Super Cheap Recipes - Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ramen... Yes, Ramen! :D

We all know the little packet that is Ramen Noodles, there are a few different brands out there, but no matter what, they are CHEAP!  Price Chopper has the six pack on sale for $1.  That's like $0.17 each.  The trick with Ramen is to NOT make it to the package directions.  LOL  There are all kinds of ways to make that salty package of Ramen into something much more healthy and satisfying.  Here's just one of a million great recipes out there:

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ramen:

1 package beef or spicy beef ramen noodles
2 cups water
1 pound beef steak strips
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups broccoli, cut up
1 cup green onions, cut in strips
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Money Saving Meals - Japanese Stir-Fry

Stir Fry is always a cheap, easy and healthy meal.  We all know fresh veggies are at a premium up here in the North Country in the winter, so we make do with frozen veggies.  This recipe uses frozen and it tastes great in no time flat!

Japanese Stir-Fry:

4 cups brown rice

2 teaspoons canola oil

3/4 cup snow peas

1/4 cup Red onion, sliced

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen stir-fry vegetables

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 dash sesame oil, to taste

Money Saving Meals - Easy Calzone with Vegetables

I love making Stromboli and Calzones, they are quick and easy, and can be filled with whatever floats your boat.  ;)  You can custom-build one for each family member, it's great!  Hubby loves mushrooms and onions, DD and I do NOT.  So he gets one loaded with meat and his precious mushrooms and onions, and DD and I get the non-fungus version.  hehe

Easy Calzone with Vegetables:

1 each (16 oz.) pizza crust dough ball

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (12 oz.) bag Frozen mixed vegetables

3 cups chopped frozen broccoli, cooked

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup pizza sauce

Money Saving Meals - Chili Pepper Beef Burritos in the Slow Cooker

I adore my crock pot.  You can cook anything in a crock pot!  LOL  Well, almost anything...  This recipe is perfect when you don't want to mess with dinner all evening, but want an awesome meal.  Just load up the crock pot in the morning, a few minutes of prep before serving, and *poof* dinner!

Chili Pepper Beef Burritos in the Slow Cooker:

2- 3 lbs beef roast

1 each (7.75 oz.) can diced green chilies

1 each small onion, diced

1 each green pepper, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 each tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

1 each vine-,-ripe tomato, diced

1 scoop low-fat sour cream (Optional garnish)

Money Saving Meals - Chicken with Tortellini and Broccoli

This is another quick meal that tastes great on these cold winter nights AND in the middle of summer.  And you can substitute frozen broccoli if you need to, it still works!

Chicken with Tortellini and Broccoli:

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice (one lemon)

1 10 oz Cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces

1 16 oz frozen cheese tortellini

1 lb Fresh broccoli, cut into florets

2/3 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Money Saving Meals - Beef and Cheddar Subs with Cucumber Salad

This recipe is perfect for leftover pot roast!  Have a pot roast meal, and a night or two later have these awesome subs.  Two meals out of one!

Beef and Cheddar Subs with Cucumber Salad:

4 each sub rolls

6 slices cheddar cheese

2 1/2 lbs beef pot roast

1 each cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced

3 tablespoons balsamic dressing

Money Saving Meals - Asian Noodle Bowl

Talk about an easy meal!  24 minutes TOTAL from start to finish!  Cheap and easy, just the way I like it!  :)

Asian Noodle Bowl:

1 box whole wheat spaghetti

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 each Garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 lb bag frozen stir-fry vegetables

3/4 cup Water

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup Chopped roasted peanuts

"So Easy You Won't Believe It" Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The country style pork ribs go on sale quite frequently around here, either around $1.50 a lb or BOGO from time to time.  When that happens I grab a few packages for the freezer, but you can only eat so many BBQ ribs before you get sick of them.  Well, until I get sick of them anyway.  LOL  So I went on the hunt for something else to do with pork ribs that was easy and we had the stuff in the house.  So the S.E.Y.W.B.I. pulled pork sandwich was born, and the trusty `ol crock pot was pressed into service once again. 

So you'd better get a pen or pencil and a piece of paper for this recipe, it's a real complicated one. 

Equipment needed:
Crock pot

Oven Empanadas Recipe, and a little background...

My hubby just so happens to be a full-blooded Nicaraguan, and his mother just so happens to be an AMAZING cook, so he grew up on some of the finest Nicaraguan food, mixed with some incredible authentic Mexican food, that you could ever hope to have.  I absolutely ADORE visiting my mother in law, or having her come visit, because I know she is going to cook, cook, and cook some more!  Nacatamales, home made tortillas, gallo pinto, carne asada... my mouth is watering just thinking about it!  Needless to say, most of these recipes have worked their way into my recipe books and are standards in our house.  One of the meals hubby asked me for many times and I finally caved and gave it a try was empanadas.  Now, I will say that my empanadas are less than authentic, I use store-bought pie crust rather than making my own.  With all the cooking and baking I do, I can't make a good pie crust from scratch to save my life... so I don't.  LOL  Also, "real" empanadas are fried, I bake mine.  I had a friend that burned down not one, but TWO houses with a Fry Daddy, so I don't fry... anything... ever.  ;)  Anyways, back to the recipe.  Empanadas are little meat pies, you will find them with a variety of fillings as the recipe will vary from region to region depending on what is common in that area.  Here is the filling recipe I use: