand uses the egg and milk.) Stir in cheese. Drop by spoonfuls onto bean mixture.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.

The Verdict
Yum. And I served it with the leftover green beans from yesterday so we would have a little something healthy with all this evil...

$0.90 per serving ~ Cheesy Sausage and Penne

Julia had a very rough day... I needed comfort food.

Cheesy Sausage and Penne ~ $0.90 per serving
1 box whole wheat penne ($1.00)
1/4 cup butter ($0.25)
1/3 cup flour ($0.05)
salt
Italian seasonings
pepper
garlic powder
3 cups milk ($0.60)
2 cups shredded Italian-style cheese ($2.80)
1/2 cup grated cheese ($0.50)
16 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced ($2.00)
3 cups steamed broccoli florets (free ~ leftover from Saturday's party!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Steam broccoli.
2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute, then remove from heat. Stir in Italian cheese and 1/4 cup grated cheese until melted.
3. Gently stir pasta, sausage, and broccoli into cheese sauce. Pour into large backing dish. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and extra pepper ifdesired. Bake uncovered 30 minutes.
Makes 8 servings

The Verdict
I played with this recipe tonight... I've made it before, but without the veggies added into the baking dish. That was an experiment. I also didn't want to open another bag of shredded cheese, so I used half Italian cheese and half cheddar jack. It came out GREAT!!!! I will try this again with different vegetables, but this was a big hit. This works with any kind of pre-cooked sausage. I've made it with kielbasa as well as beef smoked sausage... so far, there are no bad choices!

$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!