Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread (I use whole wheat)
6 oz shredded cheese (mozzarella or Italian blend)
1/2 marinara sauce
6 oz sliced pepperoni
dried basil
dried oregano
cooking spray

Directions:

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Place 2 slices of bread in the skillet (more if your skillet is big enough). Place 1 1/2 oz of cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle with basil and oregano. Top with 2 layers of sliced pepperoni (12-18 slices, depending on the size of your bread). Place a 2nd slice of bread on top. Spray with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown on first side, flip and cook until golden brown on second side and cheese is melted. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.

Serve with marinara sauce for dipping (remember to heat it up in the microwave if you've been storing it in the fridge)

Serves 4

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

Carmelized Onion and Mustard Sliders

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

2 Tablespoons grill seasoning

12 potato rolls

2 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce

1 Tbs vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1/4 grainy, deli style mustard

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the A-1 sauce, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on the top half of each roll.

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place the ground beef and grill seasoning in a mixing bowl. Mix together. Divide the beef into 4 equal portions and then each of those into 3 portions, creating 12 equal portions. Shape into balls and press flat until they are the same size as the potato rolls. Add them to the pan. (They probably won't all be able to fit - you can do 2 batches, or you can pull out a griddle and cook them all at the same time). Allow to cook for 1 minute on the first side (the patties are small and won't take long to cook through). Flip them to the second side. Place cheese on each patty. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until cheese is melted.

To assemble the sliders, place a patty on the bottom half of the rolls. Top with a spoonful of onions and the top part of the roll.

Makes 12 sliders - serves 4 -6, depending on how hungry you are ;)

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

Eggs and Hashbrowns with Spinach Mornay Sauce

Sorry the picture isn't very good - I am definitely no photographer :o)

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

6 medium size russet potatoes

6 oz shredded cheese (Swiss or sharp white cheddar)

2 Tbs Butter, divided

1 cup milk

1 Tbs flour

3 Tbs vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Directions:

Scrub the potatoes and poke a couple holes in them. Microwave them for about 15 minutes on high. (You want them to be cooked through before you put them on the stove). Allow to cool for 30 minutes before handling.

While the potatoes are cooking, squeeze the excess liquid out of the spinach by placing it in a clean kitchen towel (I have one that I specifically use for spinach only) and wringing it out over the sink. Set aside.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Shred the potatoes into the pan. Season liberally with salt and pepper (remember potatoes are bland all on their own). Allow the potatoes to cook for several minutes before stirring them - you want them to get brown and crispy. Cook for about 10 minutes - until brown and crispy all the way through.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt 1 Tbs butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add 1 Tbs flour. Whisk together and cook for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and continue to whisk just until milk comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cheese until completely incorporated. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Break the spinach into smaller pieces and add to the cheese sauce. Stir until spinach is broken up and even distributed throughout the sauce. Set over low heat to keep warm, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs butter. Cook the 4 eggs in the pan to desired doneness (I like over-hard).

To serve, portion out 1/4 of the potatoes onto the plate. Top with 1/4 of the spinach cheese sauce, and top with 1 egg.

Serves 4

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

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated Pizza Dough
1/4 cup corn meal
3/4 cup Marinara Sauce
8 eggs
1 Tbs Butter
1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
8 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese (I use one with pepper jack)
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 small jalapeno minced
6 oz Breakfast Sausage links
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook Sausage according to package directions. Allow to cool before slicing it into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a baking sheet with corn meal. Unroll pizza dough onto the pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes - until golden brown all over.

While the pizza dough is baking, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Finely chop the onion and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, finely chop the bell peppers and mince the jalapeno. Add them to the pan with the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for only 1 minute so that the peppers maintain their color. Turn of the heat.

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs butter. Crack the eggs into a medium size mixing bowl and beat well. Season with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan and cook (scramble) until just set.

