I recently happened upon a different item at my local Grocery Outlet store and I knew instantly that I had to bring it home for a fun dinner creation.....

 

 

Organic Sprouted Mung Beans for $2.99. Now I'm definitely familiar with bean sprouts, but not sprouted mung beans. I flipped over the package and it read:

These tiny fresh-tasting beans have a rich creamy texture and nutty-sweet taste.

Suggested uses included salads, pilafs, soups, purees, and sandwiches. Turns out, these are quite nutritious too! One serving (1/4 cup dry) contains 7 grams of dietary fiber and a whopping 10 grams of protein. It's also high in iron and vitamin C and low in fat. I'm thinking this would be a wonderful superfood for vegetarians to explore!

 

 

I decided to try these sprouted mung beans for the first time in an Asian-inspired salad. Today's recipe is quick, easy, and delicious! It's enough for 2 large servings, or 4 sides.

Ingredients:

Salad
1 cup dry mung beans
2 cups mixed salad greens
couple sprigs cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet peppers

Dressing (from Once Upon a Chef's Asian Slaw recipe)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
small piece of ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
dash sea salt

Start by prepping your mung beans. Add 1 cup of dry beans to 3 cups of boiling water. Let boil for 5 minutes before removing from heat, covering, and allow to set 4-8 minutes.

 

 

While my mung beans were rehydrating, I got to work on the rest of the salad. I found some lovely salad ingredients at my Grocery Outlet store yesterday - organic baby kale, organic mixed Romaine, a big bag of sweet mini baby peppers for just $3.99, and a bunch of fresh cilantro.

 

 

Have you ever tried these peppers? If not, I recommend them! They are perfect for dipping in hummus, slicing on sandwiches, or great when your recipe just calls for a little bit of pepper.

 

 

Prepare your dressing by mixing all the ingredients listed above and stirring. This is one of my very favorite Asian dressings I've come across on the web, and I make it often. Incidentally, I found a 1 lb bag of ginger at my Grocery Outlet for $1.99 and the garlic for $0.33 each. If you can't use up all the ginger before it goes bad? Consider chopping and freezing leftover portions or making ginger tea!

 

 

By now, your mung beans should be cooked and your salad ready to assemble! Toss the greens in the dressing, top with the peppers, scoop on some mung beans and sprinkle on the cilantro. I did have a decent amount of the prepped mung beans leftover, so I will refrigerate them to use in another recipe in the next day or so.

 

 

The warm mung beans added a nice touch to this salad - and they had such a mild, pleasing flavor! I could see how well they'd work on any number of recipes. While researching their use for this post, I also learned that some people even enjoy turning them into a cake! Now how would that be for a nutritious alternative for your kids?

If you're looking for new, fun ingredients to make cooking fun again without breaking the bank? You need to visit Grocery Outlet!

For more ideas, check out my other posts for this series:

• Cactus Tacos
• Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken Stuffed Manicotti
• Stuffed Pasilla Peppers

Make sure to come back next month for another fun installment!

Angela Russell blogs at The Coupon Project, a site that encourages families to live well for less. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her firefighter husband and two small kids. In her spare time, she likes to read, garden, and has recently taken up canning.

 

 

I always find unusual and inspiring ingredients at my Grocery Outlet. This helps me avoid the much-dreaded "dinner rut" and keeps my meals fresh and fun. Recently, I found this item on my Grocery Outlet store shelf:

 

Hmmmm. Jarred tender cactus.

I can't say that has ever graced my dinner table and I think it was just the ticket to keeping my menu creative this week. At $1.79 for a large jar, it would hardly break the bank to give it a go! That's another thing I adore about Grocery Outlet - I get to try new ingredients, but without having to spend a small fortune!

I did a little research, and it turns out this can be a pretty versatile ingredient. You can serve it as is, use it on salads, incorporate it into Tex-Mex dishes, or toss it with beans and rice for a side dish. I decided to try it a couple different ways. But first, I was super curious about the smell and taste...

 

Time to pop the lid!

The smell was totally pleasant. It reminded me of a cross between jarred chilis and green beans. I was excited to give it a try! I decided to do a spin on tacos with the cactus. You could use chicken or pork, but I opted for a pound of thinly cut ribeye steak that I picked up at Grocery Outlet for $7.

 

Here are the ingredients you'll need to complete this recipe:

• 1 lb thin steak, such as ribeye or flank steak
• 1 tbsp cumin
• ground pepper
• 1 cup prepared salsa (your choice)
• 1 cup jarred cactus
• cilantro, to taste
• corn tortillas

Start by rubbing the steak with the cumin and ground pepper. Then top with the salsa. I had a verde salsa on hand, so that's what I used. Cover and allow to marinate in your refrigerator for an hour (or more!).

 

Preheat your broiler when you're ready to assemble the tacos.

How long you will cook the steak depends on two things: 1) the thickness, and 2) your preferred "done-ness" level. I personally have come to enjoy mine just slightly pink, so the meat remains tender. This steak was pretty thin, so I found broiling for 4 minutes on each side (8 minutes total) was perfect. I would encourage you to start with less time on the timer versus more. You can always cook a steak more (but not the other way around).

While your steak is cooking, drain and rinse your cactus.

I then warmed my cactus in a skillet. I didn't add any extra oil or seasoning, but I suppose you could do that if you wanted to. I wanted to enjoy the flavor on its own this time. If you are feeling creative, you might add garlic, peppers, beans, onion, or jalapenos at this point, too.

Here is my steak resting after being broiled. I let it sit on this cutting board for about 5 minutes before cutting it in thin strips across the grain. These two things will help keep your steak nice and tender. (Just like the sliced tender cactus, right?)

Assembling the taco is pretty easy: add some steak strips to the middle of a warmed corn tortilla and layer on the cactus. I topped with plenty of cilantro.

 

This recipe was delicious! (Yes, I did manage to down BOTH of the tacos pictured above for dinner.) Except for the time spent marinating your steak, it takes relatively short time to cook and put together too.

If you feel you always make the same tacos with plain old ground beef, sour cream, and flour tortillas, try this cactus version instead! And here's a bonus idea for you:

Quesadillas!

The next time you find yourself in a dinner rut, explore the shelves of your local Grocery Outlet store. You might just find some unusual, fun, or inspiring ingredient to get you excited about creating meals again. In case you missed them, you might want to check out the meals I've previously shared for this series:

• Stuffed Pasilla Peppers
• Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken Stuffed Manicotti

Make sure to come back next month for another fun installment!

 

Angela Russell blogs at The Coupon Project, a site that encourages families to live well for less. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her firefighter husband and two small kids. In her spare time, she likes to read, garden, and has recently taken up canning.

 

 

It can be so easy to grab for the same ingredients to make the same recipes over and over, can't it? That's why I love hunting for interesting foods at Grocery Outlet. They can help keep me from getting in those dinner ruts! Last month, you might recall how I discovered these pasilla peppers at my local Grocery Outlet store and used them to put a spin on traditional stuffed peppers. This month, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful new Maple Valley store in Washington and did I ever find some delicious treats!

 

They had beautiful organic pasta for just $1.50. I rarely venture beyond plain old spaghetti (and maybe penne when I'm in a mood!), largely due to the cost. Sure, it would be fun to try some new pasta - but who wants to spend $4 or $5 a bag? Not this gal! But $1.50? Now I'm game to change things up at the dinner table a bit! I decided to poke around and see what else I could find to put together a fun new pasta creation.

 

 

Check out these beautiful pesto varieties: garlic galore; basil, garlic & sundried tomatoes; and bail & garlic. I decided to pick up the basil, garlic & dried tomatoes. After that, I decided to see what I could find in the cheese section to complete my meal.

 

 

If you like cheese of any kind, you really need to make Grocery Outlet your stop. Check out these tubs of shredded Asiago, Romano and Parmesan cheese - all for just $1.99 each. I've seen similar tubs for $4 or more at other stores! It's all good quality stuff, too.

Taking my Grocery Outlet ingredients, I decided to do a spin on this beautiful Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells recipe I discovered a couple weeks ago. Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients: 1 package manicotti
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional: plus more for garnish)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed and cooked
1 package cream cheese (I opted for fat free)
1/2 cup sundried tomato pesto (OR other pesto of your choosing)
Fresh ground pepper & salt, to taste
2 tsp minced garlic
1-tsp fresh chopped Italian parsley (optional: plus more for garnish)
One batch Bechamel Sauce

Start by making your filling. Place the cream cheese in a bottom of a mixing bowl and add the garlic.

Next: the pesto! I was really excited to give this a whirl. You can mix it to your taste, and I wanted a really pesto-y taste, so I ended up adding about 1/2 of this container.

Add the cooked, cubed chicken. Make sure the pieces are not too large, because you are going to be stuffing your pasta. If you would prefer, you could omit the chicken for a vegetarian take on this recipe. OR, you could swap Italian sausage for the chicken for a different flavor combination.

Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan, freshly ground pepper, salt, and a good measure of fresh chopped parsley. If you wish, you could add some other Grocery Outlet cheeses into the mix! I think a little mozzarella would be rather tasty.

