Buffalo Mozzarella Sticks

With holiday parties coming up, more than likely you are looking for easy appetizer ideas. We recently went to an appetizer party where that’s all we ate, and these were a huge hit!

These mozzarella sticks have a zesty twist everyone will love! They are great paired with some homemade ranch or marinara sauce, or all on their own. They get even better as they cool down!

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Buffalo Mozzarella Sticks

Appetizer, Cheese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Freezer, Fried, Non-Traditional, Sides

Ingredients

3 lbs Mozzarella cheese
15oz plain Breadcrumbs
3 tbs parmesan
2 tbs onion powder, divided
2 tbs garlic powder, divided
2 tbs Italian seasoning
4 cups flour
1 tbs black pepper
3 1.6 oz packets buffalo wings seasoning, divided
10 eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup milk

Instructions

Cut cheese into 1 oz strips. Set aside.
Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, 1 tbs onion powder, 1 tbs garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl.
In a separate bow mix together flour, black pepper, 2 packs of buffalo seasoning, 1 tbs onion powder, and 1 tbs garlic powder.
In a third bowl, beat together eggs, milk, buttermilk, and 1 packet buffalo wings seasoning.
Dredge Mozzarella strips in egg mixture first, then flour, eggs again, and finally breadcrumbs. Place breaded cheese onto a pan lined with parchment paper. After breading all cheese, place pan in freezer for at least one hour. *
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry frozen Mozzarella sticks for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on cooling rack over a pan lined with paper towels.

Notes

* To store in freezer long term, place mozzarella sticks into an air tight container after original hour of freezing. Can be stored for up to 3 months. Fry as usual when ready to prepare.

What is your favorite appetizer to share (or not)? Let us know in the comments!

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019

Eating Salads on a Budget (with Spinach Apple Salad recipe!)

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A simple way we try and keep our family healthy while making our food last as long as possible (read: less money spent on food!) is pairing foods with a great salad!

When we had our pizza night the other day, we paired those delicious slices of carb filled glory with this tart and savory salad!

We splurged a little on candied walnuts, and found the feta in bulk on sale at a discount store that sells excess products that restaurants didn’t end up needing.

Eating healthier doesn’t always have to break the bank. Here are our tips for eating salads on a tight budget!

Eat produce that is in season

When you eat produce that is in season, you’ll have fresher, better tasting salads that cost you less! If you garden this can get even cheaper! Not to mention, nothing tastes better than a warm tomato that was on the vine less than 5 minutes ago!

Not sure what is in season? Check out a list here.

Make it yourself

Sure, grabbing those bag salads as you walk through the produce section is easy and convenient. You tear open the bag a few minutes before you’re ready to eat, throw everything in a bowl (or not – sometimes we get lazy) and boom! You’re done.

However, those salads cost way more than the sum of their parts! You are trading convenience for cost. You also usually don’t know everything that goes in the dressings. If you like to keep your costs down and know what is going in your body, you’ll need to take a little extra time and make your own salads.

Buy some ingredients in bulk

Obviously, unless you have a very big family, you can’t buy some produce in bulk and eat it all before it goes bad. You can, however, buy some of your favorite salad mix ins and keep them on hand for when things go on sale.

If you know you love tortilla strips or chia seeds, buy them in bulk! Then you’ll always have them ready to go when your produce is in season or on sale!

Watch for deals and utilize them

I mentioned before that we bought feta cheese on sale. It was a HUGE 15 lb restaurant supply tub. Feta is typically a cheese we feel is out of the budget, but this tub was less than $0.60 a pound! We took it home, crumbled it, divided it into 1 lb bags, and froze them. Now, if we know we’re going to need feta we thaw a bag overnight, and use it up before it goes bad. We then can be on the lookout when we hit the store for things that pair well with feta.

If you watch for amazing deals and take advantage, you’ll cut your costs in the future.

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Anyone can consistently eat salad when they follow the above tips. Next time you’re planning your menu, keep them in mind!

Now without further ado, our yummy Spinach Apple Salad!

Spinach Apple Salad

Appetizer, Meals for a Crowd, Salad, Sides, Tips and Tricks, Vegetarian

Spinach Apple Salad

Ingredients

4 TBS red wine vinegar
4 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp powdered mustard
1 bunch of spinach, rinsed, dried, stems removed
1/2 lb glazed walnuts
2 Granny smith apples
1 cup packed feta cheese

Instructions

In a small jar or bowl with a lid, combine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, and mustard. Shake or mix thoroughly, making sure dressing is fully combined. Set aside.
Roughly chop the spinach into bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Chop apples into 1″ pieces and add to bowl. Add in walnuts and crumbled feta cheese. Toss salad.
Re-shake dressing again if separated. Pour over salad and toss again to combine.

What is your favorite salad mix in? Do you buy it in bulk? Share your favorite salad making tips and tricks in the comments below!

August 19, 2019August 22, 2019

Ham Fried Rice

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Around here, we looooove Chinese takeout! Unfortunately, with our budget we have a hard time justifying the cost. As cheap as some places can be, I’ve always known its cheaper, if not easier, to just make it ourselves.

We decided a couple of weeks ago to try our hand at ham fried rice. And guys… I think I’ve been ruined for restaurant fried rice.

My biggest complaint of restaurant fried rice is that it is too dry. Knowing now how much work goes into making it, I figure most rice is made in bulk early in the morning and served old all day long. Though this is okay when you haven’t had anything better, once you’ve had fluffy moist ham fried rice, you just can’t go back.

We bought our ham in big loaves when they were on sale. We sliced up half of it for sandwiches, and then froze the rest in big hunks, ready to thaw if we needed more sliced or for recipes like this one. We may run through all that ham though now that we have this recipe at our fingertips.

Ham Fried Rice

Chinese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Eggs, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Sides

Ham Fried Rice

Ingredients

5 cups of chopped ham
9 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup sesame oil
1 1/2 sweet onions, chopped
3 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1/2 cup + 1 TBS soy sauce (more or less to taste)
9 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup chopped green onions (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat a large wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil into the bottom, reserving about a tablespoon. Immediately add onion, ham, peas, and carrots and fry until tender. Place into a separate bowl and set aside.
Add remaining sesame oil into the pan, then add eggs. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs. Once cooked, place ham mixture back into the wok and combine.
Add the rice to the pan, gradually mixing it into the mixture. Pour the soy sauce over the top, and stir in.
Cook mixture until warmed through and thoroughly combined. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

Notes

*This recipe is meant to make sure you can feed a crowd or have plenty of leftovers. (The best part of getting Chinese takeout is the leftovers!) To make a smaller portion, use these ingredients and cook as described above:

1 1/2 cups chopped ham, 3 cups cooked rice, 2 TBS sesame oil, 1/2 sweet onion, 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, 3 TBS soy sauce, 3 eggs, 2 TBS green onions

Pair this with your favorite Asian chicken recipe and you can get Chinese take out without leaving home!

What is your favorite takeout recipe? Let us know in the comments!

August 12, 2019August 12, 2019

Cream Cheese Krab Dip

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My wife, despite her lactose sensitivity, has a soft spot for cream cheese. Knowing this, when we had to make dips for our latest family get together, I decided to treat her to something I knew she would love.

Creamy, slightly sweet, and chock full of amazing seafood zing, this dip is great paired with some salty crackers!

Its one of the easiest recipes you’ll find. You literally mix everything up and put it in the oven! The list of ingredients is short, making it even easier!

Eat it on its own with crackers, or we found its just as delicious spread on a savory bagel! I’m sure you’ll find other uses for it as well.

Cream Cheese Krab Dip

Appetizer, Cheese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Dip, Meals for a Crowd, Seafood, Sides, Summer

Cream Cheese Krab Dip

Ingredients

24 ounces of cream cheese, softened
5 cups sour cream
2.5 lbs krab meat (imitation crab)
5 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup green onion, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream completely.
Flake the krab into the bowl using your hands, making the pieces very small strips.
Add in the pepper jack cheese and green onion. Mix well to combine.
Place mixture into a 9×13 glass pan. Using a spatula, smooth the top of the mixture, making it level throughout.
Bake for 40 minutes or until warmed through and slightly brown on top. Serve warm.

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August 8, 2019

Layered Chicken Enchilada Dip

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Between church, work, and family parties, my wife and I attend our share of pot lucks. We’ve brought a wide variety of things to these, but I think this new recipe is one of our favorites!

