"Wicked Cheap Wednesday's" - Volume 1

- photo care of kraftfoods.com

Thank the husband for this title and idea;) This time of year, well really anytime of year, everyone really tries to cut corners, right? Maybe because of all the crazy gift shopping for people, or even the extra grocery store trips for parties, donating to food pantries, etc, is why we really try to cut down the weekly grocery bill this time of year. I introduce "Wicked (it's a Massachusett's thing) Cheap Wednesday's" where I will do my best to post affordable and non-nasty meals to make that will hopefully leave you with a full belly, and maybe even some leftovers for the next day's lunch or dinner!

My first pick - Kraft Magazine's (I'll get to this, too) Baked Pizza Mac. Sounds awesome, right? Well it is!

You will need:

8 oz of your fave spaghetti or pizza sauce1 7.25 oz package of mac and cheese - prepared as directed on the package1 lb ground beef, cooked1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves1/4 tsp garlic powder1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheesePreheat oven to 400. Combine prepared mac and cheese dinner, 2/3 of the meat, and about 3/4 of the spaghetti sauce, egg, and seasonings. Spoon this mixture evenly into a 9 inch pie plate (or I've even used a 9x13 inch pan). Top with the remaining meat and 1/4 spaghetti sauce; sprinkle with cheese...and yes, of course, add crushed red pepper if your guy/girl is like my guy:)

Bake for 15 minutes, then let stand/cool for 5.

For the 2 of us, this usually lasts one full dinner and either lunch or one of our dinner's the next night. I usually serve it with a garden salad and garlic bread if there's a brand on sale that week:)

This recipe costs, without trying to break down and figure out how much 1/2 cup a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese costs, 8 oz of spaghetti sauce, etc about $9.50 if you already have the egg, dried basil leaves, and garlic powder. If not, it's worth it to buy those items because you can use those ingredients in so many other things! Here's the breakdown I came up with:

spaghetti sauce - store brand - $1.50 - and you'll have plenty left over for other meals
mac and cheese - $.50 - store brandhamburg - around $5.00mozz cheese - $2.50/bag store brand Throw in the salad and maybe some garlic bread, and add on about another $5. Hopefully you already have the salad items as part of your grocery list weekly anyhow....you do, right??

**You don't know how many times I've been planning my weekly meal/grocery list and felt stumped. What do I do, go to my Kraft Magazine. I began subscribing before it cost anything, but when I got the mailing stating it was going to cost money, of course I was alittle annoyed. When I saw that I could get two years, so eight magazines at least (as it comes out quarterly and then sometimes special issues, plus a free cookbook) for $17.98, I definitely felt it was worth it. The magazine comes with great recipes of all types - crockpot, dinners, desserts, sides, appetizers, you name it, plus coupons and even helpful lists like what to always have in your pantry. I'm sold! I suggest that you all subscribe to this, or at least peruse their website to see if you like the recipes and feel it be worth it for you to subscribe.

Dinner time here - today I ate an egg, toast, and some grapes without having to see them again, if you get what I mean:) Tonight I'm going to try to eat some dry turkey and potatoes, so wish me luck!! And OH - if I can keep my dinner down, I can't wait to watch Top Chef tonight! Go Jennifer!