Mix it all together. This might not look pretty, but trust me - take one whiff and you'll be wanting to just spoon it right out of the bowl like this! Heavenly!

At this point, I set aside my filling mix to chill while I worked on cooking my pasta and prepping the Bechamel Sauce. Here's one more look at the beautiful organic pasta I ended up with:

I cooked the entire package until al dente in salted water. While the pasta cooked, I made the sauce. Now, I'd never made a Bechamel sauce, but I figured - why not? The whole idea is to get out of a rut, try something new!

To make the sauce, I followed this recipe at Epicurious. Turns out, I had everything I needed in my fridge already and it took mere minutes. Easy peasy!

You can get the full details at Epicurious, but it basically involves melting butter, adding a little flour and watching it bubble, adding hot milk, waiting for it to thicken and seasoning with salt and pepper. Really, really easy.

At this point, you should have the filling, the pasta, and the sauce done. It's time to assemble! I started by adding a small portion of Bechamel to the bottom of a baking pan, to prevent sticking. My manicotti was a "mini" version, so I found roughly 2 tablespoons of the filling did the trick. I worked to get two pieces of chicken into every noodle.

Here are all my manicotti noodles nearly ready for the oven!

I topped with the Bechamel, making sure to cover each noodle evenly and topped with a little more Parmesan for good measure. Then I popped this dish into a 350° oven for about 20 minutes.

The finished product! Yes, this dinner took a little more time, but I promise, it's worth the effort! Delicious!

Serve with plenty of fresh green salad and maybe a loaf of crusty Italian bread or garlic breadsticks. This recipe should serve 4-6, depending on appetites.

If you've been in a dinner rut, can I recommend paying a stop to your local Grocery Outlet? I guarantee you'll find some new ingredients to jazz up your meal plan this week without breaking the bank. Make sure to come back next month and see what new creation I've come up with. If you missed it, check out my Stuffed Pasilla Peppers recipe from last month, too.

With thanks to What's Cookin, Chicago? and Epicurious for today's recipe inspiration.

Angela Russell blogs at The Coupon Project, a site that encourages families to live well for less. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her firefighter husband and two small kids. In her spare time, she likes to read, garden, and has recently taken up canning.

 

 

It can be really easy to get stuck in a dinner rut, can't it? We stock our pantries and refrigerators with the same items, gravitate to the same recipes, and plan our meals around the same foods.

Over the next several months, I'd like to show you how Grocery Outlet can help you get out of a rut and get inspired to create beautiful meals that won't break the bank. Unlike other stores, you never truly know what you're going to find at Grocery Outlet! I like to think of it a bit like treasure hunting. So what better place to visit to find creative ingredients that will get your imagination going?

Yesterday, I visited my South Tacoma store and found this beautiful bag of pasilla peppers for just $1.49. They sold them individually for $0.50, but the bag of four was a better bargain (works out to $0.37 each).

Now I'd never cooked with these before, but the price was right and I was completely intrigued. How could I use this ingredient to make a delicious meal? I was determined to find out.

After a little hunting on the internet, I learned that I could stuff them - much as you would green bell peppers. I loved the idea of a Mexican-inspired stuffed pepper recipe!

Here's what you'll need to recreate my stuffed Pasilla Pepper recipe (serves 4):

• 4 Pasilla Peppers, cleaned and whole
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained (fire-roasted would work well, too!)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cumin
• salt, to taste
• freshly chopped cilantro, to taste (I used about 1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (or Monterey Jack)
• freshly chopped tomatoes, sour cream, etc. to serve (optional)

The first step is to broil your peppers. This took about 10 minutes and I flipped them every 2-3 minutes. They will start to char up, and this is OK!

When done, allow to sit and cool for a few minutes until you can handle them without burning yourself. While waiting, you can prepare your filling.

Start by sautéing the onion in a little olive oil. Once the onions turn translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.

At this point, I added the can of tomatoes, the can of black beans, cumin, and salt. I let the mixture simmer for a couple more minutes.

Next, I added the cup of frozen corn and cooked for another couple minutes, until everything was warm. Finally, I added the chopped cilantro. I like a lot of cilantro flavor, so I went with about 1/4 cup, but of course, any of these seasonings could be done to taste.

By this point, your peppers should be cool enough to handle. Very carefully, make a small triangular slit just below the stem. Then, remove the stem and the seeds. Take care with the seeds and make sure to wash your hands immediately after! You do not want to forget and then rub your eyes after working with them (speaking from experience here!).

You can also remove the charred parts quite easily at this point.

