In the spirit of goodwill towards mankind, I am offering this November's Menu Planners to all of my foodie followers for FREE! Merry Thanksgiving!
Now, I know I'm a bit behind, so let's get to it:
(click on the link below to access the Menu Planner)
(click on the link below to access the Menu Planner)
Week One's Menu may not be the most delicious food you've ever tasted in all your livelong life, but...it's going to save you money. We are all about stretching your dollar, and if you're like me, that is greatly welcomed in this denial-that-the-holiday-season-is-upon-is week.
You will start with a few "base" meals that you can use the leftovers to morph into something else.
1. Slow Cooker Chicken Roast: Like pot roast, only with chicken. I found this recipe in Rachael Ray's magazine and felt ashamed that I hadn't thought of it on my own. It is SO easy, and super cheap. You will end up using the leftovers for Chicken Tortilla Soup & Chicken Salsa Quesadillas.
I do need to tell you: The slow cooker chicken stock that I recommend making at the end of this recipe will (1) taste delicious and (2) make your house stink. So, sorry about that second one--I'll let you weigh the pros & cons for yourself. I put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, left it on low overnight, and when we woke up in the morning, a funky smell was wafting from the kitchen. BUT, the funky smell was gone as soon as I stored the stock and cleaned the crockpot. And the yummy homemade stock was enough to make 2.5 soups, so it was worth it in my opinion.
2. Pasta w/ Homemade Tomato Sauce: This is an easy go-to at my house. The sauce is healthier & cheaper than buying jarred marinara--less sodium, sugar, & other preservatives, and therefore less ingredients. The sauce will be used on your pizza later on, and if it's too thin for pizza sauce, I'd recommend mixing some tomato paste in with it to thicken it up.
3. Chicken Tortilla Soup: If you want to earn extra frugal credit, skip the recipe ingredients and make my favorite easy chicken soup. Saute 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots, & 3 chopped celery stalks (or however many are lurking in your crisper) in 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Add 4-8 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes or so (until carrots are soft). Season again with salt & pepper (& I add a little thyme as well). Voila.
4. Chicken Salsa Quesadillas: By now you're catching on to the recurring ingredients. Stretch 'em out and use 'em up!
5. Cheese Pizza: My favorite thing about pizza is there are a billion different ways to make it & almost everyone likes pizza. I know the crust can be intimidating. Just try it on a Friday morning after breakfast or before lunchtime...stick it in the fridge after a couple of hours. It will be easier than you think. (Even EASIER: Swing by your local pizza place and buy pizza dough from them--Memphis Pizza Cafe has sold us theirs from time-to-time for $1-$5, depending on who rings us up.)
Hopefully your wheels are turning on how to do this again & again on the weeks you need to pinch pennies. I am admittedly not the greatest at this--I have friends turn their leftovers into something else day after day, week after week. I crave the variety & end up resenting the restraint it places on my recipe choices. (I'm not a leftovers-lover.) But when it comes to eating cheap, you can't beat something like this! (Unless maybe you eat Ramen Noodles & Kraft Macaroni & Cheese every night, which I have done, but I do not suggest.)
If you go grocery shopping tonight (Tues) or tomorrow (Wed), you could start these recipes on Wednesday evening and it will get you through Sunday night. Happy Eating!
(November Week Two is THIS WEEK, so I'm going to cut it until next month. Don't worry--there is a giant need for Light & Healthy Menu Planners in December! Around our house, the week before Christmas is actually "Salad Week!" I will post November Week Three on Friday, which is sure to get your taste-buds excited for next Thursday!
