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Posts from the ‘Main Dish’ Category

mexican chicken and rice bake.

It’s 5 o’clock.

Your kids are screaming.

The phone is ringing.

Your toddler is eating dirt he found in the indoor plant you thought would be perfect for the house, before you had small children.

Good thing you made this chicken and rice dish ahead of time!  Just pre-heat your oven, pop it in and dinner is on the table in 30 minutes.  It’s great for the kids, perfect for leftovers, and an excellent way to sneak in a few vegetables into your meal.

I’ve had a lot of readers ask about crock-pot recipes or dinners that are easy to make ahead of time and pop in the oven to get dinner ready lickity-split.  Hope you enjoy this one!

Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake

(serves 4-6)

What You’ll Need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded

4 cups pre-cooked brown rice

3/4 cup corn

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup plain yogurt (or you can substitute sour cream)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 4 ounce can green chilis

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1 cup grated cheddar or monterey jack cheeses

salt and pepper

cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese is stirred completely. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

TOTAL:  $8.70 or $2.18 per serving, based on 4 servings.  But you’ll likely end up with leftovers – hooray!

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

553 calories per serving

16 grams of fat

61 carbs

41 grams protein

8 grams fiber

Did you give this recipe a try?  Pop on over to Facebook and let me know what you think!

touchdown turkey chili.

Fall has come to our house.

At my husband’s request last weekend I made a pot of turkey chili to enjoy while watching the opening weekend of football.  It’s become somewhat of a tradition in the Hartman household.  I never thought we’d be THAT family to pull up lunch or dinner in front of the tv, all of us, watching while we eat.  But here we are.  I might pull the cord if we ever consider purchasing those tv trays that make eating in front of the tv a regular thing.  That would be a little over the top. Read more

lemon herb chicken.

Did you know braised meats are a great way to save some cash without sacrificing a tasty meal?  My latest favorite is this lemon herb chicken, which I often use if cut fryer or split chicken breasts are on sale (and I usually look for $1.49/lb or less).

Basically, you toss the chicken into a pan, add some diced onions, herbs and olive oil…. Read more

the northwest part 1: crab mac and cheese.

If it weren’t for the months and months of rain I might seriously consider moving to the Northwest.  Really I’m just a rain wimp.  But this week we traveled to Whidbey Island, about 30 miles north of Seattle in the Puget Sound, and it was absolutely, drop dead gorgeous.   Read more

grilled chicken and peach salad.

This here’s a salad that’s frugal in the calories and cost department.  The perfect summery salad to eat after you getting your fix of cherry chocolate chip ice cream from earlier this week. Read more

creamy sausage and tomato pasta.

The other night I arrived home a bit late for work, feeling rather frantic because the blood sugar levels of my two small children were dropping by the minute and I knew I needed to have dinner ready, and quick.  Now when you find yourself in this predicament, and let’s face it, if you are a mom reading this you are probably there several times a week day, pasta is a great go-to dish. Read more

chicken cacciatore with polenta.

Company coming over this weekend?

Have a little extra time to put together an impressive meal?

Give this chicken cacciatore with polenta a spin.  Paired with a salad, your meal is sure to be tasty and cost-effective, especially if you can find a whole fryer for $1.49/lb or split breasts for $.99/lb. Read more

curried chicken and zucchini with couscous.

Ever cook with couscous?  It’s a staple at our house and is a quick go-to starch, taking only minutes to cook.  So when I don’t have the time or the patience to cook rice we go with couscous. And they sell a box of whole wheat couscous at TJ’s for $1.99! Read more

turkey meatballs with golden raisins and pine nuts.

Honest to goodness this is the very first meatball recipe I have ever made.  I’m just not a huge meatball fan – is that kind of snobby of me? Read more

bandera’s macho salad.

I’m not gunna lie.  This salad is not frugal in cost or calories.  I tried.  Really I did.

But it’s oh so good. Read more

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