This Easy Ham Sliders Recipe is so simple, but it tastes like a million bucks!   It’s perfect for parties or tailgating.  Your guests will think you spent much longer in the kitchen that you actually did. Plus, it’s a great make-ahead meal since all the prep work can be done the night before.

Easy Ham Sliders Recipe

• One dozen Hawaiian sweet rolls
• Swiss Cheese
• Sliced ham
• 1/2 C. (one stick) butter
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
• Poppy seeds (optional)

In a saucepan, bring the butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cool. Meanwhile, add sliced ham and cheese to your buns. Place in a glass Pyrex baking dish. Pour the cooled sauce over buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator. Let soak a few hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Makes 12.

Frugal Tips: The main ingredients for this recipe (the Ham, Swiss cheese, and Hawaiian sweet rolls) can all be found at ALDI. Shopping there will save you tons of money!

I originally posted a variation of this recipe (Ham and Swiss Sliders) on Mommysavers.com.

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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’ve got to give our neighbors credit for this one.  They started bringing us these yummy muffins several months ago, and my son LOVED them.  I asked for the recipe, thinking they were homemade.  Nope.  Just a box of Krusteaz mix and half a bag of Heath candy bits (you’ll find them near the chocolate chips).  They can’t be much easier, but they taste great!

Here’s how to make them:  Start with a box of Krusteaz streusel cake/muffin mix (pictured below).  Make according to package instructions for the muffins, but stir in about 1/3 of a bag of Heath bits into the mix, and a little bit on top (use about 1/2 a bag with each batch of muffins).  They’re so yummy!

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In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I present to you my recipe for Mexican Spoon Bread.  This custard-like corn dessert is yummy enough to satisfy any sweet tooth.  It’s the perfect ending or side dish for a savory Mexican meal.  I prepare it in a casserole dish, then scoop into ramekins for individual servings.

I originally posted this in the Mommysavers forum:  Don Pablo’s Mexican Spoon Bread Recipe

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I admit it, I’m not much of a sandwich person.  The idea of white, fluffy bread and poor-quality fillings doesn’t satisfy my hunger or my palate.   Gourmet sandwiches are another story.   If a sandwich has a beyond-the-basic spread, quality ingredients, and artisan bread… I’m in!

George Foreman Grill = Panini Press

I first mentioned my Turkey Artichoke Panini on the Mommysavers Frugal Forums, and someone said it sounded just like a Panera Copycat.  I’ve never had their version, but this one is really good!  I created this recipe almost entirely by chance.  I had made a big batch of my spinach artichoke dip for a party, and had some left over.  The next day, I used the dip along with some smoked turkey on a sandwich; and it was fabulous!  Since then, I’ve discovered that caramelized onions and red peppers make it even better.

This time around, I used Sam’s Club Castle Wood lunch meat.  It’s Sam’s private label brand, and it comes in wide variety of flavors and combo pack options.  I also picked up some focaccia bread to give it a true gourmet flair.  Feel free to use artistic license when you make this.  I’ve got the basic recipe for you to print out below, but add your own personal touch!  Different types of meats and cheese are fun alternatives to make it even better-tasting to you, personally.  My husband didn’t want the red peppers on his, so I created sandwich with them, and one without.  Both fabulous!

To see more photos of the sandwich creation process, view my Google+ Photo Album:  Turkey Artichoke Panini

Frugal Tips:  Don’t have a panini press?  You can use your George Foreman grill!

Additional Resources:

• Sam’s Club Castle Wood lunch meat
• Twitter @SamsClub
• Facebook

Disclosure:  I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sam’s Club Private Label #CBias #SocialFabric.  All opinions are my own.

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These pumpkin donut holes are easy, frugal and perfect for those fall mornings when there’s a slight chill in the air.   Besides, nothing says fall food like pumpkin does.  Make up a big batch of dough early in the week, and make enough for fresh donuts each morning.

Frugal Tip:  In 2010, a pumpkin shortage made canned pumpkin not only expensive, but very hard to find.  Back then, I shared how to make your own pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins on Mommysavers.  It’s still a great resource today.  The pumpkin puree can be frozen and enjoyed all winter long.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle

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Skillet Cornbread for 12″ Skillet

After visiting the south, skillet cornbread was on my list of things I wanted to make when I got home.   Any soul food restaurant worth its salt knows how to get cornbread just right, and I wanted to add it to my list of culinary accomplishments as well.   Plus, I just so happened to have a brand new Le Creuset cast-iron skillet waiting to be broken in.

When I searched for skillet cornbread recipes, most of them were for an 8″ skillet.  Since I have a 12″ skillet, I  had to adapt my recipe accordingly.  This recipe was not only easy, it was a big hit with my kids.  While it wasn’t quite as delicious as the skillet cornbread we tasted at Sweetie Pie’s, I will definitely be making it this way again.  Apparently the south, it goes against everything that is well and good to do it any other way.  As Mommysavers member Phoenyx says, “If I ever made cornbread in anything BUT a cast iron skillet, my grandmother would come out of her grave for the sole purpose of kicking my arse.” 

What are your favorite skillet recipes?  Let me know what you make in your cast-iron skillet.

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I’m a bit indecisive in real life, and this recipe proves it.  Yesterday I wasn’t sure quite sure whether to make Raspberry Bread Pudding or Raspberry Baked French Toast, I came up with a recipe that is a bit of both.  The basic recipe is based on my Baked French Toast, with a few minor tweaks.  I cut down on the egg content and added sugar because I wanted it lighter and sweeter.   I used bread from my leftover Hawaiian Sweet Bread, which gave it an even sweeter taste.  And of course – I added those luscious raspberries.  I wasn’t even sure what to call it, because it’s not a true bread pudding nor is it a French Toast.  So, with a bit of creative license I’m calling it Raspberry Baked French Strata.   It can be served as a dessert or as a breakfast bake. Whatever you call it or however you eat it, it’s delicious!

Frugal Tips:  Stale bread is great for recipes like this!  Never throw it away.  If you don’t want to use it up right away, throw it in the freezer for later.  Just thaw and use.

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Learning to make your favorite restaurant or prepackaged foods at home not only saves money, it’s usually a lot healthier.   I recently saw a Hawaiian Sweet Bread recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a go.   Instead of using cake rounds, I used a standard bread pan.  I had to bake the bread slightly longer because of that variation.  The two bread rounds would be more authentic and true to the shape of the Hawaiian sweet bread found in stores.  You could also use the dough to make Hawaiian sweet rolls.

Frugal Tip:  Pineapple juice is not an ingredient I buy regularly, but occasionally I’ll stumble upon a recipe that calls for it.  I purchase a large can of pineapple juice and freeze what I don’t need in ice cube trays for future use.  That way, I was able to get the best value at the store without any drop going to waste.  I can use it in this Hawaiian Sweet Bread recipe, marinades, slushies, etc.

Recipe adapted from:  Allrecipes.com

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