Price Chopper Budget Meals 3/18 - 3/24

Click the image above to see everything that's on sale this week.

I am so wrapped up in my Four Ingredient Cookbooks that I pulled this week's recipes from there - what better way to save money than to combine sales with just four ingredients? I definitely intend to try these recipes and I'll let you know my thoughts when I do. I have one more fish recipe slated for tomorrow night, then unfortunately I'll probably have to move on to another book before I spill all the secrets in this one! But I definitely recommend that you purchase a copy of your own!

For coupon matches to these deals check out Little People Wealth and Cutting Coupons in KC. Note that these deals pertain only to the Price Chopper stores in Kansas and Missouri.

Recipes:

Barbecued Spareribs
4 lbs spareribs (Country Style Ribs $1.48/lb)
2 medium onions, sliced (Sweet Yellow Onions $.039/lb, 3/19-3/21 only)
1 (18 oz) bottle barbecue sauce (KC Masterpiece 4/$5)
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ribs in roaster. Add onions and brown sugar (optional). Pour sauce over ribs and cook covered for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Serves 4.

Pork Potato Casserole
4-6 pork chops (Lean Pork Loin Chops $1.48/lb)
4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch slices (Large Baking Potatoes $.039/lb, 3/19-3/21 only)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 can milk

Place two layers of potatoes in bottom of a greased casserole dish. Place pork chops on top. Combine soup and milk. Pour over chops. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour; uncovered at 375 degrees for 1/2 hour. Serves 4-6.

Mushroom Chicken
6 chicken breasts, thighs or legs (Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs $1.49/lb)
3 Tbsp oil
2 (4 oz) cans button mushrooms
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Brown chicken in oil in frying pan. Remove and arrange chicken in casserole. Combine soup and mushrooms and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 4-6.

Broccoli Tuna Casserole
1 (6 1/2 oz) can tuna, drained (Best Choice Chunk Light Tuna $0.69)
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained (Westpac Classic Vegetables $0.69 3/19-3/21 only)
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup crushed seasoned potato chips (Lay's Potato Chips $1.79 3/19-3/21 only)

Layer tuna, broccoli and mushroom soup in small baking dish. Cover with crushed potato chips. Bake, uncovered, ta 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Fish Delight
4 fish fillets (Tilapia Fillets $3.99/lb)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar or ginger (optional)

Place fillets in greased casserole dish. Mix soy sauce and lemon juice with sugar or ginger if desired. Pour over fish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Place under broiler for 10 minutes. Serves 2-4.

BBQ Cups
1 lb lean ground beef (Certified Lean Ground Chuck $1.49/lb 3/19-3/21 only)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (KC Masterpiece 4/$5)
1 can refrigerator biscuits Best Choice Jumbos Biscuits 4/$5)
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown meat, drain. Add barbecue sauce and set aside. Place biscuits in ungreased muffin cups, pressing dough up sides of edge of cup. Spoon meat mixture into cups. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Serves 4-5.

Scalloped Corn
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup cracker crumbs
2 (16 oz) cans corn, drained (Best Choice Vegetables $0.48)

Blend all ingredients together. Bake in lightly greased loaf pan for 1 hour at 325 degrees.

3/18 - 3/24 Deals:
Fresh Lean Pork Loin Chops or Country Style Ribs - $1.48/lb
Best Choice Canned Vegetables - $0.48
Rice-a-Roni or Pasta Roni - $0.78
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs - $1.49/lb
Tilapia Fillets - $3.99/lb
Price Chopper Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns - $0.99
KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce - 4/$5
Deli Fratelli Tomatoes - 4/$5
Libby's Canned Fruit - 4/$5
Best Choice Chunk Light Tuna - $0.69
Best Choice Jumbo Biscuits - 4/$5
Red Delicious Apples - $0.99/lb
Hot House Tomatoes - $0.99/lb
Argentine Bartlett Pears - $0.99/lb

3/19 - 3/21 Deals
Oscar Mayer Meat Weiners - $0.99
Certified Lean Ground Chuck - $1.49/lb
Lay's Potato Chips - $1.79
Westpac Classic Vegetables - $0.69
Dannon Yogurts - $0.29
Large Baking Potatoes - $0.39/lb
Sweet Yellow Onions - $0.39/lb

Product Review: Bertolli Premium Vodka Rustica Pasta Sauce

Last night I couldn't decide whether to whip up a new recipe or warm up leftovers. After bouncing between the fridge and the pantry for a few minutes, I decided to land somewhere in between. Leftovers just weren't doing it for me, but I wasn't in the mood to thaw out a pack of chicken breasts either. So I grabbed a pouch of pasta sauce from my pantry, and the rest is history!

