Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe Post Preview: You’ll find an easy-to-make cheese ball recipe that is perfect for holiday appetizers, parties, or a fun surprise for a family night at home. There is a printable version of the recipe toward the end of the post. While I have gone to have a minimal
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https://ift.tt/2RSf6XPIt’s November, and that means that before we know it, it will be time for Thanksgiving! I figured that meant that it was the perfect time to make a Thanksgiving word search printable, since I already had a general fall-themed word search printable on the site. In the download, there are two versions of the
The post Thanksgiving Word Search for Kids {Free Printable} appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2Ay5UiLVeterans Day Crossword Puzzle Free Printable for Kids Post Preview: This post has a free printable Veterans Day crossword puzzle as well as several other Veterans Day resources for kids. After putting together a Veterans Day word search printable, I decided that another great addition to the observance would be a Veterans Day crossword puzzle
The post Veterans Day Crossword Puzzle Free Printable for Kids appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2qBKgahDinner time is coming. You look at the clock and need to get dinner started. But what will you make? This sweet chili chicken recipe is simple and cooks while you do something else.
Like, help the kids with their homework.
See how easy is it to make this sweet chili chicken recipe:
Dinner time can be a stressful time while you are trying to keep the kids occupied or helping them with homework and making dinner.
You have two pots on the stove cooking; you have to watch the timer so the meat in the oven doesn’t overcook into a small leathery cluster of what used to be meat.
You want to cook a nice home cooked meal from scratch but some days something has to give. And often it’s you giving up to go out to eat.
But not today:
You can conquer the dinner meal time crunch and win.
This easy sweet chili chicken recipe can be your saving grace.
You can quickly chop the vegetables throw them on the sheet pan.
Whip up the sauce and spread it over those pieces of chicken breasts out of the bag.
Put it into the oven and start a batch of rice on the stove:
Voila, dinner is on its way!
You have saved dinner:
You won’t be going out to eat tonight. No way you will have a home cooked meal made with love and soul to share with your family.
And in only a few minutes too.
You’re not tied to the oven watching and stirring.
You have free time to:
Play with the kids.
Read that book you’ve been dying to get back to.
Or dare I say it, take a nap. Oh, yes, a nap sound so good!
But first, we need to know what we need to make this sweet chili chicken recipe…
Carrots, we love baby carrots just toss in the bowl, not cutting need, Yay!
Broccoli, just a small head, you could use frozen broccoli in a pinch
Cauliflower, half a head, cut up
Chicken Breast, boneless skinless chicken breast
Sweet Chili Sauce
Soy Sauce
Ginger Powder
Garlic Powder
Oil
Salt and Pepper
If you don’t have fresh vegetables on hand you can use a mix of carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli from the freezer section, no judgment here.
You can use fresh chicken breast, or thawed frozen chicken breast. Or if you forget to thaw the chicken breast like I often do, microwave for a minute or two to thaw them. And then place them on the sheet pan.
You can use fresh ginger and garlic in the sauce but powdered works great too and is less work.
Did you know you can mince garlic ahead and make it into cubes for the freezer? It’s a great way to prep ahead garlic. And ginger can be stored in the freezer for when you need fresh ginger. So it won’t go bad.
Next, we need to know how to make sweet chili chicken…
How to Make Sweet Chili ChickenI don’t know about you but I love cooking shows. I love watching how recipes are made, to glean tips and tricks to use in my cooking.
Plus seeing a recipe made makes it so much easy to make the first time too. Watch the sweet chili chicken recipe video below and then keep scrolling for a few tips and the printable recipe too.
If you want to get the recipe keep on scrolling but these tips can help you make this dinner recipe more quickly and easily too.
Prepping the Vegetables:
This dinner cooks in about 40 minutes. To keep the vegetables from getting charred beyond recognition, you need to cut them to the right size.
Yes, I’ve had charred vegetables, it has happened in the past with sheet pan dinners. Heed the warning on this tip.
Cut the broccoli a little larger. Chop the cauliflower a little smaller. Keep the carrots whole. Toss with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
You can add a little extra garlic powder and ginger powder to them too.
The Chicken:
You’ll want to use thin chicken breast pieces. If the meat is too thick, it will cook more slowly and the vegetables will burn.
