Paul Ivanovsky

Menu Plan – 5 Meals for Less Than $50

The other week we gave you a Menu Plan for 4 Meals for Less Than $40 complete with recipes, shopping list and approximate pricing. This week we have 5 delicious recipes for you to prepare for your family for less than $50! This week’s menu if full of flavor that will fill your family’s bellies. We’re also making something new using up leftovers which is always great for stretching the grocery dollars. All the ideas you see here can feed a family of 5 dinner 5 nights for $50!

Menu Plan – 5 Meals for Less Than $50

Dairy Free Veggie Pizza $5

First up is a Dairy Free Veggie Pizza. Even if your family doesn’t suffer from dairy allergies or issues, it’s never a bad idea to cut out dairy once in a while (and since this week’s menu is pretty packed with cheese, this is probably a good idea). This veggie pizza won’t lack flavor even though it lacks cheese!

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese $9

So I mentioned the cheesey line up for this week’s menu, right? Next on the list is my wife’s AMAZING Macaroni and Cheese in the Crock Pot. I’m pretty sure macaroni and cheese just doesn’t get any better than this. You can serve with salad or hotdogs but honestly, we can make a meal out of just the mac n cheese. You’ll want to make an extra big batch of this when you see the next menu idea.

Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwiches $5

What is better than my wife’s Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese? These Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwiches just might be better. Use up those left overs and make these sandwiches for a totally different kind of grilled cheese. They are great served with tomato soup or fries or just by themselves.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich Texas Style $13

Here I go with the cheese again! Texas Style Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches are one of my favorites. These are easy to make and while they are a little more to make than some of our meal ideas, they’re still much less expensive to make at home than to order when out at your favorite steak house.

Southwest Stuffed Green Peppers $18

Last but certainly not least on the menu line up is Southwest Stuffed Green Peppers. With the meat, veggies, and rice all in one dish you’ll be satisfied with this as your main course. They are stuffed with great flavor!

Click the photos or the links to find the recipes for each of these great meal ideas. To make your life easier, we’ve made a shopping list for you that is ready to print and head to Walmart to grab what you need for these 5 meals! I’m assuming you have some of the staples on hand like milk, butter, rice and seasonings so double check the recipes against what’s already stocked in your pantry. Just right click the list to print!

Cheesy Turkey Burger Casserole

Aug 12 by Paul Ivanovsky 1 Comment

There’s nothing like a good cheeseburger on a summer day but this Cheesy Turkey Burger Casserole on a cold winter day is a close second. It’s an easy and delicious casserole that can be made ahead and warms up well. It’s also an affordable meal for the whole family. Right now lean ground turkey is less expensive than most ground beef. This is a great way to prepare it and your family will never know the difference.

Cheesy Turkey Burger Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
1 onion finely chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the ground turkey and onion in a large skillet and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk eggs and milk together. Add the biscuit mix to the eggs and milk, mix thoroughly.

Grease an 8” glass pie plate with butter or non stick cooking spray.

Spread the browned turkey and onion evenly pie plate or baking dish.

Spread the shredded cheddar cheese over the ground turkey evenly.

Pour the biscuit mixture over the turkey and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand for several minutes before serving.

Cut into 8-10 pieces and serve. My family likes to add ketchup and other burger toppings.

Don’t have ground turkey on hand? Substitute lean ground beef. You can also add lots of other veggies to this casserole. Prepare the ground turkey with diced celery or grated zucchini. You can make a lot of variations too. Prepare your ground meat with taco seasonings and top the finished casserole with salsa for a southwest version. Add a can of chili beans and chili seasonings for a chili cheese pie. We’ve even made this with breakfast sausage and shredded potatoes for Sunday morning brunch.

