Cold Cuban Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 lb Pork Sirloin or Tenderloin, thinly sliced

1 cup (8oz) Italian salad dressing

8 oz Deli Sliced Ham

1 Banana, thinly sliced

32 Dill Pickle slices (8 per sandwich)

4 Tbs Mayonnaise

4 tsp Yellow Mustard

4 Submarine rolls

1 Tbs Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Thinly slice the pork and place it in a small bowl with a lid. Add the Italian salad dressing. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with vegetable oil. Remove the pork from the marinade and add to the pan. Saute until cooked through, about 5 minutes - do not overcook. Place in food storage container and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

To assemble the sandwich, start by slicing the rolls in half lengthwise. Remove some of the bread from the inside of each half - creating a dish that will hold all the sandwich fixin's (save the bread you remove for bread crumbs). Spread 1 Tbs mayonnaise and 1 tsp mustard on the bottom half of the rolls. Next add a single layer (about 16 slices) of banana on top of the mayo and mustard. Then add a single layer (about 8 slices) of pickles on top of the bananas. Pile on 1/4 of the pork. Finish by placing 4 slices of ham on top of the pork. Add top half of the roll.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe and to read the story behind it, visit my other blog here.

Chicken Tortellini Salad with Grapes and Pineapple

Ingredients:

2 9oz packages refrigerated tortellini (any flavor - I used cheese ones and sausage ones and they both taste great)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can crushed pineapple
1 cup mayonnaise
1 rib celery, finely diced
3 green onions, finely sliced
1 cup grapes, halved
2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook through (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, in the bottom of a large mixing bowl, stir together the pineapple, mayonnaise, sage, thyme, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cut the green onions, celery and grapes and add them to the bowl.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and rinse it under cold water. Add the pasta and the cooled chicken to the bowl. Stir all together. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Curry Chicken and Grapes Wraps

Ingredients:

4 burrito size tortillas
2 cans chicken breast meat, drained
8 leafs of lettuce, shredded
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 lb grapes, halved

1/2 cup cashew pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions:

In the bottom of a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the mayo, curry powder, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Thinly slice the green onions and add them to the bowl. Finely chop the celery and add it to the bowl too.

Open and drain the chicken and add to the bowl. Slice the grapes in half and stir the entire mixture together.

Using a sharp knife, finely shred the lettuce.

To assemble the wraps, place 1/4 of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla. Top with 1/4 of the shredded lettuce. Fold up the ends and roll shut. Slice on an angle down the middle. Repeat for remaining servings.

Serves 4

This stores in the fridge well, so even if you don't need 4 servings for 1 meal, make up the whole recipe and use for lunches later in the week.

To read the story behind this recipe and see what I spent on it, visit my other blog here.

Cranberry Orange Pork Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 16oz bottle Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (I used Kraft)

1 pound pork tenderloin

1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 cup dried cranberries

2 oranges

2 crowns broccoli

12 oz penne rigate pasta

1 /2 cup chopped walnuts

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Pour 1/2 of the bottle of salad dressing into a small bowl with a lid. Zest the 2 oranges and add the zest to the vinaigrette. Place the pork in the dressing, turning to coat (if it isn't completely submerged). Marinate over night in the refrigerator.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the water and drop the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente (do not over cook!). Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.

Cut the broccoli crowns into small florets. Steam for 5 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with vegetable oil. Quarter and thinly slice the onion and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly caramelized.

While the onions are cooking, remove the pork from the marinade (discard the marinade) and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add the pork to the pan with the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until done (about 5 minutes).

To the bottom of a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and the juice of both oranges. While the pasta is still warm, add it to the dressing and toss to coat. Stir in the dried cranberries. It will seem like a lot of dressing, but the pasta will absorb it, giving the pasta a lot of great flavor. The dried cranberries will also absorb some of the liquid and will plump up nicely.

When the pork and onions and the broccoli are done, stir them in to the pasta as well.

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Stir in the walnuts right before serving.

Serves 4 as an entree (It keeps great in the fridge)

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Turkey Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread

3 oz deli sliced turkey breast (I used black peppercorn turkey)

1 leaf of lettuce

2 oz strawberry cream cheese

1/3 granny smith apple, sliced

Directions:

Toast bread. While bread is toasting, slice the apple. Once bread is toasted, spread 1 oz of strawberry cream cheese on each slice of bread. Lay apple slices on one side of the sandwich. Pile on the turkey and top with the lettuce.