To assemble the pizza, spread the marinara sauce onto the pizza dough, scatter the scrambled eggs around, sprinkle with the shredded cheese, scatter the peppers and onions and top with the breakfast sausage slices.

Cook at 425 for about 5 minutes - just until cheese is melted. Slice and serve.

Serves 4

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

We serve this with Smashed Maple Sweet Potatoes and Bananas.

This recipe is part of 5 Dollar Dinners $5 dinner challenge.

Bacon, Egg and Tomato Quesadillas with Avocado

Ingredients:

2 Tortillas

2 Eggs

3 oz grated cheddar cheese

1 Roma tomato

4 slices bacon (I use Turkey)

cooking spray

1/2 Tbs butter

1 Avocado, smashed

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon in microwave according to package directions until crispy. Break each piece into 2, so that you have 8 small pieces of bacon.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add eggs to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs medium hard - break the yolks so that they will cook through. Once the eggs are ready to flip, use a spatula to split the whites in half, down the middle of the pan - making 2 semi-circles. Cook on second side until the yolks are set.

While the eggs are cooking, spray a medium size skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Lay 1 tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with 1 1/2 oz cheese. Cover the pan so that the cheese will melt faster.

While the eggs and cheese are working, slice the tomato into 6 slices. Smash the avocado and season with salt and pepper.

Once the eggs are done and the cheese is melted, assemble to quesadilla: Lay 3 slices of tomato on one half of the tortilla. Lay 4 small slices of bacon on top of the tomatoes. Top with one egg. Fold the tortilla over and press down with the spatula. Remove from pan and serve with avocado.

Heat the 2nd tortilla and cheese in the medium skillet. Once cheese is melted, finish building the 2nd quesadilla.

Serves 2

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

Mango Pork Pizza

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pizza crust
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup creamy tomatillo dressing
2 cups shredded sweet pork
10 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 mango, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out pizza dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown all over.

While the dough is baking, diced the mango and bell pepper. Slice the onions.

When dough is finished baking, remove from oven. Spread the creamy tomatillo dressing over the crust. Sprinkle with the cheese. Then place the pork, mangoes and peppers on the pizza.

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with green onions. Slice and serve.


Serves 4

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

You can find more tasty recipes over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday Carnival.

Sweet Pork Salad with Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Ingredients:

6 Tortillas (I use whole wheat)
6 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese (I use one with pepper jack)
Sweet Pork
1 15oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
3 hearts of romaine, shredded
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
2 Avocados, smashed
2 tsp lime juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup pico de gallo (I used fresh salsa instead)
crushed tortilla chips (I use the remnants left at the bottom of the bag)
Cilantro leaves to garnish

Directions:

Prepare all of the components of the salad: shred the lettuce; mash the avocado with salt, pepper and lime juice; drain and rinse the beans.

Place a medium skillet over medium low heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle with 1 oz of shredded cheddar cheese. Place a lid on the pan and allow the cheese to melt. Once the cheese is melted, move the tortilla from the pan to a plate. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

To assemble the salad, place 1/4 of a cup of black beans on the tortilla, 1 cup sweet pork, a large handful of lettuce (about 1/6 of it), drizzle with 1/4 cup creamy tomatillo dressing, dollop of avocado, dollop of pico de gallo, crushed tortilla chips and a few cilantro leaves. Repeat for the rest of the servings.

Serves 6


Even if you don't need 6 servings, you can make up the whole batch of the sweet pork and creamy tomatillo dressing. Both are delicious and work great in other recipes or as nacho toppings. Or use the leftovers to make this pizza (that's what I did!)


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

You can find other great salad recipes over at Life As MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap

Mango Peach Quesadillas

Ingredients:

12 flour tortillas (I use whole grain)

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup Mango Peach Salsa (I use Chachies brand)

8oz Shredded Mexican blend cheese (I use one with pepper jack)

Cooking Spray

Sour Cream

Directions:

Place the beans, salsa and cheese into the food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.

