Dollar General recap, tips and tricks

5 dinners for $50 or less, that was the challenge.  Was I successful? Yes indeedy.  Read on to see how, as well as other tips for shopping at Dollar General.

Here's a recap of the five meals and their cost:

Frosted Meatloaf $11.15
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake $11.95
Chicken Kiev $4.50
Chicken Pizza Italiano $9.55
Southwest Skillet Nachos $11.20

Total $48.35  Or is it?
I also used a $5 off digital coupon bringing my total down to $43.35.

This left enough wiggle room to add in a dessert. The dessert of choice was

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

found at https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/strawberry-lemonade-cookies/c4862722-1e0f-42e7-877c-45e7a37b062c

Ingredients

1 Box Lemon Cake Mix $1.15

1 Box Strawberry Cake Mix $1.15

4 Eggs Pantry

2/3 cup Vegetable Oil (divided) Pantry

2 tsp Lemon Juice Pantry

2 cups Powdered Sugar (divided) Pantry

1 Tbsp Milk Pantry

Directions

• 1

  Preheat oven to 375°F.
• 2

  Begin by making the two cake mixes

  
  
• 3

  Pour the lemon cake mix into a large bowl and the strawberry cake mix in another bowl. To each cake mix, add 2 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice; mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate each bowl for 20 minutes to firm slightly.

  
  
• 4

  Remove batters from fridge, and take 2 rounded teaspoons of lemon batter and roll into a ball. Repeat with the strawberry batter. Gently roll the lemon and strawberry dough together to make one large ball.

  
  
• 5

  Transfer the dough ball into a bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar, and roll to lightly coat in sugar. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.
• 6

  Bake each batch for 10 minutes, until they turn slightly golden and are cooked through. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

  
  
• 7

  To make the glaze (optional), whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of milk until combined. Add more milk to thin the glaze if needed. Drizzle with a fork or piping bag onto the cookies once they have reached room temperature.
• This made my new total $46.65. The remaining balance leaves a little wiggle room for items that I 
• listed as pantry items that perhaps you don't already have on hand. 
• 
  
• A few things I've learned from this challenge was to:
• 1. Shop the ads, this challenge came in an ad cycle that chicken breast and ranch dressing were both
• on sale.
• 2. Use digital coupons.  I was able to save $5 off my total purchase by simply checking the website
• before I left to go shopping and entering my phone number at checkout.
• 3. Join Ibotta, this is a great rebate app.  Though it didn't apply to this shopping trip there have been
• plenty of times I've saved using it in the past.
• 4. Save at the Dollar General by paying attention to prices when you buy in quantity.  
• For example, when I buy an item at say Safeway that is priced 2 for $3, if I only buy one, usually,
• it will still ring up as $1.50.  This is not the case at Dollar General, at DG you must buy the full
• quantity to receive the savings.  This applied to the shopping trip for my challenge where the 
• canned vegetables were concerned. Canned veggies are .65 a can unless you buy two in which case
• they are 2 for $1.
• 5, Don't forget good ol' paper coupons.  I didn't list it on any of the blogs because it wasn't in any of
• the recipes but I was able to get Best Foods mayonnaise for a bargain price.  It was on sale for $2.50 
• in the DG weekly ad, I had a paper coupon for .75 off, bringing it down to $1.75 and I also had an 
• Ibotta rebate for .45 making a 32 oz jar of mayo $1.30, great deal, especially for our little town.
• Yes! You can use paper or digital coupons and still use Ibotta rebate.
• 
  
• If you genuinely have a grocery budget, enjoy the savings and apply them to existing bills or save for
• something fun.  Most of us have bills that are a set amount that we have no control over, but 
• groceries and dining out are one spot most of us can find places to save.
• 
  

  

Dollar General Challenge Day 5, Southwest Skillet Nachos

This is the 5th and final recipe in my Dollar General Challenge.  It was originally written as a casserole but I had my niece staying with us when I prepared it.  When she asked, "What's for dinner?" and heard the word casserole she said, "I don't like that."

I thought it was funny because I asked her if she liked nachos, when she told me she loved them I knew she would like this recipe but she heard the word casserole and decided in advance she wouldn't like it.  What's an Auntie to do?  Flexibility is my mantra, so I took the corn chips out of the baking dish and moved the rest of the ingredients to a skillet and a new recipe was born and that's what I'll be sharing with you.

