Video: 1 Chicken, Three Dinners, 18 servings, $23 bucks

A few months back I posted three recipes I made from one roast chicken. Well, I've done it again! 

Day 1: Roast Chicken with Brown Rice and Roasted Vegetables

What you'll need:

1 5 pound chicken (mine was purchased at $.99 a pound)

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp garlic powder

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups baby cut carrots

1 lb red potatoes

1 small onion

a little olive oil

kosher salt

I began by cooking the chicken the easiest way I know how, in the crock pot. I made a rub with the paprika, garlic and seasoning. I cooked on low for eight hours. 

Then I roasted my vegetables to perfection in the oven. Click here for that recipe. 

Cost:

Chicken- $1.60

Rice- $.60

Veggies- $2.40

Total: $4.60 ($1.15 for four servings)

Here is a video.  

Day Two: Pesto Pizza with Cream Cheese and Fresh Fruit Salad

This is one of my favorite pizzas and it's delicious and simple. 

What you'll need:

Crust:

3 tbsp butter at room temperature or good quality olive oil

3 cups flour

2 tsp active yeast

1 cup HOT water

1 tsp salt

Click here for my pizza crust recipe. It's super simple and cheap.  Or purchase one. 

2 cups chicken, diced

1 small jar pesto sauce (I use Classico)

1/2 package cream cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Prep your crust and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. 

Then top with pesto, cheese, chicken and dollops of cream cheese. 

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. 

I served mine with an easy fruit salad made with strawberries, apples and orange. 

Trio Fruit Salad:

You don't need a recipe.

But I used

Two small apples

1 small navel orange

1/2 container strawberries, cut

Dice your apple and remove the seeds, etc. Peel your oranges and cut into small slices. Squeeze extra juice over apples. Add your strawberries and mix it all together. Chill.

Cost:

Homemade pizza crust- $.65

Chicken- $1.60

Pesto- $1.50

Cream cheese- $.75

Mozzerlla cheese- $2

Fruit salad- $2.75

Total: $9.25 ($1.54 for six servings)

Day 3: Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is the simplest of all the recipes because it requires little to no effort. 

What you'll need:

4 cups chicken broth I used homemade

2-3 cups diced chicken

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 28 ounce can tomatoes, undrained

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup corn

2 packages cream cheese

1-2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp cilantro

a little chili pepper

a little kosher salt

Garnish:

4 tortillas cut into strips and baked at 350 for 5 minutes

one avocado

Fill crock pot with broth. Add your tomatoes, chicken, black beans, garlic and corn. 

Add in your seasonings and cream cheese. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours. Then stir to incorporate cream cheese. 

Serve and garnish with tortilla strips and avocado

Cost:

Chicken- $1.60

Beans- (two cans) $1.38

Corn- $.50

Tomatoes- $.75

Cream cheese- $3

Garlic- $.25

Avocado-$.75 (more depending on where you live)

Tortillas- $.40

Total: $8.63 (8 servings $1.07) 

I am linking up at Romance on a Dime for Take it On Tuesday. Hop on by. 

Homemade Butter in 2 Minutes with video tutorial

Do you love creamy, rich butter? I know I do. Which is why I wear giant stretchy pants. We actually don't eat an inordinate amount of butter at our house, usually just Saturday mornings when we have our weekly pancake breakfast. 

I have wondered for a long time how to make butter at home using fresh cream. I decided to give it a try. 

Boy, it was easy and it only took on ingredient. Cream. And it only took 2 minutes!

What you'll need"

4 cups cream

1/8 tsp sea salt or Kosher salt (optional)

A food processor

Let your cream rise to room temperature. 

Then pour it in your food processor. Hit on and let that thing swirl and swirl for two minutes. 

When it is finished you will need to separate the butter solids from the butter milk.  Just strain through a cheese cloth or tea towel. You can store your buttermilk for later use to make cornbread.

 The butter will only keep in the fridge for a week or two. But you can keep it in the freezer for a while. 

For more fun ideas visit Betsy at Romance on a Dime for Take it on Tuesday. 

Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Leg Quarters

As you probably notice I have become momentarily obsessed with my crock pot. I don't have a lot of time to stand in the kitchen.

Plus, it's hot. Hot, hot, hot. The weather lady said to run the AC full blast today. But since I'm frugal, it's on 79. (We had a $330 electric bill! Can you believe that???)

I purchased some leg quarters for $.79 a pound a couple weeks ago. They were beautiful and I wanted to cook them in my slow cooker, but sometimes meat falls apart in the crock pot.

These didn't. These leg quarters came out gorgeous!

Best part was, and are you ready for this, the entire meal (which served 4) only cost $2.48!!!!! Yes, it deserved that many exclamation points.

Here's a break down:

Chicken- 2 lbs @ $.79 a pound: $1.58

Brown rice- 4 servings @ $.10 a serving: $.40

Green Giant steamed vegetables- One sale $.50

Let's get started.

What you'll need:

4 leg quarters (thighs and legs)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp lemon juice

dried basil, oregano, paprika and kosher salt

You can spray your crock pot if you want. I didn't and it turned out fine.

Sprinkle your chicken with the herbs. You can either remove the skin, leave it on and sprinkle the skin with the seasoning, or you can put the seasoning under the skin. It's all up to you.

Place chicken in the pot and pour in broth and lemon juice.

Cover, set on low. Walk away. Go to work. Come back when dinner is ready!

What about you? Do you have a slow cooker favorite?

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup (and Chicken Too)

SO you're in the kitchen, chopping your potatoes and onions when you realize you are missing a key ingredient, cream of mushroom soup. What to do? What to do?

Why, you can whip some up! I did this when making my husband's favorite roast. And he loved it.

What you'll need:

2 tbsp butter - you can use margarine if you're that kind of person. ;)

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp milk (or sour cream)

2 cups mushrooms

And 12 ounces of water

In a pan melt your butter, then whisk your flour in, add your milk (or sour cream) and mushrooms, then water to get it the right consistency.

I then dropped in onions, potatoes and a roast. It was amazing.

You can easily make homemade cream of chicken by subbing out the butter for a couple tbsp chicken broth.