Nawlin's Red Beans and Rice

. Hey Y'all it's Monday and after two days off I am ready for some satisfying Southern Comfort Food. I looked in my pantry and came up with this meal. The Essential Everday products are the star tonight. In January we received the EE $.75/1 coupons and I stocked my pantry with free long grain rice, free canned vegetables, $.25 dry beans, free cornbread muffin mix, and other shelf stable items and supplies. Let's put those babies to good use!! The total OOP for tonight's dinner (and tomorrow's lunch) is $4.45 (dry red kidney beans $.25 after coupon; 4.19 For my fave smoked sausage) Woohooo!!!! I put my beans in the crockpot with water, a can of EE beef broth, and one bag of Birdseye RR green peppers and onions (free/MM). Season to taste and let them cook while you run errands, work, or relax on the couch. About a half hour or so before serving cook the rice and sausage to complete the meal. Let me know if you try it...leave a comment!!

Oven Roasted Chicken

This meal shows my southern roots. In a southern home, dinner usually consists of a meat, a vegetable, and a starch. This week I found a deal on chicken wings (the verdict is out on how "good" the deal really is). I purchased a family pack of 18, for $11.87, which I rinsed and divided in half before freezing.Ingredient: from your stockpile, use the Mahatma Yellow Rice packages- $.0 (Moneymaker at Publix); Birdseye RR Squash, zucchini, and red onion pack- $.0 (Moneymaker at Publix a month or so ago). To achieve brown and crispy chicken, pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Toss them in a Tbsp of olive oil, season with coarse salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the wings in a shallow baking pan (I line the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up). Roast the wings for approximately 20 minutes or until brown and crispy. You will get all the taste and enjoyment of fried chicken without having to coat them in flour and all of the greasiness (is that a word? Lol). Considering the overage gained from purchasing the rice and Birdseye vegetables, the final out of pocket cost is hard to gauge. The cost of the chicken is the only "real" cost of the meal. Woop-woop!! Another cost effective meal!! Enjoy :-)

Mexican Lasagna

Tonight let's travel south of the border!! Mexican lasagna is a quick and easy dish that you and your family will enjoy. Let's get the fiesta started.... Ingredients From your stockpile or Publix BOGO sale two weeks ago, use the Old El Paso Soft Taco Dinner Kit ($1.60 w/out coupons);sour cream ($.25, purchased with Essential Everyday coupon last month). On Sale Now lettuce and a tomato ($.0, if you did the ziploc deal at Publix this week; Kraft Cheddar Cheese ($1.49, Kroger Mega Sale); 1lb ground beef or turkey ($3.70, I used ground beef. Preparations Brown and drain the ground beef or ground turkey, stir in the taco seasoning packet and the salsa packet from the dinner kit; remove from heat. Spray the bottom and sides you a 9x9 baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with one layer of flour tortillas (tortillas may need to be cut in half or quarters); pour ground beef/turkey mixture onto the first tortilla layer,add shredded cheese; continue layering tortillas, meat mixture, and cheese until finished. End with meat mixture and cheese atop. Place the dish in the oven at 375 for approximately 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lasagna is set. The bottom layer of tortilla should be crisp and lightly browned. Garnish with shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!!!

Penne Pasta with Basil Pesto Dinner

Tonight's dinner suggestion is quick and easy as well as budget friendly. If you are an avid couponer you will probably have these items on hand. Ingredients Stockpile 1lb box of Muellers Penne Pasta. $.30 Birdseye Recipe Ready Carrots. $.00 On sale NOW (Kroger) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast. $3.80 ($1.99/lb)YMMV Classico Basil Pesto Sauce. $1.49 ($5/5 Mega Sale) Total Out-of-Pocket. $5.59 Preparation Three decent size breasts should be in the package for under $4. I am not a fan of thick pieces of chicken (or any other meat)so I usually butterfly them, making one breast into two. Season to taste. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to your heated skillet. Sauté until the breast is cooked through. Cut your breast into bite sized pieces or keep them whole (your preference); set them aside. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta and stir in the basil pesto sauce and the chicken breast. Put the carrots in a microwave-safe bowl with 2/3 cup of water, butter, and salt and pepper. Cover it loosely and microwave it for approximately six minutes or until tender. Serve immediately!!! Enjoy :-)