Category Archives: frugal living

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money: Make Homemade Banana Bread

We love bananas at our house, so it is a good thing that they are fairly affordable. That said, we often discard the overripe ones, even though I’m always trying to gauge the right quantity and pick the proper greenness. It seems that they can go from optimally delicious to over-ripe in a matter of hours. Inflation and the Trump tariff taxes are straining our grocery budget, and it is criminal to throw out food. Overripe bananas can be used in a variety of recipes. They can serve as an egg substitute, be blended into a smoothie, or, in the case of today’s recipe, be used to make a simple and delicious banana bread.

There are many recipes for banana bread, but I like the classic Betty Crocker recipe from my 1990s cookbook. I believe we got that book as a wedding present, and it has been well used. I also have a 1970s edition that I bought new. Yes, time marches on! Classic cookbooks like Betty Crocker’s are wonderful because they are written for the average user. They tend to be straightforward and limit the use of exotic ingredients. They are also well tested, so users are more likely to achieve good results. This recipe is a heritage recipe, meaning that it has been popular since the mid-20th century. Let’s take a look at the ingredients.

The ingredients are straightforward, but we will make a few substitutions. You can freeze bananas in their skins for later baking use. You can also peel and mash them, adding 1T lemon juice to prevent oxidation. If you do the latter, note that 1.5 cups of mashed bananas is enough for this recipe.

These bananas are no longer edible in our home. However, they are perfect for smoothies or banana bread.

The recipe calls for 1/2 C of buttermilk, but you don’t need to go to the grocery store; just make your own. Add 1/2 T of vinegar and enough milk to bring the total volume up to 1/2 C. Let the mixture stand for around 10 minutes before using. We are not using vinegar for flavoring, so any vinegar can be used. White vinegar is very inexpensive and always good to have in your stockpile, as it has so many uses.

Cream the sugar and the butter. If you forgot to take the butter out to soften, you can soften it in the microwave. All microwaves are different, but usually 15-20 seconds is enough to turn a rock-hard stick of butter into soft butter. Don’t overdo it, as a few extra seconds can melt the butter, leaving you with a greasy mess to clean up. I started at 15 seconds, then added 3 more, and the butter reached the perfect consistency.

Here, I creamed the butter and sugar. Did I do a perfect job? Probably not, but it is good enough. I scraped down the sides a few times. You can absolutely make banana bread by hand, but an inexpensive hand mixer is a worthwhile investment, although not absolutely necessary. After the butter was creamed, I added the eggs.

Here is the mixture with the eggs beaten in. I scraped the bowl with a spatula during this process to make sure everything was mixed in.

I missed taking a photo of myself adding the bananas. I just broke the bananas into pieces and used the mixer to mash them into the batter. If I didn’t have a mixer, I would have mashed them separately and then stirred them in.

I then added the homemade buttermilk and the vanilla and mixed them in. I’m using real vanilla, but you don’t have to. Cooks often say real vanilla is the best, but that may not be completely true. Manufactured vanilla doesn’t have all of the volatile compounds of real vanilla, so real vanilla is the best choice with unheated foods, like a milkshake. However, most of those compounds are lost in baking, and in baked goods, most people can’t tell the difference between the two. Real vanilla is very expensive; manufactured vanilla is very inexpensive.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. When measuring flour spoon it into the measuring cup and then level the cup with a knife.

Pro tip: if you want less mess, convert the volume measurements to weights and use a food scale. Then no measuring cups are needed! However, since not everyone has a food scale, I’m going with standard Imperial measurements.

I could keep using my hand mixer, but it is gentler to fold the flour in with a spoon or spatula. When mixing the other ingredients, mix for as long as necessary. However, you should mix the flour only until it is incorporated, as you don’t want to develop gluten. Developing gluten is great for bread, which is why you knead it. However, it makes cakes, muffins, and quick breads tough and chewy, so avoid excessive mixing once you add the flour.

Here is the batter ready to go into the pans. At this point, you can add your extras. Walnuts or chocolate chips are fantastic additions. However, one of our family members doesn’t like nuts, and another dislikes chocolate (I know, hard to believe).

Pour the batter into 2 greased loaf pans. I’m using 8″ pans, but 9″ pans also work. I like the smaller pans as the loaf will be a bit taller. Per the recipe, bake at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour in 8″ loaf pans and 1.25 hours in 9″ loaf pans. However, my bread only took 45 minutes to bake. Set your timer for less time than the recipe states and check. You can always add time, but you can’t take it away. The bread is done when the batter pulls away from the pan, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Here are the breads out of the oven. Allow them to cool for around 5 minutes before turning out. We will eat one and wrap and freeze the other for a future treat.

