Breakfast Casserole Recipe (from leftovers)
An inexpensive breakfast item that I enjoy is grits. They’re easy to make, very inexpensive, and filling. Since grits are so inexpensive, it is one of the breakfast items I occasionally make for the youth group. The problem is, sometimes they eat up all of the grits and sometimes there is half of a pot left over.
One day I had made a pot of grits for the youth and for some reason that day, half of the grits were left. I decided not to let the grits go to waste. I figured I should be able to do something with them. I came home and created a breakfast casserole using grits, scrambled eggs, and sausage gravy.
Last week, I had some grits, sausage, and scrambled eggs left over and decided to make another breakfast casserole. This time I had just a small amount left of each, so I made it in this small oven-safe Pyrex glass bowl.
By the way, my kids really like this dish! 
Since this is made with leftovers, there is no exact amount of ingredients.
Breakfast Casserole
- prepared grits
- scrambled eggs
- breakfast meat, optional (cooked and diced sausage, bacon, or ham)
- sausage gravy or white gravy
- shredded cheese, optional
Spray your dish with cooking spray. Layer the ingredients as shown above and bake at 350F until hot.
Here is a recipe for sausage gravy. I needed much less so I just used 1 cup of milk and 1-2 tablespoons of flour.
What is your favorite recipe to make with leftovers?
image (c) Karen Weideman
August 15, 2010
Pasta Free Lasagna Recipe
From time to time, it may seem as though The Thrifty Mommy is crossing over into homemaking but honestly, I believe it all goes hand in hand. One of the ways I save the most money is on my grocery bill. Cooking delicious meals at home is just one of the things that contributes to a low food budget.
Believe it or not, my husband does not enjoy pasta dishes. Every now and then I need some pasta and so I will make spaghetti or something like that for the kids and myself. Finally, I decided to make a no pasta lasagna for my husband. There are many different ways to do this and many other ingredients that you can add, but here’s what I did:
pasta free lasagna (before cooking)
These are in order, with the bottom layer listed first.
pasta free lasagna (after cooking)
My husband does not like a traditional marinara sauce, so I bought the Bertolli Vodka sauce. You can find it in most grocery stores. I made a small lasagna for him and a regular lasagna for the kids and myself. lol I always make enough lasagna to freeze a little for lunches.
Feel free to change this recipe around. You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef, you can use low fat cheese, or you can add some ground sausage or pepperoni slices. There are so many ways to change this recipe to make it suitable for the Atkins diet, South Beach, etc.
I baked these on 350F until it was hot and bubbly (about 45 minutes). Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!
August 11, 2010
Bumble Bee Foods BlogHer Party
As I have mentioned before, I am a representative for Bumble Bee Foods. This year for BlogHer, Bumble Bee Foods threw a party for other bloggers.
Chef Scott Leibfried was at the party to fix up some of his super easy recipes using Bumble Bee products. At the party, he made three of his recipes. They were so delicious!
Here are some of the members of the Bee Squad at the party with Chef Scott. It looks as though there is also a party guest in the picture.
Chef Scott is preparing the Asian Tuna Wraps. These were sooo good! It reminded me of an old favorite Asian Bistro I used to frequent.
Here are the Asian Tuna Wraps that Chef Scott made. Sorry for the very poor picture quality. It was a spur-of-the-moment picture and I did not set my camera correctly. You can see a better picture by clicking on the actual recipe.
This is Chef Scott and me. He was very friendly and easy to talk to. He answered people’s questions and entertained us all with his delicious recipes.
Before leaving the party, I had Chef Scott sign my Lands’ End tote bag that we were given at the party. In case you are wondering what it says, it’s “Cook Well”.
You can find more recipes at the Bumble Bee Foods website.
Picture 1 is used by permission of Elizabeth at Table 4 Five. All other photos belong to me.
Disclaimer: Bumble Bee Foods sponsored my trip to BlogHer.
August 4, 2010
Classic Tuna Casserole Recipe
I have never made tuna casserole before but I have been wanting to. Thankfully, this time Chef Scott has given us the recipe.
Note: Bumble Bee is sending me to the Blogher conference this week. I’ll get to meet Chef Scott at the party and taste some of his yummy recipes! I’ll be sure to update you later on the event.
Enjoy the recipe!
July 4, 2010
Tuna Wrap Sandwich Recipe
Here is another yummy recipe Bumble Bee Foods recipe from Chef Scott. I hope you enjoy it!
June 22, 2010
Cucumber Salad Recipe
One way to really cut on your food budget is to grow your own foods. I know many of you have gardens at home, so here is another summertime recipe for you.
Sunday a friend at church gave us three extra large cucumbers so hubby made up a batch of his cucumber salad. It is so delicious. He changed it a little bit this time by adding cilantro and it gave the salad a little something unexpected and yummy. Feel free to change this recipe. This salad is never made exactly the same. Hubby wanted to put bacon in the salad this time, but we didn’t have any.
