Creamy Sloppy Joes

1 lb hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom
1 package softened cream cheese
Bread or hamburger buns


TO PREPARE:
Brown the hamburger, then add the cream of mushroom soup and the cream cheese. Cook on med-low until bubbling. Serve over bread or hamburger buns.

Apple Cinnamon Tart Recipe

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed and divided
2 large apples, peeled if desired, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup cold water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups DANNON® Plain or Vanilla Nonfat or lowfat yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon almond extract




TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 350°F In a small bowl combine oats and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
Toss with 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate.
Press onto bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate.
Bake 5 minutes or until set.
Cool on wire rack.
In a medium bowl toss apple slices with lemon juice; arrange on cooled crust in pan and set aside.
In a small saucepan combine cold water and remaining 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate.
Sprinkle gelatin over water mixture; let stand 3 minutes to soften.
Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin is completely dissolved; remove from heat.
Add yogurt, honey, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and almond extract; blend well.
Pour over apples in crust.
Chill several hours or overnight.

Cranberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1/3 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
3 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


TO PREPARE:
Whisk together the cranberry juice concentrate, mustard, vinegar and herbs. Slowly add olive oil, combining well.

Thanks Amber

LOW FAT GLAZED CHICKEN IN SLOW COOKER

6 ounces pineapple-orange juice, frozen concentrate – thawed
3-4 chicken breasts
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 dash garlic powder
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch


TO PREPARE:
Combine thawed orange juice concentrate in bowl along with the garlic powder, and nutmeg. You can split the chicken breast to make more serving sizes. Dip pieces into the orange juice to coat completely. Place in slow cooker/ Crock Pot. Pour the remaining orange juice mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 7 – 9 hours, or cook on high for 4 hours. Precise cooking time is not important in slow cooker. When chicken is done, remove to serving platter. Pour the sauce that remains into a saucepan. Mix the cornstarch and water; stir into the juice pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Serve the sauce with rice over the chicken.

Thanks Amber!

RITZY POPPY SEED CHICKEN

2-3 Breasts of chicken
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 Sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
4-6 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter/margarine, melted


TO PREPARE:
Cook chicken and cube. Mix with sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and poppy seeds. Place in baking dish. Melt butter, combine with crackers, and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Cover with foil and bake @ 350 for 25 min, uncover and bake additional 5-10 min, or until bubbling.

Crispy Chicken Strips

Crispy Chicken Strips
Husband Rating: 4 stars

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 Tbsp (3/4 cup) butter, melted
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1/3 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice chicken into long, thin strips. (My Albertsons chicken breasts were pretty fat, so I cut them in half both ways, if you need to pound them out to be an even thickness go for it.) Place flour in a shallow dish. In another dish combine melted butter and lemon juice. Pour tortilla chips into a large ziploc bag, run over with a rolling pin to make tortilla chips finely crushes and even sizes. Place chicken in flour dish and lightly cover then submerge in butter lemon juice mixture. Toss chicken into ziploc bag, shake to coat. Layer on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and coating is golden.
Serve with cucumber stacks, carrots and your favorite dipping sauce.

Freezer Instructions: I made a whole cookie sheet full, so I tossed half in the freezer. They are a snap to reheat since they are already cooked. Place cooled chicken into a ziploc bag, label and date. To reheat microwave for 1-2 minutes or warm in skillet. Use within 2 months.

Recipe and photography credit: Camilles Casa

Taco Salad

Remember the great super bowl deal where we all stocked up on tortilla chips and dip? Well, weeks later and all I'm left with is 6 bags with the crumbly chips at the bottom. After such a sweet deal can I just throw them away *gasp* and be wasteful? Recipes to the rescue, use those chip crumbles at the bottom of the bag for taco salad and crispy chicken strips.

Taco Salad
Husband Rating: 5 stars

6 oz. ground beef
3 Tbsp. onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning
1 bag of your favorite salad (I like romaine!)
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 can of olives, sliced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (I just dump in the crumbles from the bottom of the bag)
Ranch or your favorite dressing

In a skillet over medium heat cook ground beef. Add onions and taco seasoning. In a large bowl layer lettuce, tomatoes, olives, ground beef, chips and cheese. Toss well. Drizzle with ranch dressing and serve. See, told you it was easy.

Recipe and photography credit: Camilles Casa

Mexican Fiesta

I served this the other night for friends. I should have taken a picture. I bought too many Jose Ole Products with my ebay coupons and I needed to use them fast. I found I already had all the fixins for a fiesta in my pantry/fridge. Here is what I served.................