Quick breads are delicious, and once you make one, you have the skill to make any other variety. A slice can be a dessert, a snack, or something to take with you on your morning commute. A nice piece of homemade banana bread and some home-brewed coffee beats an expensive trip to a coffee shop every time.

There you have it, a really delicious treat from food that most people toss in the trash. A penny saved is a penny earned!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make A Dump Cake!

During the 1960s and 1970s, home cooks embraced cooking shortcuts, and suggestions were everywhere from newspaper columns, to church cookbooks, to the back of packages.

My mom was right on these trends, and I have fond memories of the delicious foods and desserts she made for us, including the dump cake. A disgusting title for a delicious cobler-like cake that could be thrown together in literally seconds. Like many foods of the era, it incorporated a variety of pre-made ingredients readily available at any market.

When my kids started to move out of the house, we pondered ways to stay close and involved in each other’s lives. We wanted to see each other more than just on holidays, and we wanted to know the details of each other’s lives beyond a text exchange in a group chat. One of my daughters came up with a solution, a rotating brunch.

This month, the brunch rotation is at our house. My son suggested a “make your own breakfast sandwich,” and the rest of the family was on board. It would be up to my wife and me to figure out the logistics of such a meal, but that sort of challenge has never bothered me.

These brunches include a sweet treat, like a quick bread or a coffee cake. However, I wanted to try something from my past, a dump cake. These cakes became a hit in the late 1960s, and there are now many variations on the dump cake theme. However, I decided to go with the OG dump cake, which is cherry- and pineapple-flavored.

The dump cake isn’t exactly a cake, it isn’t exactly a fruit cobbler, it isn’t exactly a coffee cake; it is a dessert unto itself. It could be a great first cake for someone to make, and can be served warm or cold. Often, a little whipped cream or ice cream is added to further elevate the experience. Let’s take a look at the recipe.

Classic Dump Cake

  • 1 box yellow or white cake mix
  • 1 can crushed pineapple, including the juice
  • 1 can cherry pie filling
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
  • Powder sugar (optional)

Spray a 9″ x 13″ pan with cooking spray and pour in a can of cherry pie filling. Spread it out.

Add a can of crushed pineapple, including the juice, and spread it out.

Spread a box of dry cake mix over the fruit. On top of the cake mix, add 1 stick of butter sliced evenly. You can add nuts at this point, but we have an anti-nut person in our family, so they were omitted.

Melt another stick of butter and add this to the top of the mixture. Note, there is no mixing of any of these ingredients.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the fruit is bubbling. Once cool you can dust with some powdered sugar (optional).

Here it is served with a little whipped cream. Ice cream would also be nice. It is delicious and as easy as pie. Well, actually, it is a lot easier than pie.

Many variations of this recipe use different cake mixes and fruit ingredients. A perfect and easy dessert.

By the way, the brunch was a success. We set up a self-serve bar, and everyone made their own sandwiches, choosing a croissant, bagel, or English Muffin. We had bacon, sausage, and cheese to go along with a huge batch of scrambled eggs. I did wind up burning a couple of croissants when I tried to toast them under the broiler, but we had extras. All in all, a delightful meal made sweeter with the addition of dump cake.

It is great to plan activities to keep families together. Our brunch rotates, so the burden is light on all participants. It is also early enough in the day for everyone to still have time for other weekend activities. We try to schedule the next brunch at the end of the last one, so everyone has the date on their calendars. Consider this tradition with your family.

Mike

We had a “serve yourself” bar so everyone could customize their breakfast sandwich.

I went with a toasted croissant, eggs, bacon, and cheese. Yummy!

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money: Make Instant Pot Spaghetti

By now, you know that I’m the self-proclaimed king of simple cooking and one-pot meals.

You also know that I remember my mother as being a fantastic cook. How did she feed 7 adults day in and day out? Often with casseroles, soups, and stews. Food that fills you up and stretches a meager portion of meat. My mom made spaghetti more like a casserole rather than the traditional spaghetti with a blob of meat sauce. I recall her making two types: one very mild and the other a bit more traditional. I loved both of them. She would always have me go to our local grocery store called “Grocerland” to pick up some fresh Italian bread to serve with our meal.

This recipe reminds me of my mother’s, but there is a twist: it is made in a pressure cooker. Making spaghetti in a pressure cooker turns a simple meal into an even simpler one. Everything is made in one pot, and the spaghetti is done 8 minutes after the pot reaches pressure. With inflation and the Trump tariff taxes, it is important to stretch every penny, or I guess nickel, since we no longer use pennies. The meal ingredients themselves are very inexpensive. Additionally, using an electric pressure cooker is one of the most energy-efficient cooking methods. Here is this very simple recipe.

Brown the meat using the saute setting on your electric pressure cooker. I’m using 1.5 pounds of ground turkey.

Drain off excess fat and add your spices.

Add the jar of spaghetti sauce.

Use the spaghetti jar to measure the water. Add one and one-half jars of water.

Add 1 can of diced tomatoes.

Break 1 pound of spaghetti in half and add it to the pot. Make sure that the spaghetti is submerged and try to separate it as much as reasonably possible (this doesn’t have to be perfect).

Set your pressure cooker for 8 minutes on high pressure. When it is done, immediately release the pressure.

Stir. Initially, the mixture may seem too watery. However, stirring not only thickens it but also breaks up any clumps of spaghetti.

Served with some Parmesan Cheese and some garlic bread. It was delicious.

This meal fed three adults, and there is plenty left for 2-3 additional meals. There was minimal cleanup, as everything was made in a single pot. The original recipe was from “The Salty Marshmallow.” However, there are many variations on this recipe. Try it, especially if you have kids. I think that they would love it.

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money: Make Sweet Smokey Pork Chops With Apples

Fact One: Two of my daughters are into sheet-pan dinners. Those are dinners where everything is made on a single cookie sheet in the oven. They will make enough for a family, and then divide up the meal into portions for 4 separate evenings.

Fact Two: Several years ago, Amazon approached me and asked me if I wanted to be an official reviewer for them. I initially thought that the offer wasn’t from Amazon and ignored it. However, they were persistent, and it turns out that Amazon uses trusted reviewers to gather product feedback. I signed up, and it has been a lot of fun as I have tested everything from kitchen appliances to tents. Amazon sends me the items free of charge and all they want is an honest review from me.

You may be wondering how facts one and two are related. Well, I was on the phone with one of my daughters, who told me she was making a sheet-pan dinner. I mentioned that I should try to make one too. Moments later, Amazon offered me some McCormick sheet-pan spice packets to review. Strange, indeed, but it was the perfect time for me to test out that way of cooking.

I’m on a mission to help others who are suffering from inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. One of the easiest ways to stretch your dollars is to pull back from restaurants and fast food. The simpler you can make home cooking, the more likely you will do it. This recipe is about as easy as you can get. I’m normally a “from scratch” cooker, but I’m not opposed to convenience. Amazon sent me a case of 12 apple/pork spice packets, and today I made packet one. Spoiler alert: I’ll be making this meal again, it was super easy and pretty tasty. Let’s get into it!

I used one packet for today’s dinner. The directions are on the back and pretty simple. First things first, turn your oven up to 425F (220C).

The recipe called for 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, but I only had 1 pound, so I added 1 pound of regular potatoes, cut roughly into 1″ cubes.

Now for the 1 pound of sweet potatoes, also in 1″ cubes.

Then I cored a couple of apples. It is OK to leave the peels on. The recipe called for 2 apples, but mine were pretty small, so I used three.

I added around 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Feel free to use whatever oil you have on hand. I probably added a bit more than 1 tablespoon.

Sprinkle on the spice mix, but reserve around 1 tablespoon to season the pork. I didn’t measure, but it all worked out.

Mix it up until all of the pieces are coated. The best way to do this is with a clean hand. But, you do you.

Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Place it in your heated oven for 20 minutes.

Season both sides of your pork chops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix. The packet is for 4 porkchops. We had only three diners and three pork chops. It all worked out.

After 20 minutes, take the sheet pan out of the oven and do your best to turn over the vegetables. This doesn’t have to be perfect. Clear a space in the middle for the pork chops and return the tray to the oven for 15 more minutes. That’s it.

Here is the meal plated up. It was great. Slightly sweet and slightly smoky. The seasoning was mild and not overpowering. The addition of the apple was great. I could see adding some onion wedges, too. I will definitely make this again. It was extremely easy to make; the hardest part was peeling the potatoes, and that wasn’t very hard. Delicious!

