Have you ever heard of Bacon Jam? I hadn’t until we tried it recently at our local Brew Fest.  We had it on top of hot dogs and it was delicious. Bacon jam will keep in your refrigerator for at least 2-3 weeks.  Try it on bagels, burgers, eggs, and so on.  I want to try it on top of crostini as an appetizer.

I first posted this recipe here:  Bacon Jam in the Crock Pot

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Fondue Cheese Recipe

1 tsp. minced garlic
1 C. dry white wine
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 C. Swiss cheese, shredded
2 C. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Pinch nutmeg

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the garlic, wine, and lemon juice. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the cheeses, and blend well until melted. Add mustard and nutmeg. Keep warm over Sterno with a fondue pot.

Dip assorted breads, meats, and veggies in the cheese. We diced French bread, salami, and fresh mushrooms to eat with our fondue.

Frugal Tips:  Gruyere isn’t exactly frugal.  I found it at Sam’s Club for $12/lb., and that was the best price I could find.  However, a splurge like this doubles as a Fun, Frugal Family Activity while providing a meal as well.  You can do the whole thing for less than $20, which is much less than an evening out.

Thanks, Mommysavers!  Originally posted here: Melting Pot Cheese Fondue

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I first posted this brie recipe on Mommysavers.com.  I was inspired by watching chef Amy Thielen, the host of Food Network’s Heartland Table and author of The New Midwestern Table.  What’s great about this recipe, other than its simplicity, is that the ingredients are pretty frugal.  I got my brie at ALDI for $2.99.  I made a huge batch of this for a mom’s wine night last week and spent well around $5 for a huge tray of these.  Plus, I had bread left over.

Maple Crostini with Brie

• 4 slices sourdough bread, sliced thinly and cut into fourths
• 1/2 C. real maple syrup (split)
• 1 stick butter (split)
• 1 round brie cheese (I get mine at ALDI)

In a frying pan, melt the maple syrup (1/4 cup) and butter (1/2 stick) over medium heat.  Place half of the bread in the pan, flipping right away to get the butter/syrup mixture to saturate both sides of the bread as much as you can (you may want to lower the heat if it gets too hot so the crystalized maple sugar doesn’t burn).  Continue flipping the crostini until golden brown on both sides.  Place tiny wedge of brie on top.  Smear a little.  Serve immediately while the bread is still warm.

Substitutions:  Don’t have sourdough bread?  You can make it at home (recipe HERE) or use any dense white bread.  Goat cheese or camembert will work for the cheese as well.  I have also made this recipe with the honey goat cheese they sell at ALDI and I’d highly recommend that as well.  Check that out here:  Maple Crostini with Goat Cheese.

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I love artichokes.  I usually get them in cans, so I considered it a challenge to learn how to prepare whole artichokes at home.  I recently spotted a 3-pack of artichokes at our local ALDI grocery store for just $1.59.  For me, it was the perfect opportunity to experiment!  I had previously tried to make roasted artichoke appetizer without much success.  My failing had to do with the fact that I didn’t cook the artichoke long enough.  I find it tastes the best when you boil it before you roast it… and quite a while.   If I were to do this again, I’d cut even more of the artichoke off the top.  The fleshy, tender heart is what tastes good.

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I originally posted this black bean and corn salsa recipe, also known as Cowboy Caviar Salsa, on Mommysavers.com.  It’s one of my go-to summer recipes, especially since I LOVE fresh cilantro.  I start it in seeds in late winter and transplant to the garden when it’s warm enough (which for us in Minnesota, can sometimes be late-May).

Frugal Tip:  When fresh sweet corn is in season, buy extra and cut off the cob.  Then, freeze the sweet corn flat in gallon Ziplock bags.  It will stay fresh in your freezer for several months.

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(Better Than) Applebee’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I’ve heard people say they’re nuts about the Applebee’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  I’m really not much of a fan of chain restaurants.  We have an Applebee’s in our town and I think I’ve only been there a few times (only because someone else chose the location).  I have nothing against Applebee’s.  We just choose to frequent mom and pop restaurants (see our road trip family rules).

Forget the chains.  I have a Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe that I would put up against any restaurant recipe.  Honestly, I’ve never come across a better version.  Yes, I’m bragging.

Frugal Tip:  Instead of going out to eat, invite another couple over this weekend.  This is the perfect thing to serve at a casual party.  In my opinion, it’s so much more fun (and frugal) to invite people over to your home instead of going out to a restaurant.

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Did you know that March 2nd is the anniversary of the legendary Dr. Seuss’ birthday?  Today, I honored his memory by making my version of green eggs (without the ham).  These colored deviled eggs are pretty easy to make, yet they look really difficult.  I made them in neon colors last year around Easter time.  Since my son recently requested deviled eggs (and they are one of my husband’s favorites as well) I decided to have a little fun with them.

I would eat them with a goat.  I would eat them in a boat.  I would eat them here and I would eat them there.  I would eat them anywhere!

Visit Mommysavers for complete step-by-step instructions on how to make these crackled colored deviled eggs

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Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl

• Bread bowl
• One bulb roasted garlic, mashed into spreadable paste (DIY:  How to roast garlic)
• 1 brie cheese round
• 1 tsp. rosemary leaves

This baked brie recipe is sure to impress any guests at your New Year’s Eve gathering.  They’ll never guess how easy (and frugal!) it really is.  First, I started with this Super-Easy Bread Bowl Recipe.  Basically, it’s any regular beer bread recipe.  Instead of making it in a bread pan, bake it in a bowl.  There are many variations on beer bread.  For this recipe, don’t make the sweet version.  You’ll want the savory nature of the cheese to stand out.  I normally add about 1/3 – 1/2 C. sugar to my beer bread.  For this version, I’d dial back the sugar in the bread dough to just a tablespoon or two.

Next, cut the top off the bread bowl and hollow out enough of the bread to insert the brie round, reserving the bread which you’ll cut into cubes for dipping.  Spread the roasted garlic paste over the brie and sprinkle with rosemary. Next, put the top of the bread bowl back on and wrap in aluminum foil.  Bake for 40-45 min. at 350 until the cheese has melted.  Remove the top and cube for dipping as well.

Frugal Tips:  If you haven’t yet discovered all of the great seasonal cheeses at ALDI, head there PRONTO!  Many of them will go away until next November.  Their brie is just $2.99.  You can’t beat that!  We also really loved their Spanish cheese variety pack, which included yummy Manchego cheese.

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Halloween food doesn’t have to all be about candy!  Last night, I made these cute little pumpkin deviled eggs.  Basically all you do is add a little red and yellow food coloring to the egg yolk mixture for the orange color.  I used a knife to get the striated look of the pumpkins, and sprinkled with paprika.  Then, I cut a strip of lettuce for the pumpkin’s stem.  You could also use chives or green onions for that.  My boys (the big one AND the little one) love these things.  All twelve were gone within about half an hour.

Frugal Tips:  Eggs just may be the most versatile frugal food.  Plus, they’re a really inexpensive source of protein.  It’s easy to compare the price of eggs to the price of other protein foods. A dozen large eggs weigh 1 1/2 pounds, so the price per pound of large eggs is two-thirds of the price per dozen. For example, if large eggs cost 90¢ per dozen, they cost 60¢ per pound. At $1.20 per dozen, large eggs are only 80¢ per pound.*

Source:  Incredible Edible Egg

Related Posts:

• How to make perfect hard-boiled eggs
• Neon deviled eggs

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