Southwest Skillet Nachos

Ingredients:
1 bag Corn Chips 2.00
1 lb Ground Beef 4.00
1 pkg Taco Seasoning mix .50
1/2 cup Water pantry
2 Tbsp dried minced onion pantry
1 8oz Can Tomato Sauce .70
2 cups Shredded Cheese 2.85
1 15 oz can Olives 1.50

Recipe Total $11.20

Directions:
Brown beef until crumbled, drain.
Return to pan, add taco seasoning, onion, tomato sauce and water, simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
Chop olives.
Top beef mixture with shredded cheese and olives.
Heat just until cheese is melted.
Spoon onto plate and serve with chips on the side for dipping.

Optional toppings could include sour cream, green onion, cilantro, avocado.....

Keto option:
Serve with pork rinds for dipping

Dollar General Challenge Day 4, Pizza Chicken Italiano

I'm late getting this posted, we enjoyed this meal Sunday but I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to create this post.  We also had day 5's dinner on Monday so that post will be coming soon.

Pizza Chicken Italiano

Ingredients
1 lb Chicken Breast 3.00 (This chicken was the other half of the chicken used in Kiev recipe.
2 8oz cans of Tomato Sauce .70, I chose two 8 oz cans over the one 15 oz can because it was a little less expensive, bigger isn't always better.
1 1/2 tsp Oregano Pantry
1 tsp Parsley Pantry
1/2 tsp each garlic salt, onion powder and sugar Pantry
1 15 oz can Olives 1.50
4 Slices Mozzarella 2.85 you will have additional cheese left over.

Serve with:
Suddenly Salad 1.00
Choice of canned vegetable .50

Meal total 9.55

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425*
Place chicken in a 2qt baking dish. 
Combine tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, garlic salt, onion powder and sugar.
Pour over chicken, cover and bake for 15 minutes.
Chop olives and prepare pasta salad as directed on package.
Top Chicken with olives and mozzarella and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
Warm veggies.
Bless your meal and enjoy!

Dollar General Challenge Day 3, Chicken Kiev

This recipe is heavy with ingredients that I consider pantry items.  Hopefully they are for you too.
If you're missing ingredients, do the best with what you've got.  Change up the spices, use cracker crumbs or even instant mashed potatoes in place of the bread crumbs.  Cooking doesn't have to be so exact and you may just create something even better by experimenting.

Country Style Chicken Kiev

No, my chicken isn't burned, that's parsley 😃

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs Pantry item, no bread crumbs? Toast bread and run through processor.
1 tsp dried basil Pantry item
1 tsp dried oregano Pantry item
1/2 tsp garlic salt Pantry item
1/4 tsp salt Pantry item
2/3 Cup butter, melted Pantry item
1 lb Chicken Breast, if large butterfly cut them open to have four portions $3.00
1/4 Cup water free, or chicken broth, white wine or apple juice
1 Tbsp dried parsley Pantry item

Serve with Instant flavored rice $1.00
and your choice of canned vegetables .50
Total $4.50

Directions:
Heat oven to 375*
Combine bread crumbs,basil, oregano, and salts.
Divide melted butter, reserving 1/3 cup for later.
Dip chicken in remaining 1/3 cup butter, then dredge in bread crumb mixture.
Place chicken in 9" square baking dish.
Bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.
Meanwhile add water or your preferred liquid to the reserved butter and add parsley.
Make rice according to package directions.
When chicken is golden brown, pour butter sauce over chicken. 
Continue to bake and additional 3-5 minutes until sauce is heated through.
This is a good time to warm up your veggies.

Enjoy!

Day 2 Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pasta Bake

Yes, this is a repeat recipe from my 30 day Eat at Home Challenge, but I've said it before and I'll say it again it is a family favorite and is always very well received.

photo from previous prep, tonight did not have the green onion on top

I originally found this recipe on facebook which lead me here https://insidebrucrewlife.com/buffalo-chicken-pasta-bake/  I have adapted the original recipe to suit my challenge.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
Serves 6

Combining buffalo chicken, cheese, and pasta in one casserole creates a meal that everyone will love. This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is delicious and can be on the table in 30 minutes.

PREP TIME10 minutes
COOK TIME20 minutes
TOTAL TIME30 minutes

Ingredients
8 ounces - 2 cups uncooked, penne pasta 1.40 (you'll have half the box leftover for next time)
1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened 2.95 (definitely cheaper at a super market)
3/4 cup ranch dressing 1.25
1/3 cup hot sauce 1.00
1 10oz can chicken 2.00 (when not budgeting I prefer to use two cans, a twin pack is 3.75)
2 cups shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese 2.85

Serve with

Canned Peas or Green Beans .50

Dinner total 11.95

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Spray a 8-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Cook the pasta noodles, according to the package directions.
Stir together the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce until creamy.
Add the chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, and cooked pasta noodles to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. 