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money: Make Tuna Noodle Casserole

As parents, our job is to parent, and one of those jobs is to teach our kids life skills. When my wife returned to the paid workfoce I resumed the task of making meals. However, I didn’t do it solo; I involved my kids, and meal-making time became a fun and educational experience in Kunaland. Teaching your kids how to cook is vital, especially amid today’s inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. Yes, buying groceries has become ridiculously expensive, but going out to eat is even more costly.

I like making simple meals on weekdays. I’m a competent cook, but I’m not a hobby chef. Casseroles and hot dishes are perfect as they are often one-pot meals with plenty of leftovers. This recipe makes a 9 x 13 casserole, but it could be halved. It fed three of us for dinner. My son will take a large leftover portion for his school lunch, and there will be a couple of extra portions beyond that.

I was going to make a more upscale tuna noodle casserole, which I may do in a future post. However, I decided on this one as it is as easy as “dump and go.” It is a perfect recipe to teach your kids very basic cooking skills. No kids, or are they already grown? Tuna noodle casserole is still a perfect comfort food. There are many variations on this recipe, so don’t fret if you need to substitute or even omit an ingredient. A person who will remain nameless in my house hates peas. I love peas, but out of deference to her, I substituted a can of corn. Ops, did I just reveal the pea hater?

This recipe is from “All Recipes.” There are many variations on this theme.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package.

These are the other ingredients. I drained the vegetables and tuna. Not shown is the onion. I didn’t have an onion, so I chopped up a small shallot. I’m using canned corn, but peas would be better. Don’t forget, I have a pea hater.

Put all of the ingredients in a big bowl. If you have kids, they will love dumping everything into the bowl and mixing it up. If you like a creamier casserole, add about 1/2 C of milk. I’m only adding 1/2 of the cheese and reserving the rest for the topping. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175 °C).

Add the cooked and drained noodles and mix.

Place it evenly in a 9 x 13 pan. I sprayed some cooking spray on the dish to make clean-up a bit easier, but that isn’t totally necessary.

Top with crushed potato chips. You could use other toppings such as bread crumbs/melted butter or crackers/melted butter. Don’t have any of that? You could also forgo the topping, but it does add something.

Top with half of the cheese. You could also add all of the cheese to the casserole mix and forgo the cheese topping.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes. Let it stand for around 10 minutes before serving.

I also made a small loaf of my bran and flaxseed bread in my bread maker to go along with the casserole.

Served up. A simple meal, but very comforting on a wintery day. Yes, I know… I like my butter.

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money, Make Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

If you read my posts, you know that I love gadgets. Cameras, computers, and kitchen appliances are all fun for me to use and experiment with.

I love discovering odd appliances that turn out to have practical uses. Case in point, vacuum sealers. Cast in point number two, bread machines.

Bread machines were the darling kitchen gadget of the early 1990s, but fell out of favor when the keto/caveman craze hit. People were not eating bread, so there was no need for bread makers. However, in 2026, many of us are back to more balanced diets. Personally, I believe in eating a variety of foods in moderation. I never gave up on my bread machines, and I’m still amazed at their versatility.

As we face inflation and the Trump tariffs, it becomes ever more important to find ways to save money, and cooking at home is one of them. Using a bread maker can not only save you money, it can also give you a better product.

Beyond loaves of bread, all bread makers can make dough to be used for a variety of foods, from pizza to breadsticks. With a bread maker, making dough is as simple as “dump and go.” Ninety minutes later, you have dough to shape and bake in your oven. The result is delicious homemade bread that will impress. All with a very low work-to-result ratio.

My son’s girlfriend came over for a casual weekday dinner. I was making a simple casserole and wanted to make the meal just a little more special, so I threw together some homemade dinner rolls. They were delicious, so let me share the recipe with you. This recipe is from the Betty Crocker Best Bread Machine Cookbook.

I measured the ingredients and put them into the bread machine’s baking pan in the order listed. I measure most ingredients by weight; for instance, one cup of flour is around 120 grams. I do use measuring spoons for lightweight items like salt and yeast. Measuring by weight is not only more accurate, but also easier. I place the baking pan on my kitchen scale, tare the scale to zero, and weigh my ingredient. Then tare again for the next ingredient.

The machine will mix, knead, and ferment the dough. This is what it looks like when the cycle is completed.

I’m not very good at eyeballing the dough into equal rolls, so I measured it and then divided the weight by the number of rolls I was making. This recipe makes 15 rolls; however, I only have one muffin pan that makes a dozen, so I made slightly larger rolls by dividing by 12. My math said each roll should be around 60 grams. I’m not going for precision, so this roll at 62 grams is just fine. Pro tip: I let the dough rest for about 10 minutes after turning it out of the pan onto a floured surface. This time relaxes the dough, making it easier to work with.

I flatten each roll as above. I’ll have a bit of flour on my hands so the dough doesn’t stick to them.

I drew the corners of the flattened dough into a ball and pinched it together.

I placed each dough ball into a greased muffin tin, pinched side down. Yes, these are not perfect balls. I’m a guy and a simple cook. They will still taste great. You may be concerned about the condition of this muffin pan. It has been used for over 30 years, producing thousands of baked goods. It works great, and I love it.

Place the tin in a warm, draft-free place and cover it with a light cloth. A clean cotton dishcloth works well. Let the dough rise for around 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190 °C).

The rolls after the rise.

Bake 12-15 minutes. These rolls were baked for 12 minutes. If you’re unsure if they are done, you can poke them with a food thermometer. if the internal temperature is 190F (85C) they are done. If you want to be fancy, paint a little melted butter on the rolls. I’m not fancy, so I didn’t.

I let the rolls cool for around 10 minutes and then gently took them out of the muffin tin. You can also make free-form rolls on a cookie sheet or turn them into Parker House rolls by dividing each dough ball into three balls and placing the triplet in a muffin cup.

We ate some rolls still warm. I placed the rest into a Rubbermaid container for the next day. They reheat well with a short round in the microwave.

There you have it. Very simple, yet delicious. As good as any bakery roll, but less expensive. A perfect accompaniment to just about any meal, and what smells better than bread baking?

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money, Make Chicken and Stuffing Casserole. Cheap and Easy!

I’m a competent cook, but I’m not a hobby cook. I don’t mind putting a meal together, but it isn’t the driving force of my life. In fact, the only part of cooking that I truly enjoy is playing with kitchen appliances. I’m a gadget guy.

Inflation and the Trump tariff taxes are affecting me just like everyone else, but it’s clear I can reduce my day-to-day costs by cooking at home.

My son’s girlfriend came over for a weekday dinner yesterday. She has had dinner here many times and is more like a family member rather than a guest. However, I know she doesn’t do well with acidic foods, especially those with a lot of tomato products; so many of my “go-to” recipes were shelved for yesterday’s dinner. I wanted to make something she would enjoy, but it had to be easy for me, too. In this case, I upped the ante a bit by making some homemade yeasted rolls in a bread maker. I’ll likely post that recipe soon. The rolls were made the day before and kept in a Rubbermaid container. All I needed to do was make the stuffing casserole and microwave some vegetables. Easy peasy.

This recipe is from Lil’ Luna, but I have seen similar ones from many authors. It is definitely a recipe conceived in the 1970s, as it relies heavily on pre-packaged foods. With that said, it is cheap, extremely simple to make, and it tastes good.

Screenshot

I made the stuffing and set it aside. I used water plus Better Than Bouillon instead of chicken stock. You could just use water, which may be a better option as the stuffing and soup are already salty. At this point, also preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

I dumped all of the other ingredients into a 9 x 13 pan. It would be a good idea to spray the pan with a non-stick spray… but I didn’t, and it was fine. I’m using 1/2 of a Costco roasted chicken. I’ll buy a chicken, pull off the meat, and freeze it into two vacuum-sealed bags. This chicken was from 2024 (it is now 2026), and it was perfectly good as vacuum seal bags prevent freezer burn.

I mixed up the concoction and then added 1 drained can of mixed vegetables. You could use any vegetable, canned or frozen (thawed), that you like. Options include peas and carrots, green beans, mushrooms, or just carrots.

I then spread out the mixture.

I then sprinkled the cooked dressing over the mixture and baked it for about an hour at 375°F (190°C). You want to bake the casserole until it is bubbly and the dressing has browned a bit. I like to “over-bake” a bit to really firm up the casserole, but you do you.

Here it is plated up with a homemade yeasted roll, broccoli, and some jellied cranberries.

The dinner was a hit and served 4 of us; 2 lunch servings were left for the next day. It uses a lot of processed foods, but it’s quick to make, cheap, and tastes good.

Let’s do a price break down:

(From the Aldi US website on 1/8/26)

Stuffing mix. $1.05

Mushroom soup. $0.79

Chicken soup. $0.79

Chicken $2.50 (1/2 of a Costco $5 roasted chicken)

Canned Veg. $1.09

Butter. $0.41

Sour Cream. $1.00

Total $7.63. or $1.27 Per Serving

For these cost savings, I’m using Aldi-branded foods. The chicken is from Costco, their famous $4.99 roasted chicken. I’m only using one-half of the meat, so one chicken can be used for several meals. I’m using canned vegetables, but frozen could be substituted for a small additional up-charge. You can also use canned chicken. In that case the meal could become a shelf-stable option that you keep on your “just in case” shelf.

Add whatever sides you like to bulk out the meal. This may be a good meal to try if you are new to cooking or if you are trying to teach your kids how to cook. Teaching your kids how to cook is a great gift. I taught my kids, starting simply when they were young, and they are all competent adult cooks. They are saving money, just like me…and possibly you!

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money: Make My Sister’s Chili

My sister has been cooking her entire adult life. Her kids are grown and long gone, but they visit her frequently. She loves that they remain close to her and her husband, but there is a problem. Some of her adult children, their partners, and her grandchildren have special dietary needs. Some are vegetarians, others have gluten intolerance, and still others have issues with dairy.

Meal prep for Christmas is especially challenging, as some will arrive early and others late. This year for Christmas dinner, she went an untraditional route and made two giant pots of chili. One with ground beef and the other with Impossible Beef (synthetic beef). Not only was her choice a practical solution, but her family loved the results.

My sister used a recipe she found online from the YouTuber, “Clutterbug,” but I’ll just call it “Nancy’s chili.” It is the easiest chili recipe I have ever made, and when I served it to my family for a weekday dinner, they thought it was delicious, too.

Inflation and the Trump tariff taxes have made everything more expensive. This recipe is not only very economical but also very flexible, as you will see from the substitutions I made.

The following recipe fed three adults for dinner and there was enough left over for three lunches. Let’s check out the recipe.

Brown 1 pound of ground beef. I had a 1.5-pound package of ground turkey, so I used that.

Drain 1 can of corn and 1 can of black beans. I had a can of pinto beans, so I substituted those. However, my sister says that black beans are the best choice. You can use frozen corn if you wish.

Add a large jar (32 oz) of Marinara sauce to the ground meat. This jar is 32 ounces. If your jar is a bit smaller, go with that and add a little water.

Add the drained beans and corn.

I used these packets of taco and chili seasoning, and they worked well. My sister swears by the brand that she listed in the recipe above. She bought her chili seasoning on Amazon. These are from Aldi.

Add the taco and chili packets and mix in.

Cover, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let this mixture cook for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible. You may want to give it a stir now and then. Low heat is critical as you want to blend the flavors, but you don’t want to burn the food to the bottom of the pan.

Here is the chili served. Any type of onion on top is a plus. I’m using shallots as I had a few, but a chopped regular onion or a green onion would also work. I added a little shredded cheese and some sour cream to fancy it up. Crackers (of any type) are nice. My mom always served oyster crackers with chili, but we had these Ritz-type crackers on hand, so I used those.

This chili was very thick and filling. If you like a thinner chili, just add some water to the pot. I made a lot of substitutions, but they were all using similar ingredients. For instance, I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and pinto beans instead of black beans. It is OK to do this, and the more you cook, the more comfortable you will become with substituting ingredients.

Many dishes involve similar basic steps, so once you master one dish, you will likely become more comfortable with cooking another.

Over time, I have stockpiled basic ingredients in my kitchen. For this chili, I already had everything I needed in my freezer and pantry. A great place to buy ingredients is Aldi, where spices, canned/frozen vegetables, and other items are reasonably priced.

Let’s say you are making a recipe that uses one can of crushed tomatoes. Just buy two and keep the other one on hand for a future meal. I always have items like tomato products, flour, sugar, baking powder, and spices on hand. Additionally, I have ground meats, chicken, and sometimes pork products in my freezer.

I use convenience products at times, for instance, the Kirkland Marinara sauce that I used in today’s recipe. I’ll always have a couple of cans of condensed cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup on hand. I understand they are not the healthiest products, but they make tossing a meal together simple. Just like the crushed tomato example, it is easy to pick up an extra can of this or that and build a mini stockpile of staple ingredients. I don’t want every mealtime to involve a trip to the grocery store, as that can be a hassle when making a real meal 5-7 times a week.

