I like to cook a nice grown up meal at least once a week for the family. I enjoy fixing the family something nice to eat, since we don’t get the chance to go out very often. Here is another fabulous meal under $5.00 and under an hour. This can be made on a week night. You could even prep the chicken the night before and have it ready to go when you get home. You could also pre cook the rice and have it in the freezer and just heat it up. This is how I always have ready rice and I don’t need to spend extra money on precooked rice. I precook it myself. I guess that is how I am so frugal!
Ingredients:
2 Large Bone in Chicken Breast @ $0.99lb ($1.98) Each breast was 1lb
2 Cups Milk ($.34) separated
2 slices of Ham ($0.30) I used lunch meat
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil ($.30)
2 Cups Breadcrumbs (FREE) I toast the ends of the bread and grind them up
1 wedge of Swiss Cheese (XX)
1 Can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup ($0.40)
2-3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese ($0.25)
Seasonings you like: salt, pepper, garlic
1 Cup uncooked Rice ($0.20)
A few toothpicks to secure chicken
1. Cut the breast and tender from the bone. If you are using boneless skinless you can skip this step. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Put the rice on to cook on the stove top.
2. Get out your meat tenderizer for this one! Cover your chicken with plastic wrap and pound your chicken to about ¼ – ½ thickness using the flat side of your mallet. You can take out a little of your frustration on that chicken. This is cooking therapy in my book! We may be having this one more often.
3. If you have sliced Swiss cheese you can use that, but I had the little wedges of cheese I bought a while back. Smear the Swiss cheese evenly over both of the breasts. Be generous and use it all!
4. Now lay a slice of ham on each breast. And roll baby roll. Secure chicken rolls with toothpicks.
5. In two separate bowls pour 1 cup milk and in the other bowl breadcrumbs. Coat the rolled breasts thoroughly in milk then in the breadcrumbs. To make it really crunchy, dip in milk and coat in breadcrumbs again. This really makes this dish! (if you have those little tender pieces leftover dip them in the milk and breadcrumbs like above)
6. In a skillet pour in the oil and heat on medium heat. Brown the rolled chicken on the outside until golden. I did around 3 minutes on each side. Browning 3 sides. Also throw those tender pieces in there to brown too.
7. Remove chicken and place on a paper towel. In a small saucepan, pour in the soup and 1 cup additional milk and heat through. Once the rice is finished cooking, place in a 9X9 baking dish then place the chicken on top and pour the soup mixture over the top and bake for 15-30mins. Take out and serve with an additional vegetable.
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All the prices reflect my rock bottom stock-up price. I will buy bone in breast for $0.99 lb. rather than buying boneless skinless breast for $1.99 lb. This is a 50% saving in meat. You get more meat if you buy the breast this way. Under the breast is the tender. It is a little sliver of white meat used to make chicken tenders.
I will sometimes cut them up before I freeze them, but most of the time I will freeze two breasts in baggies. One is in a ziplock bag and the other is not. That way if I want to use just one breast I can. I will then use the bones to make the stock. Here is the Food Saver I use and the bags. These are great coupons to print now!
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Amy Greene of Pounds4Pennies lives in Texas with her husband and blended family of three kids, two who are 10 and a 2 year old. Amy has been a frugal shopper for years. She enjoys couponing, cooking and crafts. She will be sharingmany of her talents with us here.
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