Turning Deals Into Meals

During the months that I've been couponing, I've heard it said a number of times, that you just can't save money and eat meals that are healthy.

I'll admit, it would certainly be far easier to coupon shop and come home with carts full of absolute junk, but it is far from the truth to say that saving money on healthy food is impossible.

I wanted to share our dinner from tonight, and explain how I used grocery store deals when buying the ingredients. In my opinion, it was a healthy, well balanced meal, but you can judge that for yourself. I'll share the price I paid for the item and try to give a final breakdown of the cost of the entire meal. This meal fed myself, Alex, and Nolan, and was also enough for a tupperware of leftovers.

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken, Pasta, and Salads (broccoli for Nolan)



See - we ALL enjoyed the meal :)

sorry I couldn't get a better picture, also not as cute as the one above

Balsamic Chicken Ingredients (mixed ingredients and poured over chicken, cooked on low for the day)
Two chicken breasts (bought fresh, put in freezer) - bought during a B2G3 sale at Harris Teeter in a package of four for ~ $2.00 = $1.00

1 can of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes - bought during the last Kroger Mega event = $0.19

1/2 sliced onion - bought bag of 10 at Aldi for $1.66 = $0.16

Balsamic Vinegar - already in house (keep it in stock - not counting toward price)

Garlic - $0.79 for three heads, used 1/2 of one head = $0.13

Dried Basil - always in stock in pantry, didn't use much (not counting toward price)

Sargento Parmesan Cheese (didn't use much) - $1.00/bag at Harris Teeter (stocked up at this price and froze some), multiple uses from bag = $0.10 (approximation)

Pasta - bought penne for $1.00, used half the box, but I could have used the whole grain spaghetti we had in the house, bought on sale for $0.25/box = $0.50

Total for Main Dish = $2.08

Salads - All produce was bought at Aldi and will be used for multiple meals, not just these salads. For the purpose of this meal, I'll estimate four meals from each produce item (which is probably a low ball for some of the items).

Artisan Lettuce pack (now on sale for $1.19) - $1.99 /4 = $0.50
Cucumber - $0.50 /4 = $0.13
Carrots - $0.49/bag /4 - $0.13
Grape Tomatoes - $0.69 /4 = $0.17
Wish Bone Dressing (usually make my own dressing, too lazy today) - both bottles FREE at Harris Teeter during the Unilever promotion = $0.00

Total for Salad - $0.93


For $3.01, I made a meal that I was very comfortable feeding my family - no processed foods, no junk foods. Who says you can't eat healthy on a small budget?


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Crock Pot Recipe Link Up

While visiting other blogs, I came across a shared crock pot recipe link up. These recipes are not my own, though I might add one or two. They came from bloggers throughout the country. Use the links below to find a new recipe to try, or add a link to your own favorite slow cooker meal!

Crock Pot Cooking - Spicy Chicken with Peanut Sauce

If you've been following my posts over the past few weeks, you know that I've been searching for budget friendly slow cooker recipes. Tonight's dinner recipe, Spicy Chicken in Peanut Sauce, is one I've been making since I was given the Betty Crocker Cookbook as a wedding gift. It's an easy meal to throw together using ingredients that I almost always have in our pantry, like canned tomatoes (buying when prices are low, of course).

Spicy Chicken in Peanut Sauce - Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken thighs
olive oil or vegetable oil
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbs honey
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
cilantro (optional)
chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions

• Heat oil in frying pan. Brown chicken thighs, cooking a few minutes each side.
• Combine tomatoes, onion, honey, cumin, and cinnamon in slow cooker crock.
• Add chicken thighs to crock, cover with tomato mixture.
• Cook on low for ~ 8 hours.
• Before serving, stir in peanut butter.
• Serve with couscous, topping with cilantro and chopped peanuts (optional).

Reader Response: I like to keep certain foods, like different types of canned tomatoes, stocked in our pantry. Are there food items, that are used in lots of recipes, that you try to keep in the house?

Crock Pot Meal - Chicken Cacciatore

On Monday, I posted about my search for easy crock pot recipes. I was given a few by readers and searched for a few myself. Keep those recipes coming, by the way! I'd love to start a page for easy, budget friendly recipes I collect!

The recipe I tried today, for crock pot Chicken Cacciatore, came from Mammaliciousfinds. It's all the same ingredients of the cacciatore I make on the stove top, so I figured, why not try it out? The recipe follows, with my commentary, in red, as does a picture I took of the meal.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore 

Ingredients
1lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts, thighs or a combo)  I threw in two frozen chicken breasts.
1 pkg cremini mushrooms, quartered I used portobello mushroom caps that were on sale and cut them myself. Next time, I'd use more mushrooms.
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C beef broth or stock
28 oz can crushed tomatoes 28 oz cans are on sale at Harris Teeter for just $0.98 until next Tuesday! Canned tomatoes are a great item to keep stocked in your cabinets.
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Mix all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with your favorite pasta and top with grated parmesan.


I was very happy with how this meal turned out. It was quite similar to the stove top version I cook on occasion, but it was soooo much easier. I loved being able to throw the chicken in frozen, which cut the prep time down to just a few minutes. I served the cacciatore with rigatoni and a salad, but wish I would have had a fresh baguette in the house. Next time.


Reader Response: Do you have a quick and easy recipe to share? It can be a slow cooker recipe or any recipes that would be perfect for people who are short on time! 

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Meal Plan Monday - Seeking Crock Pot Recipes!

This should be a "Meal Plan Monday," but it's Monday evening at 5:30, and no plan has been made. The hubs has been working ridiculous hours for the past few weeks, and it's making mealtime pretty tricky. I'm lacking motivation to come up with meals when I'm not sure if/when he'll be able to eat.

I bought a rotisserie chicken for last night's dinner, and it looks like the leftovers will be used in some form tonight - maybe fajitas.

I think I need to search the internet for crockpot recipes. These seem like they'd be a perfect solution to our dinner time uncertainty. I have a few go to favorites, but would love some more.

Do you have a favorite crock pot recipe to share??? Post a comment to share a recipe or link!