I grabbed a pouch of Bertolli's new Premium Vodka Rustica Pasta Sauce at HyVee a few weeks ago. Little did I know how new this stuff really was! I couldn't even find it listed on Bertolli's website, so I called customer service to find out why. This flavor was just released into stores in February and the website hasn't been updated yet. I am so glad that I called; the representative was extremely pleasant to speak with, and even offered to mail me a pack of coupons for Bertolli and other Unilever products - SCORE!



Whether or not you can find it online, head to your local store and find the real thing; you won't be disappointed! I absolutely hate to do dishes, and I hate to clean up sauce splatters all over my stove even more. With this inventive little pouch, there is no need to do either! Simply snip the corner of the pouch and microwave for 90 seconds - and voila! Dinner's done!

I used a 1 pound box of Barilla Cellentani Pasta - OOPS! My only complaint about the dish was that it was rather dry; not enough sauce to go around. I confirmed with the Bertolli customer service representative - since this is a 13 ounce pouch of sauce, you are only supposed to use a HALF a pound of pasta! DOH! Once again, I failed the "reading directions" portion of the test miserably. However, dry or not, the taste was fabulous! I love Vodka sauces because you get the best of both worlds - a little bit tomato, a little bit cream. This pouch packs the perfect amount of both, and is very savory (I really dislike sweet pasta sauces, so that's a big score in my book)! Add some Pillsbury Butter Tastin' Flaky Layers Biscuits (actually not my favorite - I'll stick to plain ol' Grands! from now on), sprinkle with a little Kraft Grated Parmesan, and you've got a perfect meal! And a special note to all of my coupon cutters out there - I bought each of these items on sale and/or with a coupon - DOUBLE SCORE!

Have you tried Bertolli Premium Pasta pouches? I'd love to hear your comments. I will definitely snatch up a few more pouches of the Vodka Rustica next time I'm at HyVee; I think I'll have to try the other flavors too (the Champignon and Portabella Mushroom will likely win my husband over)!

carrot-coconut muffins

Two words: ANOTHER WINNER!

I have said before - and will say again - that I am not a baker. I can't reheat frozen pies or cook packaged cookie dough without some sort of disaster. So what on earth possessed me to try this recipe is beyond me!

But am I ever glad that I did! These heavenly little nuggets are so moist and full of flavor. They were great fresh out of the oven and also amazing out of the fridge the next day. Let me again note the changes I'll make next time before I give you the recipe:

1. The coconut didn't add anything. I don't know if it was a necessary ingredient just in terms of baking and making the recipe turn out right (hope not!) but there was no coconut flavor in the finished product, and the texture was a bit distracting. I'll drop it next time.
2. There really wasn't a carrot flavor either. You definitely get the orange color, and maybe a tinge of flavor, but (thankfully!) nothing overpowering. I want to try sweet potato baby food next time, and then the sky is the limit on other concoctions.
3. The apple cinnamon notes from the boxed muffin mix and added spices are the most powerful (and yummy!) flavors in these muffins. I am a spice girl (no pun intended), so I will add more cinnamon and perhaps even some pumpkin pie spice next time. Yum yum!

Carrot-Coconut Muffins
Canola oil cooking spray (I used butter flavored instead)
1 box (19 oz) fat-free apple cinnamon muffin mix
4 jars (4 oz each) carrot baby food (pureed)
1 c shredded coconut
1/4 c apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together muffin mix, carrot baby food, coconut, apple juice, cinnamon and ginger until combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full.
3. Bake muffins in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool muffins in cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins

Source: Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light

my diabolical plan derailed (temporarily)

I was all fired up to kick off the blog and cook a new Cola Chicken recipe tonight. After a rather difficult day, I returned home to find my husband already cooking! What a wonderful surprise!

Unfortunately I can't say that he cooked a recipe for me to share with you, but I will still recommend our meal. The next time you are in a pinch or on a budget, try Betty Crocker Complete Meals. My favorite is the Three Cheese Chicken, which is what we ate tonight. For just a few dollars I can feed my family of three and usually have another small serving left over for lunch the next day. Most packaged meals are either dry or runny, but this meal has the perfect creamy texture (which says a lot coming from me, because I am picky about creamy foods).



Pillsbury's Ready to Bake S'mores cookies are another one of our family favorites. After dinner my hubby surprised me with these fresh, hot cookies too! While we do love the flavors of these cookies, I must say that they are extremely sweet - you'd better have a glass of milk on hand! Also, they are very soft and tend to fall apart when they are warm. As they cool they harden up nicely; I love to eat them out of the fridge the day after they are baked (that is, if there are any left over!).

Now back to the drawing board; tomorrow I will shoot for a great Cola Chicken. Wish me luck, and I'll share the results here!