For our monthly get together with my wife’s family, the theme was “dips”. We, in true procrastinator fashion, waited until Friday night to pick what we were going to do (the party was Sunday). We decided on two – a crab dip (coming soon!) and this…

It takes all the favorite parts of the best enchilada, and put it in dip form to eat with chips! The dip was a hit, and my year old niece especially loved it. She begged her parents for thirds!

Its not as hard to make as it sounds like it would be! Of course, we make it with our homemade refried beans which add a little more time, but otherwise its pretty dump and go!

Layered Chicken Enchilada Dip

Appetizer, Beans, Cheese, Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Dip, Meals for a Crowd, Mexican, Sides

Layered Chicken Enchilada Dip

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Anaheim pepper
5 cups enchilada sauce
1 batch of Pressure Cooker Refried Beans*
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Instructions

Cut up the chicken into 2″ pieces. Finely chop Anaheim pepper. Place the chicken, pepper, and enchilada sauce in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours. Stir, and then cook on low for an additional 4 hours.
Using two forks, shred the chicken and mix it thouroughly into the sauce.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place a few spoonfuls of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Spread half of the refried beans over the sauce, making it smooth and even.
Layer on half of the chicken and sauce, making it even. Layer on the rest of the beans, smoothing down, and then top with the remaining chicken and sauce.
Place pan in the oven for 25 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Spread sour cream evenly over the pan. Sprinkle on green onion, followed by the cheese. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Notes

*If you don’t want to make your own beans, you can use one can of refried black beans per layer.

What is your go to potluck dip? Let us know in the comments!!

August 5, 2019

Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

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When it comes to eating cheap, beans and rice are the obvious go to. Buying canned beans can be easy too, but the sodium in those is ridiculous! So what is the solution? Taking forever to boil beans to make a side from those dry things that come in the bag?

That may have been the answer before we got our Instant Pot. I cannot sing the praises of this electric pressure cooker enough! There are so many recipes you can simplify by using one of these! Though they seem like they can be pricey, they go on sale all the time and are TOTALLY worth it!

This week, we used ours to make some refried beans. We bought the dry beans in bulk and they were soooooo cheap! Those plus a few spices we had on hand and BAM!

My sister-in-law compared them to Taco Bell’s discontinued beans. We used them in a yummy Layered Chicken Enchilada Dip (recipe coming soon!) and the whole family loved them!

While soaking the beans before hand makes them cook up faster, it isn’t necessary.

Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

Beans, Comfort Foods, Meals for a Crowd, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Sides, Vegetarian

Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

Ingredients

1 cup of black beans
2/3 cup pinto beans
1/3 cup kidney beans
6 cups of water
4 TBS butter
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS sea salt
1 TBS lemon juice

Instructions

Mix dry beans in a large bowl. Cover beans in water up to 2 inches above them. Soak overnight, or at least 12 hours*.
Drain beans and place them in the electric pressure cooker. Add in 6 cups of clean water. Place lid on cooker, making sure vent is in sealed position. Cook on manual high pressure mode for 8 minutes*. Allow pressure to release manually.
Drain excess liquid from beans. Using an immersion blender, begin breaking up the beans.
Break butter into 8 1/2 tablespoon pieces. Add butter gradually, using the immersion blender to blend beans into a chunky texture. Add in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon juice. Blend until desired texture and spices are completely combined.

Notes

*If you don’t want to soak the beans overnight, cook them on high pressure for 35 minutes, allowing pressure to release naturally.

Serve this up with chips, or use it as a side for your next taco night! Or, use it like we did in a dip or casserole! (recipes coming soon!)

Don’t see a recipe you want to see? Send us a suggestion! We’d love to learn how to make a new recipe just for you!

July 22, 2019

Loaded Italian Pasta Salad

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When I think of summer, I think of barbecue, fresh produce, and delicious sides! Pasta salads can be a good way to balance rich flavors and taste with a tight budget.

This one is loaded with savory zest and classic Italian flavors. Its also super easy to throw together! If you use the olive oil listed in the recipe, this definitely falls into our “Splurge” category, but you can substitute other oils – though the flavor won’t be as rich.

Great to keep on hand or bring to your next potluck, we can’t rave about this pasta salad enough!

