Easy Chicken Casserole

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 (8oz) tub sour cream

1 (8oz) can cream of chicken soup

shredded Wisconsin cheddar cheese

1 roll Ritz crackers

4 Tbsp real butter

Boil chicken until cooked thoroughly (can add salt, pepper or favorite spices). While chicken is cooking, combine sour cream and can of cream of chicken soup together and mix well. Place in the bottom of a small casserole dish. Cut chicken into small bite size pieces and place on top of cream mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Crush Ritz crackers and cover the dish then dot the top with butter.
Cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes

Orange Fluff Fruit Salad

2 (3oz) packages orange jello

1 (3.75oz) package french vanilla instant pudding

3 cups boiling water

1 (8oz) container of Cool Whip

2 (11oz) cans mandarin oranges (drained)

Combine gelatin & pudding add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Chill until slightly congealed. Fold in Cool Whip and mandarin oranges. Pour into serving dish and chill thoroughly.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Bars

1 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

12 oz package chocolate chips

12 oz package butterscotch chips

5 cups Rice Krispie cereal

1 cup light corn syrup

In a large sauce pan, over low heat melt sugar and corn syrup together. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, mix together well. Add Rice Krispies and mix (with hands) until well coated. Press hard into a well buttered 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate/butterscotch chips together in sauce pan. pour over Rice Krispie mixture and spread evenly with spatula. Let sit and cool until chocolate hardens.

Cut and Enjoy!

Navajo Fry Bread

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients together and slowly stir in warm water until dough is nice and soft (you may not need all of the water). Separate into about 8 smaller portions and flatten out until about 4" in diameter. Drop into oil and fry until golden brown on each side. Top with your favorite honey or jam and enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This recipe was submitted by Michele Saunders.

2-3 bell peppers

1 lbs ground beef

2 cans tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

2 cups cooked rice (we use "sticky" rice, but any will do)

salt & pepper to taste

shredded Wisconsin cheddar cheese

brown beef, drain and add sauce, paste and Salt&Pepper and mix well. Mix in rice. Slice the bell peppers and line a 9x9 baking dish with them. Cover with the rice mixture and top with cheese. Put in a 350 degree oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

Easy Meatloaf

-revised-
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck

3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder (optional)

1/4 cup ketchup + more if desired for top

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix together until well blended, cook in bread pan at 375 for 60 minutes or until done (160 inside temp). I like to cover the top with more ketchup during the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.

Cost - Under $10
Servings - Between 5-6

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

This is the meal that I will be preparing for my family tonight. Found this recipe online after doing some major searching.

1 whole fryer chicken (2.5-3 lbs) cut up
2 tbsp olive oil
2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian Style stewed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 tsp crushed basil
cooked pasta (I will be using penne rigate, however any pasta will do)

Brown chicken in oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain. Add cans of stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, zucchini and basil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Serve over pasta. If desired you can top with Wisconsin mozzarella cheese.

Total Price - Less than $10
Servings - about 6

*Chocolate Torte (aka - sex in a pan)*

*please note that this would not be considered a "budget friendly" recipe. However it is very good and well worth it. This is one that my mom made when I was growing up and we all fell in love with it. Great for holidays/special occasions.

Crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, melted
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup flour

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 (12- or 16-ounce) container thawed Cool Whip or other whipped topping, divided
1 (6-ounce) box or 2 (3-ounce) boxes instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk, cold

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust: Mix melted margarine with pecans and flour. Press into bottom of a 9X13 pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust becomes lightly brown and fairly firm. (Watch carefully and don't allow to burn.) Remove from the oven and cool crust completely.

Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 cup whipped topping. Mix until smooth. Spread gently over the cooled crust.

In a bowl, mix together chocolate pudding and milk according to package directions. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Cover with whipped topping (I take a heaping spoonful and gently place it on the filling in various places all over the top, then repeat until all the pudding is covered.) Then I lightly swirl the topping together. Top the final layer with pecan pieces or grated chocolate bar.
Cover with plastic wrap or tight fitting lid.
Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Easy Mexican Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that my mom gave me a while back, very good stuff.

1 whole chicken, boiled and removed from bone or if you are being lazy…a rotisserie chicken will work (also boned)

1 can evaporated milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 small can of green chilies

1 bag tortilla chips

1 1/2 cups grated Wisconsin cheddar cheese



Cut chicken into pieces, place in bowl. Pour in milk, cream of chicken soup, green chilies and onion then mix. In 9x13 baking dish, layer tortilla chips and liquid mixture alternately with a layer of cheese, topping with layer of cheese.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated and cheese melted.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb hamburger

1/2 lb sausage

1/2 onion

1 can of green beans, drained

2 small cans of tomato soup

6-8 potatoes, mashed

1/4 to 1/2 cup Wisconsin cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger with sausage and onions, and drain. Mix in green beans and tomato soup. Put mixture into 9x13 pan and top with mashed potatoes. Top that with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 or until cheese is melted.

Easy Chicken Bake

1 package (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing mix for chicken

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1/3 cup Sour Cream

1 16oz package of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing as directed on package, set aside. Mix chicken, soup sour cream and vegetables in a 9x13 pan, top with stuffing. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Coke Chicken

Mandy introduced this to me when we first met. I have enjoyed it since.

5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup ketchup

1 can of Coke/Pepsi (can be substituted with diet as well)

1/4 to 1/2 onion

Mix together coke with ketchup, mix in onions and place chicken in sauce. Cover and cook on medium heat for 45 mins to 1 hour.

*sauce makes a good topping for mashed potatoes (between 6-8 medium to large potatoes cut into 1" squares and boiled until soft, mashed with butter and milk) or egg noodles.

Total Cost - Under $10*
Servings - 5 to 6



*This price does include partial amounts for potatoes for the mashed potatoes as well as partial amounts for the ketchup used. This also did include the price for the green beans used.

Cheesy Broccoli casserole

This recipe is one that I got from the Duggar's. For those of you who don't know who they are, they are the family featured in the reality series, "18 Kids and Counting."

3/4 lbs of Velveeta cheese cubed

1 bag of frozen broccoli

1 cup minute rice

1 onion, chopped

1 stick of butter

1 can of Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

Saute' onions with butter. Cook broccoli as package directs and drain. Cook rice, combine all ingredients and pour into 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Swiss Chicken

This is a recipe that my sister Emily introduced me to, and has become a family favorite.

4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup

1 to 1 1/2 Cups grated Wisconsin Swiss cheese

1 1/2 to 2 cups of Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing (can substitute regular chicken stuffing but not quite as good)

1/4 cup melter butter or margarine

Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Place chicken breasts in pan, spread soup all over chicken and top with cheese. Mix stuffing with butter and cover chicken and cheese. Cover and bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Welcome

This blog is for those of us who are looking for budget friendly recipes, that are easy to prepare. I know there are some people out there who are looking for easy to make recipes or cheap recipes, but it is often hard to find both in the same place. There will be times that I will post some of my favorite recipes on here that may not be easy or budget friendly. These will be marked on each side of the title with *'s. If any of you have your favorite budget friendly, easy to make recipes that you want to share with others, please feel free to forward them to me at kmlahoover@gmail.com. Keep this blog bookmarked or add it to your favorites. You never know when you will be looking for an easy, budget friendly recipe.