Bacon Wrapped Mac n Cheese

Jun 4 by Paul Ivanovsky Leave a Comment

Do you ever wonder if there is anything that wouldn’t be better with bacon? Okay, there really isn’t any wondering. Everything is better with bacon, like Mac n Cheese for example. This recipe for Bacon Wrapped Mac n Cheese is so good. It’s made with turkey bacon so it’s a little bit healthier than it sounds. Your family will love it!

Bacon Wrapped Mac n Cheese

Ingredients:

16 oz turkey bacon
1 box elbow macaroni
1 block of processed cheese (like Velveeta)
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
muffin pan
non stick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the cups of the muffin pan with non stick spray to prevent the bacon from sticking. This will make clean up much easier!

Lay 2-3 pieces of turkey bacon in the bottom of each muffin cup, arranging so they come part way up the sides.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until bacon begins to crisp.

While bacon is cooking, cut the cheese into 1″ cubes. Place in a microwave safe bowl and pour milk over top. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Stir well and continue heating until the cheese is completely melted and the milk is well blended in.

Cook macaroni in a medium pan according to instructions. Remove macaroni from stove just before it is soft as it will continue cooking in the oven. Drain well.

Stir macaroni into the cheese mixture, adding salt and pepper to taste.

When bacon is done cooking, remove from oven and fill the bacon cups with the macaroni and cheese mixture.

Return the muffin pan to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Remove the bacon wrapped mac n cheese from the oven and allow it to cool for several minutes before serving.

The mac n cheese cups should easily release from the pan.

Serve with fresh veggies for a fun meal!

Copycat McDonald’s Big Mac

May 18 by Paul Ivanovsky Leave a Comment

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese…we all know how the jingle goes but do you know how to make a Copycat McDonald’s Big Mac that you can enjoy at home (and know exactly what all the ingredients are)? I’m going to give you the secret to making that perfect burger at home!

Copycat McDonald’s Big Mac

(Yields 1 Burger)

INGREDIENTS:

Special Sauce:

1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 heaping tbsp French salad dressing (like Wishbone Deluxe)
1/2 tbsp Sweet Relish
2 heaping tsp Dill Pickle Relish
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Dried Minced Onion
1 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Ketchup
1/8 tsp Salt

Burgers:

2 thin 2 oz Patties
1 Sesame Seeds Bun
1 additional Bun Bottom
1 slices American Cheese
1 tbsp Special Sauce
1 tsp finely diced Onion
1/2 cup chopped Lettuce
2 Dill Pickle slices
dash of Salt
dash of Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Mix special sauce ingredients until well blended in a microwave safe container. Microwave 25 seconds. Mix well again. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

Cut browned side of extra bun half away, leaving piece to use as middle.

Lightly toast all of the buns on pan or griddle and set them aside.

Cook patties in hot pan 1-2 minutes each side lightly salting and peppering.

On bottom bun, add 1/2 tbsp Special Sauce, 1/2 tsp dice onion, 1/4 cup lettuce, slice of American cheese and 1 patty.

On the middle bun, add 1/2 tbsp Special Sauce, 1/2 tsp dice onion, pickles, 1/4 cup lettuce and 1 patty.

Place the middle bun section on top of the bottom bun section and top with the top bun.

Sit back and enjoy your masterpiece! A Big Mac never tasted so good as one you made yourself with ingredients from your own pantry. There will be enough sauce left over for several of these delicious burgers. Store in the refrigerator in a mason jar with a tightly fitting lid for up to a week.

Frozen Strawberry Mousse

Jan 25 by Paul Ivanovsky Leave a Comment

Frozen Strawberry Mousse is a nice alternative to ice cream and a great dessert for last minute guests or a special night in for Valentine’s Day. It’s quick and easy to make and I promise you’ll love it. It’s a lot like a sorbet but more rich and creamy.

If you are making this tasty Strawberry Mousse for your Valentine I recommend picking up these red Rachael Ray ramekins for serving.

Frozen Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen strawberries
1-2 tbsp sugar (or other sweetener)
1 egg white
blender
whipped topping optional

Instructions:

Pour frozen berries and sugar into blender. Blend on high until berries are crushed.