If you have very thick chicken breast, like those that are almost one pound each, butterfly cut them first.
To butterfly cut, start on one side of the chicken breast and cut into two pieces across. This will make for a thinner chicken breast that will cook at the same rate as the veggies.
Which is so important when making a sheet pan meal.
What to Serve with this Sweet Chili ChickenIf you’re eating grain free, then the veggies and chicken is all you’ll need.
But maybe you need a little more to fill up that hungry hubby after a long day at work. Or you love starches as I do.
Make a batch of rice and serve this sweet chili chicken in a bowl. Place a good scoop of rice in the bottom of the bowl.
Add a scoop of cooked vegetables on one side.
Slice the chicken and place on the other side of the rice. Sprinkle with a little cilantro, parsley or chives to make the dish oh so pretty.
Or just dig in and enjoy a from scratch meal you made yourself that your whole family will rave about. Either way, it’s yummy!
Sometimes you need to switch things up. I hear you. Here are a few ideas to try with this sweet chili chicken recipe.
Add sweet potatoes to the sheet pan and cook. Then serve the chicken oven all the vegetables and potatoes.
Add fruit, after cooking and plating the meal add small chunks of mango or pineapple to the top of the chicken. Or in with the cooked vegetables.
Or cook the pineapple or mango with the veggies in the last 10 minutes of cooking to sweeten it even more.
No chicken on hand, no problem
This recipe would be good with steak or pork chops in place of the chicken.
Or use breaded chicken strips, like the panko breaded chicken strips from Costco in place of plain chicken if you have picky eaters in your home that will only eat breaded chicken.
And now the printable recipe:
Place all the prepared vegetables into a bowl and drizzle with oil. Stir to coat.
Place the vegetables on the sheet pan and spread out. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder if desired or leave them as is.
To make the sauce combine sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.
Place chicken breasts on the sheet pan, spread the sauce on the top side of the chicken. Flip the chicken over and coat the other side.
Place in a 400-degree oven and bake 40 minutes. Checking after 30 minutes to see if the chicken is done and vegetables are tender.
Serve over a bed or rice with extra sweet chili sauce if desired.
This recipe is a great frugal meal, costing about $1.30 a serving. And you can use other proteins in this recipe. It works great with pork chops or steak.
Knowing how much a meal will cost at least an estimate can help you stay on budget. After all, if the meal will cost more to make, you want to balance it with less expensive meals during the week.
Knowledge is power and I’ve done all the calculating for you. Yes, you’re welcome.
Carrots, $.50 at $1 a pound
Broccoli, $1.00 at $1.89/lb
Cauliflower, $.75 at $1.59 per head
Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb
Sauces and Seasonings $.50
That brings the total for the ingredients to $4.74 for 4 servings. If you add a serving of rice too, it will bump the cost up to $5.04 for 4 serving or just $1.26 for the full meal.
If you use pork chops in this meal, the cost would go down. If you prep your own pork chops from a pork loin from Costco, the pork chops will be $1.89/lb. With pork chops, this meal would be $4.64
If you used steaks, like petite sirloin steaks the cost would go up to $5.74 for the meal if you get the steaks on sale for $2.99 a pound.
No matter what protein you use in this recipe, it’s still a frugal and easy dinner to make.
As you can see dinner doesn’t have to be hard to make from scratch or costly to make.
You can get dinner cooking and have time to do something fun while dinner cooks when you make an easy dinner like this sweet chili chicken. And save a trip out to the drive-thru too.
If you like this recipe be sure to subscribe below so you can get more just like it delivered to your inbox.
Find More Easy Chicken DinnersChicken Mushroom Skillet
Barbecued Chicken
Garlic Parsley Chicken Under $1 a serving
The post How to Make Sweet Chili Chicken, Easy Dinner Recipe appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2JJqDFQVeterans Day Word Search Printable (& Remembrance Day Word Search) Free Printable Post Preview: You will find multiple versions of a Veterans Day Word Search puzzle, so you can pick the right level of difficulty. The download also includes a Remembrance Day word search with different levels of difficulty. I know that we have already
The post Veterans Day Word Search Printable (& Remembrance Day Word Search) appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2SSSveMIt’s a new week and time to make a new meal plan. If you haven’t planned your meals yet, now is a great time. You can find some great fall recipes below…
With chilly wet weather here, I’m looking forward to yummy fall comfort foods. What is it about cold weather that makes you crave those comfort food recipes? I’d love to know.
