Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This is another budget meal that Mr.W gobbled up, which was surprising, since it's a relatively healthy meal. I won't make any claims to authenticity as an enchilada--but it is an easy-fix meal that comes together very quickly to feed your hungry family.

Enchiladas are easy to make--and turning it into a casserole makes it even easier. It's a very flexible and personalizable recipe that can adapt to whatever ingredients you have on hand.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

serves 6-8

In a lightly oiled square baking dish, spoon some prepared enchilada sauce (or taco sauce, or salsa) onto the bottom--I would say between 1/4 and 1/3 cup. The purpose is to keep the tortillas from sticking and to keep them moist.

Top with corn or flour tortillas. I used corn, and cut them so they'd fit a little better in the square dish.

Next was the filling. I combined two poached chicken breasts, cubed, with about 3/4 cup black beans (about half a can, rinsed and drained) and 1/4 cup frozen corn niblets with another splash of enchilada sauce, salt and pepper. After a good stir, it went into the baking dish.

More corn tortillas topped the filling, again cut to fit. All together, I used only five tortillas. More enchilada sauce was spooned on top.

I added about 1 cup of shredded colby-jack cheese on top and baked in a preheated 350*F oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese melted.

Served beside a spinach salad with a lime vinaigrette, this was a tasty meal.

Obviously you can customize this recipe with whatever ingredients you like. You can add cheese to the filling, substitute pork, beef, fish or even cubed tofu for the chicken, or make a sour cream sauce instead of the red enchilada sauce. I've often used mojo criollo to keep fillings moist, which adds fantastic flavor.

One Pound of Ground Beef, Two Meals for Four

To continue the theme of budget-friendly meals, I made two meals that each use 1/2 pound of ground beef, as well as some pre-frozen ingredients I had on-hand.

On Sunday, I cooked a whole pound of ground beef seasoned simply with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and refrigerated the cooked meat in two equal portions. This was to facilitate quick-fix meals for Monday and Tuesday.

Obviously you need not make these meals two days in a row--you could freeze your pre-cooked ground beef, or simply portion your uncooked meat in half-pound packages. But however you do this, a little planning goes a long way toward making your grocery budget stretch.

Each paired with a side salad, these are complete, budget-friendly meals. Mr.W was happy with both, which is good news for anyone with a picky eater at home!

Meal One: Dinner Nachos

serves 4

About 10 small corn tortillas, cut into wedges and baked at 350*F or deep-fried to crisp, or about two handfuls corn chips

1/2 pound cooked ground beef

1/2 pound colby jack cheese, shredded

toppings as desired (I used salsa, guacamole and sour cream; in hindsight, I should have added some rinsed and drained canned black beans.)

Spread corn chips on a large rimmed cookie sheet that is lightly oiled. Sprinkle with ground beef and shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven until cheese is melted--about 8 minutes. Top as desired.

Meal Two: Penne Bolognese

serves 4

olive oil

about 10 baby-cut carrots, finely chopped

about 1/3 cup chopped onion (I often buy a jumbo-sized onion, chop and store in the freezer)

1 2-inch piece celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or as desired (optional)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup frozen baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 pound cooked ground beef

2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce

2 cups warm water

1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente according to package directions

about 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

about 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute carrots, onion and celery in olive oil until onion is transparent and carrot is soft. Stir in red pepper; add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach, vinegar and ground beef. Stir and pour in spaghetti sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.

Add cooked pasta and remove from heat; toss to coat with sauce. Top with cheeses and serve.

Food Budget Issues

I'd like to divert a wee bit from my regular format to talk a little bit about feeding your family economically as food prices increase drastically. A recent article on Frugal Upstate got me thinking about this.

It's a difficult subject--because everyone's idea of economy is a little different, and people have different ideas about what is acceptable nutrition.

Although this is not a frugal or financial blog in any way, let's face it--most of us are on a budget. My grocery budget is $50/week, and that includes dog and cat food, paper/cleaning products and any foods prepared for this blog (which are always made as part of a meal). It's just Mr.W and myself here; we also provide food for different functions and gatherings weekly or so, either inviting friends or family members for a meal or bringing something to a potluck or church social gathering.

The best article on this subject that I've read lately is Cheap Healthy Good's Ultimate Guide to Understanding the Food Crisis: How it Started, Who it Hurts Most, and How to Solve the Problem. What a great perspective--it's certainly true that here in the United States we are not in danger of going hungry any time soon.

But our food prices are increasing, and many people on fixed incomes are having to choose which items on their grocery lists to do without. Those of us on strict budgets AND trying to eat as healthy as possible are learning how to be more creative. When is buying organic and locally-produced food no longer possible? What about the people on budgets that ate nutritionally-bankrupt meals before prices started going up? What are they going to do?

