Recipes – Page 10 – Grocery Shrink

Herbed Chicken Rub

By Angela on June 5, 2015

This recipe is the brilliant masterpiece of my mother. It has been famous ever since it’s debut when I was a teenager and now we all keep a jar of it handy. Roast chicken is one of the easiest, affordable and most impressive meals to make. My favorite feature, is that it cooks nicely during church for a fast lunch once we get home.

Single Herbed Chicken Rub:

1 t salt

1/8 t pepper

½ t paprika

¼ t savory

¼ t thyme

¼ t garlic powder

Yield: 2 and 3/8 tsp

Rub the chicken all over with the mix and place breast side down in a roasting pan. (Breast side down makes the meat more moist, breast side up makes the skin crispy. You pick which one you want.) Surround it with peeled potatoes and carrot. Top with sliced onion and ribs of celery. Place a few cups of water in the bottom of the pan (miss the chicken, so you don’t wash off the rub.) Then bake at 325 degrees for 2-3 hours. (3 if the chicken is still frozen, with the bag of giblets in the center. . . 2 if you bothered to thaw it and pull them out.) I roast mine covered which is technically wrong…but it leaves more broth in the pan and keeps it moist.

Make gravy by pouring the broth from the pan through a strainer into a measuring cup. Heat the broth in a pan to boiling. Dissolve 1 Tbs of cornstarch or 1 tsp of glucomannan powder per cup of broth into enough water to make a smooth paste. Pour the smooth paste into the hot broth and cook and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Large Batch Herbed Chicken Rub

1/2 cup salt

1 Tbs pepper

1/4 cup Paprika

2 Tbs savory

2 Tbs thyme

2 Tbs garlic powder

Yield: 1 cup 3 Tbs

Classic Chili Mix

By Angela on June 4, 2015

Classic Chili Spice Mix

1 cup Chili Powder

1/2 cup Cumin

1/4 cup Garlic Powder

1/4 cup Minced Onion

2 Tbs Oregano

1 Tbs Sugar (or equivalent)

1 Tbs Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

Use 2 Tbs of mix to season 1 lb of ground beef, 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice (or 2 cans of tomato sauce), 2 cans of pinto beans and 2 cans of kidney beans. I don’t drain my cans. If you prefer to drain them, add more sauce or water to make up the volume in liquid.

Taco Seasoning Mix

By Angela on June 3, 2015

Of all the mixes I use this one the MOST. I go through a quart jar full every couple of months.

The sweetener gives a bit of twang to balance out the spice. It’s the secret to a mix that tastes like the commercial ones, but can be left out if you’re against it. If you want yours super spicy add some cayenne, about a teaspoon to the whole jar.

If you buy your spices at Aldi, one bottle of spice is about 1 cup.

Quart Jar Taco Mix:

1 cup chili powder

1 cup dried onion flakes

¾ cup ground cumin

¾ cup garlic salt

1/3 cup sugar (or equivalent stevia blend substitute)

3 Tbs Paprika

Use 2 Tbs of mix for each pound of meat. You can also use this mix to make big batch taco meat for the freezer with the slow cooker bulk cooking method.

Fajita Seasoning Mix

By Angela on June 2, 2015

Fajitas are my favorite thing to order from a Mexican restaurant. I love the lean marinated meat mixed with crisp-tender colorful veggies. I’ve tried several mix recipes trying to create that authentic flavor at home and really like this one. It’s beautiful to use the multi colored baby bell peppers available at Aldi or Costco and red onion. To keep the brilliant colors, cook the meat almost completely through then add the veggies for the last few minutes of cooking. Stop cooking when the colors are the brightest right before they start to break down. Read more…

It’s Homemade Mix Month!

By Angela on June 1, 2015

homemade mixes

Guys! I’m so excited! This month I’m going to post the recipes of the most helpful homemade dry powder mixes I know about. Along the way, you might know an even better version of the mix that you’ve been using for years. I hope you’ll post your recipe in the comments so we can all benefit.

Here’s a master list of what’s coming. As the posts go live, I’ll update with the links so we’ll end up with a useful resource.

Fajita Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Chili Seasoning

Herbed Chicken Rub

Brownie Mix

Cake Mix

Cookie Mix

Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix

All Purpose Baking Mix

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

Cinnamon Syrup Mix

Italian Seasoning

Dry Pesto Mix

Enchilada Sauce Mix

Spaghetti Sauce Mix

Italian Dressing Mix

Breakfast Sausage Herb Mix

Beef Stew Mix

Ranch Dressing Mix

Pizza Crust and Sauce Mix

Alfredo Sauce Mix

Onion Soup Mix

Seasoned Salt

Cream of Anything Soup Mix

If you like this, come check out our linky party for even more mix recipes.

Lazy Girl’s Guide to Freezing Spinach

By Angela on May 28, 2015

the lazy girls guide to freezing spinach

I love buying spinach at Costco in the 40 oz bags. It’s good quality and cheap, and it’s a LOT of spinach. I use it in my eggs, salads, lasagna, smoothies, stir fries, you name it. Sometimes I still can’t get through the whole bag before it spoils.

fresh_spinach__40

While the official method for freezing spinach involves blanching it. I’ve had really good luck, just throwing the bag in the freezer. (I just toss it in when I’m tired of eating spinach.) Once it’s frozen I mash the bag to break the leaves into pieces. Then it’s easy to throw into a recipe.

The idea behind blanching Spinach is to kill the enzymes that continue the ripening process. Freezing slows down but doesn’t stop or kill the enzyme process. As long as you use it up within a couple of months and don’t try to store it for years, you’ll be fine.