Continue the process for all four peppers. This took me several minutes to complete.

Now it's time to stuff these babies. Just prior to stuffing, I added 1/2 cup of the cheese into the mix. I don't know about you, but I like cheese mixed through, not just on top. Make sure to stuff the entire pepper. A regular tablespoon did the trick for me!

Finally, top with more cheese and bake in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Serve and enjoy immediately!

I have to say, I loved this recipe. I had a second helping and it got two thumbs up from my husband. It was a nice spin on the traditional green peppers and would definitely spice up your meal plan this week.

While I was preparing it, it occurred to me you could easily create variations to suit your diet, tastes, and/or what you have on hand. Here are a few other ideas I came up with for the stuffing ingredients:

• Rice
• Quinoa or other whole grain(s)
• Ground meat (I would think chorizo would be excellent!)
• Dairy-free by omitting the cheese or using a vegan "cheese"
• Mexican-style cheese, such as Cojita (see what your Grocery Outlet has in stock!)
• Different vegetables - squashes, bell peppers, tomatillos

I hope I've inspired you to check out your local Grocery Outlet and see what new and interesting ingredient you can find to help get you creating in the kitchen this week!

Have you ever cooked with pasilla peppers? What have you found at Grocery Outlet recently that surprised you?

With thanks to Tasty Kitchen, City Mama, and  SparkRecipes for today's recipe inspiration.

Angela Russell blogs at The Coupon Project, a site that encourages families to live well for less. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her firefighter husband and two small kids. In her spare time, she likes to read, garden, and has recently taken up canning.

Truly, giving is better than receiving. Giving gifts to our friends, family, neighbors, teachers and co-workers is one of our favorite parts of the holiday season. So we're embracing it! And this year, we're all about edible gifts like cookies or hot cocoa to help your loved ones welcome the holiday spirit in a delicious way. They will enjoy the treat, without the clutter of one more thing to store in the closet, kitchen or garage. And with ingredients you can find at your local Grocery Outlet, your budget will rejoice too!

Here are simple recipes for edible holiday gifts, developed by food blogger Amy Sherman at Cooking with Amy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 12 ounce package, semi sweet chocolate chips, about 2 cups
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Place flour mixture in a 1-quart jar. Layer on the chocolate chips, brown sugar and finally the white sugar on top, pressing firmly after each layer. Seal with lid and decorate with fabric, ribbon and a recipe tag.

Recipe tag to attach to jar:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat 1 stick softened butter or margarine and 1 large egg in large mixer bowl until blended. Fold in the contents of the jar with a wooden spoon. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies. Enjoy with a glass of milk - and don't forget to save one for Santa!




Hot Cocoa Mix in a Jar
4 packets hot cocoa mix
4 teaspoons chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini marshmallows

Open the packets of cocoa mix and pour them into a tall narrow jar. Top with marshmallows and add a layer of chocolate chips on top.  Seal with lid and decorate with fabric, ribbon and a recipe tag.

Recipe tag to attach to jar:
Combine jar contents with 4 cups of hot water and stir until dissolved. Pour into 4 mugs and sip by the glow of the holiday lights. Enjoy!

 

We like to partner with local chefs and experts to illustrate how you can use the bargains you find at Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in your everyday life.  We've been honored to work with Sam the Cooking Guy, whose take on easy, affordable cuisine is one we greatly admire.

A little about Sam
Sam Zien, known as Sam the Cooking Guy, is a Canadian-born television cook (not a classically trained chef) and author, based in San Diego, California. His show, Sam the Cooking Guy, started on local television stations before moving to a Fox affiliate and thence to Discovery Health. He has won multiple Emmy awards, including one for an episode on Jewish cuisine. Zien started his television career doing travel shows, but reconsidered after the World Trade Center attack. in the decade following Zien has taken his television cooking show on the road, producing multiple shows across the world in places like Hong Kong, Fiji, New Zealand and Vancouver. (from Wikipedia.  For more about Sam, check out his bio here.)

Source: Sam the Cooking Guy

Grocery Outlet
Sam agreed to partner with us in launching our East Village San Diego location.  He cooked for a couple of events we hosted at that store, and in the process, created these five videos for us about the amazing values he found at Grocery Outlet, checking out the deals by scanning them on his phone.  He even made some spicy steak and corn soft tacos.  Check out our videos below for more.

Sam the Cooking Guy - Introduction

Sam the Cooking Guy - Prices

Sam the Cooking Guy - NOSH (Natural, Organic, Specialty, Healthy)

Sam the Cooking Guy - Wine & Beer

Sam the Cooking Guy - Sam Cooks Spicy Steak and Corn Soft Tacos

Thank you Sam, for showing us you can make a healthy and delicious dinner easily and inexpensively, by shopping and saving at Grocery Outlet!

