What's On The Menu This Week Layered Mexican Casserole For Sure

This on the menu for sure this week. I picked up this cookbook for 99 cents at a thrift store and tried it for the first time last March. Since then I have only made one other time.. why only twice? this is so tasty and easy really should be on my menu's more often.

Cook book is Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Weeknight Meals.

Layered Mexican Casserole.
8 ounces of ground beef
1 (12 oz) can of whole kernal corn drained ( more than hubby and I like so this time I will cut in half)
1 (12 oz ) jar of chunky salsa
1 (2 1/4 oz) can sliced pitted ripe olives drained
1 cup cream style cottage cheese
1 ( 8 oz) carton of dairy sour cream
5 cups of Tortilla chips ( 7 to 8 ounces)
2 cups ( 8 ozs ) shredded Wisconsin Chedder Cheese divided
1/2 cup of chopped Tomato

Brown ground beef in large skillet ; drain.

Add corn and salsa; cook until thoroughly heated.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of olives; stir remaining olives into beef mixture.
Combine cottage cheese and sour cream in bowl.
In 2 quart casserole, layer 2 cups chips, half of meat mixture, 3/4 cup of chedder cheese and half of cottage cheese mixture. Repeat the layers
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Line edge of casserole with remaining 1 cup of chips; top with tomato, reserved 2 tablespoons of olives and remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and chips are hot.
makes 4 to 6 servings.
Serve with more chips if desired.
I loved the taste and the texture and isn't a pretty dish
Favorite recipe from Wisconsin Milk Marketing Brand.

I will be sharing this recipe

Brenda's Candian Kitchen Cookbook Sunday

Menu Plan Monday

Hunk Of Meat

Mouthwatering Monday

Monday Mania

Homemaker Monday

Sunday At One Food Club

Delicious Dishes

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Hearth and Soul

Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday

Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tuesday At The Table

Tasty Tuesday At A Beautiful Mess

Gratituesday

Life As Mom

Real Food Wednesday

Works For Me Wednesday

I'm Lovin It Friday

Fight back Friday

Friday Potluck

Foodie Friday

Pennywise Platter Thursday

Check out some of the other recipes and maybe leave a comment starting here please.

thanks for stopping by.. Grace

Freezer Cooking Stage 2.. Lets Make Spaghetti Sauce

Stage 2 of my Freezer Cooking is making Spaghetti Sauce.This recipe will feed 6 but since it is just the 2 of us I can stretch it to 3 meals

As I browned the ground beef hubby diced up 1/4 of an onion.

Once the ground beef was browned we spooned out the grease and added the onion to brown.
To this was added sugar, salt, pepper,oregano, thyme, basil and garlic.

Then comes the tomato products

Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour and you are ready to eat.
Spoon over cooked Spaghetti, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese ( if desired)

Recipe
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef ( I used 85 percent)
1/4 of an onion
1/2 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt ( we are cutting down on salt)
1 tsp of pepper
1 1/2 tsp of oregano,
1 1/2 tsp of thyme
1 1/2 tsp of basil
1 tsp of garlic
1 16 oz can of tomato sauce
1 oz can of diced tomatoes

I love our Spaghetti sauce, better than any I have ever had in an Italian restaurant. In the freezer it goes for future meals.

Thanks for stopping by .. grace

Freezer Cooking Stage 1 Our Fantastic Chili

With winter closing on us here in Northern Minnesota I am in the mood to cook and get some freezer meals ready for cold nights and easy cooking. Our freezer is really only the top of a refrigerator so I can not get that much in.
There is only 2 of us so what I am cooking this afternoon is our homemade Spicy (to me) Chili and I am dividing it in to 3 containers for 3 different nights.
We can add some crackers or bread for a fast tasty dinner.
My recipe is for 6 servings so would be a nice amount for 4 to 6 people.
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef 85 percent fat free

small amount of onion chopped up
2 tsp of garlic
4 tsp of Chili
2 tsp of basil
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
2 tsp of cumin
2 tsp of oregano
2 16oz cans of Chili or Kidney beans
1 32 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 32 oz can of Tomato Sauce
1 can of water

Brown ground beef

then add your spices and stir.

Add your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes


and chili beans

Simmer for about 45 minutes . It is now ready to eat or cool and freeze for future meals.

This pot has been divided into 3 containers for dinner and there was enough for us to each have a small bowl for lunch.

Stage 2 of Cooking will be coming up soon..

I am sharing this recipe at Potluck Sunday.. hope that you will check what other's are cooking and leave a comment maybe when visiting starting here.
Thanks for stopping by .. Lets keep saving together .. Grace

Grocery Shopping For Freezer Cooking

Went shopping today for this weeks groceries plus extra to do some freezer cooking at Cub Foods today. Boy was it ever chilly out.

They had 85 percent hamburger for $2.49 a pound ( not as good as last freezer cooking at $1.99 a pound but better than some weeks). I picked up 2 / 3 pound packages. This will give us 8 meals.

Cub had Chicken Breasts skinless at buy 1 get 1 FREE. I got two packages for 8.07. This should give us a few meals.

