Rotel dip

Whether it’s movie night or the Superbowl, no party would be complete without the chips and dip. Serve this dip with tortilla chips.

What you’ll need:

1 lb Velveeta cheese
1 roll maple breakfast sausage (if you can’t find maple breakfast sausage just use regular and add ¼ c maple syrup while cooking it)
2 small or 1 large can Rotel tomatoes, drained OR 2 tomatoes, diced
About ½ c milk

Brown sausage, drain and set aside. Cube the Velveeta. In a large pot over medium heat, melt Velveeta cubes and milk, stirring constantly, until cheese is smooth and there are no lumps. If cheese sticks or is too thick, add more milk a tablespoon at a time. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve warm.

Tip: A good way to keep this dip warm and close to the party is to use a crock pot or fondue pot set on low.

Cost:
Velveeta – $3.59
pork sausage – $1.89
Rotel tomatoes – $2.12
milk – $3.99/gallon
Total – $7.99

Submitted by Angela Laney

Hash brown casserole

An easy side dish for those sleepy Saturday mornings.

What you’ll need:

1 bag shredded hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together hash browns, soup and ½ the bag of cheese. Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake @ 375 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes or until potatoes are browned.

Cost:
frozen shredded hash browns – $2.29
cream of chicken soup – $0.69
shredded cheese – cheddar – $1.50
Total – $5.17

Submitted by Angela Laney

Chicken broccoli and rice casserole

What you’ll need:

4 chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) pkg chopped broccoli
1 ½ c rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ block Velveeta cheese
½ c mayonnaise
1 bag shredded mild cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper and seasoning to taste

Boil the chicken until it’s tender, remove from water and chop into chunks. Cook rice according to package directions. Cook broccoli until tender, drain. In a large bowl, melt Velveeta in microwave. Use a small amount of milk to thin the cheese and keep it from burning. Add cream of mushroom soup, rice, broccoli, mayonnaise and seasonings to cheese and mix well. Fold in chicken. Spray a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray. Pour chicken mixture into pan. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cost:
chicken breast – $5.00/4 pack
frozen broccoli – $1.89
rice – $2.12
cream of mushroom soup – $0.89
Velveeta – $3.59
mayonnaise – $2.50
shredded cheese – cheddar – $1.50
Total – $12.53

Submitted by Angela Laney

Marinated beef tips over noodles

What you’ll need:

Marinade sauce:

1 c Worcestershire sauce
½ c zesty Italian salad dressing
½ tsp garlic powder
2 c water
1 tsp rosemary
½ tsp thyme

And

1 London broil or large sirloin steak
Flour
Cayenne pepper
Cajun seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, minced
1 bell pepper, minced
Egg noodles or rice

Slice steak into thin strips and place in a pan covered in marinade. Let marinade for 4 – 6 hours in the refrigerator. Remove meat from marinade. Do not discard the marinade. Roll the meat in flour seasoned with cayenne pepper and cajun seasoning to taste. In a skillet sauté garlic, onion and bell pepper in 1 tsp of butter or oil. Add meat and a little of the marinade to the pan and cook until meat is done. Remove the meat mixture from the pan, leaving the juice in the pan. Add a small amount of flour or cornstarch to the juice in the pan and whisk it until blended. Add the remaining marinade and stir until it begins thickening, adding water if necessary. Add the meat mixture back into the pan. Stir over medium heat until the gravy has thickened. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.

Cost:
marinade – $1.50
sirloin steak – $3.50
flour – $2.12/5 pound bag
onion – $1.12
bell pepper – $0.90
egg noodles – $1.89
Total – $9.12

Submitted by Les Proctor

Buckeyes aka chocolate covered peanut butter balls

What you’ll need:

1 (18oz) jar of peanut butter
1 c of softened butter
1 Tbl vanilla
1 (1 lb) box of powdered sugar
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 bar of paraffin wax (with canning supplies)
several cookie sheets faintly buttered to avoid sticking
wooden toothpicks

Mix jar of peanut butter, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar mixing completely until its firm like cookie dough. Pinching off small pieces at a time, roll into 1 inch balls. After all dough is rolled into balls, shave paraffin wax, at least half a block. In a 2 quart boiler over low heat, slowly melt choc chips and paraffin wax until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stick each peanut butter ball with a toothpick and dip into melted chocolate mixture. Place on cookie sheets ¼ inch apart and set in freezer until they are set up. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Cost:
peanut butter – $1.59
butter – $1.75/pound
vanilla – $2.25
powdered sugar – $1.69
chocolate chips – $2.50
paraffin wax – $3.00
Total – $9.23

Submitted by Cynthia Wilson