Is it the warm feeling they give you when you eat them? Or the memories they drum up when you make a recipe that you had as a kid on a cold stormy night? I don’t know for sure but I think it’s a little of both.
One way to make fall comfort foods is in the crock pot and this week I’ll be using mine a lot.
There is just something about the yummy smell, that goes through the whole house, when you are slow cooking. As the food slowly cooks to perfection and the time to eat gets closer the meal the house starts to smell so good. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
The slow cooker meals on our plan this week are split pea soup, cheesy ham and potatoes, and lasagna.
Slow cooker lasagna is a quick and easy way to make lasagna, plus you don’t have to cook the noodles ahead of time.
My hubby loves split pea soup. I think soup just tastes better when it’s made in the slow cooker. All the flavor have time to meld together nicely. I’ll be using ham in our soup recipe this week but it’s also great with sausage.
To use up the rest of the ham this week, I’m making cheesy ham and potatoes in the slow cooker. It’s a yummy one dish comfort food meal and it can be made dairy free too.
I’ll also be grilling teriyaki chicken this week and making homemade salmon patties, both of these dishes are good all year round.
We grill all year round but you can also make the teriyaki chicken under the broiler or bake it.
Finally, I’m taking a night off from cooking and we’ll get something out this week.
That’s it for this week, see the full plan with recipe links below…
Here’s what’s cooking at our house this weekDinners
Slow Cooker Lasagna, Salad, Fruit, and French Bread
Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole, Salad, and Fruit
Salmon Patties, Rice, Homemade Tartar Sauce, and Vegetables
Spaghetti with Homemade Pasta Sauce, Salad, and French Bread
Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, and Stir Fry Vegetables
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, Rolls, and Salad
Out to Dinner
Lunches
Leftover most days
Sandwiches and Chips
Crisp Bean Burritos, Chips, Salsa, and Fruit
Breakfast
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins, Eggs and Sausage
Toast, Eggs and Oatmeal
Pancakes, Eggs and Sausage
What’s on your menu for this week?
Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
Find more menu plan ideas at Org Junkie too.
The post Menu Plan Monday, November 3rd appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2yTCkWx10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly is a post by contributing writer Roan from The Joyful Johnsons. Homeschooling is hard work. There are things that you can do, however, to make your homeschool day run smoothly or at least a little more smoothly than it normally does. Whether you add in one
The post 10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2F3falPWhile children are memorizing anything, seeing it in many different ways can help. Prayers are no exception to that. Although your children have probably already learned the Hail Mary prayer through the frequent recitation of it, this Hail Mary word search is another great way to work on learning the prayer. Related Content: Cut and
The post Hail Mary Word Search Free Printable for Kids appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2qrJUCXFall Science Activities: Free Fall Science Worksheets for Kids Post Preview: In this post, you can request a free eight page fall science worksheets packet for elementary school students. There are also additional fall resources and free printables. Nature studies and outdoor science are such fun and enriching activities to take in during the fall.
The post Fall Science Activities: Free Fall Science Worksheets for Kids appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2CXreT9
With the weather becoming cooler, I like to change my menu plan to more soups, casseroles and oven baked dinners. It helps to warm up the house and that warm comfort food just hits the spot when it cool outside.
But during the month of October, I also like to keep a few easy oven-free meals on the menu plan. Because occasionally we can have a nice warm day here and there.
On this week’s menu plan I’ve included a few oven prepared meals, baked fries, and pizza, along with a few oven-free meals too. I like to make skillet dishes all year long because they are usually so quick to make, perfect for a busy day.
I find having a good balance of easy to make meals with ones that might take a little longer helps me to pick and choose what to cook as we start each day.
If we are having a busy day, I might pick to make breakfast for dinner. If we are having a more relaxed day and I have more time I might choose to make a soup or casserole that will take a little more time to prepare.
It helps to naturally balance out what we are having for dinner. It keeps us from eating the same thing for dinner night.
Having a variety of dinners on our meal plan helps to keep us from eating out even on busy days. Keep us from getting bored, eating the same old thing over and over. And I can put in a few new recipes here and there too.
