Happy Money Saver

15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!)

2026-02-05T16:22:44Z

Easy freezer meals (like, actually easy) do indeed exist and I’ve created the best ones ever.. right here. And I’m so excited to share them with you all!

You ever feel like your life is just waaaaayyy too busy? That’s me most days too. There are so many things to do that I’d rather just crawl into my closet to hide rather than deal with it all. For reals.

I’m an LDS stay-at-home-mom of four kids with a full-time blogging business…. constantly trying to reevaluate what is really important, and trying to find balance. Ever trying to start new chore charts that work for about two weeks ( because I’m weak…) Trying daily to keep to a schedule, trying to ignore that messy pile of dishes I never got to today.

Trying to get through the massive to-do lists, keep a budget and pay the bills, do church callings and trying to spend quality time with my kids and husband.

Trying to do it all and never getting it all done.

Trying not to remember last night.. when making dinner hadn’t even crossed my mind all day. Seriously, I hadn’t even thought about dinner, and around 7 pm the kids were all like..”Maaaam, what’s for dinner? And there’s me ” Ummm…I don’t know! It’s too late for me to make a big meal. How about cereal? Or the leftovers from 2 days ago? You’re on your own!” Yes, I did say that. But, to be fair, my kids at home are 12 and 13, so… it’s not total abuse, right?…ahem.

But still, in the deepest part of my soul, there is something that just gives me joy when I can make my family a really good healthy homecooked meal. And if they tell me they all love the meal? That is everything I need! I think about it for days!

The dishes, the laundry? I can ignore those if I need to, but if my family doesn’t eat well ..it’s guilt-town for me.

You ever feel that way too? If you do, I’m glad. I mean, not glaaad, because well, feeling this way sucks. But glad because at least you and I are in crazy town together!

Nevertheless, I do have one thing that has helped me every single time at least with this whole dinner thing. And I promise it can help you out too.

Freezer meals. Yep. They are a total game changer.

I can take one day and make up a bunch of healthy, easy freezer meals and BAM! My life is 59% less stressed.

I’ll have a whole bunch of dinners ready to go, then on those days when I haven’t thought about dinner, I can just open up the freezer and pick one to toss into my instant pot or into the oven. And the days when I do remember in the morning that dinner is coming soon…ha! I can just grab one out and toss it in the slow cooker. And breathe a sigh of relief knowing that dinner is done.

Another benefit is when I do a bunch of meals in one day, I may have a lot of dishes to clean that one day, but hardly any to do the rest of the month. It’s so nice. Because I really really hate doing dishes. Like really. Hate. hate. hate.

I’ve been getting a lot of requests lately for EASY & HEALTHY freezer meals.

Also a lot of requests for freezer meals for new moms or moms who are expecting/pregnant who want to get as many good tasting meals made up in the shortest amount of time, so they aren’t on their feet all day long making freezer meals. They want to be all ready and prepared so they can enjoy those sweet baby moments of snuggle time… (oh how I remember those days!) So I know this post of easy freezer meals can help you new moms out there too!

And as some of you may know, I’ve been making freezer meals for as long as I can remember.

Now, there are some freezer meals that take a long time to make (but can be worth it), for example, most lasagnas. And there are some easy freezer meals are super fast to make, that you can prep in 15 minutes flat or less. Those are the ones I’m focusing on in this post. The easy ones. And in order to be considered easy freezer meals they had to meet a certain bunch of my requirements.

To be considered easy freezer meals (like, actually easy) they needed to be:

Freezer meals that even beginners could make, not complicated
Freezer meals that are quick! They need to take 15 minutes or less each to prep.
Freezer meals that don’t require cooking first before you prep. And minimal veggie chopping too.
Freezer meals that you don’t have to thaw overnight first.
Freezer meals that are actually healthy too, like using real foods, or having some gluten-free and vegetarian options too.
Freezer meals that are kid friendly and taste amazing ..like ones your family after trying actually says, “Whoa, this is soo good!”