Add the egg white to the berries and continue blending on high. Periodically scrape the sides of the blender down with a spatula and continue blending. The mixture will become light and almost fluffy.

The egg white is the key to making this mousse. It works much like the egg whites when making a meringue for a pie. When blended with the berries and sugar it creates an amazing flavor and texture.

If you’re concerned about the raw egg whites, consider using a pasteurized egg white or substitute.

When the mousse has reached the right consistency, layer it in serving dishes with whipped topping or homemade whipped cream.

I love this dessert because I know every ingredient. It’s a really healthy alternative and it’s dairy free (without the whipped topping). It makes a great grown-up, romantic dessert but it’s something the kids will absolutely love too!

More Delicious Dessert Recipes:

Thin Mint Truffles Recipe

Baked Peaches Recipe

Better Than Sex Cake

Frozen Strawberry Mousse

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Paul

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 cups frozen strawberries
1-2 tbsp sugar (or other sweetener)
1 egg white
blender
whipped topping optional

Instructions

Pour frozen berries and sugar into blender. Blend on high until berries are crushed.
Add the egg white to the berries and continue blending on high. Periodically scrape the sides of the blender down with a spatula and continue blending. The mixture will become light and almost fluffy.
The egg white is the key to making this mousse. It works much like the egg whites when making a meringue for a pie. When blended with the berries and sugar it creates an amazing flavor and texture.
If you’re concerned about the raw egg whites, consider using a pasteurized egg white or substitute.
When the mousse has reached the right consistency, layer it in serving dishes with whipped topping or homemade whipped cream.
I love this dessert because I know every ingredient. It’s a really healthy alternative and it’s dairy free (without the whipped topping). It makes a great grown-up, romantic dessert but it’s something the kids will absolutely love too!

Weekly Meal Plan for January 12th 2015

Jan 12 by Paul Ivanovsky Leave a Comment

What’s on your meal plan this week? If you haven’t planned out your menu, here are some great suggestions for affordable, delicious meals. Feed your family this line up for about $52!

Weekly Meal Plan for January 12th 2015

Meal 1 – Homemade Hot Pockets – Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

Kids love homemade hot pockets and we love that we can pronounce all the ingredients. You can also control sodium, fat, and calories. These are great frozen, thawed overnight, and then reheated the next day for lunch.

Meal 2 – Baked Potato Bar

A Baked Potato Bar is a huge hit around here! Potato bar’s are easy and cheap. We usually can find many toppings in the fridge and rarely have to pick anything up at the store for it. It’s a great way to use up left overs – whether it be meats, veggies, cheese, salad dressings, or other toppings.

Meal 3 – Easy Slow Cooker Chicken

I love slow cooker meals. It’s nice to toss something into the crock pot and forget about it until dinner time. It definitely makes meal time prep easier and lets me get a lot of things done while it’s cooking. Serve this slow cooker chicken with a side of rice or potatoes. Rice-A-Roni and Pasta-Roni are on sale for $1 this week at Walmart. They make a great side for this.

Meal 4 – Chili with Turkey Burger

Again this week, turkey burger is priced better than lean ground beef. Make a pot of your favorite chili using turkey burger. You can also put this in the crock pot for an easy meal. Serve with tortilla chips and some fun toppings like sour cream, green onions, and cheese. Add rolls or a side salad to make this a complete meal.

Meal 5 – Easy Goulash

We always make extra chili. Sometimes we freeze it for chili another time but often we use it to make Easy Goulash the next night. Boil your pasta – elbow macaroni or your choice of pasta. Warm the left over chili and add the pasta to it. If you need to, add a can of tomato sauce or a bit of tomato juice.

Meal 6 – Birds Eye Voila! Garlic Chicken

This is only $3.88 a bag this week at Walmart. This complete meal is ready in no time. Grab a couple of bags and you’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day!