What’s cooking at your house this week?
Here’s what’s on our Menu for this Week,Dinners
Taco Soup, Salad, and Fruit
Easy Sesame Chicken, Rice, and Stir Fry Vegetables
BLT Sandwiches, Macaroni Salad, and Fruit
Hamburgers with Baked Fries
Waffles, Eggs, and Sausage
Crisp Tacos and Burritos, Salad, Chips, and Salsa
Pizza and Salad
Lunches
Leftover most days
Homemade Soup with Turkey Soup Kit and Biscuits
Tortilla Sandwiches, Chips, and Fruit
Breakfast
Toast with Eggs
Pancakes, Eggs, and Sausage
Eggs, Sausage, and Homemade English Muffins
Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
Find more menu plan ideas at Org Junkie too.
The post Easy Fall Menu Plan appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2AxnJB2November is just about to start. And so is the busy holiday season, get a jump start on the month with this printable and editable November calendar pack.
Whether you’ll use it for meal planning, tracking everything you need to do to get ready for the holiday, or just for yourself to keep on track this calendar pack can help.
Grab the printable November calendar pack below…
It’s time to start the busy holiday season this new month. And you can make the most of this month by getting prepared now.
With this November calendar pack, you can get all the important dates on your calendar and make copies for the rest of the family too. So no one forgets what’s happening this month.
You can use it to get your kids organized and doing more on their own without nagging from you. Each child can have their own calendar so they know what they need to do when. Like those chores you want them to do weekly.
You can also have one dedicated to your meal plan so everyone know what’s for dinner that night. And you can get your meals organized well before the holiday. Or for your cleaning schedule. Well, you get the idea.
With this November calendar printable pack, you can edit the pages before you print it. It’s so nice. No more messy chicken scratch handwriting everyone has trouble reading.
It’s so much nicer when you can type your plans on the square and then print the calendar page you want.
Choose the Calendar Page you Want
There are two calendars in this printable pack. One that is vertical, great for putting in a binder and one that is horizontal. The horizontal one is great for hanging on the wall or refrigerator.
Print as Many as You Need
Because these are printable you can print as many as you need. It will only cost you ink and paper. Plus I’ve tried to make these pretty but also ink friendly too. So it won’t cost you too much to print them at home.
Grab your Printable and Editable November Calendar Pack below…When you join our email list, you’ll be sent not only this calendar pack but all the new calendar packs for the months to come. Not a bad deal, huh?!
Click here to join to get added to the email list!
I hope you find this November calendar pack helpful and the calendars help you make the most of this upcoming month.
The post Free November Calendar Pack, Edit and Print appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2ELlbU7Easy Ways to Teach Your Children About Catholic Saints is a post from contributing writer Dianna of The Kennedy Adventures: As a Catholic homeschooling mom, teaching my children about our faith is at the top of our list. One of our major points of focus is teaching our children about the Church Triumphant – the
The post Easy Ways to Teach Your Children About Catholic Saints: How to Celebrate the Liturgical Year appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2i0ltIkHave you made your meal plan for this week? If you need some dinner ideas, see what’s on our meal plan below.
Planning meals ahead can help you get organized for the week and help you save money too. When you plan your meals you can use up what you have on hand. You can save trips to the store for unexpected items.
I love knowing what we’ll be eating for the week so I can get items prepped ahead of time on busy days. I can use food I’ve stocked in the freezer.
You can too. This is our meal plan for the week if you need a few inexpensive and quick to make diner ideas.
This week we’ll be eating from the freezer. We’ll have meatballs, teriyaki chicken and pork chops. I love having meat packs ready to go in the freezer.
I make a bunch of meatballs at a time and freeze them in meal sized packages. Then when it’s time to make dinner all I need to do is heat them up and dinner is ready.
We’ll also be making hamburger skillet dish this week. It’s an easy dinner that’s under a dollar a serving. So quick and frugal too. I usually use pre-cooked hamburger from the freezer to make this dish even quicker.
Pizza is a favorite at our house. We make homemade pizza often and with this no rise pizza crust, pizza can be ready faster than it can be delivered.
I also love making quiche for dinner. It’s a great way to take a small amount of leftover meat and vegetables and stretch it into a whole new meal.
Here are all our meal ideas for this week…
This Week’s Meal PlanDinners
BBQ Meatballs (from the freezer), Mashed Potatoes, and Salad
Hamburger Skillet Dish, Salad, and Fruit
Teriyaki Chicken (from the freezer), Rice, and Stir Fry Vegetables
Grandma’s Pork Chops, Roasted Vegetables, and Salad
Chicken Broccoli Quiche and Salad
Pizza and Salad
Taco Rice Chimichangas, Salad, Chips and Salsa
Lunches
leftovers most days
Homemade Chicken Soup and Biscuits
Sandwiches and Chips
Breakfasts
Toast and Scrambled Eggs
Omelets, Hash Browns and Toast
Pancakes, Eggs and Sausage
What’s cooking at your house this week?
Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
The post Menu Plan Monday, October 22nd appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2AmPsV5This free literacy worksheets packet is perfect to use as Halloween activities for kindergarten through 1st grade students. Depending on a student’s skill levels and interest, it may be great for kids a little older and younger as well. In the nine pages in the packet, it works on beginning sounds, recognizing which word comes first from
The post Free Printable Literacy Halloween Activities for Kindergarten – 1st Grade appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2J9UiYqHalloween is coming up, and with it comes excitement over costume choices, plans to make, and the ever-thrilling Halloween candy. Oh, the candy. Because of this, I thought it would be fun to make some Halloween Candy Math free printables. This way, while your kids are enjoying their Halloween loot, they can also be working on math
The post Halloween Candy Math Free Printable Learning Packet appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2pYSWHcYou know that lovely scent of apples and cinnamon when you smell a warm slice of apple pie. That’s what these apple pancakes smell and taste like.
It’s like cheating and having dessert for breakfast but the best part is these apple pancakes can be made dairy free, vegan and are low in fat too.
This apple pancake recipe is a perfect fall breakfast. In the fall we have so many great fresh apple choices, you can use your favorite in this recipe.
When I made our batch of apple cinnamon pancakes I used a honey crisp apple. I found them on sale and I love the flavor.
You can use any apples you have on hand. I think these would be great with a tart apple, like granny smith. Or a nice sweet apple like golden delicious. Whatever apple you have will be the best one to try.
See how this apple pancake recipe is made in the video below…
How to Make Apple Cinnamon PancakesThis recipe is simple to make but if you’d like to see how the apple pancakes are made watch the quick video below. If watching videos isn’t for you keep scrolling for recipe tips and the printable recipe.
Apple Pancake Recipe TipsPreparing the Apples
You can peel the apples or leave the skin on. If you have a thin-skinned apple, it won’t make much difference to leave the peel on.
But if the apple skin is tough or thick, like many storing apples have, it will be best to peel the apple first.
Shredding the Apples
Once the apples are peeled, there is no need to cut them up. Just shred them on a box shredder.
It’s quick and easy to do and you don’t have to core them. Just watch for the seeds and stop grating when the core gets thin.
Making the Batter
To mix the dry ingredients easily and to avoid sifting them. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then mix them with a wire whisk.
It really mixes the dry ingredients well. Whisking also breaks up any clumps of flour or other dry ingredients.
Adding the Wet Ingredients
I don’t like to mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then add them to the dry ingredients.
Instead, add the applesauce to the dry ingredients and measure the water and milk into a two cup measuring cup and pour in while whisking.
Mixing with a whisk will wet the dry ingredients quickly. Just be sure not to over mix.
Preheat the Skillet or Griddle
If you preheat the skillet or griddle, the pancakes will hit the hot skillet and cook quickly but also it will help the pancakes rise nicely too. So be sure to heat your skillet first.
A Few Variations for this Apple Pancake Recipe
Instead of adding shredded apples, use more applesauce if you don’t have fresh apples. Add about 1/4 of a cup more. You may need to reduce the liquid in the recipe too.
Don’t have soy flour, use eggs instead. Or add an extra tablespoon of baking powder if you don’t have eggs. I’ve done this in a pinch and it works.
If you want to make these even more healthy, use unbleached whole wheat pastry flour. You get the whole grain goodness of whole wheat without the heaviness of whole wheat flour.
Instead of apple pie spice, you can use nutmeg or cinnamon or a mix of the two. The apple pancakes will still taste great.