Serves 1

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Honey Mustard Apple Burgers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

8 hamburger buns

2 Tbs grill seasoning

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

1 large onion, quartered and thinly slided

1 large Fuji apple, thinly sliced

4 leafs lettuce

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 Tbs honey

2 Tbs vegetable oil

Directions:

Pre-heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes - until lightly golden. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until caramelized and sweet (about 20 minutes)

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Place ground beef in medium mixing bowl. Mix in grill seasoning and Worcestershire sauce (do not over mix). Divide the meat into 4 equal sections, form into patties and place in the pan. (You can, of course, cook them on the grill instead). Cook for 5 minutes on first side. Flip over and continue to cook. Add the cheese to the burgers. Place a lid, or tin foil, over the pan to help the cheese melt. Cook another 5 minutes.

While the burgers are cooking, mix together the mustard and honey. Wash the lettuce and toast the buns. Slice the apple.

When the meat and onions are done, assemble the burgers. Place the patty on the bottom bun, top with 1/4 of the onions, 1/4 of the apple slices and the lettuce. Spread the honey mustard on the top bun and place it on top of the burger. Repeat for remaining burgers.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Broccoli Slaw

I happen to not care for raw broccoli - I find it to be too bitter. So, in this recipe I ligthly steam it to take away that bitterness.

Ingredients:

2 crowns broccoli

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Craisins

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 Tbs sugar

salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash broccoli and cut off the bottom of the crown, leaving florets with long stems. Using a food processor, shred the broccoli. (You can buy pre-shredded broccoli slaw - I've sometimes have a hard time finding it, so I usually just make it myself).

Steam the shredded broccoli for 5 minutes. This is just long enough to remove some of the bitterness, but allows it to maintain it's crispness.

Refrigerate the steamed, shredded broccoli for 1 hour before assembling the rest of the salad.

In the bottom of a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper. Stir in the broccoli, Craisins and green onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Just before serving, stir in the pecans.

Serves 4 - 6

Grilled Pineapple

Ingredients:

1 ripe pineapple (If you want to know how to pick a ripe pineapple, go here)

Directions:

Pre-heat your grill to medium-high.

Cut off the top and bottom. Stand it up on the cutting board and cut down the sides, removing the skin, making sure to get all the little spines.

Turn the pineapple on it's side and slice into 1/2 inch round slices. You should get about 8 slices.

Place the slices on the grill and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. Serve warm.

Serves 4 (2 slices per person)

Cranberry Dijon Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 heaping Tbs Dijon Mustard

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Craisins

8 leafs of lettuce

8 slices of bread

salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish, season with salt and pepper and bake until it reaches and internal temperature of 160 degrees (20 - 30 minutes). Remove from oven, cool to room temperature, store in fridge.

Once chicken is cool, mix up the rest of the ingredients. Add mayonnaise and mustard to the bottom of a small mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped celery, sliced green onions and craisins. Chop the chicken into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces. Add to bowl and mix. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

To serve, toast bread, pile on the chicken salad and top with 2 leafs of lettuce.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe visit my other blog here.

Honey Mustard Salmon Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1 lb salmon fillet
1 16oz bottle Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing (I used Kraft)
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced

cooking spray

salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees. Place salmon fillet in a greased baking dish, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until internal temperature is 140 degrees (about 10 minutes).

While salmon is cooking, fill a large pot with water and place over high heat. Once water is boiling, salt the water and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions (do not over cook).

Empty the bottle of dressing into a serving bowl. Peel, seed and chop the cucumber. Peel and grate the carrots. Slice the green onions. Add the veggies to the dressing.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and add to the dressing. Toss.

When the salmon is done, allow it to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Flake it into chunks (keep in mind that the chunks will get smaller as you toss them in with the pasta). Add the salmon to the pasta, toss. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 6

To see what I spent on this recipe visit my other blog here.

I am participating in 5 dollar dinners $5 dollar dinner challenge

Grilled Cantaloupe

This is obviously great with a good, ripe cantaloupe. But, it's also a great way to make a not-so-ripe cantaloupe a little tastier. Grilling brings out it's natural juices and sweetness.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cantaloupe

Directions

Pre-heat your grill to medium heat.

