Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

8 oz. dry pasta (any type will do, I like fettuccine)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1-2 T oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup (or homemade)
Pepper and garlic powder to taste
2-3 cups shredded cheese, any kind

Cook your pasta in boiling water until al dente. If you are using long noodles, break them into 2 inch pieces as you put them in the water. Drain the pasta in a collander, remembering to save a cup, and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In your now empty pasta pot, heat oil and saute onion, celery and bell pepper until tender. Add in chicken, soup, pasta water, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well. Blend in half of your cheese. Pour into a 13x9 pan coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. This freezes well.

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Crockpot Chicken Stock

This is the best way to make use of leftover chicken bones and scraps. I actually save bones from raw chicken in the freezer in a packet. I also use wing tips and chicken carcasses from whole roast chickens. Any chicken parts will do, even the skin! This is the same as my Crockpot Chicken Broth but the added herbs, spices and veggies make it a stock instead of a broth.

Crockpot Chicken Stock

various chicken scraps (skin, wings, bones or a chicken carcass)
water
1 small onion, white or yellow, quartered
1 stalk of celery (may omit)
5-10 whole peppercorns (subsitiute 1 tsp ground pepper)
2 whole bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme leaves (2 fresh thyme sprigs may be substituted)
Crockpot/slow cooker

Place your chicken scraps in the bottom of an empty crockpot. Cover with water and continue filling until the water is one inch or so below the lip where the lid rests. Put on the lid and turn the crockpot on high. Remember to make sure the crockpot is plugged in (I have forgotten this on occasion). Cook overnight. In the morning, you will have a wonderful, cheap, low sodium chicken stock. Remove bones and other large pieces with a slotted spoon. Pour it up into several containers and refrigerate. The impurities will settle to the bottom and the fat will solidify on the top. When cold, remove the fat if desired and pour the stock into freezer safe dishes (I like glass canning jars with a two inch head space left at the top for expansion). Freeze and use as needed.

Crockpot Chicken Broth

This is the best way to make use of leftover chicken bones and scraps. I actually save bones from raw chicken in the freezer in a packet. I also use wing tips and chicken carcasses from whole roast chickens. Any chicken parts will do, even the skin!

Crockpot Chicken Broth

various chicken scraps (skin, wings, bones or a chicken carcass)
water
Crockpot/slow cooker

Place your chicken scraps in the bottom of an empty crockpot. Cover with water and continue filling until the water is one inch or so below the lip where the lid rests. Put on the lid and turn the crockpot on high. Remember to make sure the crockpot is plugged in (I have forgotten this on occasion). Cook overnight. In the morning, you will have a wonderful, cheap, low sodium chicken broth. Remove the bones with a slotted spoon. Pour up the broth into several containers and refrigerate. The impurities will settle to the bottom and the fat will solidify on the top. When cold, remove the fat if desired and pour the broth into freezer safe dishes (I like glass canning jars with a two inch head space left at the top for expansion). Freeze and use as needed.

Recipes first.....

As a newbie blogger, I beg a little leeway! I spent several hours over the past two days trying to reconfigure my blog for easier navigation. I realized after all that time that I'm not very tech savvy. So, I'm starting with the basics. Posts, posts and more posts. In the future the blog will look different and be very organized. These first posts will be recipes. Lots of recipes that I will link back to to show you how to stretch your food dollar at HEB. Please be patient. The deals are coming. I promise!

Christy

Welcome to San Antonio Saver!

Hi there everyone! My name is Christy. I'm a stay at home mom with a burning desire to eat well without breaking the bank. My main goal in doing this blog is simple: I will post the best grocery deals in San Antonio, including HEB, Sun Harvest and a few other markets that I have yet to scope out. HEB and Sun Harvest ads are published every Wednesday and run until Tuesday the following week so you will get a weekly post with the best deals and coupon information. Every Wednesday I will also post a suggested meal plan based on the ads, complete with recipes. I will also post a link to my family's meal plan for the week. Now you may ask, "why are they different"? I have a supply of food, AKA a stockpile, from which we eat and include fresh fruits and vegetables and sale items. As time goes on, you may find yourself building a stockpile of your own. Some deals are so good you will want to stock up for later use.

In addition to the weekly ads and meal plans, I'll also be putting up information about other deals from around the area including Target, Dollar Tree, World Market, ethnic markets, etc. There is another world outside of HEB and Sun Harvest. However, I understand that not everyone has the time or inclination to run all over town, trying to hunt down a couple of items. That is why you will get at least one post a week just covering HEB and Sun Harvest.

I will also be posting information covering local events that are either inexpensive or free including museums and parks as well as local events.

So, let's save some money, have some fun and learn more about our beautiful town!