Thrifty Thursday!! Healthy Dinner Idea!

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I thought it would be fun to set aside a certain day of the week to post a specific frugal meal idea using items that we have in our stockpiles or current sales!  I will try to do this each week and would love to share some of your menu ideas as well!  I hope you enjoy this addition to the website, please let me know what you think!!

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One of the cheapest and easiest ways to feed your family is to use pasta as a base for your meals.  We go through a ton of pasta because it’s so easy to grab for completely free or at most $0.25 a box when using coupons.  But how do you make it healthy?  Well, quite simply toss in some seasonal veggies and use a great family favorite pasta sauce.   You will be surprised at how your family will gobble up this healthy but hearty recipe!

VEGGIE PASTA BAKE: 

1 16oz. Box Rotini

1 Yellow Squash – cubed

1 Zucchini – cubed

1 Bell Pepper diced

1 Medium Yellow or White Onion Diced

1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic OR equivalent Garlic Powder

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning Blend

1 Large (24oz) Jar Pasta Sauce

1 8oz. Container Fat Free Cottage Cheese

1/2 Cup Shredded Low Fat Skim Mozzearella

Tools Needed: Large stockpot for cooking pasta.  Large Skillet for sauteing vegetables.  9″x13″ casserole dish for “bake”.  Utensils for stirring.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook Pasta as directed, drain and set aside.  In large skillet saute squash, zucchini, bell pepper, onion and garlic until tender.  Mix drained pasta, vegetables sauce, and seasonings together with cottage cheese. Pour into pre-sprayed casserole dish.  Top with shredded mozzarella and bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and top is bubbling.  Serve with side salad or garlic toast.  YUMMY!

COST BREAKDOWN:  $4.62 for 12 servings

Pasta – BOGO $1.29 paired with mfg coupons making each box as low as FREE

Squash – $0.50 – sale price

Zucchini – $0.50 – sale price

Bell Pepper – $0.69 – sale price

Onion – $0.49 – sale price

Sauce  – BOGO sale minus mfg coupons usually make each jar only $0.50 or less

Cottage Cheese – $1.09 – store brand or sale with coupon can bring this cheaper

Mozzarella – $0.35 – sale price after coupon (this cost is the price of that portion not entire package)

Seasonings & Oil – Negligible

See there?  It is easy to make and easy on the budget too!  My family LOVES this recipe! Do you have a frugal recipe that you like to make and would be willing to share with your coupon friends?  If so, please email me and I will include it in one of the upcoming editions of Thrifty Thursday!!

Make sure you check in on our facebook fan page or our facebook chat page to say hi and hang out with all of your coupon freak friends!  We are having a blast over there!

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