The benefit besides the ease, is that it PRESERVES the enzymes that aid in the digestion process. Now toss that into your morning smoothie :).

Batch Cooking Ground Beef in Your Slow Cooker

By Angela on May 27, 2015

I first figured out this worked on a desperate day when I didn’t have a kitchen. The no kitchen season of our lives lasted almost a year and I relied on my slow cooker and electric griddle for making almost everything.

Since then, I’ve reused this method changing the seasoning to suit the dish. Taco seasoning for batch taco meat. Italian seasoning for pizza or spaghetti. Read more…

The Easiest Shredded Chicken for Your Freezer

By Angela on May 26, 2015

Chicken salad, enchiladas, tostadas, tetrazzini, chicken spaghetti, pot pie, taquitos, quesadillas. They all start with shredded chicken. When there’s a recipe sized bag ready to go in the freezer, the rest of the meal doesn’t seem so hard.

I bought frozen grilled chicken pieces from Aldi yesterday. My stress level had come to that. It was kind of gross and expensive. Not completely awful, but nothing like home marinated and grilled chicken. If your stress level makes frozen grilled chicken a necessity, no judgement here. But there is a simple way to have prepped chicken at home.

Fill your slow cooker up to 3/4 full with chicken breasts, then pour water into the spaces until it comes just even with the top of the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic powder, and onion powder. Slow cook for 4-5 hours. Remove chicken from the broth and let it cool until cool enough to handle.

Drop a breast or 2 (enough for your typical recipe) into a quart size freezer baggie, press out all the air and seal. Then mush it around with your fingers until it is all shredded up. Moosh the chicken flat, and freeze it. Simple, right?

You also have all that great chicken broth. If you use it up within the week, you can put it in a pitcher in your fridge. (We rarely have juice, so it’s safe at our house. If you often have lovely pitchers of stuff in your fridge, you should probably label it. Or hide around the corner with a video camera…..)

For those of you who need recipes. Here you go:

Easy Shredded Chicken for Your Freezer

Ingredients

2 lb chicken breasts
8 cups water
3 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery seed

Instructions

Combine everything in a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours. (No need to thaw the chicken first.)
Remove chicken from broth and cool until cool enough to handle.
Place 2 small or 1 large chicken chicken breast into each freezer bag and shred by mooshing the outside of the bag with your fingers.
Remove all the air and freeze flat.

http://www.groceryshrink.com/the-secret-to-easy-shredded-chicken-for-your-freezer/

P.S. For those of you who are wondering, most brands of freezer bags are BPA free. I specifically checked Ziploc brand and Up and Up brands, but several others are safe too.

One Pot Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip

By Angela on May 14, 2015

Our guest recipe today is from Aimee of The Captivating Corner. If you need a no mess dish to take to a gathering, for hospitality, or an after school snack, this one has your back. If you are really in a hurry it can be made on the stovetop too.

Here is an oldie but goodie appetizer. It is a personal favorite of mine, I have had it so many times that I have lost count. Maybe it is new for you? Seriously no matter if I am entertaining at my own house or going over to a friend or family’s place of residence for entertainment, you can guarantee that this will be there as an appetizer!

Ingredients:

4 cups Shredded Chicken

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup Hot Sauce

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1 package cream cheese

Steps:

In a crock pot, put in cream cheese, 1/4 cup ranch dressing, and 1/4 cup hot sauce. 1 cup cheddar cheese and 4 cups shredded chicken. After 1 hour stir ingredients. Cook ingredients for an additional 3 hours or until cream cheese is melted. That’s it folks, a one pot wonder. You can’t get simpler than this recipe. That is part of the reason why I enjoy a crock pot so much!

The dip can be paired with a wide variety of foodie snacks. My favorites include crackers and celery. I have also had it with pretzels and tortilla chips.

What event would you take this appetizer to?

One Pot Wonder: Cheesy Sausage and Pasta

By Angela on May 13, 2015

I’m excited to introduce this guest poster to you today! She has a yummy recipe to share that’s perfect for those nights when you don’t want to wash a lot of pots and pans.

Hello! I am Terri from Our Good Life blog and I am here as a guest host for our friend, Angela. I am a retired elementary school principal and I know the value of a one pot meal! My family is grown and gone, but my husband and I are busy retirees with a full schedule! This meal was popular with my family and I hope you like it, too!

There is no better time saver than a one pot meal! It is a much healthier way to cook than to buy a boxed meal. One pot, skillet, or crockpot and you are ready to cook! It is a quick clean up as well, which is another way to cut down time away from your family. This quick meal uses whole wheat pasta, canned tomatoes, and turkey kielbasa to make this rich, delicious meal. Fresh veggies and yummy cheese make this a kid friendly meal. I know my family enjoys it!

One Pot Cheesy Sausage and Pasta

by Terri Steffes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 c vegetable broth
1/2 c water
6 oz whole wheat rigatoni
8 oz turkey kielbasa, sliced
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 green or yellow pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T Italian seasonings
1/2 c shredded, low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Pour tomatoes, broth and water into a dutch oven. Add in pasta, stir. Add sausage, onion, green pepper, and seasonings. Turn on high, bring to a boil. Stir, then turn to medium heat. Let cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste noodles, let cook until desired doneness. Turn to low, add cheeses and stir until melted. Scoop into individual servings and top with grated parmesan cheese.

Variations: I have replaced the peppers with leftover broccoli with great success! Any favorite type of pasta, rigatoni, shells or elbows will work in this recipe but you may have to adjust the cooking time depending on the noodle. Happy cooking!