Pre-heat a medium skillet over medium, medium-low heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Lay a tortilla in the pan. Spoon 1/3 cup of the filling onto one side of the tortilla, spread to edge. Cover pan with lid. Cook until tortilla is browned and cheese is melted. Fold the tortilla in half and remove from pan. Repeat for remaining tortillas.

Allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing and serving -this will allow the cheese to set and make it less messy to eat. Serve with sour cream.

Makes 12 "pocket" quesadillas - serves 6 as an entree, 12 as an appetizer (1 per person)

Note: Even if you don't need to make this many quesadillas for 1 meal, you can still make up the whole mix, and store it in the refrigerator to use for lunches and snacks throughout the week)

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

BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced

2 cups (16oz) BBQ Sauce

1 15 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

3 hearts of romaine lettuce, shredded

2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 Avocados, sliced

4 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup (approx) Ranch Dressing

2.8 oz can French Fried Onions

1 Tbs vegetable Oil

Directions:

Add 1 cup BBQ sauce to the bottom of a small mixing bowl. Thinly slice the chicken breasts and add to the BBQ sauce. Toss to coat. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. (If you don't have time to do this, you can just cook the chicken and coat in the sauce - it will still be tasty)

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with the vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the BBQ sauce marinade and add it to the pan and cook until done (about 5 minutes). Once the chicken is done, turn off the heat and stir in the remaining cup of BBQ sauce. The chicken will be very saucy - this is what you want, it becomes part of the dressing for the salad.

While the chicken is cooking, shred the lettuce using a sharp knife. Wash and dry (I use a salad spinner). Seed and chop the tomatoes. Pit and slice the avocado.

Once the chicken is done you can assemble the salad. Place 1/4 of the lettuce on a plate. Drizzle with 3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing. Place 1/4 of the chicken strips, avocado slices (1/2 of an avocado), chopped tomato (1/2 of a tomato) and 1/4 of the black beans on the lettuce. Sprinkle with 1 oz cheddar cheese and 1/4 of the french fried onions. Repeat for the remaining servings.

Serves 4 (as an entree)

Serving suggestion: Serve with warm stove top cornbread with butter and honey (yum!)

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

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

Asparagus and Herbed Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips

1 lb spaghetti (I use whole grain)

1 bundle asparagus

2 packages Weber White Wine and Herbs marinade mix

20 - 30 cherries, pitted and quartered (5 per serving)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs Olive oil

salt

Directions:

Place 1 packet of the marinade mix into a small mixing bowl. Stir in water and olive oil. Place sliced chicken breasts into marinade and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the water. Drop the pasta and cook according to package directions (do not over cook!)

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and marinade to pan and cook until chicken is done (about 5 minutes).

While chicken and pasta is cooking, pit and chop the cherries and cut the asparagus - cut each spear into thirds on a heavy angle. Add the asparagus to the pasta water during the last minute of cooking (allow to cook for 1 minute).

When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining. Drain the pasta and asparagus. Add the cooking liquid back into the pot. Stir in the 2nd marinade packet until dissolved. Add the asparagus and pasta back to the pot and toss until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the chicken strips. Portion onto plates and garnish with cherries.

Serves 4-6

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

See more tasty recipes over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday carnival

Pineapple Green Chili Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 Pablano pepper

1 large tomatillo

1 bunch cilantro

1 4oz can diced green chilies

1 can pineapple tidbits (fruit and juice)

2 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

4 Tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin

Salt and pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup lime juice

1 head lettuce, shredded

4 tortillas

4oz Mexican blend cheese (I used one with pepper jack)

crushed tortilla chips (I use the remnants at the bottom of a bag)

Directions:

Pre-heat the broiler in your oven. Peel the paper skin off the tomatillo and remove the stem. Place the pablano pepper and tomatillo on a sheet pan and place under the broiler. Broil until their skin is blackened (5-7 minutes). Rotate around to the other side. Broil until blackened (5-7 minutes). Remove from oven. Place pablano in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit and steam for 15 minutes. Remove the pablano from the bowl and peel off the blackened skin. Remove the stem and seeds. Roughly chop the pepper into smaller pieces. Add the pepper and the tomatillo to the blender.

Add to the blender: the juice from the can of pineapple, sugar, apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbs Olive oil, chili powder, cumin, diced green chilies, 1/4 cup cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend until mostly smooth. Pour into a small saucepan, set over medium heat. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until thickened. Pour in a small bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Thinly slice the chicken breasts. Place the lime juice, 1 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken. If there isn't enough lime juice to cover the chicken add water so that the chicken is completely submerged. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs olive oil. Finely chop the onion. Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes until lightly golden brown. Reduce heat to medium low and saute for 20 minutes, until caramelized.

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs olive oil. Remove chicken from the marinade and add to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes (until cooked through).

While chicken is cooking, shred the head of lettuce using a knife. Wash and dry (I use a salad spinner). Roughly chop the remainder of the bunch of cilantro.

Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla and sprinkle with 1 oz shredded cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Remove tortilla, place it on a plate. Repeat for each tortilla.

To assemble the salad, place 1/4 of the lettuce on the tortilla. Spoon on 1/4 of the green chili sauce over the lettuce. Top with 1/4 of the chicken strips, 1/4 of the pineapple tidbits, 1/4 of the caramelized onions, 1/4 of the chopped cilantro, and some tortilla chips. Repeat for remaining servings.

Serves 4

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.

Chipotle Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pizza dough

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup BBQ sauce

12 oz shredded cheese (we used mozzarella and sharp cheddar)

1/2 can corn

1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 small lime

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbs chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 - 1 tsp chipotle powder (depending on how hot you like it)

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 Tbs vegetable oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat medium skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Thinly slice chicken breast. Add to pan, salt and pepper, and cook through (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 1 Tbs oil to pan. Finely chop the onion and saute over medium heat until tender and slightly golden brown (about 8 minutes). When onions reach this point add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in BBQ sauce and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for a few minutes, just to bring flavors together.

While the chicken and onions are cooking, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle corn meal onto baking sheet. Roll out the pizza dough and bake until golden brown all over (about 7 -8 minutes). Remove it from the oven and spread the BBQ sauce over it. Sprinkle on the cheese and place the chicken strips on it. Return it to the oven for 5-7 minutes - until cheese is melted.

While the pizza is cooking, open and drain cans of corn and beans. Place 1/2 can of each in a small mixing bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and stir into the beans and corn. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place sour cream in a small mixing bowl. Add the zest and juice of lime. If there isn't enough juice in the lime to make the sauce drizzly, add a little milk until it's a good, drizzly consistency.

When the pizza is done, remove it from the oven. Top it with the corn and bean salsa. Drizzle on the lime cream sauce. Slice and serve.

Serves 4

Note: you will have corn and beans leftover - I'm sorry! I hate when that happens, but find another recipe to use them in so that they don't go to waste.

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

I am participating in 5DollarDinners.com $5 dinner challenge.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Kraft Spicy Honey BBQ sauce

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1-2 Tbs hot sauce (depends on how hot you like it)

2 Tbs Molasses

Juice of 1 orange

1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Red Bell Pepper, roasted and sliced

3 green onions

12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1 refrigerated pizza crust

1/4 cup cornmeal

Directions:

To roast the red bell pepper, pre-heat the broiler in your oven. Place your top rack at the highest level. Wash and dry the pepper. Place it in the oven, directly under the heating element. Allow it to roast for 5-7 minutes per side. Once the top side is black, rotate it around and roast on the next side until black. Repeat this until blackened all over. Once it is mostly blackened, remove it from the oven and place in a small bowl. Cover the bowl immediately with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap will trap the steam and will release the skin from the flesh of the pepper. Allow the pepper to sit for at least 10 minutes. Peel the blackened skin off the pepper. Remove the stem and seeds. Cut into 4 pieces and thinly slice. (you can buy roasted red peppers in a jar, but it is more expensive than making it on your own, but it is easier and faster. So, pick whichever method works for you)

While the pepper is roasting in the oven, make the BBQ sauce. Stir together the BBQ sauce, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, hot sauce, molasses and orange juice. Set aside.

