Thrifty Recipes Blog - Living On Food Banks

Turkey Topped Puffed Pancake

11/28/2015

Are you getting the moans, "Not turkey again!" Yet there seems to be enough turkey and sides in the refrigerator for the next five days? What is one to do? You simply can't start mixing and concocting more food when there is simply no more space on those cold shelves.

Here's a great recipe to use up some of that turkey that could well be your dear friend for the next several days. This gets you off of the microwave and sandwich crutch and gives them something a bit different to enjoy.

Most of all, you can make this in snap as most the ingredients can be ready had in your pantry cupboard already.

3 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup 2% milk
Dash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

TOPPING:

2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, or a small can
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup turkey or chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Place butter in a 9-in. pie plate. Place in oven 3-4 minutes or until melted. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and cayenne. Whisk flour into egg mixture until blended. Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and center is set.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in turkey, salt and pepper.

Cut pancake into wedges. Spoon turkey mixture over wedges; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Roasted Sage Turkey

11/25/2015

Turkey day is tomorrow. Are you hankering for a new spin on the old bird? Here's a recipe that promises to make the moistest, tastiest entree you've ever come across.

I know I've been shouting the praises of the Mayo Greek Roasted Turkey, but this Thanksgiving I'm going to add something new to the table. After all what's a life without a bit of diversity?

This recipe requires and over-nighter in the refrigerator so you'll need to prep the old bird tonight. But then again how is that a problem? It takes only a few minutes and you'll have that turkey ready to prop in the oven as soon as you wake in the morning. May God bless all those you love!

1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1-1/4 cups water, divided
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 fresh sage sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs

GRAVY:
1 to 1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Reserve turkey neck; refrigerate, covered, overnight. Place turkey in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan, breast side up. Secure skin to underside of neck cavity with toothpicks. Mix salt, sage and garlic powder. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Pat turkey dry. Rub outside of turkey with salt mixture. Refrigerate turkey, loosely covered, overnight.

Preheat oven to 475°. Place onion, celery, carrots and reserved neck in bottom of a broiler pan; add 1/2 cup water. Place broiler pan rack over top; transfer turkey to rack. Rub outside of turkey with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Pour remaining water into turkey cavity; add sage and thyme sprigs ( you can use 1/2 tsp. of dried of each if you don't have fresh).

Place turkey in oven, facing legs toward back of oven. Roast, uncovered, 40 minutes.
Reduce oven setting to 350°. Cover breast tightly with a double thickness of foil. Roast 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°. (Thermometer should not touch bone or fat.)

Remove turkey from oven. Let stand, uncovered, 20 minutes before carving. Using a turkey baster, remove liquid from turkey cavity to a large measuring cup. Line a strainer or colander with cheesecloth; place over measuring cup. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from bottom of broiler pan, reserving 1-1/4 cups. Discard turkey neck. Strain cooking liquid into measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup fat. Add enough broth to the cooking liquid to measure 2 cups.

In a large saucepan, mix flour and reserved fat until smooth; gradually whisk in broth mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add half of the reserved vegetables. Puree gravy using an immersion blender; or, cool gravy slightly and puree in a blender. Stir in sage, pepper and remaining vegetables; heat through. Serve with turkey.

Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC

Sunday Chicken and Dumplings

11/22/2015

There is nothing better on a breezy, cool Sunday then a good bowl of chicken and dumplings. Here's and easy recipe that you can put together in no time.

This delightful rich broth will have them coming back for seconds and thirds. Just toss together a rich green salad, and you've got a wonderful sit down dinner that no one will miss!

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 chicken leg quarters cut at the joint
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons sugar
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper

DUMPLINGS:
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

SOUP:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Additional salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and toss to coat; shake off excess. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches on all sides; remove from pan.

Add onion, carrots and celery to same pan; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until blended. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; set aside.

Remove chicken from stockpot; cool slightly. Discard bay leaves and skim fat from soup. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Using two forks, coarsely shred meat into 1- to 1-1/2-in. pieces; return to soup. Cook, covered, on high until mixture reaches a simmer.

Drop dumplings on top of simmering soup, a few at a time. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Gently stir in cream, parsley and thyme. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

11/15/2015

Having a rough week? Trying to hunker down with those you love this weekend to forget all the issues at work?

Here's a simple, frugal recipe that will get raves the minute you pull one of these delicious buns from the set. They are hands-down one of the moistest, caramelized delights you'll ever lay eyes on.

Most of all, you can put this one together in less than 10 minutes. Then, just pop them into the oven on a greased pie plate, cook for 18 minutes, and you can unveil a quick breakfast once you set the table with some delightful, fun decoration.

All the sudden the cares will vanish and what is most important is sharing them with you.

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, cubed
2 tablespoons pancake syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons milk
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and milk; cook and stir over medium heat until blended. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate.

Separate crescent dough into four rectangles; gently press perforations to seal. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over rectangles. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.

Cut each roll into nine slices; place in prepared dish, cut side down. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Fudgy Brownies

11/14/2015

Here's an exceptional, thrifty treat you'll make often. With a bag of semisweet chips from Aldi for only $1.69 you'll create one of the most moist brownie delights you've ever sunk your teeth into.

This recipe borders on the brink of fudge. They are so deliciously gooey inside that you'll wonder if you're biting into a a brownie or a rich piece of decadent fudge.

Bookmark this one in your favorites for easy retrieve. Use and share and your next party and bring lots of extra recipes to share!

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup water
2-3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 9-in.-square baking pan with parchment paper, letting ends extend up sides.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugars, butter, water, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add 1-3/4 cups chocolate chips and stir until melted. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla; gradually whisk in chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; stir into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake on a lower oven rack 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Tamale Muffins

11/8/2015

I have two things often left over in my refrigerator. One is chicken from a roasted chicken made from a previous fare, and the other is a small packet of taco sauce from a taco kit. For some reason the kids just don't like the extra sauce that accompanies the boxed meal.

If you have no left over chicken, I dole out two frozen chicken breasts readily available in my freezer. Either way, this economical meal usually produces leftovers that can be frozen and heated for upcoming snacks, or even a rushed breakfast on the go.

The other night I paired this as a main meal and made some Fried Cabbage on the side. The results may be unusual but definitely delicious!

2 packages (8-1/2 ounces each) corn bread/muffin mix
1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup red taco sauce
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine muffin mix, corn and eggs; stir just until moistened. Stir in 1 cup cheese. In another bowl, toss chicken with enchilada sauce.

Fill each of 24 foil-lined muffin cups with 2 tablespoons batter. Place 1 tablespoon chicken mixture into center of each; cover with about 1 tablespoon batter.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

www.FeaturedRentals.com

Fried Cabbage

11/7/2015

The wonderful vegetables of fall. So many to choose from! Here's a great one to make often. With cabbage on sale at 49 cent a pound, you can't beat it!

Most families shy away from this beauty especially if memories spark a mushy, boiled mess. This one is a bit different and will allow those delicate leaves to have a crunchy flair with a hint of bacon. This takes minutes to make, and despite a bit of fat, is healthy.

Cancer prevention tops all other areas of health research with regard to cabbage and its outstanding benefits. More than 475 studies have examined the role of this cruciferous vegetable in cancer prevention (and in some cases, cancer treatment). The uniqueness of cabbage in cancer prevention is due to the three different types of nutrient richness found in this widely enjoyed food. The three types are (1) antioxidant richness, (2) anti-inflammatory richness, and (3) richness in glucosinolates.

1 head of cabbage chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 tab. bacon fat (rendered from a pound of bacon previously)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Add all ingredients to a fry pan. Cook on medium with no lid. Stir frequently until cabbage is sightly tender yet has a bit of crispy flare.

Shany Enterprises Inc.

Roasted FRESH Pumpkin Seeds

11/1/2015

Got some fresh pumpkin seeds calling your name in the refrigerator after a weekend of pumpkin carving? Are you one of those who just hates to waste anything especially if its nutritious? Then get ready to place this one in your recipe archives.

This recipe is fantastic! Who would have known that soaking pumpkin seeds overnight would develop into a snack that is deliciously crisp and full-flavored? Usually roasted pumpkin seeds yield a seed that is either too gummy or overly crisp. This will do neither. In fact, you'll have some seeds that won't last long on your kitchen counter.

Give this one a try. You'll be making them every year!

1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Place seeds in a 1-qt. bowl; cover with water. Stir in salt; let stand, covered, overnight.

Preheat oven to 200°. Drain and rinse seeds; drain again and pat dry. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Toss with oil and salt; spread in a single layer.

Roast 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until crisp and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Store in an airtight