A 12-Month Series by Guest Blogger Julia Wessels, from The Frugal Find

If you're sending kids to school, likely you're making the decision between hot lunches at school or sending a cold lunch.  We have four kids all in school this year and a hot lunch costs $2.50 x 4 that's a whopping $10 a day!  I've talked before about our ENTIRE family grocery budget being only $75/week.  This would seriously eat into our budget so the decision for our family was an easy one to make.

 

Of course, finances aren't the only factor that plays into sending a lunch with our kids to school.  Knowing they'll actually EAT the food I send with them is even more important.  I wanted to share a few examples of lunches we send with our kids each day.  First of all, we invested in a few containers with snug lids to put inside their lunch boxes so that we could cut back on the cost of Ziploc bags.  I also scoured local thrift stores and found a few Thermos containers so that I could send hot lunches from time to time.  Sending hot lunches is a great way to stretch your budget if you have leftovers from dinner.  For example, today my daughter is taking a bowl of White Bean Chicken Chili to school today—I think that beats a PB&J any day!

Cost of food varies greatly from state to state, but I think you'll find that hands-down, eating at home (or prepared at home) food is always cheaper.

Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking about creative (and frugal!) lunchbox meals:
Bagel & Cream Cheese
Homemade Uncrustables (PB&J or Grilled Cheese)
Salami, Cheese, and Crackers - substitute ham, turkey, etc
Peanut Butter and Apple "Sandwiches"
Homemade Pumpkin Muffins
Soups and Chilis

 

There are also a few tools that make packing lunches a breeze for me.  The first one is the Apple Wedger which works great for pears too! When packing hot liquid lunches (soups, etc) the Thermos Leak Proof Stainless Steel Food Container is a must!  Of course if you're packing a cold lunch and actually want it to stay cold you'll need a couple Blue Ice Packs.  Also as I mentioned above, a good set of plastic containers are very useful and in the end will help you to save money by cutting out Ziploc bags. I like The Container Store Klip-It Lunch Cubes but there are many different products on the market, the key is to make sure they don't leak especially if you're putting fruit or yogurt into the containers.

Lastly, I thought I'd share one of my family's favorite recipes: Homemade Granola Bars!  They're actually very simple to make and a lot heartier (and healthier) than your average Quaker granola bars. This recipe comes from my friend Sumiko who blogs at Near to Nothing.  She guest posts on The Frugal Find each week in our From Our Pantry on a Budget series!

Granola Bars
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 to 3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ*
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup mix-ins (see below)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-ins:
Dried cranberries
Chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
1/2 Cup peanut butter (plus some chocolate chips, of course!)
Nuts
Dried fruits (apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, etc.)
Pretty much anything your heart desires!

 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well.  Mix until combined, then spread into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they begin to turn brown around the edges. Cut bars while still warm then cool completely. Store in an air-tight container or zip-top bag.

It's the perfect time for picnics!  Picnickers often head out with complicated dishes, but you can keep it simple and inexpensive by picking up your picnic at Grocery Outlet! Here's how:

Fruit Salad - We have the best of the season in our produce aisles.  Slice berries, melons, pineapples, and citrus for a delicious and refreshing fruit salad.  All it takes is a little time, plus it's healthy and great for your family.  To jazz it up, thread fruit chunks onto skewers for fruit kabobs.

Deviled Eggs - A classic, and totally inexpensive.  There are hundreds of different ways to make them, but give them a twist by replacing some of the spices or fillings.  Check out this article for Deviled Eggs with Pesto, Bacon & Cheddar or Tomato & Capers.

Cold Cuts - Sure, you could make the classic picnic staple of Fried Chicken, but why fuss?  Pick up a bunch of cold cuts from Grocery Outlet's deli section, some cheese, bread, and other sandwich fixings and let everyone make their own sandwich.  Or you could slice salami and cheese, and add olives and tomatoes for a great antipasto platter. 

Looking for something a little different? Check out this article on easy picnic food you can make in 20 minutes from the New York Times: 101 Picnic Foods in 20 Minutes or Less.

Don't forget to pick up your picnic at Grocery Outlet during the month of June! We have lots of great picnic items at extremely low prices.

With our wine sale earlier this month, you probably have a bunch of bottles stocked up.  Inevitably, there’s half a bottle lying around after dinner that you cork back up and then forget about, and before you realize it, it’s turned to vinegar.  Such a waste!

