When I was growing up, Bisquick was one-dimensional. When I saw the box it meant one thing – some delicious blueberry pancakes were in my near future. So when this Bisquick challenge was posed, I was ready to see how diverse it can really be.
I’ve always considered myself budget savvy when shopping. But unfortunately after adding up last month’s grocery bills, I realized it was just a frame of mind. We spent over $450 for a party of two. That’s absurd.
Reality Check!
For the sake of this blog and our bank account, it’s time to shop smarter.
With this mission in mind, I set a few guidelines for myself. I wanted to pick a couple ingredients that could be used in multiple recipes (i.e. chicken and green onions). Plus, knowing that I would make these meals on weeknights and I didn’t want to eat dinner at 10 p.m., the recipes had to take 45 minutes or less. Finding the recipes was the easier part because the shopping experience is where the challenge really began.
The Shopping Experience:
I walked into the grocery store with my list and my calculator. I compared prices. I actually weighed my produce. I was a Budget Savvy Queen!
Reality Check (again)!
I was at $23.96 and the second package of cheese I wanted was $2.75.
I refused to worry. I passed on the cheese and looked forward to improvising.
Under budget!* Fantastic!
*Please note, I tend to have a well-stocked pantry and spice rack. So I already had some of the ingredients in the house, like a box of Bisquick Heart Smart. I also didn’t count basic things like milk, butter and eggs because I usually have those in the fridge.
Monday: Light Lemon-Sesame Chicken
Notes: Pounding chicken is a great stress reliever. Also, I made a quick cup of rice that I already had in the house to compliment this meal.
Results: The house smelled amazing! Who would have thought it was simply chicken and Bisquick? The lemon dressing was decent, but I wouldn’t make it again because the chicken was amazing by itself! I might also play around with fun alternatives to the recipe – like adding a simple salsa topping or slicing the chicken for a salad.
Tuesday: Santa Fe Pizza
Notes: I may or may not have “Googled” how to knead dough. (Here is the helpful video I found) It was my first pizza crust, and I didn’t want to screw it up.
Results: Success! Hubby suggested we add ground beef, turkey or Bocca meat next time. The crust is definitely thick enough to handle it – so if the budget is there, we may just try it! By far, this was the most expensive meal for the week. I spent $8.47 of my budget.
Wednesday: Ranch Oven-Fried Chicken with Warm Corn Relish
Notes: I need to cook more meals with six ingredients or less. Makes weeknight dinners easier! Also, my husband made a quick box of Spanish rice but later said it wasn’t needed because the main meal was filling by itself.
Results: I’ve come to conclusion that anything dipped in ranch is yummy. This meal is also a pretty presentation. I made three chicken breasts (Two for that night and one for my lunch the next day… but the hubby went back for seconds.) This ended up being my cheapest meal because I had everything in the house but the chicken.
Thursday: Baked Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon Sandwich
Notes: Because I passed on the second package of shredded cheese, I used some cheddar cheese slices I had in the house already. The reviews said it was pretty flexible, so I decided to take a risk.
Results: I agree with the reviewers. This recipe feels limitless. I was surprised how thick the bread pieces were. I would make this again for a crowd. It was also good the next day when it was cold. Loved dipping it in mustard!
Friday: Tuna Burgers
Notes: I didn’t have plain breadcrumbs in the house – but I had Italian breadcrumbs – so I used those instead. I had hoped the Italian breadcrumbs would make a difference because reviewers said this recipe was a little bland.
Originally, I thought I could make a quick dill dip with stuff I had in the house. But when Friday rolled around and it was time to make the dip, I realized I didn’t have any dry dill in the cupboard. So I used the dill pickle slices instead. Hooray for improvising! On the burgers, I added mayo and some of the shredded lettuce that we used on the Santa Fe Pizza.
Also, the 98-cent buns I bought from the fresh bakery were moldy. (Note to self: Put in the fridge next time.) Thankfully, this burger works with any bread you have in the house and we had a backup plan.
Results: I loved this recipe because it was easy to cut into two servings. The tuna patties were moist, hearty and delicious. I thought I would need to make sides for this dish, but we were stuffed.
Lessons Learned:
- Must start coupon clipping! I may have been able to afford that second package of cheese with a few handy coupons…
- My Favorite Meal: Light Lemon-Sesame Chicken
- Hubby’s Favorite Meal: Tuna Burgers
- Bisquick went from a “nice to have” to a “must have” in my kitchen.
Next week’s Budget Challenge:
I visit my local farmers market to see how far $25 will take me!