Green Bean Casserole with Outback Fried Bloomin Onions

Green Bean Casserole is everyone's favorite #recipe, whether its for a holiday meal or just as a vegetable side dish. I tried a new twist with my green bean casserole this time by making it using our left over Outback Fried Bloomin' Onion we got free from the recent Flugtag "The Onion Flew" promotion. And this isn't the first free Outback Bloomin' Onion we've gotten this summer, since Ryan Newman has Outback for a sponsor they've been giving away free onions every Monday after Ryan comes in the top ten finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. It's actually very frugal to prepare since you can always get canned vegetables and soup very cheap with coupons, especially now in the fall.

Here's the Recipe for Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions:

2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 - 1/3 leftover bloomin fried onion from Outback (Or Frenches Fried Onions like the real recipe)
Sprinkle of black pepper

Instructions: Mix the soup and the milk in a container. Take half of your fried onions and mix with the green beans in a 1 1/2 quart glass pan. Pour the mushroom soup mixture over the beans and sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Add the remainder of the fried onions on top of the casserole and continue baking a couple more minutes. Serves 4

Disclosure: this is NOT a sponsored post, I just like this recipe.

Frugal Cooking - Make Meal Leftovers

The other day I was at my hair stylist and the patron next to me was telling her stylist how her boyfriend would not eat leftovers. And I thought to myself, never in my house would that fussiness be allowed. But I overhead the gal say that her boyfriend was from a large family of seven kids, and there never were any leftovers, so they never had them. If there were leftovers, it was because the meal wasn't very good.

 

At my home, since there are only two of us, we usually make meals that will have leftovers. Just this weekend I prepared a double batch of enchiladas. Some meals taste better the second time they are prepared, like enchiladas, lasagna and spaghetti. I guess the tomato based products are what make the best leftovers. And as long as you pack up your leftovers in a clean manner there will be no food safety issues. Use clean containers, clean utensils, no cross contamination of raw and cooked, and wash your hands first.

 

Preparing meals with leftovers in mind is a frugal way to save even more, on the already frugal habit of cooking meals at home. When you prepare larger quantities it means you can buy larger quantities of the ingredients saving on the big box. You also can save on preparation time since the leftovers will be easy and quickly reheated in the microwave, or on the stovetop rather than turning on the oven again. It also provides home cooked meals for lunches at work rather than going out to a restaurant to eat, saving $7 to $10 a day. And most leftovers can safely be frozen in individual portions for months so you can have that delicious meal again.

 

Crispy Chickpeas Great Recipe Idea

This great recipe is quick and easy, plus these crispy chickpeas taste just like popcorn. Last night our dinner idea was to cook pan fried shrimp, and these delicious crispy fried chickpeas, or garbanzo beans. I just poured some oil (about 1/4 inch deep) in a skillet and turned the heat up to 6 on the dial. Then I opened a 15oz can of garbanzo beans and patted dry on paper towels to remove excess juice. When the oil was hot I gently put all the beans into the oil and covered it quickly, it will spatter. Then just shake the pan from side to side to roll them around and evenly cook. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Pat the excess oil off chickpeas and then sprinkle with some seasoning - I used smoked paprika and garlic powder, plus a dash of sea salt. This food recipe is healthy and delicious, plus ads variety to your meal with the crunchy textures. If you're on a low carb diet, it is a good way to get your protein.

Getting The Most Out of Your Nonstick Cookware

Nonstick cookware can be a useful addition to any well-outfitted kitchen, but it is important to understand the limitations, advantages and special care requirements before selecting specific pieces. Often consumers will find a single frying pan sufficient and can add it at a great price; he or she can use a Kohls coupon, search online or visit certain discounters. Regardless of the steps one takes, proper care can mean the difference between getting the most out of one's nonstick cookware and quickly ruining it.

What follows are brief lists of do's and don'ts that can help you get the most out of your purchases:

Things To Do

Use plastic or coated utensils - The coating on nonstick cookware that makes food slide off of it is also prone to scratching. Metal utensils are likely to scratch the surface, ruining its nonstick properties. Once the surface has been damaged, it can flake off and, in some cases, wind up in food.

Use soft non-abrasive cleansers and scrub pads - Avoiding contact with anything that can cause scratches is always advisable with nonstick cookware. Taking care of the nonstick surface can extend the life of your pots and pans.

Place a cloth or paper towel between nonstick pans when storing them - Leaving a soft layer between pans when they are being stored will help protect the surface.

Limit the use of nonstick cookware to dishes that are cooked relatively quickly - While nonstick cookware is made for cooking, dishes that need to simmer for hours are best left to more standard pots or pans. If one targets the use of nonstick pans for dishes where the nonstick nature of the pan is useful and quickly taken advantage of, these tools will last much longer.

Things Not To Do

Never place nonstick cookware in the oven - Unless the product you purchase specifically states that it is oven-safe, assume that it is not. Many nonstick pans have plastic handles which will melt in the oven. Furthermore, at very high temperature the nonstick surface can be damaged.

Do not place nonstick cookware in the dishwasher - Unless the product you purchase specifically states that it is dishwasher-safe, assume that it is not. The high heat created by a dishwasher can damage nonstick cookware and exacerbate scratches.

There is no need to use cooking oil - One of the biggest health benefits of using nonstick cookware is that it is unnecessary to use fat to prevent sticking. By eliminating fat from the cooking process, one's overall intake can be greatly reduced.

Avoid storing leftovers in nonstick pans - While it is convenient to simply cover one's extra food and place it in the refrigerator, the acids in food can speed up the breakdown of the protective coating that gives nonstick cookware its nonstick properties. 

This guest post was written by Annie Birks. 

How Long To Cook A Turkey

How long must you cook a turkey?
Use the time chart in order to determine how long to cook your turkey.  All times are approximate, and are based on a fresh or thawed turkey, taken from the refrigerator at a temperature of 40 °F or lower.
Approximate roasting times for turkey

Ready-to-cook: Approximate cooking time in 325-degree oven.
Stuffed Cooking time
8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3-1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3-1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4-1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4-1/4 to 4-3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4-3/4 to 5-1/4 hours
Unstuffed Cooking time
8 to 12 pounds 2-3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3-3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4-1/2 to 5 hours