The great news is that there’s a simple way to use up leftover wine—cooking! You can up the Wow Factor of any dish by adding a little bit of wine to the recipe, which saves you money and cuts down on waste.

Here are some ideas on how to add wine to your cooking:

• Add wine to your marinade.  The acid in the marinade will help the meat absorb the flavor of the wine.
• Replace some of the water, vinegar, broth, or fruit juice in a recipe with wine for a richer, fuller flavor.
• Use a little bit to add flavor to soups, stews, gravy, and hearty dishes.
• Make sangria!  Add chopped fruit and a little sugar and you have the perfect summer beverage.
• Mix with oil and spices to baste turkey, roasts, or braise vegetables.
• Make a pan sauce using the juices from the meat, some wine, and some spices.  Perfect for sautéed or browned meats.
• Create a classic French dish like Coq au Vin.  Julia Child’s classic recipe is worth a try: Coq au Vin Recipe

The rule of thumb is to pair red wine with heartier fare, and white wine with lighter dishes.  But we say experiment!  Your palate is what’s most important.  Try a bunch of things and find out what works best for you.  Always consult the recipe if you’re cooking with wine—the author may have had a specific flavor profile in mind and has done the legwork ahead of time.

What do you like to drink with different foods?  

We've got less than a week to Thanksgiving and we're here to help you Simplify the Season with our $3 Thanksgiving Menu. Check out the latest Bargain TV to help you save your money and your sanity!

 

You can download the Thanksgiving menu that Christopher mentions in the video by clicking here: Download Thanksgiving Menu.

What's your favorite holiday movie? Leave a comment below.

With the chillier weather, Crock-Pot recipes are high in demand.  In our latest episode of Bargain TV, Chris announces the winning Crock-Pot recipe from last week's contest (which we're posting below). Also, look for sneak peeks of Doug the bobblehead and Chris's favorite wine picks for our upcoming 20% Wine Sale!

Jeana's Winning Crock Pot Recipe

1 & 1/2 lbs meat (usually ground beef) of your choice from the fresh Grocery Outlet Meat Case
1 yellow onion
2-3 carrots or bag of GO baby carrots
2 large russet potatoes
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 cup water (or red wine)
2 cans kidney beans
splash of Lea and Perrins
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut up veggies and meat into sizeable chunks, throw in the crockpot
2. Add liquid ingredients and beans
3. Add salt and pepper
4. Cook for 4(high)-8(low) hours (the longer it cooks, the better the flavor!)
5. Enjoy!

Fall is full of bold, intense flavorful foods!  No matter whom you are cooking for or what type of dinner party you happen to throw, you should always be prepared to amaze your food critics.  We have a recipe for a rustic home dinner, a game day side dish, and an adorable fall dessert.  Enjoy!

Sausage Ratatouille
The classic French ratatouille is made by simmering eggplant with other vegetables and herbs. It's often served as a side or appetizer with bread, but our addition of Italian sausage turns it into a hearty meal for cooler months.

Ingredients
3 to 4 links (about 3/4 pound) Italian sausage
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and cut into a 3/4-inch dice
2 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 medium-size green bell pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions
1. Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Puncture the sausage links in several places, then cook them at a low boil until they're no longer pink in the center, about 14 minutes. Transfer the links to a plate to cool, then slice them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
2. Over medium-high heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the eggplant and zucchini and sauté them, stirring often, until they are lightly browned but not soft, about 7 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
In the same skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining olive oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté them for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sliced sausage and sauté, stirring often, for 3 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini.
Partially cover the skillet and gently simmer the ratatouille for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, along with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer 5 minutes more. Stir in the parsley and half of the basil. Serve hot, sprinkled with the remaining basil. Serves 6.

Mini Football Subs
You can expect a high number of interceptions when you pass these individual-size meatball sandwiches during halftime festivities.


Ingredients
Meatballs
Spaghetti sauce
Shredded Cheese
Individual-size rolls

Instructions
1. To make a batch, first prepare your favorite meatball recipe, shaping each meatball into a mini football before cooking. Once they're cooked, add the meatballs to a skillet of spaghetti sauce and warm them through.
2. For each sub, cut a V-shaped notch from the top of an individual-size roll, place a meatball in the roll, and top with cheese shred laces. Finally, get the sandwiches in a huddle on a cookie sheet and place them in a warm oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

The Apple of Our Eye
A cute cupcake dessert to bring to fall birthdays or grace the table at autumn parties.

