Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

This one does take a while, mainly because you have to wait for the squash to cook first. It also makes enough for 6 people, but you can half the stuffing recipe and just buy 1 slightly larger acorn squash and it easily becomes a meal for 2.

3 acorn squash (3/4-1 pound each)

5 ounces bulk turkey sausage 

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Several dashes hot red pepper sauce, to taste

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add turkey sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, beans, salt and hot sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are broken down, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. When the squash are tender, reduce oven temperature to 325°. Fill the squash halves with the turkey mixture. Top with cheese. Place on the baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Sherry's Famous Pumpkin Crunch

Layer 1

1 24oz. can pumpkin pie filling (comes in 30oz – take our 4-5 ozs.)

1 13oz. can condensed milk (evaporated)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. cinnamon

Layer 2

1 yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cup (2 sticks) melted butter

Mix pumpkin, condensed milk, sugar, eggs and cinnamon and pour into 9X13” pan that has been lined with wax paper (I just usually spray with Pam or Bakers Choice baking spray). Sprinkle one box yellow cake mix over the mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup chopped pecans over the cake mix. Drizzle on 2 sticks of melted butter. Bake 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and cut into squares. Or, enjoy right out of the oven – with whipped cream, of course.

Chicken Nuggets (Taste of Home)

Shea Amaro made this recipe for us one time, and I loved it immediately.

1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Place butter in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in bread crumb mixture. Place in a greased 15 inch x 10 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Yield: 8 servings

Apple Coffee Cake (All Recipes)

2 apples- peeled, cored and chopped
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan or 9 1/2 inch springform pan. Using fork, work flour with brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Divide mixture in half. Evenly press half into pan bottom to form a crust.
Stir baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into remaining crumb mixture until blended, then make a well in the center. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with sour cream and vanilla until smooth.
Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in apples.
Evenly spread butter over crumb mixture. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out fairly clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. If top gets too brown before cake is baked, lightly lay a piece of foil over top for last 10-20 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on a rack.

Golden Baked Pork Cutlets

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons canola oil

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Holding a chef’s knife at a 45° angle and perpendicular to the tenderloin, slice the pork into long, thin “fillets”
3. Mix breadcrumbs, sugar, paprika, onion powder and salt in a shallow dish. Drizzle with oil and mash with a fork until the oil is thoroughly incorporated. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in another shallow dish. Sprinkle cornstarch over the pork slices and pat to coat evenly on both sides. Dip the pork into the egg, then press into the breading mixture until evenly coated on both sides. (Discard leftover mixture.)

4. Place the pork on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just barely pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 14 to 16 minutes.

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes

This is my contribution to my families Thanksgiving Meal this year. I thought it would be a nice alternative to the traditional Mashed Potatoes. It's definitely more figure friendly.

4 medium potatoes (I'm using however many red potatoes equal that - for color)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1 tablespoons fresh or 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch, with shortening.

Cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer in pan.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are light brown and tender when pierced with fork.

I used my Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan so I didn't have to grease the pan or turn the potatoes. The potatoes came out perfectly!

Don's Favorite Cranberry Salad

One year I spent Thanksgiving with my dear friend, Jenn's, family. They served this wonderful Cranberry Salad. It's been a part of my holidays ever since.

1 lb frozen cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 small boxes black cherry Jello*
2 cups boiling water
1 can undrained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz cool whip

Grate frozen cranberries & add sugar. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add pineapple and pecans. Stir well and add to cranberry mixture. Pour half of cranberry mixture into bowl and put in fridge to set up. Mix well cream cheese & cool whip. Smooth cream cheese & cool whip on top of cranberry mixture. Add the remaining half to cranberry mixture on top of cream cheese mixture. Chill till firm.

*Sometimes it's hard to find Black Cherry Jello. I've substituted regular Cherry and Raspberry and Cranberry before. The last time I made this I found the Black Cherry in sugar-free only so I did one box of sugar-free and one regular Cherry.

Call for recipes!

Okay, we are on a tight budget with Christmas coming soon, so I was wondering ... What is the most cost effective meal you have ever whipped up? Something with a protein, starch, dairy, and veggie that costs very little per serving? I have several that my frugal step-mom has made over the years, and they are good and hot and filling, but am always looking for more great recipes.

So, if anyone wants to help me feed my family for next to nothing this month, post your favorite frugal recipe ... or if you already have, just link back to it in the comments section!

Thank you ladies! This blog has really helped me expand my recipes. I hope I have returned the favor.