Pre-heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Thinly slice the chicken breast. Add to the pan, salt and pepper the chicken. Cook until chicken in cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Pour the BBQ sauce into the pan, and reduce heat to med-low. Simmer for 5 minutes until sauce is thickened and flavors developed.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup corn meal onto a baking sheet. Roll out the pizza dough onto the pan. Once the pepper is done roasting, set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and put the pizza dough into the oven and cook for about 5 minutes - until lightly golden brown all over.

Remove the dough from the oven. Spread sauce over dough. Sprinkle on 8 oz of the cheese. Place the chicken and sliced red bell peppers onto the pizza. Sprinkle with the remaining 4 oz of mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the oven about 5 minutes - until cheese is melted. While pizza is in oven, thinly slice the green onions. When pizza is done baking, remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions.

Slice and serve.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe and 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.

Grilled San Diego Pizza

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pizza crust
1 cup marinara sauce
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4oz crumbled feta cheese
1 ripe avocado
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup cornmeal

Directions:

Pre-heat grill on the lowest setting (or, if you are baking it, pre-heat the oven according to the pizza dough package directions.) Spread cornmeal onto the pizza peal – this will prevent it from sticking. If you don’t have a peal, you can use a baking sheet that doesn’t have any edges. Open the pizza dough and spread onto peal (or pan). Sprinkle the dough with garlic powder.

Once the dough is on the grill, it will cook quickly so you need to have all of the other ingredients ready to go. Open the jar of marinara sauce and get a spoon to spread it onto the dough. Open the feta cheese. Slice the red onion. Cut open the avocado, remove the pit and slice the avocado in the skin. Have a spoon ready to scoop it out. Once everything is assembled, go to the grill.

Slide the dough onto the grill. Close the lid and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes. Once it is starting to brown on the bottom, slide the peal (or the pan) under the dough. Flip the dough back onto the grill, with the other side down, and the browned side up. Turn off the grill (there will be enough residual heat to finish the pizza). Spread the sauce onto the dough. Sprinkle on the dried basil. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and feta cheese. Add the red onion. Scoop out the avocado slices and place them on the pizza. Work as quickly as you can so that there is plenty of heat left to finish the cooking (enlist a kiddo or hubby to help). Close the lid to the grill and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes – until the cheese is melted and the dough is crispy.

Slide the peal (or the pan) under the pizza. Slice into 8 slices and enjoy!

Serves 4

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

Apple Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread

2 oz sliced (or shredded) pepper jack cheese

Thinly Sliced Apples (the number of slices depends on how big your bread is - enough for 1 layer)

Canola Oil Spray

Directions:

Heat small skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with canola oil spray. Place 1 slice of bread in pan, top with cheese, apple slices, and more cheese. Add the 2nd slice of bread and spray with canola oil spray.

Cover the pan while it cooks so that the bread doesn't brown faster than the cheese melts. Flip and finish cooking.

Waffle Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 Frozen Kashi 7 grain waffles

1 oz sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 Egg

4 slices of deli Ham

1/2 Tbs Butter

1 Tbs Maple Syrup

salt and pepper

Directions:

Toast waffles until crisp (making them crisp will help prevent them from getting soggy while you enjoy your sandwich)

Melt butter in small skillet, add egg and sat and pepper to taste. Cook egg to desired doneness. Add cheese while still cooking and cover to help it melt.

Place egg w/ cheese, and ham on bottom waffle. drizzle with syrup and top with second waffle.

Serves 1

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