Three Cheap and Easy Chicken Dinners

Poor secretaries know that eating out every night takes a big chunk out of your budget. Cooking dinner for yourself is a great way to cut food costs and experiment with the foods you like. I�m always on the look-out for meals that are easy to prepare and cheap to make and these three cheap and easy chicken dinners fit the bill.

Salt can appear to be ruined when it clumps together. To prevent your salt from clumping in high humidity areas, add a few grains of rice. This will absorb the extra moisture and save you from having to buy more salt.How will you cook the chicken? Bake it? Grill it? Stir fry? You can even use a slow cooker recipe to cook your chicken. There are many ways to prepare the chicken. There are also many types of cuts of chicken. Will you use a whole chicken? Half? Just thighs or wings? Maybe you will want it boneless or skin less. A good tool to invest in is a How To Cookbook. A book like this will teach you how to know these differences. It will teach you many important techniques you will use over and over in any baking or cooking you do. Another aspect to consider is when or how you will serve the chicken recipe. Will you prepare an appetizer recipe?* 1 teaspoon of onion salt* 1 can of cream of chicken soup* 1 cup of uncooked long grain rice* 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules* 1 jar of ready-made alfredo sauceGrowing your own herbs is a fourth way to be a frugal cook. If you are using less flavorful cuts of meat, herbs and spices can go a long way to boost the flavor, so you should make good use of them. Since herbs can be a very expensive item to purchase at the grocery store, you�ll want to consider growing your own. Most can be easily grown in a summer garden and then dried for later use or grown on kitchen window sills.Seventh, grow your own vegetables. Now is a good time to start to plan for a vegetable garden. If you have health problems that make a traditional garden difficult, then try container gardening. Just about any vegetable can be grown in the right container. Containers can be raised up to a higher level for those who can no longer bend over or kneel and are much easier to keep weeded than traditional gardens.Tip number five is about finding ways to salvage items when you think they can�t be used. Two common problems arise from sugar and salt. Don�t throw out your brown sugar when it turns hard. Simply put an old bread crust into a sealed bag along with the brown sugar and you will notice that it re-moistens itself in about a day or so. Sugar is getting more expensive all the time, so this simple thing can really save you money.A third way to be a frugal cook is to make use of all leftovers. Either freeze them for later use or make creative use of your leftovers. Your leftover stew would make a nice pot pie. Leftover potatoes can be added to Shepard�s pie, or hamburger as filler. Just get creative with what�s before you.* 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh)When cooking chicken, make sure to cook it until it reaches the proper temperature. Chicken cannot be eaten raw. But, cooking it thoroughly will kill any bacteria that may be on your chicken. Again, make sure to use utensils that are clean and sanitary each time you touch the chicken. Following your directions correctly will provide you with the best possible outcome for your chicken recipes. Using the correct ingredients, properly cut and thoroughly clean, will deliver a great meal for whoever you are cooking for and whatever you make!Mix all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Look for preparation tasks you can do ahead of time. Cooking and chopping up the chicken for two of these recipes immediately after returning from the grocery store will save you time when you�re throwing dinner together after a long day of work.Easy Chicken and Rice CasseroleSo, there you have it - seven easy tips for becoming a more frugal cook. Let�s hope food prices don�t go up, but if they do you are now know seven ways to be a frugal cookFirst, plan ahead. Develop a meal plan and stick with it. Check your local store flyers to see what food items are on sale. Try to add meals to your week based upon what is on sale.Use a slow cooker for cheaper cuts of meat. They are many recipes available for cheaper cuts of meat, but they usually involve longer cooking times to soften the meat up, so plan for extra cooking times when using a slow cooker.* 1 can of cream of chickenWill you make a soup or will it be a main dish? You have many questions to ask yourself. Once you come to these conclusions and know what your goals are, you will be able to find the perfect chicken recipes. Cooking with chicken you also need to understand how to prepare chicken safely. Chicken does contain bacteria that you need to avoid exposing yourself and your diners too. Always wash hands thoroughly after touching or handling chicken. Use the hottest water you can and an antibacterial soap as well. Ensure that you do not touch any equipment or items before washing your hands. This will prevent cross contamination as well.* 1 small bag of frozen broccoli* 2 cups of chopped, cooked chickenPrepare by mixing all ingredients in a slow cooker and cooking on high for 3-4 hours.Second, make a list of all the items that you will need at the grocery store. Group the list so that all the same items from the same section of the store are together to make your shopping trip go more smoothly. Buy only the items on the list.Begin by cooking the pasta and steaming the veggies in two separate pots. Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes to desired texture and drain. Return the noodles to the pot and add the vegetables, sauce, chicken and basil to the pasta in the pot. Stir and cook over low heat until everything is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.* 1 packet of dry onion soup mix

Experiment with these recipes to suit them to your individual tastes. If you don�t like alfredo sauce, use marinara or pesto instead. Use different vegetables if you don�t like broccoli or try different styles of pasta. Spice up the recipes with chili powder or crushed red pepper if you like a little zing in your meals. If you have leftovers, stick them in individual serving Tupperware containers to take for lunch the next day. Get creative � play around with these recipes and enjoy creating dishes that taste great and save you money!

Author: Sarah Russell