Cut cantaloupe in half. Scoop seeds out of one side. Slice it into 8 slices. Cover the other half and refrigerate for use later.

Place each slice on the grill. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side - until they have golden grill marks. Flip to other side and grill until done.

Serves 4

Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread, toasted

8 large eggs, hard boiled

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Roma tomatoes

4 leafs of lettuce

Directions:

Hard boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a pot large enough to accommodate. Cover the eggs with cold water. Place a lid on the pot. Heat on high until water comes to a boil. Turn the heat off and allow eggs to sit for 15 - 18 minutes (depending on altitude - the higher altitude you are, the longer they will take to cook). Drain the water and put cold water back in the pan to stop the cooking process, let sit for a couple minutes. Put eggs in fridge to cool.

Peel eggs. (Note: eggs are usually easier to peel the older they are. It has something to do with the pH inside the egg.) Slice eggs in half. Remove the yolks, place in a small mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mash the yolks with a fork until mostly smooth (it will be a little lumpy and that's just fine).

Add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard and dill to the yolk mixture. The flavor will be very strong, but when you add the whites and put it on a sandwich the flavor is much more mild.

Chop the egg whites into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces and mix in to the yolk mixture.

Slice tomatoes and wash lettuce. Toast bread.

Assemble the sandwich by placing 1/4 of the egg mixture on a slice of bread, top with lettuce and tomato. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe and to read the story behind it, visit my other blog here.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Burritos

Ingredients:

8 whole wheat tortillas

1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 Tbs vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1 cup BBQ Sauce

2 Tbs Chili powder

1 Tbs Cumin

1 Tbs ground Coriander

1/2 tsp Chipotle powder (optional)

Canola Oil Spray

8oz shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Measure out 1 cup of BBQ sauce, into small bowl. Stir in chili powder, coriander, cumin and chipotle powder. Set aside.

Add 1 Tbs vegetable oil to a large skillet and pre-heat over medium heat. Slice the chicken into thing strips. Add chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook through. While chicken is cooking, slice peppers and onions. When chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan. Add 1 Tbs oil to the pan and then add the peppers and onions. Saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. While the peppers and onions are cooking, drain and rinse black beans. Once the peppers and onions are tender and slightly brown, add the chicken, black beans and BBQ sauce to the pan. Reduce the heat to simmer, and allow to heat through.

Pre-heat the grill over medium heat.

Lay the first tortilla out on a sheet pan. Sprinkle 1oz of cheese in a line down the center of the tortilla. Place about 1/3 cup of the BBQ chicken mix along the middle of the tortilla. Roll up tightly and place seam side down on the sheet pan. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Do not overfill them - it will be difficult to grill them if they are too full.

To grill the burritos, hold one in your hand, seam side up, spray it with the canola oil spray. Place it seam side down on the grill. Repeat for all the burritos. Once they're all on the grill, spray the tops of them with canola oil spray (don't worry, it won't flare up too much). Grill them for about 3 minutes. Once they have good grill marks and are starting to crisp, using tongs, roll them over to the other side. Grill for about another 3 minutes. Remove them from the grill.

Serve 2 per person. Top with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe and read the story behind it, visit my other blog here.

Ham with Pepperjack and Appleslaw Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 large Hamburger Buns
9 oz Deli Sliced Ham
4 oz Pepper jack cheese
2 cups Cole slaw mix
1 medium apple
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs Honey

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the Cole slaw mix. Grate the apple into the bowl. Add the green onion. Stir all together and let sit in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Combine the Dijon mustard and honey, mix well and set aside.

Pre-heat the broiler. Place the buns cut side up on a sheet pan. Toast the buns under the broiler until golden brown (1-2 minutes). Remove from oven, take top buns off the sheet pan. Divide the ham between the 4 sandwiches, piling it on the bottom bun. Add 1 oz of pepper jack cheese to each sandwich, on top of the ham. Return to the broiler and broil until cheese is melted (1-2 minutes). Remove from oven.

Spread the honey mustard onto the top bun. Place 1/4 of the Apple slaw mix on top of the ham and cheese for each sandwich. Top with bun.


Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Cucumber Cantaloupe Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cantaloupe

1 medium cucumber, peeled

8 oz vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbs dried tarragon

salt and pepper

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Directions:

Day before: Thinly slice chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken. Saute in vegetable oil. Cool. Store in fridge for next day.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, tarragon and salt & pepper to taste. Cut up cantaloupe and cucumber, add to dressing. Add the chicken. Toss well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Serves 4

Serving Suggestion: serve with sourdough bread.

To see how I made this meal frugally, check out my other blog here.

Check out more chicken recipes at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap

Watermelon Cherry Smoothies

Ingredients:

1/4 seedless watermelon

1/2 lb cherries, stemmed and seeded

1 cup vanilla yogurt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender, blend and enjoy!

Strawberry Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

8 thick slices of sourdough bread

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and shredded

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbs Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

4 green oinions, thinly sliced

3/4 lb strawberries, chopped
8 leafs of lettuce
salt & pepper

Directions:

Cook, cool and shred chicken the night or morning before making the sandwiches.

Slice green onions. Combine them with the mayonnaise and salad dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chicken and strawberries. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Spoon onto sliced sourdough bread and top with lettuce.

Serves 4

To see how I made this recipe frugally, see the post on my other blog here.

BLTTA Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread

9oz deli sliced turkey breast (about 30 slices)

2 Roma tomatoes (or 1 large beefsteak tomato)

4 leafs of lettuce

2 ripe avocados, mashed and slightly salted

1 dill pickle spear, finely chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

8 slices turkey bacon

Directions:

Toast bread.

While bread is toasting, slice green onions, dice pickles and mash avocado. Cook the bacon according to packaged directions to desired crispness (I happen to like it crispy)

Spread avocado on both slices of bread. Build the sandwiches by dividing the ingredients between the 4 sandwiches and layering them on.

Serves 4

Read here how I made this meal frugally.

Chipotle Pineapple Roast Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:

10oz deli sliced Roast Beef
4 Hamburger buns
1 can sliced pineapple, drained
1 small chipotle chili pepper, finely minced
4 Tbs Mayonnaise
8 leafs of lettuce

4 large russet potatoes
Canola oil spray
salt & pepper
ketchup

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and scrub the potatoes. Slice each potato into 8 wedges. Place them skin side down on a baking sheet. Spray with canola oil cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Mix the minced chipotle peppers with the mayonnaise and set aside.

Pre-heat grill, low heat on one side and medium heat on the other. Once the grill is hot, place the

pineapple slices on the medium side and the buns (cut side down) on the low side. The buns will only take a minute or two to toast - keep and eye on them. Grill the pineapple a few minutes on each side - until the have golden brown grill marks.

To assemble the sandwiches, thinly spread the chipotle mayo on the top and bottom bun. Place 6-8 slices (depending on size) of roast beef on the bottom bun. Add 2 slices of pineapple and 2 leafs of lettuce.

Serve with potato wedges and ketchup.

Serves 4

Visit my other blog here to see how I made this meal frugally.

Pineapple Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb Barrilla Piccolini Mini Farfalle Pasta
1 16oz bottle Kraft Creamy Poppy seed Salad Dressing
1 20oz can Crushed Pineapple, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large ribs of celery, chopped (use 8 ribs if using, pre-trimmed stalks from the heart)
1 whole chicken, roasted and chopped

Directions:

If you are roasting your own chicken, cook at 350 degrees until and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. After you remove it from the oven, allow to cool for about 30-45 minutes before pulling and chopping the meat. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, simply pull and chop the meat and set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Be sure to salt the water - the dressing is sweet, so you need the pasta to be seasoned well, to balance the flavors. You should put in about a handful of salt into the boiling water. Do not over cook the pasta - it will absorb the dressing once the salad is all assembled. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.

While pasta is cooking, slice the green onions and celery. Keep in mind that you are using small, dainty pasta, so you want the chicken and celery pieces scaled accordingly - about 1/4 inch chop on the celery and 1/2 - 1 inch chop on the chicken.

Toss all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Chill at least an hour before serving.

Serves 6 (It keeps great in the fridge, so even if you don't have 6 in your family, make the whole recipe and eat it for lunches the next day)


To find out how I made this dish frugally, check out the post on my other blog here.

Check out more chicken recipes at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap