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.

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