Saving Money with Mix-N-Match Skillet Meals

by Deborah Taylor-Hough - Used by permission

The following recipe is one I prepare regularly to use up leftovers or clear out the cupboards. I keep a copy of this taped to the inside of my pantry door at all times. With Mix-n-Match Recipes, I'm always amazed at the meals I can create from simple, basic formulas. I also save money by choosing ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I even surprise myself with a delicious nearly-gourmet combination or two!

Mix-n-Match Skillet Meals

Adapted with permission from the book Mix-and-Match Recipes:
Creative Ideas for Today's Busy Kitchens by Deborah Taylor-Hough (SourceBooks).

Choose one(1) food from each of the following four(4) groups:

1) Breads and Cereals (1 cup raw)

Macaroni
Spaghetti
Rice (white or brown)
Noodles
Bulgar
Any pasta

2) Sauce (1 can soup plus 1.5 cans milk, broth or water)

Cream of Mushroom
Cream of Celery
Cream of Chicken
Cream of Potato
Tomato Soup
French Onion Soup

3) Protein (1 pound or 1 cup cooked)

Chopped beef
Chopped pork or ham
Ground beef or turkey
Chicken
Turkey
Tuna
Salmon
Mackerel
Cooked dry beans
Frankfurters
Keilbasa

4) Vegetables (1.5 to 2 cups canned, cooked or raw)

Carrots
Peas
Corn
Green beans
Lima beans
Broccoli
Spinach
Mixed vegetables
Celery
Green Pepper
Whatever you have around

1/2 to 1 cup cheese (any kind) can be stirred into sauce at the
end of the cooking time.

Choose one food from each of the four groups above.

1. Stir together in skillet.

2. Season to taste with salt, pepper, soy sauce, onion flakes,
garlic, or whatever spices you enjoy.

3. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to lowest setting.

5. Cover pan and simmer 30 minutes until pasta or rice is tender.

6. Stir occasionally to prevent rice and pasta from sticking.

7. Stir in cheese, if desired.

8. Serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Or, to bake in oven: mix all ingredients in casserole dish and cover tightly; bake at 350 F for one hour.

Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer and mother of three) is the author of several popular books including Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month and A Simple Choice: A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity. To subscribe to her free email newsletter, Simple Times, send an email to: subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com  Visit Debi online and read more articles dealing with simple living, frugality, parenting and much more: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/