Monday Dinner

Pizza with spinach, carmelized onions, mushrooms, and gorgonzola.

Pizza with bacon, pineapple, and cheddar/jack cheese (modified Hawaiian).

Passing by a display of ready-made pizza crust made me realize I hadn't made homemade pizza in ages. I knew I already had quite a few of the ingredients at home, so it was easy enough to just pick up the few items I needed.

I used a Mama Maria whole wheat crust (2 to a package, in the pasta aisle at WalMart) and Ragu Pizza Quick sauce for both. I probably won't buy the whole wheat crust again because it overpowered the other flavors, and was rather bitter. However, I've had good luck with this brand's "regular" crust in the past, so I'll go back to that.

For the first pizza, I made a modified Hawaiian pizza - modified because I didn't have any ham, but I had plenty of bacon. After spreading with sauce and topping with mozzarella, I layed on 4 slices of cooked, diced bacon and about 1/3 can drained pineapple tidbits. Then I finished with about 3/4 cup shredded cheddar & jack cheese blend.

For the second pizza, I thinly sliced a small onion and sauteed it in a little of the bacon fat leftover from the first pizza. When the onions began to carmelize I added about 1/3 of a 1lb package of sliced mushrooms and sauteed for a few more minutes. I spread the crust with sauce & mozzarella as I did above, then I layered on about 1/3 package of fresh spinach, the sauteed onions and mushrooms, about 1/2 cup more mozzarella cheese, and about 2 T. gorgonzola crumbles. I baked both pizzas together at 425 for about 18 minutes, rotating them from top to bottom rack about halfway through.

Totals:

$3.48 - crust
$1 - sauce
$2 - cheese
$2 - other ingredients

$8.48 for dinner for 3, with 1 serving leftover for lunch tomorrow

Sunday Dinner (anything but turkey)

It feels good to be back in the kitchen, cooking ANYTHING besides turkey. After a weekend of T-day leftovers, I was craving something that wasn't rich, creamy, or bland. I went with Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry (Sea Pak popcorn shrimp, heated according to package directions, and tossed with Asparagus Stir Fry veggies and 1/3 bottle Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce), served over rice.

Totals:

$3 - popcorn shrimp (after coupon)
$1.68 - stir fry veggies
.80 - 1/3 bottle stir fry sauce
.20 - rice

$5.68 for dinner for 3

Happy Thanksgiving

I know it's a day early, but I won't be posting for the next few days due to the holiday (tonight we'll be ordering pizza, tomorrow is the big feast, and I'm sure we'll be living on turkey sandwiches for at least a few days after that).


Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
I hope your day is full of good food shared with good company.

Peace.

~GSO Foodie

Monday & Tuesday Dinners

The Kid had an activity Monday night, so it was a dine-n-dash sort of dinner. I just heated up a box of frozen taquitos, warmed a can of refried beans, and opened a bag of salad. I topped the salad with the last of the tortilla strips (bagged salad topping I got for free awhile back) and we passed sour cream, shredded cheese and salsa at the table.

Monday totals:

$2.25 - Taquitos (BOGO sale + $1 coupon at Harris Teeter)
.75 - can refried beans
$1 - 1/2 bag salad
.50 - misc toppings (cheese, salsa, sour cream, salad dressing)

$4.50 for dinner for 3

__________

Tuesday The Kid had another function, so it was another quickie dinner. I made pancakes, sausage, and fried apples (the latter being a can of Luck's). The pancake mix was one of my practically free after triple coupon deals - I think I paid .17 a box (and I have several boxes stockpiled at that price). The Jimmy Dean sausage was also a deal - sale + super double coupons brought it down to $1/roll. The Luck's fried apples were the only full-priced item, but they're an automatic "serve with" whenever I make a pancake dinner - they really complete the meal to me.

Tuesday Totals:

.05 - pancakes
$1 - sausage
$1 - fried apples

$2.05 for dinner for 3

Weekend Dinners

I wasn't feeling well enough to cook on Thursday, and Friday The Kid and I went out to dinner before seeing "The Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles" at the Coliseum. But I was feeling better Saturday and up for some real cooking. So I made a chicken casserole and steam-in-the-bag baby peas with mushrooms.

The casserole is called Chicken Bruschetta Bake and it's made with chicken, tomatoes, and stuffing mix. The recipe, as I originally found it (and still make it) called for the diced chicken to be mixed with 1/4 cup Kraft Sundried Tomato viniegrette or other Italian salad dressing. I've never made it the "new" way, but I'm sure it's just as good.

Totals:

$2 - chicken
free - Stove Top stuffing mix (free w/ purchase of turkey at HT last week)
.50 - canned tomatoes
.50 - 1/2 package shredded mozzarella (full bag .97 on eVic special last week)
.50 - peas & mushrooms (BOGO + double coupons)

$3.50 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) plus leftovers for 1 lunch serving today

Sunday I made my favorite comfort-food dinner for cold, rainy days - smoked sausage and cabbage, and au gratin potatoes.

Totals:

.50 - smoked sausage (BOGO + double coupon)
.50 - Simply Potatoes (BOGO + super double coupon)
$1.00 - shredded Swiss cheese
.75 - cream
.50 - cabbage

$3.25 for dinner for 3

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

I'm dealing with some chronic pain issues this week, folks, and the necessary meds have zapped all my energy. So please bear with me if I'm late with postings...

Tuesday is a busy day for us. The Kid and I have a function right after school, so we don't walk in the house until 5:30pm or so. So dinner needs to be quick and easy. I have a stockpile of Hamburger Helper mixes that I've gotten for less than .50 each after BOGO, triple coupons, etc. With all the free and .12/lb hamburger I got during the last triple coupon binge, there's just no excuse not to use it.

Totals:

.50 - Hamburger Helper
free - hamburger
.33 - Grands biscuits (after sale + triple coupons)
.33 - green beans (HT sale)

$1.16 for dinner for 3

__________

I made a great roast chicken for dinner Wednesday. If I'd browned it beforehand to crisp up the skin (I didn't), it would have made a great dish for company. As it was, the skin wasn't crisp (so I removed it after cooking) and the chicken was too pale to look really appetizing. But it was still delicious.

For the chicken, I just melted about 2T. butter in a baking dish, added chicken thighs and turned to coat, then sprinkled all over with Cavendar's Greek Seasoning and the juice of 1 lemon. I baked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until done. The pan juices in this dish are the best part - spoon them over rice or serve the pan at the table with crusty bread for dipping. I did both, as well as made steam-in-the-bag broccoli & cheese. ( If you browned the chicken first, and baked in a pretty crockery baking dish, this would be beautiful to sit in the center of the table for dipping.)

Totals:

$2.26 - chicken thighs
.20 - rice
.50 - lemon
.50 - homemade bread (bread machine)
.50 - broccoli & cheese (BOGO + double coupon)

$3.96 for dinner for 3

Monday Dinner

Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus

I had a very good excuse for not posting about dinner last night. The batteries in my camera died as soon as I took pictures, and I had to recharge them before uploading to my computer.

I roasted an eye of round beef roast in the oven (purchased at $2/lb from Lowes Foods awhile back), made a package of instant mashed potatoes (loaded baked potato flavor - free after triple coupons at Harris Teeter), and roasted fresh asparagus spears. Dinner was delicious - a special occasion meal on a nothin' special evening.

My roast was only 2 lbs, so I modified the High Temp roasting method. I roasted it at 450 for 20 minutes, then turned off the oven and let it continue roasting as the oven cooled. I used a meat thermometer to alert me when the center was 130 degrees (medium rare), which only took about 45 minutes. It was juicy and as tender as this tough cut is going to get, and tasted great with a little horseradish on the side.

Totals:

$3.80 - beef roast
$1.69 - asparagus
free - potato mix

$5.49 for dinner for 3 (with beef left over)

Thursday, Friday & Saturday dinners

I've been letting this get away from me lately, but I'm going to try to do better about posting nightly.

Thursday's dinner was great comfort food for such cold, nasty weather. We had smoked sausage, cabbage, and au gratin potatoes. For the main dish, I just slice the sausage into rounds, brown lightly on both sides, then add 1/2 head shredded cabbage and about 1/2 cup chicken broth. Then I just simmer until the cabbage is tender - about 15 minutes. The sausage flavors the cabbage and it's delicious. On the side I made homemade au gratin potatoes - I've posted about these plenty of times before. I make with Simply Potatoes sliced potatoes and Swiss cheese and they're awesome.

Totals:

.50 - smoked sausage (BOGO + double coupon)
.60 - 1/2 head cabbage
.40 - Simply Potatoes (BOGO + super double coupon)
$1.50 - cheese & cream for potatoes

$3 for dinner for 3

__________

Friday: No real cooking going on tonight. I made hot dogs topped with the last bit of Cincinnati chili and baked beans.

$1 - hot dogs (BOGO + coupon)
$1 - buns
free - leftover chili
free - baked beans (from Harris Teeter meal deal)

$2 for dinner for 3

__________

Tonight I marinated some chicken breasts in Mrs. Dash marinade (Garlic & Herb with a touch of citrus), and made my favorite Lemon-Broccoli "Fake Out" Risotto. (I've posted about this many times before - look back for recipe or email me if you can't find it.) I had originally planned to make asparagus risotto, because HT has fresh asparagus on sale for $1.69/lb this week, but The Kid specifically asked for the broccoli version so I relented. (And agreed to have roasted asparagus later in week.)

$2 - boneless chicken breasts
.15 - marinade (whole bottle was .45 after triple coupons)
.50 - broccoli (steam-in-bag - BOGO + double coupon)
$1 - remaining risotto ingredients

$3.65 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

Sorry, I've gotten a bit behind in my postings - the past few days have been rather busy.

The Kid had a function on Monday night, so I put together something quick & easy - Hamburger Helper. It's not my favorite, but I stock up for busy nights whenever sale price/triple coupons brings the price-per-box below 75 cents.

Combined with the triple-coupon ground beef, and fruit-in-gelatin for a side dish (both also bought on sale), and it made an incredibly thrifty meal.

Monday Totals:

.12 - ground beef (seriously)
.50 - Hamburger Helper BOGO + double coupon
free - jello (after triple coupons)
.50 - canned peaches

$1.12 for dinner for 3

__________

Tuesday afternoon was full of appointments, so we didn't walk in the door until almost 6pm. For a quick dinner, I heated up a Jimmy Dean skillet meal (sausage, onions, peppers, and potatoes), scrambled some eggs in the pan, and served with canned biscuits. Dinner was on the table in under 20 minutes.

Tuesday Totals:

$2.90 - skillet meal (after triple coupon)
.20 - 1/2 dozen eggs (sale price)
.50 - cheese
.33 - canned biscuits (after sale + double coupon)

$3.93 for dinner for 3

__________

I was craving veggies (and lots of them) tonight, so I made Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry. I heated a package of Sea Pak popcorn shrimp in the oven according to package directions, stir-fried a bag of Asparagus Stir Fry frozen vegetables with a little oil, then tossed them both together with about 1/3 bottle Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce and served over hot rice. Yum.

Wednesday Totals:

$2.56 - popcorn shrimp (WalMart price + $1 peel-off coupon on box)
$1.69 - frozen vegetables
.60 - stir fry sauce
.20 - rice

$5.05 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Weekend Meals

Friday night I made country-style steak, gravy (from a mix), mashed potatoes and green beans. The meat was Harris Teeter silver label Angus beef, which I normally never buy because it's so pricey. But I got this during a BOGO sale, and it was marked down to boot, so it was very cheap. I have to say, we could really taste the difference. This was the most flavorful, tender country-style steak I've ever made.

Totals:

$2.14- cubed steak
.50 - gravy packet
.50 - mashed potatoes
.33 - green beans

$3.47 for dinner for 3


Saturday we had the rest of the Cincinnati-style chili, with spaghetti, cheese, and garlic bread.

Totals:

free - chili (priced the first night I made it)
.50 - spaghetti
.50 - cheese
.75 - garlic bread

$1.75 for dinner for 3


Sunday The Kid had youth group, so I just baked a Mystic Pizza frozen pizza for the 2 of us. Total - $2.20 for dinner for 2.

Triple Coupons Round 2

The Foodie is not a morning person, y'all. But it can't be argued that the early bird does indeed get the worm. So I was up at the crack of dawn this morning to grab my Sunday paper, clip the good coupons, and head to Harris Teeter to get the free and nearly free items before all the other early birds cleaned them out. I was also able to use coupons on items I saw would be good deals yesterday, but I either hadn't printed the coupons or had met my 20-per-day limit.

Here's what I got this morning:

2 Martha White muffin mix - free (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Baker's Joy nonstick spray - .44 (coupon in today's paper)
Fleishmann's Yeast (3-pack strip) - free (coupon in today's paper)
2 Progresso Broth cartons - free (BOGO + 2 printable coupons)
4 cans Campbell's cream mushroom/chicken soups - $2.25 (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Crisco Oil - .60 (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Hungry Jack pancake mix - .32 (coupon in today's paper)
Pillsbury Frosting - .14 (sale price + coupon in today's paper)
Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice - free (coupon in today's paper)
Pillsbury graham cracker pie crust - .60 (sale price + coupon in today's paper)
Starkist Tuna in pouch - free (already had coupon from previous Sunday paper)
Starkist sandwich-ready tuna salad in pouch - .39 (already had coupon)
Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk - .49 (sale price + coupon in today's paper)
2 boxes Pillsbury Brownies - .69 total for both (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Approx. 2 lbs ground beef - 1st package free, 2nd package .20 (2 printable coupons)
Jimmy Dean Delights Breakfast bowl - .49 (already had coupon)
Marie Callender's al dente pasta entree (frozen) - .72 (printable coupon)
Country Crock spreadable butter w/ canola oil - .25 (BOGO + already had coupon)

Total before VIC card scan: $57.XX

Total after VIC card scan: $42.XX

Total paid after coupons: $6.16 - a personal best!


NOTE: Pillsbury Brownie mix is BOGO this week. Using the coupon in today's paper (tripled, of course), you could get 1 box completely free but I think it's a better deal to get 2 - you'll end up paying .35 each after coupon.

My Triple Coupon Trip

Not everything shows up well in the photo, so here's the list of what I got:

Non-triple-coupon items:
Zesta Saltines, 2 boxes, BOGO minus $1 coupon (the only coupon that didn't triple)
Pillsbury Bread Flour, 2 5 lb. bags, 99 cents each (no coupon, just a great sale price)
HT Sugar, 5 lb. bag, 99 cents (eVic special this week)
HT Instant Iced Tea Mix (because I needed it - no coupon)

Triple coupon items: (price paid after coupons were tripled)
14 oz. Heinz ketchup - free
Comet rice - .59
2 boxes Minute Rice - $1 each
2 16 oz. boxes Mueller's pasta (1 spaghetti, 1 macaroni) - .17 each
Idahoan instant mashed potatoes - free
Betty Crocker Warm Delights dessert mix (2) - .39 each
Wishbone Salad Dressing - free
Kozy Shack rice pudding - .5
Country Crock spreadable butter w/ canola oil - .25
Starkist Tuna Salad pouch - free
Jolly Time Popcorn - free
Wacky Mac pasta - free
Kelloggs Poptarts (large box) - .85
Marie Callender's Al Dente pasta dinner (frozen) - .72
Tony's crisp crust party pizza (2) - free (both)
Ground beef - .12 for 1 package, .22 for 2nd package (On sale for $1.59/lb - I had 2 coupons for .50 off ground beef which tripled)

Total before VIC card was scanned: $69.XX

Total after VIC savings came off: $42.XX

Total paid after all coupons: $15.70

If you take out the items which didn't have triple coupons associated with them (tea mix, saltines, flour and sugar), I paid a little less than $7 for all the triple coupon items.

The ground beef coupon is FANTASTIC because you almost never find coupons for fresh meat. Coupon for .50 off ground beef will net you $1.50 off once it triples - combine that with the sale for $1.59 a pound and you'll probably never find hamburger this cheap again!

You can download and print it HERE
You will be asked to enter a code. Enter: A23568. When it asks for a store, choose "other" at the bottom of the pull-down menu, and manually type in Harris Teeter. That's it - just print!

Other printable coupons used in this trip can be found as follows:

.75 off Wishbone Salad Dressing (triples to $2.25 off, making product FREE)

Coupons.com for printable coupons for Warm Delights, Minute Rice, Starkist Tuna, and others.

Smartsource.com for printable coupons for Idahoan potatoes, Marie Callender pasta entrees, Wacky Mac, and more.

NOTE: Both Coupons.com and Smartsource.com have coupons for .50 off Progresso broth. I didn't have any with me today, but I saw that this product would be free after coupons so it's definitely worth printing. (I intend to print some tonight and head back tomorrow.) Bisquick is also a good price after triple coupon (about $1.20 for a 40 oz. box, I think), so print that as well.

The other coupons I used came from Sunday papers.

Thursday Dinner

I've been trying to find the time to make a big pot of Broccoli & Cheese Soup ever since Lowes Foods had fresh broccoli on sale the week before last. Today I finally made it happen. (And lucky for me that fresh broccoli has a long shelf life if kept refrigerated.)

I've been making this soup for going on 20 years, tweaking the recipe as I go, until I think I've perfected it. At this point, it's as much about the tips and tricks as it is about the actual ingredients. It's a little time consuming, but that could be cut way down by using steam-in-the-bag broccoli instead of fresh. (I've never tried it that way, but I doubt it would taste much different.)

GSO Foodie's Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Take 1 large bunch fresh broccoli (about 1 lb) and cut the florets off and into bite-sized pieces. For the stalks, peel, then slice into thin "coins." Steam broccoli in microwave until very tender - it can't be firm or al dente for this recipe. (I cook the "coins" and the florets separately because they have different cooking times. For both, I place in microwave-safe casserole dish, sprinkle with about 2 Tablespoons water, then cover with plastic wrap. For the "coins" I microwave about 9 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. The florets are usually done in about 6 minutes.) Once broccoli is cooked, set aside.

Melt 1/2 stick butter or margarine in large stock pot over medium heat. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and saute until soft and translucent but not brown. (Lower heat if necessary.) Add 1 t. minced garlic (about 2 cloves), turn up heat a bit, and saute for another minute or two. Add 1/4 cup flour and stir until a roux (thick paste) forms. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown with a nutty smell.

All at once, add a 32 oz. carton chicken broth and stir well with a wisk to break up all the lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened (about 5 minutes). Now spoon all the tender-cooked broccoli into the blender. Add about 1 cup of soup (no need to measure, I just use about 2 ladle-fuls), and puree everything until smooth. Add a little more soup if needed to make it circulate. Pour broccoli puree back into soup pot - it will be very thick and a lot will stick to the sides of the blender. Use about 2 cups of milk to "wash" the broccoli puree off sides of the blender container (just pour in, cover, and shake), then pour that into soup pot as well. Bring back to a simmer, add in 1/2 lb. Velveeta, cubed, and salt & pepper to taste. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until all the cheese is melted.

I served this tonight with a loaf of beer bread from a mix I got at Trader Joe's (the last time I passed through Chapel Hill), and it made a totally delicious and filling dinner.

Totals:

$1.25 - broccoli
$1.75 - chicken broth
$1.25 - 1/2 lb. Velveeta
$1 - remaining soup ingredients

$2 - beer bread mix
.50 - can of beer (the cheap stuff)

$7.75 for dinner for 3, with 1/2 loaf bread and at least a quart of soup left over.


NOTE 1: For years I used natural cheddar cheese, but I always had a problem with it curdling (getting grainy), especially when the soup was reheated. (And what's the point of making soup if you don't make a big pot with plenty of leftovers?) Velveeta solved that problem nicely, but feel free to use natural cheddar cheese (shredded, not chunked) if you're against the processed stuff.

NOTE 2: Soup gets very thick in the fridge. Stir in a little milk when reheating.

NOTE 3: I didn't take photos because, as delicious as it is, broc & cheese soup just ain't pretty to look at. :)

Triple Coupons

Harris Teeter has triple coupons this week! Now I just need to get my butt in gear and finish clipping & organizing my new coupon binder. (It's been such a big job that I've gotten way behind on it due to procrastination.)

I'll try to post a review of the good deals (there and at the other stores) later in the day, but I didn't want the triple coupon event to go unmentioned.

Remember, this means that HT will triple coupons with a face value of up to 99 cents, up to 20 per day. This means that a coupon for .75 off is really worth $2.25. Coupons with a face value of $1 and over will be redeemed at face value.

Wednesday Dinner

Dinner last night was a repeat of one last week - turkey and gravy on toast with cranberry sauce on the side. I didn't serve a vegetable (a rarity for me) because I'm running low and nothing I had in the house sounded good to go with turkey. We had finished off the last of the good homemade gravy, so I substituted gravy from a mix. I'd never tried this brand before (Lowes Foods house brand) and won't again because The Kid pronounced it "disgusting" and wouldn't eat it. (I think The Kid has become spoiled on my and my mom's homemade gravy. The rest of us thought the packet kind was fine - not great, but edible.) So I promised to get a jar of good gravy to go with the rest of the turkey.

I should have looked harder for a vegetable or some other side dish because the meal ended up being too light - everyone was poking around the kitchen for snacks within 2 hours.

Totals:
$1.66 - turkey (about 1/2 of what was left)
.30 - bread (just a guess)
$1 - can of cranberry sauce
.50 - gravy packet

$3.46 for dinner for 3

Tuesday Dinner

Cincinnati-style Chili

Last night's dinner was a real treat because I cooked something we only get every few years - Cincinnati-style Chili.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, Cincinnati-style chili is totally unlike traditional Texas-style chili. It's slightly sweet, smooth like hot dog chili, and has a flavor of cloves and cinnamon instead of peppers, cumin and chili powder. It's served over spaghetti with shredded cheddar cheese.

There's a company that makes a seasoning packet for it (just like McCormick and other brands have seasoning packets for "traditional" chili) that was sold at Kroger. But after all the Krogers moved out of the Triad, there was no where to buy this seasoning locally. A good friend, along with his entire family, was a huge fan of this type of chili, so he tracked down the manufacturer and ordered the seasoning direct. (This was pre-internet.) His family has been ordering a case of the stuff every year or two ever since. And I'm lucky enough that he always remembers how much I love it, too, and saves a couple of packets for me.

If you're interested, you can order it through Amazon.com here. Or you can just contact the manufacturer direct: Skytime, Inc., 1-800-443-4371. Or look for it the next time you pass a Kroger (they're still in NC and VA, just not in the Triad anymore).

He dropped the packets by yesterday unexpectedly, so I didn't have time to thaw the hamburger from my freezer (that I'd gotten on sale). Yep, I did the unthinkable - I made a grocery store run and paid full price. (Gulp) But I couldn't help myself - I was THAT excited over the prospect of a good plate of Cincy chili for dinner. I served it over spaghetti w/ shredded cheddar, as is traditional. On the side we had garlic bread and mandarin oranges in orange jello (because I couldn't think of a good vegetable to go with the chili).

Totals:

free - seasoning packet
.79 - 1 can tomato paste
$4.98 - 2 lbs ground beef (packet calls for 1 - 1.5, but I didn't have a use for extra 1/2 lb from chub so I used the whole thing)

.50 - spaghetti
.50 - cheddar cheese
.75 - garlic bread
$1 - mandarin oranges
free - jello (after triple coupons)

$8.52 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) plus a full quart of chili left over.

Monday Dinner

I didn't cook all weekend. Friday night we ate out with friends before attending their son's high school football game. Ditto Saturday, before taking a whole passel of kids Trick-or-Treating. Sunday I just couldn't pass up the last day of the Boston Market $1 chicken dinner promotion. (Printable coupon for 1/4 chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, plus cornbread for $1.)

Tonight I was back to cooking, but I felt very limited as to what I could serve. I had planned a somewhat time and labor-intensive dish, but my plans fell through when the afternoon was eaten up by errands. I still have leftover turkey & gravy, and will definitely serve it later in the week, but it was too similar to Sunday's dinner to serve it tonight. So I ended up going with a bag of Teriyaki Chicken from Trader Joe's, jasmine rice, and steam-in-the-bag edamame. Nobody complained, but it felt uninspired.

Totals:

$4.99 - teriyaki chicken
.50 - jasmine rice
$1.50 - edamame

$6.99 for dinner for 3