Fast N’ Easy Cheap Italian Casserole Recipe
Do you need a recipe that is simple, cheap, and still tastes great? Here is my quick Italian Baked Casserole which should cost less than $10 to make and will feed 8 people. Of course, it will also feed 4 people and provide you with leftovers you can freeze to reheat on another busy day!
You need: 2 lbs ground meat (i.e. hamburger, ground turkey, etc.) , 1/2 cup of macaroni or similar pasta (I like the high fiber kind), 1 26oz can of spaghettis sauce (any flavor you like), chopped up onions, green peppers or other veggies to taste, additional herbs to taste (i.e. rosemary, Italian season mix).
I like to brown and crumble the meat to reduce the fat content, but sometimes I just do that as part of the defrosting process if the meat is frozen. I have used hamburger or ground turkey, or sometimes I use 1 pound of each.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
That’s it. I like to coat the bototm of a casserole dish with a bit of cooking spray to make clean up easier, but you don’t need to do it. Then spread the uncooked macaroni on the bottom of the dish. Don’t worry, it will cook as the mixture is baking. Then mix up the meat, sauce, chopped up veggies, and additional herbs in a bowl, and spread the mixture on top of the pasta.
Cover the dish with foil or an oven safe cover, and let it bake for 1 hour. While it is cooking, you can take a break, do the dishes, surf the net, make a salad, or catch up on the cable news.
After you take it out, it will be hot, so take off the cover and let it cool for a few minutes before serving, especially if you are serving younger kids. I love to make a 1 dish meal with this because it has pasta, meat, and veggies, but a salad, fruit cup, or applesauce make a nice side dish too. As a mom and working woman, I am a big fan of simple, 1 dish meals!
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Got an extra dollar to spare … For your Credit Cards?
So can you spare a buck a day?
If so, maybe you can apply an extra $30 a month to your credit card bill. If so, you will be paying to finance $360 a year less, which with interest rates approaching 27% on some cards can be substantial! This is especially true if you have only been paying the minimum balance and found that you are not getting anywhere trying to pay off your balances.
This same approach can also work on car loans and some mortgages. Look at the monthly payment as a minimum and try to kick in a bit extra when you can. I am here to tell you, but nothing is so satisfying as watching those balances decline so you can think about the day when you do not have monthly loan balances to make payments on!
In addition to saving money in the long run, you will also reduce the length of time it takes to pay the bill off. So go ahead and buy the cheap coffee instead of the grande latte, and get that debt paid off!
If you haven’t been here already, why not visit our online debt payoff calculator and see how fast you can lower that debt?
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Prepare for a Recession
Well, now there is no doubt about the fact that the US, and the world, is enduring an economic downturn. We have been watching financial leaders and politicians deny if long enough, but even they are admitting it now. However, as much as we are all struggling to watch our expenses and keep our savings, we do find that some people do ok during a recession, and some people even prosper! What is the difference between those that can barely survive the crisis, and those that make out ok? I think the difference is being, just like a Boy Scout, prepared!
Look for some practical tips here: Surviving a Recession. It is mostly downhome advice like saving money, reducing debt and preparing yourself for a job loss. But it also contains some unique tips on making some income during unemployment with freelance jobs that you may not have thought of.
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Finding Family Health Insurance Yourself
I am back with another article about insurance, but that is because I have some background in the subject. And even though the economy is all the news, people are still having problems finding affordable health insurance to cover their families in case of a major illness or accident. This is especially true for self employed people, or those with a job that does not provide health benefits. However, even people who are lucky enough to get health insurance from their jobs find that premiums are increasing, and their coverage limits are plunging, which all means these people have to carry a higher burden when they seek medical services.
PPO, HSA, or Something Else?
So I want to help people choose the best health plan for their families. The article linked to in the previous statement covers the essential definitions of PPO, HSA, HMO, indemnity, and mini med health plans. If you have a choice between health plans, you will find that the best choice depends upon your own budget, habits, and expectations. For instance, disciplined savers who like to control their health spending will want to look at Health Savings Account (HSA) compatible plans. Those who want something easier to manage may be happier with an HMO or PPO plan.
Of course, most of you want to know how much it all costs. Find the best individual health insurance for your family with fast and free quotes from your area.
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