I have to admit that my main concern is for the poor. I personally know people who don't have the money to purchase in bulk--the financial outlay is just not possible. Heck, I've even had to make those choices--not having an extra $10 for the jumbo package of toilet paper at a better price per roll is a real issue for most people I know in real life. I also know people who don't have cars--or money for extra gas--to drive to a slightly farther store to find the best deals.

And what about all those people who just don't know how to create a nutrtionally-balanced meal? On a budget or not, they just have no idea that 50% of your plate should be (let's all say it together, now) vegetables! The remaining 50% should be (for people without dietary restriction) a carb and a protein. Four ounces of lean meat is a portion size. That's about the size of a deck of cards, or the palm of your hand.

So let's talk about some ways to make your grocery budget stretch:

- Read your receipt! Make sure you're not being overcharged.

- When comparing the best price for an item, look at unit price; also consider gasoline/travel cost if you have to go to many stores. Is it worth saving three cents?

- Don't waste food. Only make what you can eat. Freeze leftovers for future meals. For example, remove all remaining meat from a rotisserie chicken and make chicken salad for lunches; then take all the bones, cartilage and skin and freeze it for a future batch of broth. Ditto with a few stalks of celery, half an onion, a few bits of carrot, 1/2 cup rice, a few slices of roast beef, etc.

- Build menu plans based on what's on sale at local grocery stores. Check those sale flyers! I find it's useful to spend that $1.50 for the Sunday newspaper (we don't purchase regular paper delivery) for the flyers and coupons. Most big-chain grocery stores also publish sale flyers online.

- Plan convenient and snack foods so you can manage how much you're spending. For example, mini crustless quiches or muffins in the freezer are a great take-along breakfast for the commuter!

- Troll grocery stores for meat that's marked down for the last day of sale; use that same day or freeze immediately for future use. DO NOT LEAVE IN THE FRIDGE BEYOND THE DAY OF PURCHASE.

- Talk with friends and family. Maybe sharing a bulk-sized package of meat or toilet paper can work for you. I have a great friend that calls me from the store if she finds an item that she knows I use on sale, and will offer to pick it up for me to save me the trip if I want it.

- Sharing a ride to the store with a friend saves gas. Better yet, if you're going anyway, bring a less fortunate friend, neighbor or family member and save them the taxi fare.

- Visit your local library to review depression-era cookbooks. You'll be surprised how many inventive and tasty recipes you'll find!

- Implement a meatless meal day, such as spaghetti with marinara (don't forget a salad!) and garlic bread, or rice-and-beans.

- Learn recipes that utilize dried legumes. They're high in protein and fiber, and very filling.

- Learn about different cuisines. For example, vietnamese pho is delicious, good for you, and uses very little meat. With a little planning and time, you can make a delicious broth, serve with rice or cello noodles (under $2 at walmart) and 1/2 pound thin-sliced meat of choice feeds 4-6.

- Buy ahead! If you know you'll be making lots of, say, bread in the coming several months, go ahead and buy that 50-pound bag of flour now, if you can. Chances are the price will increase over the summer.

- Buy frozen vegetables instead of imported out-of-season ones. Frozen fruit are also a good quality alternative to fresh.

- We grew up poor, so I know how to use a can of tuna a hundred ways! My favorite is creamed tuna on toast with peas or green beans. These kinds of meals are filling, family-friendly and budget-stretching.

- If you can, make donations to your local food bank.

- Reduce the amount of meat in recipes. A pasta sauce that your normally make with one pound of ground beef might work fine with a half pound.

- Start a garden. Even if it's only an indoor container of herbs or two tomato plants, it's something, and not only are you providing fresh food for your family, you're reducing the demand ever so slightly on that product making it more available to others. I know, it doesn't seem like much--but if enough people do it, it will make a difference.

- Consider buying a share or half-share in a local CSA. It's a good investment toward fresh, locally-grown produce for your family all growing season long.

- Donate or volunteer at soup kitchens or reliable charities (ones that do not exceed 10% administrative costs) that feed the hungry in your own country or globally.

Here are some things that I'm doing personally:

- Dusting off my oil spray pump. Why pay more for the stuff in cans, when I can buy oil on sale at my discount grocery?

- Combining shopping trips. In my town, there are 3 major grocery stores, my warehouse club grocery (BJ's) is a 15-minute drive out of town, and the nearest whole-foods/health store where I purchase bulk grains is another 15-minute drive in a different direction. I use one shopping day every other week to do my driving circuit--to the whole-foods/health store (with a farmer's market stop along the way), divert through another city directly towards the warehouse club for some bulk purchases and the lowest price gasoline.

- By limiting other trips out of town, we are able to make one tank of gas last two weeks!

- Choosing to consider this a way to eat healthier and be better stewards of our money; not succumbing to an inflation mindset.


How are you combatting the rising food prices in your life? What are some of your budget-stretching meals?