Ingredients
Cupcake batter
Red frosting
Red sugar sprinkles
Tootsie Roll Midges
Green Tootsie Fruit Roll
White frosting

Instructions
1. Mix your favorite cupcake batter and divide it evenly among cupcake wells lined with red paper or silicone cups, filling each one about three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions and let them cool.
2. Carve a shallow, dime-size well in the top of each cupcake, then cover the tops with red frosting and coat them with red sugar sprinkles. Mold a small piece of a Tootsie Roll Midge into a stem shape. Form a leaf from a small piece of green Tootsie Fruit Roll, pinch it against the stem, then insert the stem into the cupcake.
3. To make a bitten apple, spoon a small well from the side of the cupcake and line it with white frosting. Press tiny bits of Tootsie Roll Midge in place for seeds.

 

All recipes courtesy of Disney's Family Fun website.

Afterschool snack time is very important to kids—they’ve had a long day in the classroom and on the playground and are hungry when they get home! So how can you, a busy parent, satisfy them quickly and nutritiously?

We've collected some of our favorite snack recipes from Parenting magazine, and we're passing them along. All of these are pretty quick to make and will surprise and delight your kids. Plus, they're healthy too!

 

Any parent will agree that the world’s toughest food critics are children. Do you want to give your kids a healthy, balanced back-to-school lunch filled with protein and that will provide energy and nutrition and keep them satisfied? We know that this may sound like a lot to fulfill for a busy parent, but don’t worry—Grocery Outlet is here to help!

To make certain that your child’s lunch doesn’t go straight into the trash when you drop them off at school, you need a lunch packing strategy. Fill out your child’s lunch box with a piece of fresh fruit like a green apple or red grapes, some veggies (such as mini carrots), and some dry snacks like trail mix. Then add a “main course” for your kid—try a Peanut Butter Berry-Wich or the The Mighty Mozz Sandwich. Both of these recipes will kick-start your kid’s appetite and are healthy, well balanced meals. 

Best of all, you can find most all of the ingredients for a healthy, inexpensive lunch at Grocery Outlet.  We know there's a lot to do to be ready for school, but make a quick stop by your local GO store and you'll see how we can help you save on back-to-school lunches and snacks.

Whether you're a Packers or a Steelers fan, try out one of these fun, easy recipes for game time noshing—all of which you can make with ingredients you can find at your local Grocery Outlet store!

Spinach Dip

Ingredients
10 ounces frozen chopped baby spinach
16 ounces sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces cream cheese
1 package onion soup mix
1/2 cup green onion, celery and white onion
1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients and chill about 1 hour.
2. Serve with your favorite cracker or chip of choice.

 

 

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh mushrooms, washed and drained
12 sausage patties
1/2 envelope onion soup mix
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Remove mushroom stems from caps; chop stems; set aside both caps and chopped stems.
3. Prepare sausage according to package directions; drain and crumble.
4. In a large bowl, combine sausage, chopped mushroom stems, onion soup mix, oil, parsley and sage; mix well.
5. Heap mixture into mushroom caps.
6. Scantly cover the bottom of a shallow baking pan with water.
7. Arrange mushrooms with filling on top.
8. Cover and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.
9. Remove cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Tip: For advance preparation, filled mushroom caps can be frozen.

Enjoy! Who do you think will win?

Several fans have requested Crock-Pot recipes for cold winter months.  Crock-Pots (and all slow cookers) are fantastic—you just pop everything in there and set it, and when you get home, you've got a hot meal all ready to go.  For those of us strapped for time, it's a real lifesaver.

 

Celebrate the season with appetizers, cheeses, and other party platter staples from Grocery Outlet.  We have everything you need for your next holiday party!

Want to start your party with something warm?  Claim Jumper buffalo chicken wings are only $4.99 for a 22 oz box.  You save $3.  El Monterey Taquitos are $2.99 for a 10 ct package, and you can choose from chicken or steak.  You save $2.  Or start off with a Tiger Bay shrimp ring, 10 oz for only $3.99!  You save $2.  President Brie is only $1.49 for a 6 oz wedge.  You save up to $3.50—pop out the crackers!

For a quick and easy holiday dip, try this recipe.  You can find all the ingredients at Grocery Outlet.  The green spinach and red bell pepper make it super festive.

 

The days are crisp and the nights are chilly. Our idea of a perfect fall dinner is a tender pork roast and oven roasted garlic potatoes. Try this recipe with Tyson Fresh Pork Sirloin Roast (2-pack) at only $1.89 per lb. (You save $1.10 per lb.)