Remember, last night’s dinner can easily become today’s lunch. I almost always did this when I was working, and my son has picked up the same habit. Another alternative is what one of my daughters does. She makes a dinner for 4, divides it into 4 meals, and has dinner prepared for most of the week. Another daughter has a routine with her breakfasts, often preparing 3-4 easy ones at once. These simple practices can dramatically reduce your cooking while still saving money. Since I cook for multiple people, I’m a bit less regimented. However, we always seem to have leftovers that are consumed one way or another over the next few days.

My son took some of the chili to school for lunch. I had a bowl for lunch yesterday, and I’ll eat the rest today. Think about that, three dinners and three lunches, all with one super easy meal prep. Also, look at the cost savings. Let’s assume a very reasonable $12 per meal if purchased at a restaurant or fast-food joint. Twelve dollars multiplied by six meals equals seventy-two dollars. That doesn’t count tax or tip, and let’s be honest, you can’t even buy a value meal at McDonald’s for $12 in 2026.

I couldn’t find the Costco prices on the ingredient list, so I searched for items on the Aldi site. To make this chili using Aldi ingredients, the total cost would be $9.43, or $1.57 per meal (not counting toppings). If we assume a $12 restaurant/fast-food meal, we are looking at more than 700% savings!

I know financial times are rough, but there are things that we can do to reduce costs. One of the easiest ones is to cook at home.

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money: Make Panera-Style Fall Squash Soup In An Instant Pot

I love Panera’s squash soup, and I always feel a bit sad when the season is over and the soup is retired for the year. However, it is one of the easiest soups to make if you have an Instant Pot, and it is entirely adaptable to cooking on the stove or even in a slow cooker. You will need to add more time for the vegetables to soften completely if you try one of these alternative methods.

This recipe makes quite a bit of soup, and it is inexpensive. However, with inflation and the Trump tariff taxes, some may have to economize further. This very flexible recipe can be modified in a variety of ways to fit your tastes and your budget.

I made some homemade French bread to serve with the soup, but a store-bought French, Italian, or sourdough bread would also be nice.

Check out the recipe, this one is from thedizzycook.com. However, you can find over a dozen other variations on this soup theme. Here is the recipe.

Using a potato peeler, peel the waxed skin off a couple of medium-sized butternut squash until you reach the bright orange meat.

Using a sharp knife, trim off the squash’s bottom and top. Cut the squash in half. Use a tablespoon to remove the seeds and membranes, then discard them. I’m sure there’s a way to bake the seeds, like pumpkin seeds, but the yield would be too small to bother with.

Cut up the shallots and the peeled carrots into large chunks. I have shallots, but you could use an onion if that is what you have on hand.

Sauté the shallots in a bit of cooking oil until they are translucent, then add the carrots and squash to the Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker).

Add the various spices. I’m using “tube ginger” for convenience. Instead of honey, I added around one tablespoon of brown sugar. For fun, I added a shake of nutmeg and cinnamon. It is OK to substitute and be creative as long as you don’t go too far afield.

I added the apple juice. We don’t drink much juice, so this little 8-ounce “lunch box” apple juice worked out well.

I added the broth, but used chicken instead of vegetable broth. Why? Because that is what I had on hand. Pro tip: I have a big jar of “Better than Bouillon” that I typically use when I need broth (mix with warm water). It takes up little space and keeps well in the fridge. It is less expensive than those boxes of broth, and I always have it on hand. It will add some salt to the recipe, so go light on adding salt and adjust it when the dish is done.

I pressure-cooked on high for 15 minutes, then let the soup rest for 15 minutes more. I released the pressure and tested the vegetables to make sure that they were super tender.

I pulled out my 35-year-old Vitamix to blend the soup. You could use any blender or even a stick blender. I had to blend it in batches. I also added a couple of ounces of cream cheese I found in the fridge, along with about 1/4 cup of half-and-half. These added richness to the soup, though optional. I returned the blended soup to the Instant Pot and adjusted the seasonings. In my case, I added about one tablespoon more of brown sugar because the Panera soup is on the sweet side. However, adjust the soup to your preference.

Here it is, all creamy and delicious, served with homemade French bread. The bread was as easy as adding a few ingredients to a bread machine, pressing a button or two, and walking away. By the way, I added some nuts and a drizzle of half-and-half just for the presentation.

Squash soup is perfect on a cold day. This recipe makes quite a bit and can be frozen if needed. It was delicious!

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money: Make Real Mac and Cheese

Few foods are more comforting than Mac and Cheese. It is perfect anytime, but especially good on a cold winter night. Mac and cheese is amazingly flexible, and you can make it as deluxe or as simple as you wish.

The recipe I’ll be using today comes from Thechunkychef.com, but it is similar to many other mac and cheese recipes. As usual, I’ll be making a few tweaks. Remember, you can make reasonable modifications or even omissions to many recipes and still get good results. Are you suffering from inflation and the Trump tariff taxes? This mac and cheese casserole is cheap, but it tastes deluxe. It is so much better than the stuff in the blue box.

I’m usually responsible for making dinner on Wednesday, and this Wednesday, my son’s girlfriend was coming over for dinner. She stops by often enough that dinner doesn’t have to be a big deal, but I’m mindful that her digestion doesn’t handle spicy or tomato-based foods well.

I had just baked some 7-grain bread, but I wasn’t sure how that would go with mac and cheese, so I made a quick batch of corn muffins. As for the mac and cheese, I told my son that creating it would be a father-son job. He was happy to help.

See the photos for the ingredient list and procedure. Remember that I will be making some modifications; never fear!

Boil some elbow macaroni in salted water for one minute less than what the box says. Drain. You can use other types of pasta if you wish, but elbow macaroni is the classic shape.

Melt a stick of butter over medium heat, then add 1/2 cup of AP flour, stirring constantly. Cook this mixture for about a minute.

Add about 2 cups of the half-and-half while continuing to stir and cook the mixture for a couple of minutes. I used some whipping cream that we had left over from Thanksgiving instead of the half-and-half. You could use milk or evaporated milk if that is what you have.

Add the milk, the rest of the half-and-half, and the spices. Continue stirring until the mixture looks thick.

Remove the white sauce from the heat and mix in 2 cups of the cheddar cheese. I like sharp cheddar, but you can use whatever you prefer. You can use only cheddar, or you can use several different cheeses (as the recipe’s ingredient list suggests). It is all good. You can also use less cheddar if you are trying to economize. It won’t be as cheesy, but it will still be delicious.

The recipe calls for Gruyère cheese, but I couldn’t find it. I settled on Gouda. Heck, it is also a “G” cheese… I’m a simple guy and not a cheese expert! Add about a cup of this cheese and stir it in.

This is how thick the cheese sauce should look.

I added a little mustard to the sauce, just because. Nope, it isn’t in the original recipe, but I think it adds something.

I mixed in the partially cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce.

I placed about one-half of the mixture into a greased 3-quart casserole. A 9 x 13 works the best.

Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese over the mixture.

I went off recipe and also sprinkled on a little Parmesan to give the dish a little umami kick. That is totally optional.

Side note. We had some leftover fancy crackers from Thanksgiving, so I put them in a bag and crushed them. I then added some melted butter to the bag. The recipe didn’t call for a topping, but I like mac and cheese with one. Another option would be to use some crushed-up potato chips. Buttered and crushed Ritz crackers work exceptionally well.

I added the remaining macaroni mixture and topped it with the remaining reserved cheese plus a little Parmesan. I then added the buttered crushed crackers on top and baked the mac and cheese for about 20-25 minutes, uncovered, at 350°F (175°C). I baked the casserole until it was quite bubbly around the edges. I used this as my timing guide, so I’m not exactly sure if I baked it for 20 or 25 minutes. Then I let it sit for around 15 minutes before serving.

Here it is out of the oven.

Served with a homemade corn muffin and some broccoli. I know, it seems like our vegetable is often broccoli! We must like it.

That’s it, folks. Another super simple and delicious dinner. Today, it was only my son, his girlfriend, and me eating. This dinner was very economical to make, and there is a lot left over (about 3/4 of the pan). It will reheat well in the microwave for lunches. Mac and cheese also freezes reasonably well.

You can reduce the recipe costs further by using less cheese, and you can get by using only cheddar if that is what you have. The half-and-half adds richness, but you can use only milk if you choose. Sharp cheddar is the way to go, but any melty cheese will work in a pinch.

Yes, it was delicious… do you think I would post it if it weren’t?

Happy eating!

Mike