Assortment of Jose Ole; Taquitos, Mini Tacos or Quesodillas from this weeks Albertsons sale

Wholly Guacomole $1 with double

Sour Cream only .49 at Albertsons this week

Queso {combine rotel and cheese and heat until smooth}

Salsa hopefully you scored some during superbowl

Refried Beans I got mine last year for .25 a can but you may have picked some up recently

Bag Salad last week at Albertsons only .47

Salad Dressing you have this right?

Cross Rib Roast Recipe

Ingredients:
Cross Rib Roast *as much as you need to feed your family
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Table Salt

1. Put the meat in a pan and cover it completely with garlic salt, onion salt, and table salt. Once you think you have enough, use some more. Cover the pan with a lid (foil will not produce the same result). Heat the oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is ready, put the meat in it and turn it down to 200 degrees. Cook it for 1 hour per pound of meat at 200 degrees. So if you are cooking a 3 lb. roast, cook it for 3 hours.

2. To cook it in a crockpot: heat the crockpot to high and then turn it down and cook it on low for 1 hour per pound of meat.

3. Once it's cooked, shred the meat and the salts will mix with the meat juice and give it its flavor. Serve on buns or rolls. It also freezes well, so I always make extra and freeze it.

Smoothies

Quick Slushy

1 can concentrate (of your choice)
1 can water
1 can frozen strawberries
1 ½ can ice

Put everything in the blender and mix until smooth.

Fruit Smoothie 

1 Cup Juice
Frozen Raspberries
Pineapple
Frozen Strawberries
Yogurt (vanilla flavored)
Frozen Bananas (not to much or the whole thing will taste like bananas)
Apple
Oranges

Mix juice from concentrate according the the can directons. Add one cup of juce to blender. Add and mix all or some of the ingredients above in a blender to taste. Variation: add ice cream and milk to have a shake.

Cooking From Your Stockpile

Helping you "Become the Master of Your Stockpile." 

Our Ideas this week to help you cook from your pantry!
DINNER:

Tex-Mex Casserole: You can still get Dorrito's from Albertsons until Tue. Rotel will be on sale again starting Wed.

Whole Frying Chicken: Chicken Enchilada's from reader 

Grilled Tuna Fish Cakes: Remember if you still have coupons you can get Tuna free this week! Amber will show you how in her recipe.

Tator Tot Casserole: Get tots for only $1.99 in the Chill Deal this week at Alberstons

Chicken and Biscuits: Use biscuits from this weeks GM promo.

LUNCH:
Peanut butter and honey sandwich
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Deli meat sandwich
Tuna Fish Sandwich
Grilled ham and cheese sandwich
Macaroni and Cheese
Can of Soup
Bagel Bites
Quesadillas
leftovers!!!

BREAKFAST:
Cereal
Oatmeal
Yogurt and granola
Pancakes
Carnation Instant Breakfast
Cereal? :)

Get more ideas from some of our previous weeks!

Do you have recipes ideas from this weeks shopping lists? Send us you recipe and it could be featured here at Fab Frug! Hehe or if you just want to share the love!
 Disclosure

Whole Frying Chicken Recipe

Heather tells us how she uses whole frying chicken:
I start with chicken stock,  I make my own the first time then freeze and reuse.  I usually have to add a few cups of water to cover the chicken. I bring the stock to a boil and add the chicken, remove innards first.  Once it comes back up to a boil I reduce to medium high and boil for close to an hour.  Pull the chicken out and let it cool completely.  Then cut all of the meat off and into small pieces, nickle-dime size.

Enchiladas
Mix 1 whole cut up chicken with:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz tub of sour cream, I use light
2 cups of shredded cheese

I use 8" tortillas, fill and roll them and place in 9x13 pan using half of mixture.  I pour the remaining mixture on the top and bake at 350 until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 35 minutes.

When I have spare time, I cook a couple of chickens up and freeze the meat so that I can just pull it out and throw the enchiladas together on one of those busy days.


Thanks Heather

Grilled Tuna Fish Cakes

This recipe is one of my favorites involving tuna fish (which I have A LOT of in my stockpile!).

Ingredients

2.5 Tuna Fish pouches-170 grams (Get FREE tuna fish pouches starting Sunday. Find out how HERE)
1  package Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken (Find out how to get cheap Stove Top HERE)
3/4 cup water
1 cup shredded cheese (I've used mozzarella and cheddar)
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish (can use sweet relish instead)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use small ice cream scoop to add 1/4-cup portions of tuna mixture to skillet.
3. Flatten into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 minutes. 
4. Enjoy!

Disclosure

Chicken and Biscuits

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1 Cup chicken cooked and diced
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
¼ teaspoon cajun seasoning
Pinch of salt and pepper
Pinch of garlic salt
1 can of Pillsbury Biscuits


1. Bake biscuits according to directions.

2. Mix all other ingredients and warm over med heat.

3. Top biscuits with gravy mix.

YUM!

