It's that time of year!

 (reposting from 2016)

Planning a Frugal Holiday Meal

I have been reading various internet articles about how to plan a frugal holiday meal and some of the tips offered are something I would not consider frugal or desirable.  So, I thought I'd share how I plan a frugal yet TASTY homestyle holiday FEAST, one that you can enjoy without having to starve yourself for weeks ahead just to be able to afford it.

A meal plan is VITAL for a holiday meal so that you know what you need to buy, you don't plan too many similar dishes, and you don't forget anything!   I try to utilize foods that are free to me (husband gets a turkey from his employer, we have canned or frozen garden produce, etc.), inexpensive (sales, made from ingredients I already have), and things that I can use in more than one holiday dish, ex. cranberries.  I cook from scratch, so the plan also helps me to plan my time wisely i.e. what can be made ahead.  I found this handy printable at www.cleanmama.net along with even more handy tips!

I also plan the meal based on typical sale prices, portions, and KNOWN recipes.

• MANY items go on sale for a few weeks before the holiday.  Watch for those sales!  Know what you will typically need and get those things when they are on sale.  A big tip:  some stores mark fresh turkeys down to extremely low prices right after Thanksgiving, so it's a good idea to grab one THEN and freeze it for Christmas dinner!  
• Unless you want a lot of leftovers, you had better be aware of how many portions you'll need.  Don't buy a 20 lb. turkey to feed a family gathering of six people unless you plan for a lot of turkey leftover meals or plan to freeze the extra.  Do the same with side dishes and desserts.  Trust me, I'm well known for cooking way too much food!  Family WILL get tired of eating the same leftovers for days afterward!  A general rule of thumb is 1 lb. of turkey or ham per person if you want ZERO leftovers, 2 lb. if you plan on leftovers.  I found a chart on www.goodhousekeeping.com for other foods as well, although it looks to me to be one of those "zero leftovers" meals.   
  
• Holidays are not a time to try to impress with a recipe you have never tried to make.  Do yourself a favor, save yourself a lot of frustration, and just don't.  

Now, if you are hosting plenty of extended family and know that the meal will be too much for you $$-wise and time-wise, don't hesitate to delegate!  Someone else can bring a veggie tray, or green bean casserole, dinner rolls, or a bottle or two of wine.  

Set your table the night before, unless you have little ones or pets that would get on the table.  Turn the dishes and glasses upside down to avoid getting dust in them; turn right side up before guests arrive.  It's also a good idea to get out all serving dishes and serving spoons/forks so that you're not scrambling to find them at the last minute.  If you will have kitchen help, you can even write down what food each dish will hold on a scrap of paper and put it right in the dish; this helps your helpers to know what will go where so that they can help dish up the food.

We will be taking part in a potluck Thanksgiving meal this year, but if we didn't my plan for the meal this year would have included:

veggie/pickle tray (using inexpensive veggies such as cucumbers, broccoli, grape tomatoes, baby carrots, homemade pickled beets, pickled cucumbers, pickled peppers, black olives.  Veggies can be prepped the day before where needed and quickly arranged the next morning)

turkey (free from husband's employer, cook in an oven bag to save time)

homemade cornbread & sausage stuffing (make cornbread from scratch, cut up veggies, brown the sausage all the day before)

mashed potatoes (crockpot recipe!  Prep potatoes the night before and store in fridge in water)

turkey gravy (easy enough to make while turkey is resting after roasting)

sweet potato casserole (another crockpot recipe, bake sweet potatoes the day before and mash.  $1.09 for 3 lb. sweet potatoes vs. $1.29 for 29 oz. can - Aldi prices)

traditional green bean casserole (not my favorite but some family members expect it, use green beans canned from the garden)

sauteed green beans w/bacon, mushrooms, and red onion (using frozen green beans and red onion from the garden, must be made shortly before the meal but doesn't take long)

potato rolls (make the day before, use bread machine to make the dough, ingredients all on hand)

broccoli cranberry salad (buying fresh broccoli, using part of the package of bacon from the previous sauteed green beans recipe, other things are typically on hand, prep the day before and put together the morning of the meal)

fluffy cranberry fruit salad (cranberries purchased on sale, everything else already on hand, make the salad except for whipped cream and nuts the day before) 

pumpkin pie, apple pie (all made from scratch, make the day before)

pumpkin cake roll (make the day before but don't put together with cream cheese filling until the morning of the meal)

orange cranberry cupcakes (bake and frost the day before, uses more of the seasonal cranberries that I buy on sale)

*The recipes for many of the above are in this blog*

Have a Happy Holiday Feast!

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches (link)

 This simple recipe was a first for me and the results were very tasty!  It moves quickly, so be sure do do as much prep work as possible before starting to cook.

I used a  1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak with little fat instead of the beef roast called for in this recipe.

RECIPE

(not my picture)

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

 Boy, my summer has been busy!  The garden has been prolific and work keeps me busy 6 days a week!  I didn't have much time to prepare 3 course meals and looked for quick and easy recipes.  

This one is quick, easy, delicious, and VERSATILE!  By changing out the filling I can make it into many types of quesadillas (some NOT with a Mexican flair).  

