Budget Savvy Diva has put together another Frugal recipe for you.  Each week, she’ll share a recipe a family of 4 can make for $5 or less.

All-in-One Box Dinners – Chicken

Less than $10.00 !!!! Wonderfully Filling!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts, about 3 large 4 small breasts (you can get a bag of skinless boneless chicken breasts for a reasonable price, but its not really that hard to skin and de-bone breasts which will save you a good bit of money)

1 small can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken, any variety of creamy soup works but make sure the flavor is one you enjoy because it will be a main taste in this meal–my family likes chicken, mushroom, and celery but cheese and broccoli struck out)

1/2 cup milk

1 box stuffing mix (any brand, any variety- I use store brands and whatever kind comes to my hand first)

1 T. butter or margarine

1/4 c. boiled water (micro waving the water and butter is convenient – more water for softer stuffing)

Shredded cheese optional, for appearance

Directions:

Prepare a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix milk and soup thoroughly in bottom of dish, place raw, cleaned, de-boned and de-skinned chicken breast in soup mixture, mixture should cover chicken just slightly. In a separate bowl mix water and butter gradually with stuffing mix, stir until moist, put stuffing on top of chicken.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is done (use a meat thermometer to be sure). Remove foil. Add cheese if desired, and wait until melted, or place back in oven until crispy.

Goes well with any veggie you associate with Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner, it has a way of making the house smell like the holidays.

One way I’ve found to reduce my grocery budget is to plan a menu.  My first step is always a peek inside my stockpile closet, refrigerator and freezer.  I want to see what I already have and what needs to be used before it expires.  A couple weeks ago I decided to use my FREE Philadelphia Cooking Creme.  I found an easy recipe on the back of the container.  I glanced at it, thought I had the ingredients and moved on.  When it came time to make dinner, I realized I didn’t have exactly what the recipe called for.  I sure wasn’t about to run up to the store, so I improvised.

Here is the recipe from the container:

Chicken Primavera with Pasta

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, red peppers, snow peas)
• 1 tub (10 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme
• 2 cups cooked fettuccine

I looked in the freezer and realized I had used my stir-fry mix, and I didn’t have fettuccine in the cabinet.

My version of Chicken Primavera with Pasta

• 4 strips of chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces (from a lg bag of chicken tenders) ~$1
• Box of frozen broccoli florets FREE
• Part of a bag of frozen carrot and peas ~$0.25
• Tub of Philadelphia Italian cheese and herb cooking creme FREE
• Box of thin spaghetti noodles FREE
• Sprinkle of mozzarella cheese (per hubbies request) ~$0.25

I served it with bread from the bread machine, so I spent around $1.50 for my family of 4, with leftovers!

I realize this was a pretty easy substitution, but I could have spent $3 or $4 more if I had gone back up to the store (stir-fry mix is not usually cheap).  Also, I almost always use less meat than the recipe calls for.

Even better?  My pasta-hating hubby actually liked it!

What type of substitutions do you make in cooking?

This post is linked to Life as Mom & My Coupon Teacher

Budget Savvy Diva has put together another Frugal recipe for you.  Each week, she’ll share a recipe a family of 4 can make for $5 or less.

Monkey Bread the Frugal Way !

Perfect for taking to a brunch or serving to your own family, this yummy pull-apart bread is always a big hit!

Ingredients:

4 cans of refrigerated biscuits
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
3/4 c. butter or margarine

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Cut biscuits into quarters and coat with an extra mixture of cinnamon and sugar if desired, makes it EXTRA good!
* Melt remaining ingredients together in a small saucepan.
* Place half of biscuit quarters into a greased Bundt pan and sprinkle chopped pecans or raisins on top if you have them on hand.
* Pour 1/2 of butter mixture over the top and repeat with remaining biscuits.
* Bake for 30-40 minutes.

 

Budget Savvy Diva has put together another Frugal recipe for you.  Each week, she’ll share a recipe a family of 4 can make for $5 or less.

If you did not know Budget Savvy Diva is Gluten Free – meaning I do not eat anything with gluten in it – like anything that is made with flour. Most of my favorite foods are made with flour – cookies, cakes, pasta, pizza, soy sauce, gravy, the list goes on. Because I am gluten free for health reasons – I have a VERY strict diet – but that does not mean I wanted to give up flavor or my favorite things to eat So I provide recipes that I love that just happen to be gluten free

For the list of gluten free recipes please head on over HERE

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