Tex-Mex Casserole

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained 1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans Ranch Style Beans
1 can rotel
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 Bag Doritos (1/2 crushed)


TO PREPARE
Combine all ingredients, except chips and cheese. Place in 13 x 9 casserole dish, layer ingredients starting with crushed chips, meat mix, then cheese. Repeat until meat mixture is gone and finish with cheese. Only crush chips as using, keeping remainder to have with meal. Bake 30-45 min at 350.

Recipe from my TRUE TEXAN FRIEND: Niki

Easy Pork Chops and Gravy

6 Pork chops
1 can of cream of chicken
1 can of cream of mushroom
milk to desired consistency


TO PREPARE
Brown pork chops until well browned in skillet. They usually have enough fat that they don’t need any oil. The more browning you do the nicer the gravy will be. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook 20 minutes more. I usually cover b/c I worry about pork being
under-cooked. The recipe doesn’t call for this. Add milk to make a gravy of the consistency of your choice.
Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

Quick Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup (and homemade noodles)

This is my most favorite recipe given to me by my dear friend Julie Jordan (hey Jules!) when I had just two kidlets! It is still a favorite of mine (in fact I made it just tonight!).

Quick Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 8 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or 8 cubes)
  
• 6-1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (pantry item! I saw a coupon for this in todays insert!)
  
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (pantry item - I stock up when I can get these for $.50 or less)
  
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken (I grab some chicken from the freezer that I purchased on a good sale and had already cooked in the crockpot and froze).
  
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (this seems to come on sale every few weeks)
  
• Minced fresh parsley (I never use this)
• I also love to throw in some baby carrots, or you can use peeled and sliced regular carrots. Throw them in the boiling water before you throw in your noodles.
  

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles; cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken; heat through.
• Remove from the heat; stir in the sour cream. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Yield: 10-12 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts).

If you have some extra time, you can make these super yummy and super easy homemade noodles!

Easy Homemade Noodles

• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 egg shell of milk
• 

1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 egg shell of milk

Note: this makes a small batch -double the recipe if making a large pot (I double it when making the above soup recipe) - or triple if a crowd. the milk makes the noodles so tender they melt in your mouth.

Place flour in a small bowl, making a dent in the center. Carefully the crack egg shell- put egg in the center of the flour. Use 1/2 of the egg shell you just cracked, fill it with milk and stir into the flour and egg mixture using a fork. Dough needs to be slightly sticky and form a ball, so if needed, add just a touch more milk until the right consistency.

On a well floured bread board or surface, carefully roll out the dough until very, very thin (almost paper thin). Dough will be stretchy and very tender. Using a Pizza cutter, cut the dough into thin noodles -length of your choice. It is okay if the noodles are not perfect and it is not necessary to dry the noodles.

Slowly sprinkle and stir the cut noodles into rapidly boiling chicken or beef broth mixture (see below for broth suggestions) it is important to put the noodles in this way - so they do not stick together in a lump. Turn down heat and keep broth mixture at a low boil and cook noodles until tender (approx. 1/2 hour). Stir constantly while adding the noodles and frequently while cooking to prevent sticking.

Bean & Cheese Quesadillas

8 tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 cups cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
butter

Spread beans over one tortilla. Top with slices of cheese to cover entire surface. Cover with another tortilla and butter the outside of each tortilla. Place in skillet on med heat. Heat each side until tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

I made these last night. It was a quick, easy and filling meal.

I used a white cheddar that I bought at Fred Meyer last fall. Yup, I got the 2 lb Tillomook loaf for only $2.99 after coupon and I have had it in my fridge. Cheese unopened can be kept for months in the fridge.

The tortillas I got a few weeks ago at Albertsons for only .74.

Refried beans were from a while back (last April) at Albertsons for .25 a can.

Total cost of this meal: $2.49

Baked Potato Casserole

BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE

1 pkg frozen diced potatoes or 5 large baking potatoes, cooked and diced
6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup sour cream
2 bunches of green onion, chopped (sautéed in bacon grease)
Salt and pepper to taste

TO PREPARE
Fry bacon and sauté sliced onions. Mix all ingredients. Place in baking dish and bake for 30 min at 325.
Serves 6-8.

Thanks to Susan Holloway for this recipe.

Baked Oatmeal

A friend of mine made this for breakfast during a play date recently and I was instantly in love. And with all that Quaker oatmeal sitting around, I thought it was a perfect recipe to share.

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups Quaker quick oats

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat together oil and sugar. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder, oatmeal. Beat well. Pour into a lightly greased pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight (this step is not essential). Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees until firm, about 35 minutes. Serve hot. Can add milk and/or top with fresh fruit.