French Toast Cupcakes

January 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

french toast cupcakes

This recipe is for all those people who believe in eating dessert first!  Is breakfast too early for a cupcake?  I think not!  This French Toast Cupcakes recipe was originally posted over on Mommysavers.com.  It’s a fun way to use up day-old bread.  Plus, you’ll win extra points with your kids if you give them cupcakes before school!

Frugal Tips:  Look for French bread on the reduced bakery rack at Walmart.  I can get it for around $1 per loaf!

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Ingredients
  • ½ loaf French bread, cubed (or any kind of stale or day-old bread)
  • ½ C. sour cream
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1¼ C. half and half (use milk to make it even more frugal)
  • 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted and cooled
  • ¼ C. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • Cool Whip Frosting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a mixing bowl. Combine other ingredients and pour over bread cubes, stirring to saturate completely.
  2. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and inside is baked through.
  3. Allow to cool slightly and top with vanilla Cool Whip Frosting.

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Filed Under: Desserts, Muffins and Rolls Tagged With: , ,

Cabbage Roll Soup

January 22, 2013 by 1 Comment

cabbage roll soup

This Cabbage Roll Soup recipe is pure comfort food on cold winter nights.  Plus, any time you use veggies like celery, onions and carrots (the “trinity”) as the base of your recipe, it’s going to be frugal and healthy.  Cabbage, ground beef, and tomatoes added that authentic cabbage roll flavor.  Serve with crusty bread (I get day-old French bread at Walmart for 40% off).

Frugal Tips:  I had enough leftovers for three lunches of this meal, which I served over rice.  Serving left over soups and stews over rice, pasta or a baked potato is a great way to make your meals go even further.

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Cabbage Roll Soup
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 C. sliced baby carrots
  • 2 stalks of celery, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 6-8 C. beef broth (depending on if you want it more of a soup or stew)
  • ½ head of cabbage, core removed sliced in strips
  • ½ C. uncooked white rice
Instructions
  1. Liberally salt and pepper your ground beef, and sprinkle paprika on top. Using your hands,work the spices into the meat.
  2. Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Brown ground beef until no longer pink and remove with slotted spoon.
  3. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the stock pot. Cook until translucent and semi-soft. Drain any excess fat.
  4. Add ground beef back into the stock pot with the vegetables. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer on low for 45 minutes. Add cabbage and uncooked rice. Simmer until rice and cabbage is soft, approximately another 30 minutes.
Filed Under: Soups and Stews Tagged With: , , ,

Crock Pot Indian Food: Chana Masala

January 15, 2013 by 9 Comments

crock pot indian food chana masala

Ever since the new Indian restaurant opened down the street, I’ve been an Indian food junkie.  I wasn’t entirely new to Indian food; we’ve had it when traveling, but my experience was spotty at best.  Slowly, I’ve been working my way through the menu and hitting upon some favorites.  Among them, Chana Masala.  I recently made it at home in the crock pot and it’s super-easy.  Because the main protein in the dish is chickpeas, it’s also frugal –and healthy, too.  Definitely a win-win!

Frugal Tips:  Indian spices are not always cheap, but they’re necessary for authentic flavors in Indian cookery.  Think of them as an investment in frugal cooking.  Over time, the money you save cooking Indian food at home (which is pretty frugal) will more than make up for the initial financial outlay.

3.0 from 1 reviews

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Crock Pot Indian Food: Chana Masala
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 4 C. water
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
  • ⅓ C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tsp. garam masala
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like more of a kick)
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained
Instructions
  1. Combine everything except the chickpeas in a crock pot and turn on low for 6-8 hours. Add chickpeas, and cook 2 more hours until they’re tender and have incorporated the Indian flavors. Serve over Basmati rice.

Find more recipe inspiration on Mommysavers:

 

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Roast Leg of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction

January 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

roast leg of lamb

 

If you’ve never had leg of lamb, you’re missing out on a culinary treat.  It’s tender, and somewhat earthy tasting.  I love it with Mediterranean side dishes like couscous (pictured above).    When I saw it at ALDI, I knew I had to get it!  I use this recipe as a basis, but created a balsamic reduction as well.

Frugal Tips:  When cooking a more expensive cut of meat, a little bit goes a long way.  Make sure you have plenty of frugal side dishes to go along with it to bring down the overall cost of the meal.

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Roast Leg of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
This roast leg of lamb dish is simple, yet will please the most sophisticated of palates.
Ingredients
  • Leg of lamb roast (2-4 lb.)
  • ¼ C. honey
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • Sea salt to taste
  • ¼ C. balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine the honey, mustard, rosemary, lemon juice and garlic. Pour over the lamb roast, cover and marinade at least 2-3 hours in the refrigerator (or overnight).
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place lamb on a roasting rack and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 20 minutes, then reduce temp to 400 degrees. Continue cooking 55-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
  3. Remove roast and allow to sit for 10 minutes before carving. While you’re waiting, pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan and add balsamic vinegar. Simmer until reduced, then pour over the roast just before serving.

 

Filed Under: Meat Tagged With: , ,

Classic French Steamed Mussels

January 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Classic French Steamed Mussels

 

Steamed mussels are one of our favorite “at-home date night” meals. They cost around $4 per pound, and are easy to make. I first posted our Mussels in Garlic Wine Sauce recipe on Frugal Bites a couple months ago. I recently found this recipe in the newspaper and gave it a try.  It’s based on a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated.  It was very similar to our other recipe, with just slight variations in the amounts of each ingredient.

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Classic French Steamed Mussels
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Mussels create an easy, elegant dish that is surprisingly frugal.
Ingredients
  • 2 C. white wine
  • ½ C. minced shallots
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ C. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 lb. mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, bring wine, shallots, garlic, parsley, and bay leaf to a simmer. Cook about 3 minutes. Add mussels and cover the pan. Cook until the mussels have opened, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
  2. Remove mussels from the sauce. Add butter and stir to emulsify. Pour the liquid over the mussels. Serve with linguine noodles and/or crusty bread.

 

Filed Under: 30 Minutes or Less, Fish and Seafood Tagged With:
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