Thrifty Meals – Fun Foodie Family

Chicken, Beans, and Rice Bowl

Easy to throw together! Lettuce, rice, beans (black and kidney), grilled chicken, and lots of cheese!

Not really photogenic after it is mixed up, but very tasty! I topped it with black olives and chips! I might use my leftovers to make a quesadilla or burrito tomorrow for lunch 🙂

Save your money Avocado Toast

Breakfast and Brunch, Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Thrifty Meals

Smash an avocado with salt and pepper. Toast some bread. Top with eggs. I usually do sunny side up or poached, but Becca wanted scrambled. Bam. I just saved you $15 😉

EASY and FAST Pandemic Meals

Burgers, Kids, Pantry Raid, Pasta, Perfect Side Dish..., Pork, Seafood, Thrifty Meals, Weekly Meal Plans

Here are a few meals I have made over the last few days. Hope they inspire you to cook at home!

Spaghetti and Meatballs but this time I just used frozen meatballs. No shame in that at all! Plus one of my favorites, mozzarella bruschetta. I sliced an Italian loaf of bread in medium sized pieces and slathered on olive oil on each piece and topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella. I put that in the oven on the second rack halfway through the pasta baking. It about 8-10. The oven was at 350.
I chopped up 3 tomatoes, some fresh basil, and mixed it with a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic glaze with a bit of salt and pepper. Topped the cheese toast with the tomato mixture and topped with more balsamic drizzle and basil.

Jambalaya- I made this for the hubby for his lunch. I sliced one chicken thigh and cooked it in a cast iron pan. Then I added 2 pieces of sliced Andouille sausages until they were heated through. Lastly I added the shrimp and cooked it for about 2 minutes per side. Then I added the meat to a cooked box of Jambalaya Rice mix. Pretty easy to throw together. I had a few bites to taste test 😉

Becca’s favorite- Shake and Bake Pork Chops. I always try to have a box in my pantry. Always a classic!

One Pot Meal- Mushroom Tomato-Cream Sauce Pasta

One pot meal, Pasta, Thrifty Meals, vegan, Vegetarian

I have a yummy vegetarian pasta dish for you! I found some ground beef in the freezer yesterday, and the kids and husband love my Chili Mac, so I decided to make that for them. Since, I no longer eat meat, I decided to use up the sad mushrooms in the vegetable crisper and make myself a vegetarian pasta. It was so easy and fast, so I don’t even think it requires a official recipe.

I browned the mushrooms in olive oil for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Then I added 1/2 pound of pasta, a jar of marinara sauce, and water (the amount it takes to fill up that jar of sauce). I stirred it all together and turned it to low. I cooked it for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Lastly, I stirred in a half cup of heavy cream. If you want to make this vegan, you can leave that part out. Now I have a few extra meals for the week!

Tofu, Black Beans, and Veggie Quesadillas

Mexican, Thrifty Meals, Vegetarian

Say what you want about tofu, but to me, it is a blank slate of perfect protein. You can complain about it all you want, but you have to know how to handle it. In this preparation, I added all the flavoring of chorizo with none of the sausage. I think I made one of the best vegetarian quesadillas I have ever eaten.

SAY WHAT? I would never lie about tofu or quesadillas. Most vegetarian quesadillas at restaurants are way too soggy. The only vegetarian quesadilla I like with tofu is at Moe’s where I just get tofu, black beans, and maybe a few mushrooms. This one has WAY more flavor!

Tofu, Black Beans, and Veggie Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 shallot, diced
1 red pepper sliced thinly
1/2 a small head of cauliflower, chopped
1 small can black beans
1 tablespoon chorizo powder (you can buy or make https://emerils.com/126059/chorizo-seasoning)
1 container tofu, drained and chopped
1 large whole wheat tortilla
1 handful of mixed Mexican cheese, or whatever you have

Directions

Prepare all your veggies
Coat your pan with some oil
Add in your shallots and red peppers and cook down for 5 minutes.
Add your cauliflower and tofu with your chorizo spice blend. Mix together well for another 5 minutes.

In a nonstick pan, add a tablespoon of oil or butter, then add a large whole wheat tortilla (or whatever you have. I have a tall stack of different tortillas in my fridge)

Add a good helping of the tofu veggie mixture with a nice handful of cheese.

Fold the tortilla over and cook until crispy on both sides, about 3 minutes on medium high heat for both sides. So yummy! I have leftover filling for something else later! =)