Shepards Pie

Shepherd's pie is believed to have originated from Scotland, Ireland and other northern England regions.  So being of Scottish nationality I wanted to make it for dinner.  It is a simple meat and potato dish that packs a lot of taste.  Of course I'm sure this taste nothing like Cottage Pie/Shepherd's Pie if I were to walk into a pub in Scotland and order it, but its my version.

  I have modified it to make it quicker for nights that I'm coming home from work and don't have a ton of time to prepare dinner.

As you can tell in the photo below I used the Bob Evans Original mashed potatoes that you get from the grocer.  This saves me a ton of time because I don't have to peel, boil, mash and season the potatoes myself.  The Bob Evans potatoes also taste unbelievably good.  The directions on how to prepare this dish with step by step photos are below!  Just to give you an idea of how many this will feed, I made one 2 quart casserole and all 4 of us ate generous helpings and we still had a bit of leftovers.

This recipe makes one (2 quart) casserole. 

* 5 Carrots Chopped (I bought the Organic baby carrots to save time on peeling and chopped a bunch about 1 1/2 cups worth if you are not using regular carrots.)

* 1 White Onion Chopped

* 1 Small Package of Mixed Vegetables

* 1 Pound Ground Beef

* 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

* 2 Tbsp Ketchup

* 3/4 Cup Beef Broth

* 3/4 Cup of Shredded Cheddar 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
2. Cook Mixed Vegetables according to directions on package.
3. Cook ground beef  in a frying pan and cook until browned. Pour off excess fat, then add the chopped onion and cook with meat (about 6 minutes.)  Then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Cook the Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes according to package.
5. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Then add a layer of mixed vegetables. Top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chopped Carrots

Time to boil the carrots

Time to chop up the onion

Chopped Onion

Nearly browned meat, onions added for cooking

Time to add the flour

Adding the ketchup

Adding the beef broth, time to simmer for 5 minutes 

Mash the carrots

Spread the bottom of the casserole dish with the meat mixture

Layer the mashed carrot mixture

Layer the mixed vegetables

Layer the Mashed Potatoes

Sprinkle the Cheese

Yummy!!!!

If you want to mash your own potatoes:
You will need 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed, 2 Tbsp Butter, 1 Small Onion (finely chopped,) 2 Tbsp sour cream, salt and pepper.

1. Boil the potatoes, once they are soft, drain them and mash.
2. Add the butter, onion, sour cream, salt and pepper.

Beef Stroganoff

My husband loves Beef Stroganoff, but after almost 10 years of marriage this will be my first attempt at making it.  I decided to try it out in the crock pot so that the beef would be really tender.

This recipe is really simple and the results were delicious.  

I also tried to cut a few calories by using reduced fat sour cream and I did not use any cream cheese.

Below is a variation of a couple parts of different recipes to make one easy tasty dinner.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 4 1/2 hours in the crockpot on high

Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients:

1 -2 lbs. Stewing Beef (I would go with 2lbs next time)

2 Small Onions

1 Package Mushrooms

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 cup Beef Broth

1/4 White Wine (if you don't have any on hand White Wine Vinegar will do, but the taste will have a little more zing to it.)

2 tsp Pepper

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream

2 Tbsp Corn Starch

1. Put Stewing Meat in the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Dice the Onion and add that to the crock pot.

3. In a bowl mix beef broth, 2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce, 1/4 cup white white, and tomato paste.  Once mixed well add this to the crockpot.

4. Cut Mushrooms and add those to the crockpot.  Stir everything in the crockpot well.

5. Cook for 4 hours on high (may vary based on how hot your crockpot gets.)

6. After 4 hours, mix sour cream, pepper, corn starch, 1 Tbsp of soy sauce by whisking it really well until everything has been mixed together.  Add this to the crockpot.  Whisk it well into the crock pot too.  Cook for another 30 minutes.

7. Prepare the egg noodles according to the package directions.  When they are cooked and drained add them to the crockpot and mix.  Dinner is done!

The Ingredients

Stewing Beef in the Crockpot

Dice up those onions

Add onions to the crockpot

Mix the soy sauce, tomato paste, white wine, and beef broth

Add your liquid mixture to the crockpot

Slice the mushrooms

Add mushrooms to the crockpot

Mix mushrooms in well with sauce and beef, cook for 4 hours on high

Its been 4 hours, time to make the cream sauce.  Mix the sour cream, pepper, corn starch and left over soy.

Whisk it really well in the crockpot

Prepare the Egg Noodles

Look at this delicious meal you have just created.  Sure to please the whole family.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Sometimes I buy the already prepared stuffed chicken breasts in the store and my family enjoys them and I like them for a quick oven dinner.  Today I thought I would make my own stuffed chicken and see how it goes.

I made Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken.  It was pretty easy to make but there is one change I would make for next time.  The recipe I used just said to bake the chicken after you apply the light breading.  I would not do this next time.  I would have preferred to brown it in a pan first with some olive oil and then bake the rest of it.  I feel like that would have made the meal taste better.

So I'm going to try and make this again in the future but I'll be browning it in a pan first.  If you are going to make this I would suggest doing that too.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

1 egg (beaten)

1 bag of frozen broccoli

3 slices of American Cheese

3 slices of Swiss Cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs

1 tbsp of water

Toothpicks

1. Cut American Cheese slices into 4 squares (see photo below)

2. Take one pile of American Cheese squares and place on top of swiss cheese, add thawed broccoli to the top.  Make 3 of these (one for each piece of Chicken)

3. Place one chicken breast in a plastic bag (no air in the bag) and use a meat mallet to flatten the chicken so you can stuff and roll it.

