4 Under $40 - Eastern European Style

I received an email last week from someone who was very interested in my 4 Under $40 and how it was working out. I thought I'd begin again and really work on getting creative with the menu. Once my house guest is gone I'll review how 4 Under $40 works. I'm also still in the process of working out a good format so bear with me as I proceed. But, since I have an Eastern European in my home for another week I though cabbage and sausage might be a good place to begin . . . .

Monday - Crockpot Roast ($9.68 less Potatoes)

Round Roast (3+#) $6.12

Carrots (2#) $1.88

Potatoes (ok, forgot to purchase, but already had plenty at home) <$3

Seasoning Packet $1.68 (Next time grab a can of Campbell's Beefy Mushroom Soup)

Throw it all into the Crockpot and cook on Low for 8 hours. Dinner is DONE!

Tuesday - Stuffed Cabbage ($12.21) 

Head Cabbage - ($1.87/lb) $1.08  - - organic cabbage is only $1.98/lb

2 qt Water

1 Tablespoon butter

1 onion ($1.98/3 lb) chopped

1clove garlic ($1.26/3 bulbs) chopped

2 cups cooked rice ($.93/lb - Laura Lynn Brown Rice)

1lb ground beef ($1.21lb) $3.60

salt & pepper

1 Tablespoon dried parsely

4 cups Tomato Puree ($.84 can Laura Lynn) $3.36+/-

*Cook Rice according to package directions.

*Core cabbage. Boil in water until leaves begin to peel back (2-3min). Reserve 1 cup of cabbage water for later use. Separate leaves and shave/trim thick stems (do not cut off, just trim down so they aren't as woody).

*Saute' onion and garlic in butter.

*In large bowl combine onion mixture, cooked rice, raw ground beef, salt & pepper, and parsley.

*Place 1 cup tomato puree in bottom of Dutch oven. Put 1/3cup rice filling into each cabbage leaf, fold stem end first and place into dutch oven. 

*Mix remaining tomato puree with reserved cabbage water and pour over stuffed cabbages. Bring to a boil, immediately simmer. Cover and cook 1 hour until very tender. Use remaining puree mixture to cover stuffed cabbages as needed.

This recipe was taken from HERE. It's by far the most involved of the week, but it sounds delicious and should be worth the effort.

Note: The full cost is $12.21, but that is your full price for onions, garlic and rice and you won't use it all with this meal so your "per serving" cost is much lower.

Thursday - Kielbasa Dinner ($2.48)

5 medium potatoes, cubed 

4 whole carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

1 large onion, quartered or smaller

1 lb Kielbasa, cut into 1in pieces - Johnsonville Polish Kielbasa $2.48

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 in baking dish and fill with all ingredients. Salt & pepper as desires. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.

This recipe was taken from HERE. And there is also a "creamy" version with milk,  cream of mushroom soup, and cheese. I've also already included the full cost of potatoes, carrots and onion in Monday & Tueday's prices so there's no need to repeat them here. 

Friday - Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken Salad ($10.82)

Whole cut-up chicken ($1.28/lb) $5.34

Large Laura Lynn Cream of Chicken Soup $1.68

Manischewitz Fine Egg Noodles (in ethnic foods) $2.12

Bakery Croissant Rolls ($1.68/6)

*Boil chicken as desires. (I add salt & pepper, thyme, rosemary, and anything else I think might make my broth yummy - sometimes even a chicken bouillon.) Remove chicken and strain broth. Add Cream of Chicken soup to broth continuing to simmer.

*Debone chicken and return 2 -3 cups to broth reserving the rest for another meal. 

*In separate pot, cook egg noodles per package directions. When done, drain and add to chicken broth.

At $10.82 this meal gives you a bonus Chicken Salad to go with your soup or as lunch on Saturday or Sunday. 

*Mix reserved, chopped chicken with desired amount of mayonnaise. Salt & pepper to taste and stir until creamy. Add other ingredients as desires.  Place into Croissant Rolls ($1.68/6).

Whammo! It's a two-fer! 

Here's my entire receipt. I did forget the potatoes and I don't usually include pantry staples like butter and spices into the price. This week you get not 4 but FIVE very healthy mostly whole-food meals for $36.25 (unless you have to buy potatoes and you'll still be under $40) and that is quite a deal.

~Megan

**Let me add that if you a plan-ahead-er, you might also want to grab some of the ground turkey and chicken breasts that are on sale for meals I have in mind for next week. Throw 'em in the freezer and we'll discuss on Monday.

Ingles 4 Under $40 - 12Nov2012

Alrighty guys and gals, it is looking like you will have fun this week with a quiche, salmon, pork loin and chicken. Also, think about your best sweet potato recipes because those suckers are going cheap! (I think I will throw mine into the Crockpot with the pork loin.)

I will do what I can today to get this posted quickly, but please have much grace this week. My sweet granddaddy is not doing well at all and apart from an awesome intervention of God he will likely not last the week. He has suffered long with the disease that is dementia and it has robbed him of his vitality and now of his very life. I am thanful, though, that he will soon be in a place where there is no more hardship and no more dispair. He will be free from the body that is bogged down in sin and receive the new body and new name waiting on him in glory.

Thanks for your prayers this week and if I don't get to the new recipes or meals then respond to this post and show everyone else what you came up with!

~Megan

Two Fabulous Soup Recipes

Since I have still not been to Ingles this week I am going to post my two soup recipes I told you about. They are equally amazing. Grandmother’s Chicken Noodle (which did, indeed, come from my very own grandmother) is the simpler of the two, but the Leek and Potato (from a Pampered Chef newsletter) is well worth any effort required. Provided your family isn’t Duggar-sized, both of these recipes make enough soup for your crew and maybe even another. There will certainly be enough left for lunch for a day or two. Enjoy!

~Megan

Grandmother’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Boil a package of split breasts or a whole cut up chicken for broth.

Season broth to taste with thyme, salt, pepper, etc.

When done, remove chicken from broth and pick meat from bones.

Strain broth if desires and place chicken back into broth.

Pour one large (26oz) can Cream of Chicken soup into broth/chicken.

Cook one package of egg noodles (I like the thin ones) per package directions and add to soup.

Voila! Serve warm immediately or reheat the next day (which I like even better). You may need to add a bit of water or more broth if you reheat this soup as it will thicken when refrigerated overnight.

Leek and Potato Soup

2 Large Leeks white and light green parts only

-cut lengthwise in half and thinly slice crosswise. Swish in cold water to remove dirt.

1T butter

1 med onion – finely chopped

3 cloves garlic – pressed

1.5 t smoked Paprika

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes – peeled & diced

4 c chicken broth

1 can Great Northern Beans – drained & rinsed

1.5 c milk

3 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese – shredded

0.5 t salt

0.5 t pepper

6 T sour cream

Melt butter in stock pot over med heat. Add leeks, onion, garlic and paprika. Cook until veggies are soft. Add potatoes and cook about 2 min stirring constantly. Add stock and cook about 12-15 min until tender. Add beans and cook until warm. Ladle soup into blender and blend until smooth. Return soup to pot and add milk. Stir and cook until simmering. Stir in cheese and salt and pepper. Cook until cheese has melted. Serve. 

WARNING: You may not want to serve this soup while your mama is around. You may feel she needs to slapped. (Just sayin'.)