 

 

Pork Roast
Serves 6

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds boneless pork loin roast

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large, resealable plastic bag, mix rosemary, garlic salt, thyme, and pepper.
Place pork roast in the bag, seal, and toss until thoroughly coated with the garlic salt mixture. Transfer to a medium baking dish.
3. Cook pork roast 1 hour in the preheated oven, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F

 

The perfect accompaniment is these potatoes—and they're super easy too! A 5 lb bag of potatoes is only $0.99 at Grocery Outlet right now. You save up to $2.

 

Oven Roasted Potatoes
Serves 6

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
6 medium russet potatoes, quartered
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 1/2 tsp. rosemary, dried or fresh
1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a square roasting pan combine oil and butter. Heat in oven 3 minutes to melt butter.
3. Add potatoes and garlic.
Sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper over potatoes. Shake pan to coat potatoes evenly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, shaking pan occasionally so potatoes will brown on all sides.

Happy frugal fall!  Oh, and stay tuned for news of our upcoming wine sale!

Getting out the door each morning can be a challenge, especially now that school is starting up again.  With this in mind, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite ideas for getting out the door with a good breakfast in hand.

 

Oatmeal-On-The-Run!
Instant oatmeal is a filling and comforting breakfast.  Put the oatmeal with your kids' favorite toppings in small, repurposed jars (jam and condiment jars are great for re-use) on the weekend, then all they have to do is grab and go the next morning with a little hot water and a stir.

Ingredients (per jar)
½ cup instant oatmeal
¼ cup any of the following to taste: raisins, dried chopped apples, crushed walnuts or pecans, blueberries, strawberries, etc.
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. sugar, brown or white

You will need ½ cup boiling/very hot water to add to the jar.  Stir and add more water depending on the consistency desired.  Warning: jar will be *hot* so wrap in paper towels to protect hands, or combine and stir in jar and then pour into a bowl to eat.

Serves 1.


Eggs-A-Go-Go!
Kelly, one of our resident bargainistas, came up with this fantastic make-ahead idea.

Ingredients
8 eggs
¼ cup diced onion
½ cup chopped spinach
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

Coat a standard 6 cup muffin tin evenly with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs until fluffy.  Add in veggies and cheese and mix until combined.  Spoon into the muffin tin evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes, or until eggs are fluffy and rise above the top of the muffin tin.  Let cool completely, and store overnight in the fridge.  Warm up for 30 seconds in the microwave for a quick and very easy breakfast.  (And you get protein and veggies!)  These last about a week in the fridge.

Serves 6.

Enjoy the last warm days and cool evenings of summer with these inexpensive party and cookout tips.

Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

Vegetable kabobs are delicious, healthy and very easy to make.  Here’s our favorite recipe.  (You can use almost any kind of firm vegetable.  These are our favorites.)

2 zucchini, cut into 2" chunks
2 yellow squash, cut into 2" chunks
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, cleaned
2 red and green bell peppers, cut into 2" chunks
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
2 ears sweet corn, cut into 2" chunks
16 whole cherry tomatoes
8 oz. teriyaki sauce

Wash vegetables except mushrooms. Brush mushrooms clean. Prepare vegetables according to recipe. Cook corn in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Toss vegetables in teriyaki sauce. Thread vegetables onto skewers. Place on grill over medium-hot heat. Baste occasionally with teriyaki sauce. Grill 20 minutes or until tender.
Serves 8.

You can also add cubes of beef, pork, or chicken to get in some protein.  Grocery Outlet has a bunch of tasty options for you to try.  Just make sure the kabobs are cooked through, and then enjoy with this easy Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce.

 

Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce
1 ½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt
¾ cup finely chopped cilantro
4 ½ tbsps. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsps. finely chopped garlic
¾ tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt

Stir together all ingredients, then chill, covered, at least 30 minutes (for flavors to blend). Bring to room temperature before serving.

 

 

For dessert, you can have fruit kabobs.  Fruit can also be grilled, or eaten fresh on skewers.  Kids love stringing their own skewers and dipping them in our tangy and sweet yogurt dipping sauce.  Try strawberries, oranges, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes, and chunks of banana (sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice to slow down the browning process for the banana if you’re not going to serve immediately).  

Fruit Dip
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. whipped topping
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Let cream cheese soften to room temperature. Combine all ingredients in a large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth.  Serve immediately. 
Serves 8.


Top off your party with some frugal, fabulous Sangria.  

Sangria
1 bottle dry red wine
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 lg. lemon, sliced
1/2 lg. orange, sliced
2 c. club soda, Sprite, or Seven-Up

In large pitcher, combine all ingredients except club soda. Chill in refrigerator from 2 to 24 hours. Just before serving, add 2 cups club soda to pitcher. Serve over cracked ice in large glass goblet with a slice of lemon and orange.