4. Stuff the chicken once the breasts are flattened.  Put one cheese and broccoli stack in each chicken.  Roll the chicken and use toothpicks to hold it all together.

5. Take 3 bowls : 1 bowl is for flour, 1 bowl is for the bread crumbs and one is for the beaten egg mixed with the water.

6. Dip the chicken in flour and evenly coat.

7. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and evenly coat.

8. Dip the chicken in the bread crumbs.

9. This is where I would brown the chicken in a pan with olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side before baking it in the oven.

10. Once you have browned the chicken, place each rolled breast into a non stick backing pan.

11. Cook in oven on 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

See photos below for step by step instructions.

Ingredients below

Cut the American Cheese into 4 squares

Layer the American Cheese on the Swiss Cheese

Add the thawed broccoli on top of the cheese (make 3 of these)

Put chicken breast in plastic bag and flatten with a meat mallet

Place cheese and broccoli stack in the middle of the chicken

Roll Chicken and secure with toothpicks

The breading bowls: Dip Chicken in flour, then egg mixture, then bread crumbs

I just baked mine in the oven but I highly suggest cooking it a little in a pan with oil first and then bake it.

Our side dish

Complete, yummy cheesy chicken middles!

As always don't be afraid to try new things in the kitchen!

Good luck and enjoy cooking!

Two Weeks of Groceries for Under $120.00 with meals

Its that time again.  Time to get ready to go to the grocery store to see if I can meal plan enough for two weeks of food as well as lunches for school and work.

I thought for sure this week would prove to be challenging because I decided to make a bunch of different meals that use various ingredients and also stock up on some items that were 10 for $10.  

The first thing I do is meal plan for two weeks (give or take some meals, but I try to get enough stuff to make many meals and some staples to have on hand incase I don't feel like making something I planned.)  I don't know if you are like me but occasionally I will have something planned but not be in the mood for it when it comes time to make it.  So the meal planning portion of this could change.

Here is what I planned for the two weeks:

Turkey Chili Mac

Beef Stroganoff 

Chicken Fajitas and Mexican Rice

Thanksgiving Dinner (Turkey Breast, stuffing, and a veggie)

Pesto Chicken and Brussel Sprouts

Citrus and Herb Whole Chicken, Mashed Potato

Pulled Pork, pasta salad and Corn

Lasagna Roll Ups (already in the freezer from when I made them a week ago)

Breakfast for Dinner (omelets, hash browns)

Tuna Pitas

Light Broccoli Alfredo

Grilled Chicken and Red Skins

Remember to Gather Up your Paper Work (Grocery List, Recipes, Coupons, Sale Ad, and your Grocery Budget Shopping list) 

Printable Lists HERE

DIY Meal Planning Dry Erase with Printable for Weekly Meals HERE

My resources are printed below and I'm ready to work and plan before I go to the store so I can estimate how much groceries will cost.  

Don't forget to load your shopper card with digital coupons if your store has them.

My basket below!  I find that if you meal plan You can get great groceries.  I have also noticed that my basket is not filled to the top when I go to the cheek out.  I've discovered that if you fill your basket 1/2 way with meal planning items and that is it, your basket will be around $100.  At least it usually is for me (don't take my word for it though, every store and every meal plan will differ for personal preference.)

The grocery haul for the next two weeks (I may have to go out next week and get milk, that will depend on how much cereal my little guys eat for breakfast, but that should be all.)

Pretty good mix of quality items, fresh veggies, meat, dairy and canned.

If you are wondering where all my fruit is, I buy frozen fruit for smoothies and we still have a lot in the freezer from about a month ago and we have some cans.  So that will have to suffice until next time.

Close Up

I even had enough in the budget to buy myself flowers!  My little treat.

So whats the damage...I budgeted my bill would be $131.48 (wow that was expensive) but my actual bill turned out to be $116.16.  I over budgeted by a lot and the reason is because I was buying things I had no idea how much they cost.  I budgeted $4.00 for already made pesto but the actual price was $3.29.  Same for my face lotion $12.99 and I actually got it on sale and had a coupon so it was really $6.89.  The great thing about budgeting cost before you go to the store is so you have an idea about how much you are getting for your money and the cost.  Its so AWESOME when the price you pay is lower than what you expected.

Let this be a lesson to you...I got my Saturday mail from the mailbox after I went to the grocery store on Sunday...had I checked it before hand I would have had even more savings.  Oh well, I'll save money next time.

The itemized breakdown:

Meat: Whole Chicken, 3 lbs. of Ground Turkey, Stewing Beef, Honey Ham Deli Meat, Chicken Hot Dogs.

Snacks: 2 bags of Rice Cakes (caramel and chocolate)

Canned/Pantry: 3 Tomato Paste, 2 Tomato Sauce, 1 Tomato Puree, Chili Tomatoes, Chili Beans, 3 Prego Spaghetti Sauces, Beef Broth, Chicken Salad Lunch Kit, Worcestershire Sauce, Egg Noodles, 3 Boxes of Pasta Noodles, Turkey Stuffing, 2 Loaves of Bread, 1 Hamburger Bun

Frozen: Garlic Baguette, Hashbrowns, 2 Packages of Broccoli

Dairy: Caesar Dressing, Gallon of Milk, Swiss Cheese, 2 packages of Cheddar, 2 packages of Mozzarella, Pizza Lunchable, Eggs

Beverage: V8 Juice Boxes

Fresh: Asparagus Bunch, Romaine Lettuce, Iceberg Lettuce, 2 Green Peppers, Garlic, 2 Lemons, Red Skin Potatoes, Bananas

Household/Plastic: Snack plastic bags, Kids Body Wash, Loreal Face Lotion, Flower Bouquet