If you are curious how much it cost to make a batch of these apple cinnamon pancakes. I’ve got the breakdown below.
These are prices I see at our local grocery store, I didn’t use sale prices. Your cost may vary depending on your local prices.
Flour $.22
Sugar $.05
Apple $.23
Applesauce $.05
Baking Powder, Salt, Apple Pie Spice $.20 (purchased in bulk section)
Milk $.18 or Soy Milk $.37
Soy Flour $.12 Or Eggs $.20
If you are making these pancakes vegan, they will cost $1.24 if you’ll be making them with regular milk and eggs the total cost will be $1.13.
For between $1.13 to $1.24 you can make 4-5 servings of these apple cinnamon pancakes. Or just $.28 to $.31 per serving.
Now that’s a yummy breakfast for less than $.50 a serving. Plus these are freezer friendly so you can make a big batch on the weekend. Then freeze the extras for a quick and yummy weekday breakfast.
If you like to have a steady supply of new recipes, be sure to sign up below. When a new recipe is published, we will email it right to your inbox.
What your favorite way to enjoy apples at breakfast? Let me know in the comments below.
Want More Apple Recipes Now…Apple Crumble Bars
How to Make Cinnamon Apples
Easy to Make Apple Fritters
See all the apple recipes, click here!
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The post The Best Apple Pancake Recipe, Dairy Free and Vegan appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2RZ89osFun Spider Craft for Kids: Spider Web Hand Sewing Activity is a post by contributing writer Amida from Journey Into Unschooling. Looking for an easy activity to do with the kids this Halloween? How about combining hand sewing and fun crafting? Even young children can embroider (or hand sew) their own unique spider web! Hands-on activities are wonderful
The post Fun Spider Craft for Kids: Spider Web Hand Sewing Activity appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2Co9wI2It’s Monday and time to plan our meals for the week. If you don’t have your meal plan ready, now is the time to take care of that.
Need some meal inspiration? Take a look at what’s cooking at our house this week.
Fall has arrived but our weather is odd. It’s chilly in the morning but in the 70’s by the afternoon, since it’s so sunny.
While I’d love to be making soup this week, it going to be a bit warm for that. Instead, we’ll be eating skillet meals that are easy to make.
While most of the week will be easy skillet meals, we will also have a few meals I’ll back just in case we have a cool rainy day mixed in.
But all of the meals this week are inexpensive to make and quick to make too.
Here’s what’s cooking at our house this weekDinners
Pan Fried Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, and Salad
Chili Topped Baked Potato, Salad, and Fruit
Kielbasa and Potato Skillet and Salad
Italian Chicken (freezer meal), Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans
Omelet, Hash Browns, and Toast
Brown Sugar Steaks, Baked Potato, and Salad
Thai Chicken Thighs (freezer recipe), Rice, and Stir Fry Vegetables
Lunches
Leftover most days
Sandwiches, Chips, and Fruit
Chef Salad and Fruit
Breakfast
Cinnamon Twists and Eggs
French Toast, Sausage, and Eggs
What’s cooking at your house this week?
Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support. See My disclosure policy for more information.
The post Menu Plan Monday, October 15th appeared first on Frugal Family Home.
https://ift.tt/2NIV7bFCute Fall Bookmarks to Color for Kids (Free Printable) Post Preview: You will find free printable coloring bookmarks that are fall-themed. There are also more ideas for fall learning and printables. Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the changing leaves, the cooler weather, and all of the delicious fall foods. One fall
The post Cute Fall Bookmarks to Color for Kids (Free Printable) appeared first on Real Life at Home.
https://ift.tt/2RQese3Making tuna casserole from scratch doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult. This easy recipe that’s loaded with vegetables will show you how to make tuna casserole from scratch in just a few minutes.
Did you grow up eating tuna casserole as I did?
My mom used to make it but not from scratch, she used tuna helper instead.
But I’m more of a cook from scratch person, I had to since my kids and hubby can’t eat dairy. So I’m sharing my favorite recipe for how to make tuna noodle casserole from scratch.
If you love good comfort food from your childhood, this recipe will bring back so many memories.
But you don’t have to make it as your mom did. Or like my mom did with boxed mixes. You can make it from scratch with very little effort or ingredients.
Making this creamy and cheesy tuna casserole from scratch can be done in about 10 minutes and while it cooks have time to spend with your family. Plus this recipe is dairy free too. Yes cheesy and dairy free!
Don’t need to eat dairy free? No problem, you can make your own cheese sauce or use a can of cheese soup or cream of mushroom soup to save time and make it even quicker.
But I think if you try the cheese sauce recipe it might surprise you at how good it is even if you don’t have to eat dairy free.
This is easy to make tuna casserole and a frugal recipe too (see how much it cost to make below). Let’s get started with what you’ll need.
Ingredients for this Cheesy Tuna Casserole
Since we are making this cheesy tuna noodle casserole from scratch, let’s see what we’ll need.
Now I’m making the sauce from scratch, but if you are short on time, you can use a can of cream of mushroom soup or a can of cheese soup instead. No judgment here, but using canned soup will bump the total cost up.
Some of the links below are my referral links. When you purchase through them I can make a little money at no extra cost to you. Thanks! See my disclosure policy for more information.
Noodles, we like egg noodles or small shell noodles
Flour, unbleached all purpose is what I use
Nutritional Yeast, makes the sauce taste cheesy, get it at Amazon or at Winco Foods in bulk foods
Garlic Powder
Salt
Powdered Mustard, I purchase this in bulk at WinCo Foods but you can get it at Amazon too.
Water
Broccoli, frozen or fresh, I use frozen
Peas, Frozen
Tuna, I use one can but you can use two if you like a lot of tuna
Bread Crumbs, I use one slice of bread
Potato Chips, I save the crumbs from the bottom of the bag to use
I made a quick video to show you how to make this recipe, quick and easy. But if watching isn’t for you, no problem, scroll down to see the written directions and grab the recipe…
Step-by-Step How to Make Cheesy Tuna Casserole that’s Dairy FreeGet the Noodles and Veggies Cooking
Place the veggies and pasta into a pot of boiling water. Boil until they are tender-crisp. If you are using small shell noodles like I did it will take about 6 minutes. Egg noodles will take longer.
While the veggies and pasta are cooking make the cheese sauce.
Make the Cheese Sauce
Mix the cheese sauce ingredients in a pan, all except the water. Once the ingredients are mixed, add the water and stir until moistened.
Cook the cheese sauce over medium-high heat until it boils and thickens. (Not making the cheese sauce, open your can of mushroom soup or cheese soup and add enough water to make two cups)
Once pasta is done, drain and leave in pan. Add tuna and cheese sauce. Stir to coat all the vegetables and pasta.
Bake the Cheesy Tuna CasseroleSpoon into a casserole dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Then uncover and add the bread crumbs and crushed potato chips.
Bake another 10 minutes or until golden and heated through.
Print the Recipe…
Keep your food cost in check by making frugal meals often. Knowing how much a meal cost can help you plan and stay on budget.
What’s the cost of this recipe…
Tuna, $1 per can of tuna. (Cost $1)
Noodles, I purchase in bulk at $.80 a pound (cost $.22)
Nutritional yeast and other seasoning purchased in bulk at WinCo Foods $.29
Broccoli, 2 pound bag $1.50 (cost $.15)
Frozen Peas, 1 pound bag $.80 (cost $.08)
Bread Crumbs, made my own with a slice of bread, $.10
Potato Chips used crumbs I saved from the bottom of bags $.10
That brings the total to make this recipe to $2 for the full recipe which makes a 4 very generous serving. You could easily squeak out 5-6 serving if you have small children.
At four servings for this recipe, it costs just $.50 a serving.
If you have leftovers vegetables you are using up from a previous meal or leftover chicken or beef to use, it could be less in cost.
If you use a can of cheese soup or cream of mushroom soup, it would go up about $.50 for the whole recipe.
Add a side salad and fruit and you have a full meal for very little. Now let’s look at a few variations for this recipe.
Variation of this Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole RecipeI know a recipe can’t fit everyone’s taste or maybe you have leftover you want to use up. Here are a few variations that can help you use up what you have and still make a delicious tuna casserole for your family.
Don’t like cheese sauce in your tuna casserole…
Make a homemade cream of soup instead. See my recipe for making your own cream of soup mix at home instead of using canned soup.
Short on time and got to get dinner done before the kids kill one another?