2 packages of Land O Frost lunch meats using a coupon for buy 1 get 1 FREE so 2 packages at $4.99

Chi Chi Salsa $1.79 used 50 cent coupon off

1 Enchilada sauce $1.89

Green Chili diced 75 cents

2 cans of peas 59 cents each

1 cub cereal $2.39

2 cub chili beans 79 cents each

1 package of Spaghetti noodles 99 cents

2 Cub Tomato crushed $1.19 each

2 Cub Tomato Sauce $1.19 each

1 Yolk less noodles $1.29

1 re fried beans $1.29

1 Mission Shells $1.99

Tortilla Chips $1.99

Potato chips $2.79

1 onion 68 cents

2 loafs of bread $1.49 each

1 shredded Parmesan cheese $4.13 ( thought it was $2.00 and did not notice till home)

1 shredded cheese $2.00

1 milk $3.19

2 sour creams $3.00 on sale

Total spent $67.66 this week

Total for the month $94.82

Remaining of monthly budget $105.18

I am sharing this at

Grocery Cart Challenge

Wednesday Shopping at Frugal Follies

thanks for stopping by.. lets keep saving together.. Grace

What's For Dinner " Chicken And Rice Casserole" So Yummy

What is for dinner? Last night we had a Chicken and Rice Casserole. So yummy..

Here is the recipe..

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In 13 by 9 pan (or a casserole dish as I did) combine the rice, celery, carrots, onion, butter, salt, soup and water.

Arrange the chicken on rice skin up. Sprinkle with paprika or poultry seasoning and bake uncovered 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.

I had 5 thighs.. cooked the other 2 in a baking dish. Gets crispier that way for those who want it crispy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of rice $.50

1 stalk of celery $.25

1 carrot $.25

1/4 cup of onion diced $.15

1 can of cream of chicken soup $.50

2 cups of water

4 Chicken Breasts ( I used thighs) $3.39

1 tsp of salt

2 Tablespoons of butter $.05

paprika or poultry seasonings

Total cost for my meal $5.09

serves 4

This was so good the way we had it. I have also served with peas and a dinner roll. Any way served it tasty and a sure winner.

Thanks for stopping by... lets keep serving together... Grace

Mama's Hamburger Hot Dish / Casserole

There is no need to go out for good food is there? Yes I do love having people waiting on me but I also love the comfort food we can make at home. Best of all we are keeping the $$ in our pocket. That is even more of a comfort to this lady.
Tonight's dinner is my mama's Hot Dish. We call it a hot dish in this part of the country, other parts call it a casserole. I will never forget the first time I told my east coast son in law I was making a hot dish. He had no idea what I was talking about. After explaining to him what a hot dish was, he said that is a casserole and looked at me like I was from another planet. Then of course there is the pop/soda conversation with him. Gotta love that guy.






It is cold outside but warm inside with the oven on. Last night for dinner we had one of the old standards. Hamburger Hot Dish my mama's way.

Super easy with just browning the hamburger and boiling some pasta. After degrease the hamburger add tomato soup to both the hamburger and pasta then mix together. Mama always fried up onions with her hamburger but I was out. We used a little onion powder, some salt and pepper.

At this point I differ from mama and add some cheese to my hamburger and pasta combination. All I had in the house last night was a little Velveeta and some Havarti cheese so put a little of each in.


We baked at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour and dinner is on. Simple, easy but comfy food during the winter.

What a thrifty dinner.
1 1/2 pounds of hamburger $3.00 bought on sale for $1.99 a pound
2 cups of pasta $1.00
3 cans of Campbells tomato soup $1.50 I bought on sale at 50 cents a can (used a coupon so really less than 50 cents a can
spices pennies
Total cost for Hamburger Hot dish/Casserole $5.50
This can easily feed 6 people or the 2 of us 2 dinners and 1 lunch.

I will be sharing this at
Hearth and Soul
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Who is Laura
Healthy Home
A Beautiful Mess
Mouth Watering Monday
Tuesday Twister
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays At The Table
Delicious Dishes
Anti Procrastination Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Menu Inspiration Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Hunk Of Meat Monday
Tidy Mom
Thursday Life As Mom
Grocery Cart Callenge

Want to thank you for stopping by.. maybe leave a comment letting me know you were here and lets keep saving our $$ together... Grace

Menu Plan For The Week Saving Money Eating At Home

Menu plan is on Monday this week. Yesterday was dear hubby's birthday and time was spent with family instead of planning this week

Meals for this week are

Breakfast
cereal, or eggs and toast and yogurt
Lunch
soup and sandwiches or any left overs that may be there
Dinner

Meat balls in gravy, potatoes, and veggies

Hamburger hot dish, veggies, and warm bread

Chicken and Rice with veggies

Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with multi types of cheese, chips and dip


Chicken, Pasta and Vegetable soup with crackers

Chili and Cornbread



Left over Buffet

I am keeping it simple and frugal this week with using a lot of items from the freezer and pantry.

What's on your menu this week? I will be sharing this over at organizing junkie.
Take a moment and see what others are cooking up this week and leave a comment letting them know that you passed by.. Everyone likes hearing some one visited.

Thanks for stopping by.. Lets keep saving together.. and please remember Never Under Estimate The Value Of A Small Amount Of Money... Grace