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

• 8 large flour tortillas
• 3 to 4 cups filling - you can use taco meat w/ salsa, black beans/black olives/onions/etc. and cheese, pepperoni/pizza toppings with pizza sauce and cheese, cooked chicken and veggies w/gravy or cr of chicken soup and cheese, ham and broccoli with a cream of mushroom soup and cheese...use your imagination!  Just keep in mind that the amount of sauce used will affect the bottom crust i.e. soggy crust.

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Spray a sheet pan (I used a 15" x 10") with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.  

Place 6 of the tortillas around the edges of the sheet pan.  Make sure the tortillas overlap and are hanging halfway over the edge of the pan, leaving a gap in the center.  Place another tortilla over the gap in the center.  

Spread filling evenly over the tortillas, then spread cheese.  Place the last tortilla over the top of the mixture, then fold the other tortillas over the top and press firmly. Place a 2nd cookie sheet on the top and put it all in the oven.

Bake 20 minutes then remove the top sheet pan.  Bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool another 5 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces.  Serve and enjoy!  

Easy Broccoli Slaw

 I'm all about convenience these days, but I still want to keep it healthy.  This is a quick and tasty side dish/salad, and it's EASY.

Easy Broccoli Slaw

16 oz. bag broccoli slaw mix

1/2 to whole bell pepper, diced

1 to 2 Tbsp. sweet onion, diced

1/4 c. vinegar

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. sugar

Mix the veggies.  Whisk together the vinegar, mayonnaise, and sugar until smooth.  Pour over the veggies and toss to mix.  Store in refrigerator for a few hours or more to let the flavors mix better, if you like.

May add salt and/or black pepper to taste.

Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

 Here's a new recipe for the Instant Pot that I tried, and with the first mouthful I heard "Wow, this is good!"

I changed nothing. Add salt and/or pepper to your tastes.

https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-wild-rice-soup

Note: can also be made on the stovetop or in a crockpot.

(not my picture)

White Chicken Chili

 This is a great, filling meal for a cold day (or anytime!) It's got a great advantage of being able to be made on the stovetop, in a crock pot, or in an Instant Pot.

White Chicken Chili

2 to 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

4 c. chicken broth

2 to 3 cans of white beans of your choice (we prefer 2)

1 4 oz. can of green chilies OR 1 10 oz. can Rotel, drained well

1/2 to 1 tsp. cumin, to taste

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

dash of pepper

1 c. sour cream

2 c. shredded cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar, or Mexican blend)

Fritos corn chips (optional)

For all three cooking methods:  combine all but the sour cream and cheese and heat to boil (stovetop)/cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (crock pot)/cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release (Instant Pot). Mash the beans a bit with a potato masher to make it thicker. Stir in sour cream and cheese and stir until cheese melts.  

Serve topped with a handful of Fritos if desired.

Quick Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

This is a quick moving recipe, so I recommend that you have everything prepped before starting.  I also recommend that you have easy/quick sides ready to go.  I chose to make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot and warm up a can of green beans for this meal; this kept my hands free to focus on the steaks. 

The gravy involves approximate measurements for the water & cornstarch.  I really should measure!  If you feel it needs more or less water or cornstarch, feel free to alter to suit your tastes.

Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

for the steaks:

1 lb. (about 4) cubed steaks

1/3. c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

for the gravy:

1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil *I started with one Tbsp. and added more as the veggies soaked it up*

1/2 of a medium onion, sliced into rings

6 to 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 c. beef broth

1 pkt. onion soup mix

approximately 1 c. water mixed with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Combine the flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Press the mixture, as much as possible, on both sides of the steaks.

 Heat the olive oil in a pan.  Brown both sides of the steaks, keeping as much of the coating on the steaks as possible.  They do not need to be cooked all of the way through.  Remove steaks to another plate.

For gravy, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan in which the steaks were browned.  Add the sliced onion and stir until almost translucent, then add the mushrooms and stir/saute until they are golden.  You may have to add more olive oil as the veggies soak it up.  Mix the beef broth and onion soup mix together, then add to the pan with veggies.  Be sure to scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pan as you stir this mix together.  Add the water/cornstarch mixture until desired taste/thickness.  Add more water if too thick or salty and work a bit of cornstarch into the water (before adding) to maintain the thicker texture for gravy.

When the gravy is as you like it, add the steaks back to the pan and cover with gravy mixture as much as possible.  Set to a lower temp to simmer while you finish the sides you planned.  

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

 This is a great choice for an easy, quick to prep, and tasty dinner!

Chicken Tetrazzini

12 to 16 oz. spaghetti

2 12 oz. cans chicken breast chunks or approximately 3-4 cups cut up leftover cooked chicken

16 oz. sour cream

4 to 8 oz. canned mushroom pieces, drained

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or sub 1 can cream of chicken for a cream of mushroom)

1/3 c. melted butter

1/2 c. chicken broth (or 1/2 c. water + 1/2 tsp. chicken soup base powder)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 to 3 c. shredded Italian blend cheese (or mix 2 c. mozzarella and 1/4 c. parmesan)

2 tsp. dried parsley

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  While waiting for the water to boil/spaghetti to cook, mix the rest of the ingredients except cheeses and parsley in a large bowl. 

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13 in baking dish or cake pan.  

Drain spaghetti, rinse, and mix with the ingredients in the large bowl.  Pour into the greased pan.  Top with cheeses, then sprinkle with the parsley.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 hearty servings.

Nice to serve with garlic rolls or bread, and a tossed salad.