Loaded Italian Pasta Salad

Appetizer, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Italian, Meals for a Crowd, Pasta, Salad, Sides, Splurge, Summer

Ingredients

36 oz rotini pasta
1 1/2 cups olive oil**
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
4 tsp dried parsley leaves
5 tsp minced onion
5 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb salami
1 can black olives
1/2 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper

Instructions

Boil pasta until cooked thoroughly. Drain and cool.
In a medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, parsley, minced onion, lemon juice, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Chop mozzarella and salami into very small pieces. Drain the olives and quarter. Finely chop the red onion and bell peppers.
Place pasta into a large bowl. Add in half of the dressing and mix well. Add cheese, salami, olives, onion, and peppers. Stir thoroughly. Add in remaining dressing and mix once more.
Allow to rest in refrigerator for at least 1 hour for flavors to meld. Serve cold.

Notes

**Other oils can be substituted, but olive oil gives the best flavor.

What is your favorite summer pasta salad? Let us know in the comments!

Dying to know how to make something? Send in a recipe suggestion and we’d love to make it for you!

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July 18, 2019

Seafood Salad

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As summer wears on and the days get hotter, we were looking for more ways to keep full without having to heat too many things up in the kitchen. Not to mention for the latest family party the theme my mother-in-law picked salads. So we found this delicious pasta salad chock full of savory silky sauce, krab, and shrimp!

This is a great salad to keep on hand. You can keep it in the fridge and eat it as a side or on its own. You only need to boil pasta – the rest is just mixing! Easy and you don’t have to heat up the house!

Seafood Salad

Comfort, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Pasta, Salad, Seafood, Sides, Southern, Splurge, Summer

Seafood Salad

Ingredients

1 lb shell pasta
3 stalks celery
1 lb imitation crab (krab) meat
1/4 lb shrimp meat
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 TBS white sugar
2 TBS white vinegar
1 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 TBS creole seasoning

Instructions

In a large pot, boil shell pasta until thoroughly cooked. Drain.
Place pasta in a large mixing bowl. Finely chop celery and add to bowl along with the crab and shrimp meat.
Mix in mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice. Follow with salt, pepper, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, and creole.
Mix well and cover bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

Tried this recipe? Let us know in the comments!

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July 1, 2019July 1, 2019

Spicy Hush Puppies

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When we fried up our catfish, I looked into what sides commonly got paired with deep fried seafood in the south. I saw coleslaw, greens, and hush puppies – which intrigued me. I had never had hush puppies, but Lexi and her family love them.

Of course, I couldn’t just make hush puppies. I added my own twist, adding just a touch of spice that gives your throat a tickle without overwhelming you. They paired great with the catfish, and are amazing on their own as well!

Spicy Hush Puppies

2 hours

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes

Appetizer, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Freezer, Fried, Meals for a Crowd, Sides, Southern, Spicy, Vegetarian

Yields 18-24 pieces

Spicy Hush Puppies

Ingredients

3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp creole seasoning
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 bunch green onions
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne, creole, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Thinly slice green onions. Add to a medium mixing bowl with egg and buttermilk. Mix thoroughly.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined – do not over mix.
Lightly grease a mini muffin tin. Spoon batter into tin, filling each cup about halfway. Place tin into freezer for about 1.5-2 hours. (See notes for long term storage.)
Heat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place frozen hush puppies into fryer in small batches. Fry for 3 minutes, then roll and flip. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Notes

Frozen hush puppies can be stored in the freezer in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

Want to pair your Southern soul food with something else? Maybe try our homemade french fries or a salad instead!

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019

Grilled Corn on the Cob

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Corn during the summer is a great go to when you’re grilling! Its cheap and easy – exactly what you need when you’re taking the time to grill up some amazing ribs (like these ones.)

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Barbecue, Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Sides, Summer, Vegetarian

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

Whole corn cobs
Tinfoil
Butter and salt to taste

Instructions

Husk corn cobs and cut in half.
Preheat barbecue to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wrap corn halves individually in a single layer of tinfoil, shiny side in.
Place wrapped corn on grill. Cook for 10 minutes, then roll to another side.
Cook for an additional 10 minutes and roll again. Cook for the last ten minutes and remove from grill.
Allow corn to cool to handling temperature. Unwrap, and add butter and salt to taste.