Cucumber Salad Recipe
- 3 extra large cucumbers, diced
- diced tomatoes (we prefer Roma)
- diced onions (red or white)
- cilantro
- diced ham (We get a thick slice from the deli.)
- shredded cheese (We used Colby Jack this time.)
- mayonnaise
- ranch salad dressing
- garlic powder
- tomato boullion (We use this as a sprinkle seasoning.)
- Sriracha sauce, optional
Combine cucumber, tomato, onions, and cilantro. Add ranch, mayonnaise, and seasonings to taste. Stir in chopped ham and shredded cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
image (c) Karen Weideman
June 22, 2010
Blackberry Cobbler Picture Tutorial
Last week I gave you the recipe for Ridiculously Easy Cobbler. Recently, I was able to pick some wild blackberries and I made another cobbler, so I decided to take some step by step pictures for you showing how to make the cobbler. It is so very simple.
This picture has absolutely nothing to do with making the cobbler, but I wanted to take a picture of my new source for fruit. Trust me, those thorns are fierce!
You need about two cups of berries or fruit for the cobbler. Since these berries are small, there is no need to cut them. Aren’t they pretty?
Put your stick of butter into your casserole dish and melt in a preheated oven. Add 1 cup of sugar and stir until mixed.
Then, mix in 1 cup of self-rising flour and stir until mixed.
Next, stir in 1 cup of milk.
After the milk is well mixed, add in 2 cups of fruit. Bake on 350F for 35-45 minutes, until browned.
Here it is; complete, warm, and ready to eat. This tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
*I made the mistake of making the cobbler in a 9×13 pan. In the future, I will only do this is I am making a double batch, such as shown in the pictures with the strawberry cobbler.
Cost of this dessert:
.50 butter
.15 sugar
.12 flour
.18 milk
blackberries = FREE
Total cost: $.95
For further instructions, you can visit the recipe for the Ridiculously Easy Cobbler.
images (c) Karen Weideman
June 21, 2010
Caramel Macchiato & Vanilla Syrup Recipes
My favorite drink is a caramel macchiato. When I walk into a coffee shop, I always request a “large caramel macchiato, extra hot, stirred”. These drinks cost about $4.35 or more, so I have to be frugal about my indulgences. I’ve learned to make my own caramel macchiatos at home. It took a lot of experimenting with the amounts of ingredients, but I’ve come up with a very similar product.
Caramel Macchiato Recipe
- 2 shots espresso
- 1 cup steamed milk
- 2-3 tbsp vanilla syrup
- about 1 tbsp caramel syrup
In a large glass or coffee container, steam one cup of milk. Add 2 shots of espresso and about 4-5 shots of vanilla syrup (this is about 2 tbsp). Drizzle with a thick dessert-style caramel syrup such as Hershey’s or Smucker’s. Stir, if desired.
You can change the ingredients to your preference. Some people prefer less vanilla syrup and more caramel.
Vanilla Syrup Recipe
When I started making the caramel macchiatos at home, I was thrilled to purchase the Starbucks vanilla syrup. It does make for a more authentic drink. Even still, the vanilla syrup can be costly, so I learned to make my own at home and it’s very easy to do.
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and boil. Reduce and simmer for a few minutes, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla and stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool before storing.
*You can also use a sugar substitute such as Splenda. I have used half sugar/half Splenda several times. To do this, just use 3/4 cup of each.
The picture show above is the homemade vanilla syrup inside a Starbucks bottle. I saved my Starbucks bottle. I simply wash it, make another batch of two of vanilla and and refill.
My hubby’s favorite coffee drink is a caramel frappuccino. I hope to experiment soon with making my own caramel coffee syrup.
Do you make your own coffee beverages at home? What is your favorite coffee?
June 17, 2010
Salmon Bagel Recipe from Chef Scott
Here’s another Bumble Bee recipe from Chef Scott Leibfried. Chef Scott has been featured on Hell’s Kitchen and the Food Network’s Party Starters. I hope you’ll enjoy the newest Bumble Bee food creation.
June 14, 2010
Ridiculously Easy Cobbler Recipe
Berries are in season and I have an easy recipe to help you take advantage of seasonal low cost fruit. Everyone needs a yummy and easy treat for company, right? And every mama dreams of her kids eating lots of fruit while being happy about it. This cobbler does the trick.
I have tried this cobbler recipe with blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and blackberries. It has done well with all of them.
cobbler before cooking
cobbler after baking
You will need:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 glass pan with cooking spray. Put 1 stick of butter into pan and bake until butter is melted. Add 1 cup sugar and stir. Add 1 cup self-rising flour and stir. Add 1 cup milk and stir. Add 2 cups fruit (drained) and stir all ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown (approximately 35-45 minutes).
This recipe does well doubled and tastes great when served warm with a dallop of vanilla ice cream. Yummy!!! Also, don’t forget to freeze some berries this summer so that you can have delicious cobbler in the winter months.
Have you ever made this easy cobbler recipe?
images (c) Karen Weideman