Use packaged mixed frozen vegetables instead of fresh or two different frozen vegetables. Use a can of soup instead of making your own cheese sauce. Turn up the heat to 400 and reduce the time to 10 minutes covered and 5-8 minutes uncovered. Watch the last few minutes to make sure the topping doesn’t burn.
Got Chicken…
Use leftover chicken or beef in place of the tuna. Or if you don’t like tuna use a can of chicken instead.
Get Creative with the Topping…
Don’t have chips, use two slices of bread with no potato chips.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bread crumbs instead of potato chips for a more cheesy taste.
Use French fried onions on top instead and increase the covered cooking time by 5 minutes and reduce the second cooking time in half so they don’t burn.
Use a few chopped nuts with bread crumbs to add a little crunch to the topping.
Use Vegetables Your Family Will Eat…
There is nothing worse than having your family complain and pick at their food. If your family doesn’t care for peas or broccoli, add a vegetable they will enjoy. Carrots, cauliflower, onions, will all work too.
That’s how to make tuna casserole from scratch. As you can see it doesn’t take much effort to make this yummy comfort food meal.
What’s your favorite comfort food that brings fond memories of your childhood? Share it in the comments below, I’d love to hear about your favorite comfort food recipes.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try… https://ift.tt/2ITjRgAAll Saints’ Day will be coming up before we know it, so it seemed like a great time to come out with an All Saints’ Day Coloring Page Free Printable. This one is not your typical coloring page, however, as it’s set up more like a Litany of Saints Mini Book. Okay, so it’s not
https://ift.tt/2fo66Z5Hosting your gang’s football party this weekend? Holiday cocktail party coming up? Got invited to Aunt Gertrude’s bookclub this Saturday and don’t want to show up empty handed?
No matter what kind of party or potluck you’ve got on the calendar, we have a dip for you.
STOCK YOUR PANTRY FOR EASY DIPSThe real beauty of dips is how truly fast and easy they are to make — that is, as long as you have all the ingredients. Luckily, most of the ingredients most commonly used for dips are either common pantry staples or can be stocked well in advance for any of your last-minute party needs.
Here’s a checklist of some ingredients to have on-hand:
You’ll also need snacks for serving with the dip, of course! Don’t forget to grab some crackers, pretzels, or chips for the pantry. If you’re at the store, pick up some fresh baguette or a veggie tray.
BAKE UNTIL BUBBLY…
Most hot dips just need to be baked until bubbly, so feel free to toss them in the oven alongside anything else you might have cooking. As long as the oven is within 50 degrees or so of the temperature recommended in the recipe, you’ll be fine.
Keep an eye on the edges of the dip and pull it out when you see bubbles.
…OR CHILL UNTIL NEEDEDOther dips can be served room temperature or chilled, and often do well if made a little bit in advance. This gives them a chance to firm up a little and for flavors to meld.
Pull them out of the fridge 15 minutes or so before guests arrive to take the chill off.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PARTY DIP?Have a favorite dip that you don’t see here? Let us know in the comments!
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We are back to a more normal week this week. It was great having my husband home but now it’s back to the normal schedule.
We love pizza and it’s on our menu this week. Along with a few freezer meals and a slow cooker meal too. I found a great deal on honey crisp apples for just $.39 a pound. So, I’ll be making apple muffins for breakfast this weekend.
I’m so glad that fall is here. I look forward to all the comfort foods that come with this time of year. My son has been asking for chicken soup for lunch for a while. I added it to the menu this week. What is your favorite fall meal?
Here’s what’s cooking at our house this weekDinners
Homemade Pizza and Salad
Hoisin Meatballs, Rice, and Stir Fry Vegetables
Chicken Pot Pie, Salad, and Apple Slices
Taco Soup, Chips, and Fruit
Brown Sugar Steaks, Baked Potatoes, and Salad
Turkey Egg Noodles, Vegetables, and Fruit
Out to Eat
Lunches
Leftover most days
Chicken Noodle Soup and Biscuits
Tuna Melts with Salad
Breakfast
Toast, Eggs and Oatmeal
Apple Mini Muffins, Eggs and Sausage
Omelets, Toast, and Hash Browns
What’s on your menu for this week?
Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.
Find more menu plan ideas at Org Junkie too.
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