Easy Turkey Meal

[pictures of this meal coming soon] 

In more than a decade of marriage, I have never celebrated Thanksgiving at my home. Now, it just doesn’t seem right to change what has become our tradition, and to be honest, I don’t mind visiting my husband’s relatives. The food served at their home is great, and the company is even better.  However, I cannot pretend I never wondered what it would be like to host a Thanksgiving meal.  I even bought The Food Network magazine last year, and I drooled over the pictures of juicy, meaty turkeys and scrumptious side dishes. However, it wasn’t until this year that I decided to go for it.

I could not possibly host Thanksgiving at home, but would it be okay to do a pre-Thansgiving/sort-of-Halloween dinner? “Why not?” I told myself.  After all, there is nothing wrong with planning a family meal.

I invited my husband’s parents, his brother and his family, and my mother to join us and eat my very first turkey meal.  They eagerly accepted, and I began to plan the menu. However, there was a problem I needed to overcome if I was going to make this recipe work for my family: proper brining.

I began with this recipe by The Food Network Magazine, but I immediately knew I wanted to make  a few changes. For instance, the choices for liquid brines were too risky for me (this was my first turkey, so I didn’t want to experiment!).   I’ll save these options for next time. The classic brine was perfect, but it was dry, and I want the juiciness of the other choices. I also wondered where I was going ot keep the turkey while I brined it. I realized early on that I needed

• A fool-proof brine/seasoning
• A place to brine

So… I tackled the first issue by making my own recipe for the brine

Ingredients:

• Salt to taste (I used about half a cup, but traditional brine recipes can require two cups of salt or more)
• Two Swanson flavor boost packages – chicken flavored (next time, I might use one or two more)
• Two rosemary branches
• A couple of onions and peppers, cut in half.
• Garlic to taste (you can use cloves or powder; I prefer cloves)

I mixed all of these ingredients in a pot full of water (enough to cover the whole turkey) and let it boil. Then, I let this broth simmer for a bit to mix the flavors. This became my brine.

Brining the bird for 24 hours was the next challenge. There is no way my larger than normal pot would fit in my two-door refrigerator.  The solution came to me by chance.  As I was looking for a thermometer at the store, I came across a basting bag. Can you believe someone makes this item? The bag looks like a giant Ziplock bag for a giant, 20 lbs. turkey.  Jackpot!  I paid less than $3 for the bag – worth every penny.

So, on the day before my big turkey dinner, I made my brine. Once it cooled down, I put the turkey and the liquid brine in the back, and I place this bag in my refrigerator. I had to remove the bottom vegetable drawer to get the turkey in, but other than that, brining took no effort whatsoever.

I followed the mixed and match recipe from Wegmans (link) for the rest of the process, and I used the rosemary lemon butter (I skipped the fennel).  I don’t want to brag, but the turkey was awesome! My six-year-old nephew had seconds.  That is the best compliment I got that night, but not the only one. 

I served three side dishes with my turkey and spent about $40 or $50 dollars (about $20 for the turkey).  However, I was able to feed 7 adults and one child (my kids don’t eat turkey); I also had leftovers to make other meals for the rest of the week.  Not a bad deal!

Weekly Menu

I followed a friend’s suggestion and made a whole week’s menu ahead of time.  I have to say that this is the way to go if your main concern is the dreaded nightly question, “what’s for dinner?”  However, it takes a lot of time to plan a weekly menu, particularly when I have to consult cookbooks or the internet to find the recipes :-)

I don’t clip coupons or review grocery store mailers.  Maybe I should do that and save some money! However, for my first weekly menu, I focused on creating a simple, easy to follow menu that would help me get dinner done efficiently and painlessly. 

Here is my menu: (click on the links to see recipes)

Wegman's Chicken

• Beef in sauce, rice, and veggies. Meal courtesy of my mother, who cooked the whole thing. Thanks, mom!
• I used a pre-seasoned Wegman’s chicken and served it with mashed potatoes. The chicken was only $8 – what a deal!
• Quesadillas: I followed a recipe that uses chopped zucchini, squash, portabella mushrooms, onions (sweet onions are the best), jalapenos or peppers (your choice), and Mexican cheese.  I sautéed all the veggies first. I added shredded rotisserie chicken as well. Then, I fried the quesadilla and served it with sour cream.
• Calzones and French onion soup.  Yes, I made the soup. Here is the recipe (this soup was delicious!)
• Meatloaf, rice, and steamed veggies (carrots, snap peas, and zucchini) in basting oil. This was my first time making meatloaf, so I found this recipe: Mix and Match Meatloaf.  Did I follow the recipe? Of course not! I used tons of veggies: Shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, chopped onions, and chopped peppers.  I sautéed them in olive oil and mixed them with the beef before I made the loaf. I also added a Swanson flavor boost package to the mix.  Turned out great!
• Naan Pizzas. Enough said.
  Note: I usually follow the basic recipe but change the toppings.
• Spaghetti and meat sauce. This classic never goes out of style.

Food Network Meatloaf

So…I tried to stick to the menu, but I made some changes.  I switched the order of the menu, and I let my husband talk me into eating Popeye’s one night.  Overall, this plan was a success, but I think I can do better.

The new recipes, such as the one for French onion soup, added an interesting challenge to the whole plan, but I’m glad I added them. Once I was done cooking the new dishes, I felt proud of myself.

Will I use a weekly menu again? Absolutely.

Will I stick to the menu next time? Hmm… I’ll try. 

Weekly menus are a great tool for people like me. 

Basil Pesto to the Rescue

At about $3.50 per jar, Wegman’s Basil Pesto sauce has become a must-have item in my kitchen. I never used pesto before, but I decided to buy a jar to recreate a chicken pesto Panini that is sold at Wegman’s for $6.50.  In the last few weeks, I’ve use two of these jars already to create pasta dishes and pizzas, and I absolutely love it! This is an ingredient that is not dirt cheap, but it isn’t expensive either. 

Wegman’s Chicken Pesto Panini

You will need a Panini maker, of course.  I began with Wegman’s recipe for a Margherita Panini, which calls for their Italian Pane bread. However, I discovered that regular sandwich bread is just fine.  

You’ll need:

• Sandwich bread (I used Nature’s Own Honey Wheat)
• Chicken (I shredded rotisserie chicken.  It is less expensive that any pre-packaged chicken, and way more delicious!)
• Roasted red peppers, cut in strips (I bought a couple of jars at BJ’s Wholesale, but you can find these jar at any grocery store)
• A ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Basil Pesto Sauce

Spread the pesto sauce on the bread and pile all the ingredients listed above to taste.  I use only a few strips of roasted red peppers to add flavor, but if you really like the taste, you can add more.

Last night, I served this dish with macaroni and cheese.  It was a hit!

Chicken Panini with Macaroni and Cheese

I cooked regular, cheap macaroni and added a cream sauce I found a Wegman's, but I imagine that any macaroni and cheese side will do. 

Let's hear it for store brands!

In my quest for saving money at the grocery story, I have used with much success the store brand products available at Wegman's.  In the past, I have also used the brands sold at Walmart and Target, and I have to say that I have not been disappointed yet.

I noticed that I save more when I buy store brands than when I use coupons (and I don't have to waste time clipping anything!). My favorite Wegman's store brand products include pastas (all kinds), sour cream and cheeses, milk, and sauces.  Many of my new recipes and meals are made with these products.  Corn and green bean cans are less than 50 cents each, so these prices can't be beat!

Not all store brand products are created equal, however. Some research is needed before one commits to a store brand. According to a NBC news report, a shopper can save about 25% by using store brands, but not all of these products were able to match or surpass their brand counterparts.  For more information, take a look at this report.

Lasagna Night

What can I make with the stuff on my kitchen shelves? Time to raid my cupboards!

I'm saving money by using what I already have
in my cupboard. 

I found two half-used boxes of lasagna shells, so… Lasagna it is.

Lasagna is definitely a versatile dish, since most of us have everything we need in our kitchens already.  The only ingredient I don’t have sometimes is ricotta cheese, which acts as a “glue” to hold the dish together.  However, in a pinch I can use my mom’s recipe for what I call “Lasagna Glue.” Scroll down for the recipe.

Here is my Last-Minute Lasagna recipe.

You will need:

Lasagna shells

1 lb. Ground beef

½ pepper, chopped

½ onion, chopped

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce. I recommend Wegman’s Tomato Basil sauce.  It is cheap and very tasty.

Ricotta cheese. If you don’t have it, use the “Lasagna Glue” (see below)

16 oz. Mozarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese to taste

The first step is to cook the peppers and onions in a couple of teaspoons of oil (I used olive oil).  I then remove these veggies and cook the ground beef in the same oil, which is now infused with veggie flavor. You may add a bit of garlic to cook with the beef if you wish; I do this sometimes.

Once the meat is cooked, I return the veggies to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste. I let all these ingredients cook together a bit longer (about 5 minutes).

In another pot, I cook the pasta shells according to the instructions the package. 

Assembling the lasagna:

I begin by covering the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan with tomato sauce.  Some people might use oil instead. Then, I make a layer of pasta shells, ricotta or lasagna glue, ground beef, more tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  I then repeat this step as many times as I can.

The final step is to make a final layer of lasagna noodles and cover it with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese (in exactly this order). 

I cover this dish with aluminum foil and cook it in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for about 20 minutes. Then, I remove the cover and cook the lasagna for another 10-15 minutes.  Everything in the dish is already cooked, so just make sure that the cheese is melted, and you’ll be just fine.

Note: I used to heat/cook the pasta sauce before using it so it didn’t taste “raw,” as it happens with many tomato sauces.  I find that I don’t have to do this with the Wegman’s sauce, but definitely had to do it when I used Ragu, for instance. Though the sauce was okay when used “raw,” the flavor seemed to improve quite a bit when I “cooked” it.

Lasagna Glue

You will need

3 cups of water

2 tablespoons of flour

1 tablesppon of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small pot, heat two cups of water until it boils.  Meanwhile, combine in a bowl the remaining cup of water with the flour so that it dissolves. Add this mixture and the tablespoon of butter to the boiling water in the pot.  Stir constantly until a nice, homogenous mixture emerges.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: Add any herbs or spices you’d like.

Use this mixture in place of the ricotta cheese.

This dish is not as good as when I use fresh lasagna sheets (available in my supermarket), but it was pretty good, and a bit cheaper.  This was definitely better and cheaper than eating out! 

The Plan

In more than a decade of marriage, my husband and I have incurred debt to go to college and start a family. On my quest to start paying the debt and save money, I began to pay more attention to our credit card expenses. Upon closer examination of a report generated by my bank (thanks USAA!), I discovered that within a month my family spent hundreds of dollars in restaurants, and this amount did not include the expenses that my bank did not recognize as “Restaurants/Dining,” such as those time we eat at Wegman’s (our grocery store).  No wonder we don’t have money to pay our debt or begin saving! No wonder our credit card balance remains high month after month despite our best efforts!

My family and I spend money on many things, but eating out is definitely a big expense every month. This is why I’ve decided to take action.  We are going to eat at home more often. 

Here is the problem: Though I enjoy cooking and love to follow recipes on occasion, I am not a person who likes to cook every day. I also have a full time job and two small children.  How am I going to find the time to cook?

Also, I am an adequate cook, but I’m not great. I also have to learn to improvise and become a versatile cook; I cannot expect my family to eat the same meals week after week.

Here is the plan:

 

I should

•  Find recipes that are easy and quick to make, and adjust the recipes to our taste

• Be creative.  Use as many ingredients from my cupboard as possible

• Find key ingredients that can be used in multiple meals within the week

• Find cheap, versatile ingredients and create delicious dishes

• Plan meals ahead of time so that I don’t waste time thinking about what I should cook for dinner.  This approach should also help us when we do our grocery shopping

• Try to find healthy dishes, but also indulge every now and then

• Find shortcuts that make this task easier to accomplish

This blog shall become a record of my effort to learn how to cook more and eat out less.  Wish me luck as I begin this journey!