Yummy Cheap Meal

That title says it all for me: I love Yummy Cheap Meals! I'm a foodie and a frugalista wrapped in one; which can pose interesting challenges when creating menu plans. I absolutely love Rachael Ray's $10 spot in her magazine: it's a section where she shares recipes that feed a family of 4 for under $10! For real!

I tried one of her newest under $10 meals the other night and it was a hit at our house!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
Rachael Ray EveryDay Magazine, April 2010

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces pepperoni, cut up into small cubes (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce **I jazzed up plan tomato sauce with basil and oregano which is even cheaper!**
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (I didn't have this on hand)
1 red bell pepper, sliced (I also didn't have this on hand)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Gread a 24 cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tablespoon basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining basil. Serve the puffs and red pepper slices with the sauce for dipping.

**I used regular tomato sauce which is like .25/can and had green beans instead of pepper slices**

According to Rachael research if you use everything in her recipe exactly
(fresh basil, red pepper, etc) the
TOTAL is: $6.46; if you break it down that's only $1.62/Person!

That's what I call a yummy-cheap-meal:) ENJOY!