What do i do with 30lbs of meat...

Had a small grocery list so i headed to our local Military Commissary, because I am trying to keep under budget this month.  What do I spy but the BEST deal i have ever seen on chicken breast...  only 93 cents a pound!  This generally goes for $4-6 a pound at our local grocery stores.  Nearby the ground lean sausage was only $1/lb.  I really felt like i had hit the jackpot, bought a total of 30lbs...

On my way home I considered going back for more, but didn't ;)

Some quick googling at the grocery store and I decided to try a few 'junk' type recipes..  you know, the ones with 'can creamed soup' or those 'spice packets' and convenient 'meal helpers' because I knew realistically right now, as I am also juggling the family, farm AND working nearly full time, I just can't prep all this alone without a few 'helpers'.

Fingers crossed they turn out!

First up I did a big batch of Chicken Pot Pie using BOTH premade dough and can of generic mushroom soup.  It was pretty quick, I did the prep while the chicken baked.  I am SO in love with our 'new to us' garage fridge, it is the perfect place to freeze my meals flat then transfer to our big freezer.  I did end up with a little extra Pot Pie sauce to turned that into a soup!  4 meals down.

Next up some quick BBQ chicken bags using a 'healthy' low sugar BBQ sauce and some diced onion,  4 made, no recipe needed here, just a bottle of bbq sauce, some diced onion, fresh garlic and olive oil!

Then Balsamic Peach chicken, using this recipe, 3 of those...  wondering if it will work well in the crock pot?  hmmmm....

I bought some 'butter chicken' seasoning packets and whipped that up.  Trying to think back, i think this may be the only time i have EVER purchased a seasoning packet, LOL!  Lets hope it turns out ;)

For a fun Italian dish I made Sun Dried Tomato Chicken, I will serve this with pasta and veggies of course! Another 3 dinners down!

Who doesn't love Eggroll in a Bowl?  I believe a friend shared this recipe with me about a year ago... its a family favorite!  I don't even have a particular recipe I use, just a quick google or pinterest search and I get the basic ingredients, be sure to use plenty fresh ginger and sesame oil, those make the dish :)  4 packs ready to go, must add fresh cabbage...  on busy nights simply use cole-slaw mix!

...and more!  I was so busy finishing these meals I never finished this post. I saved SO much money doing this, most meals were only a few dollars.  Commitment and organization...

IF I made 30 dinners for 4 people at only $4 each...  normally a dinner for 4 made at home is closer to $14 and up...  meaning I saved $10 per meal, times 30...

a savings of $300!  WOW!

Freezer Chicken Tikka Masala

I am supposed to be doing the Pantry Challange but when i see chicken breast marked down to $1.04lb i buy 10lbs!  because that deal is too darn good to pass up.

What do I do with 14lbs of chicken.....

Ran to the Military Commissary and for the first time in my 15 years of shopping there I saw discounted chicken!  So, yeah, I got 14 lbs!

Tips for Shopping and Bulk Cooking; A quick Saturday Project

I plan my families menu every single week.  I don't just plan out what sounds good to me.  Nope.  I scan my pantry, fridge and freezer to see what I have on hand, sort through my recipes then hit the grocery store.  I ONLY buy what is a true bargain.

While at the store my husband texted me and asked for granola.  There was none on a discounted price so I didn't buy any.  Thats how I shop.  We have other food and will make due.  When granola is on clearance again I will stock up.

so easy quiche!

A great, fast and hearty meal favorite of mine to throw together is an easy quiche!  This non-recipe works both with or without a crust! Serve alongside a cup of soup and some hearty bread. 

It was delicious!

Customize with whatever you have on hand. I roasted up some broccoli, cooked some turkey bacon and tossed that in my empty pans (with and without crust). Added a few slices of cheddar then poured on my egg mix. 

Normally i use just a little more egg than this- but it was still super yummy! 

Last pop it in a preheated oven at 325 for about 30-40 minutes. 

Per quiche i use roughly:

4 eggs

few Tbs sour cream or yoghurt

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Throw in bowl and whisk well. Pour into greased pans filled with hearty additions:

assorted veggies

assorted cheeses

optional meat

I tripled this recipe to create 3 quiches (oops- really i only had 8 eggs total- but no biggie, it still worked great!). We ate 1 for dinner and I froze the other 2! (freeze after cooking and cooling completely, toss whole thing in gallon ziplock bag. Thaw in fridge and heat on low til warm for next easy dinner)