The slow cooker celebration continues! Tonight’s recipe is a bit against all I believe as a Frugal Flamingo.
- It throws health out the window
- It contains processed ingredients
- It is not a frugal recipe.
So why share it here? A friend passed this along to me to consider for Slow Cooker week. The recipe looked so interesting. Plus, she is a fantastic cook, so I decided to try it.
As I purchased my ingredients, I recognized how expensive this recipe is compared to my Tortilla Soup. I decided to turn it into a great example of what can drive up a grocery bill!
If you are not choosing your recipes wisely, you will have difficulty lowering your bill. Cans and seasoning packets can add up quickly! Not to mention the health aspects.
However, I believe there is a time when a more costly recipe is still a wiser choice. It is cheaper than eating out! It is almost always cheaper.
We all thought this meal was da bomb. Well, hubby hasn’t eaten it yet, but I have faith he will like it too. I can see this recipe making my menu rotation every 4-6 weeks. It won’t make my week night menu, but it would be an awesome meal to have waiting when we arrive home from church on Sunday. For me, Sunday lunches have been a weakness for ordering out.
I believe in balance and moderation. It is ok to have a non frugal recipe and somewhat gluttonous recipe once in awhile. If it is a frequent choice, your wallet and thighs may get angry.
So here is your recipe:
Angel Chicken
Here are your links to print: Print Recipe | Printable grocery list4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ c. butter or margarine
1 envelope dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing
½ c. white wine (or cooking wine)
1 can Campbells Golden mushroom soup condensed—look in the soup aisle—it is there, tricky to find sometimes.
½ of an 8 oz. tub of cream cheese with chives and onion—dairy case with cream cheese
Hot cooked angel hair pasta
To make in crockpot: Layer chicken in the crockpot. Pour sauce over all and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Chicken breasts cook quickly so do not let go too long or they will dry out. If sauce becomes too thick (or you know you are going to be gone more than 6 hours), you can add some canned chicken broth to it to thin. Sauce should be thin enough to pour over chicken and pasta.To make in oven: In saucepan, melt butter. Add dressing mix, white wine and blend well. Stir in undiluted soup. Blend in cream cheese. Heat gently and stir until smooth. Arrange chicken in baking dish and pour sauce over all. Bake at 325 covered for one hour. Serve over pasta.
*of note: I used 1 1/2 lbs of chicken and it was plenty of sauce. Also, may add a little less wine to please the kids palates a bit more.
Personally, I would like to take it over the frugal edge next time and add shrimp and mushrooms. It would be superb.
Are you anxious to try it?
Join me tomorrow as I share yet another slow cooker recipe. Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, RSS or on Facebook.
Love this recipe, even though I generally avoid processed food, but sometimes this kind of thing just hits the spot. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say that I don't really think this has to be more expensive than the tortilla soup. Chicken breast can be gotten for about the same or cheaper than the ground turkey in the tortilla soup. I got some today for $2.99/lb. Generic store-brand cream cheese is quite cheap (about $1.25 here). My grocery store makes a good generic of Good Seasons that's something like $1.50 for 4 packets, so less than 40 cents for this recipe. I keep a decent but cheap box of white wine in the fridge for cooking... never goes bad and it's very cost-effective. $8 for a liter and a half, so maybe 50 cents or so of wine in this dish. The Campbell's soup is $1.50, so not super-cheap, but not bad. And pasta is very cheap. I could make this whole recipe for about $10, and feed 4, maybe 6 people with it. Not bad at all!