Spoon into the prepared dish.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the pasta. 

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted.
Remove and serve immediately with hot sauce, and ranch drizzles.

$50/5 Dinners Dollar General Challenge

I've said before that I live in a small town as do many of you.  Decent grocery shopping is nearly 100 mile round trip.  I do the bulk of my shopping when I make the trek to "town".  Our small town got a Dollar General fairly recently and it has been such a blessing to have some place to shop to fill in the gaps between trips to town.

This week I'm setting out to make dinners Monday through Friday, shopping at only Dollar General and staying under $50 for the week.  I've shopped sale items and used coupons.  If the $50 budget permits I will also throw in a dessert of some sort for the week.

Now, this is not necessarily the most economic way to feed your family as a lot of these items would still be less expensive bought someplace like Walmart or Winco.  But if your between trips and still want to feed your family on the cheap maybe a few of these recipes may work for you.

All recipes should yield at least four servings.
The budget breakdown will be operating with the assumption that you have basic pantry items such as spices, oils, eggs and milk already on hand.

Without further ado, here's day one.

Frosted Meatloaf

1 10.75oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup .65
2 lbs Ground Beef 8.00
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs Pantry item, I actually used quick oats because it's what I had on hand
1 Egg, slightly beaten Pantry item but $1.50/dozen if you need to purchase
1 tsp, Onion Powder Pantry item
1 tsp, Salt Pantry item
1/3 Cup Water Pantry item
2 4.1 oz Pkgs Instant Mashed Potatoes 2.00
4 Cups Water

Serve with
1 Can Green Beans .50
Dinner Total $11.15

Directions:
-Mix 1/2 cup soup, beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion powder, and salt.  Shape into a 8x4 inch loaf and place in a shallow baking pan or on broiling pan to catch drippings.
-Bake at 375* for 1 hour.
-Prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions as baking time is nearing completion.
-After meatloaf has been in the oven for an hour, remove from oven and reserve drippings.
-Frost meatloaf with prepared mashed potatoes. There will be potatoes leftover to serve on the side. I sprinkled with cheese but did not include that cost as recipe did not call for it and I already had it on hand. Shredded cheese at Dollar General is $2.65.
-Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
-In a saucepan mix remaining soup, 1/3 cup water, and 2-3 Tbsp of meatloaf drippings. Heat, stirring occasionally.  Once hot and combined, keep warm.
-Heat green beans.

Serve meatloaf sliced and topped with soup sauce.  Mashed potatoes and green beans on the side.

Today this happened, plan for the unexpected

I go through phases.........frequently.  Mostly its chaos but occasionally I catch a glimpse of the woman, wife and mother I aspire to be.  Most of you have figured out by now that my life lacks planning, hence the blog title.

But I plan for the unexpected, I plan ahead knowing most nights I won't feel like cooking by the time supper time comes around. I won't feel like cooking when I could be outside enjoying a summer evening with my family.  I won't feel like cooking when the work days get long.  I plan ahead by having simple, quick and easy items in the freezer.

On a whim I checked out the "hot sheet" at Smart Food Service (Cash n' Carry) and found that they had precooked meatballs, Angus hamburger patties and precooked chicken breast all on sale.  I stocked up and scored enough meat to feed my family 26 meals.

The price for these protein sources worked out to $2.71 per meal or less than a dollar per serving.

The hamburgers are always nice to have on hand, especially since my hubby is comfortable just throwing them on the grill when he steps in to make dinner.

The meatballs I saw with the obvious pasta but also as meatball subs or wraps.

The precooked chicken breast will be great on salads, wraps or fajitas.

Now, this didn't all fit in my freezer, so this purchase forced me to implement some further planning.
Any of you that follow me on facebook know I'm a huge fan of Passionate Penny Pincher and Eat At Home.  Last week they did a challenge where they prepared 25 crockpot meals to go in the freezer, to later utilize throughout the summer.  They made five recipes a day for five days.  Again, I was short on freezer space so I had no plans to participate in this challenge but that didn't stop me from printing out all the recipes and I'm so glad I did.

To make room for my summer time splendor I picked five of the slow cooker recipes and pulled all the protein from the freezers. For the first time in  a long time I had a plan for an entire week of suppers.

I pulled chicken tenders, chicken breast, pork chops, elk roast and kielbasa.   Bam! Supper's planned and guess what?  It's even defrosted 😉 Crockpot meals are great for me because I always feel more ambitious in the morning, so that's a great time to go ahead and make supper.