So I decided to look through some of my own freezer meal recipes on Happymoneysaver, to figure out which ones would work great for this easy freezer meals list, and found some awesome ones. Then I decided to create some new recipes as well!

And so… in all it’s glory, I present to you 15 of the easiest freezer meals of all time that are super delicious and healthy too.

BUT FIRST- HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT LINKS!

Free printable of these 15 easy freezer meal recipes
Freezer Meals for beginners tips
Freezer Meal tips, favorite recipes & FAQ
Freezer meals containers I love
Join our freezer meal facebook group community (we have a blast!)

Oh you guys are going to love these. LOVE THESE! It’s the best list of easy freezer meals online right now!

15 EASY FREEZER MEALS

BEEF AND BROCCOLI TERIYAKI
no cook-prep, gluten-free, dairy free, skillet meal, easy freezer meals
serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 lb thinly sliced steak (I buy mine pre-sliced to save time)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup soy or tamari sauce
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3-4 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
On cooking day: 3-4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

1. Add sliced steak + cornstarch into gallon-sized freezer bag. Shake bag until all sides of steak pieces are coated. Seal bag, removing air.
2. In a small bowl (or place directly into quart sized freezer bag) combine tamari or soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil and red pepper flakes.

MAKE IT NOW
Add 3-4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil to a wok or large skillet and heat on high. Add steak into wok and stir-fry, separating pieces and stirring constantly until the majority of the pieces have some golden or crispy edges on them, about 3-4 minutes. Add broccoli, cook 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender. Add sauce, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until sauce slightly thickens. Serve.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
Label a new gallon-sized freezer bag. Add to labeled bag the sealed steak with cornstarch bag, sealed sauce bag, and add in broccoli florets on top. Seal bags together and freeze.

QUICK THAW: Thaw steak and sauce packets quickly by running under warm water until you can break the packets up. Or place the whole kit in the fridge first thing in the morning so the meat will be thawed by dinner time.

COOK IN WOK OR LARGE SKILLET: Add 3-4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil over high heat. Pour steak into wok, stir-fry, separating pieces and stirring constantly until the majority of the pieces have some golden or crispy edges on them, about 3-4 minutes. Add broccoli, cook 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender. Add sauce, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until sauce slightly thickens. Serve.

SESAME HONEY CHICKEN LETTUCE CUPS
no cook-prep, gluten-free, dairy-free, skillet meal, easy freezer meals
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp (1 mL) red pepper flakes

On cooking day: 1 head iceberg or butter lettuce. Other optional toppings: shredded carrots, finely sliced cucumber, sliced green onion, crispy rice noodles

1. Add sliced chicken + cornstarch into gallon-sized freezer bag. Shake bag until all sides of chicken pieces are coated. Seal bag, removing air.
2. In a small bowl (or place directly into quart sized freezer bag) combine honey, tamari or soy sauce, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.

MAKE IT NOW
Add 3-4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil to a wok or large skillet and heat on high. Add chicken into wok and stir-fry, separating pieces and stirring constantly until the majority of the pieces have some golden or crispy edges on them, about 4 minutes. Add sauce, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes until sauce is boiling and slightly thickens. Serve in lettuce cups and top with additional toppings if desired.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
Label a new gallon-sized freezer bag. Add to labeled bag the sealed chicken with cornstarch bag and sealed sauce bag. Seal bags together and freeze.

QUICK THAW: Thaw chicken and sauce packets quickly by running under warm water until you can break the packets up. Or place the whole kit in the fridge first thing in the morning so the meat will be thawed by dinner time.

COOK IN WOK OR LARGE SKILLET: Add 3-4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil over high heat. Add chicken into wok and stir-fry, separating pieces and stirring constantly until the majority of the pieces have some golden or crispy edges on them, about 4 minutes. Add sauce, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes until sauce is boiling and slightly thickens. Serve in lettuce cups and top with additional toppings if desired.

PESTO TORTELLINI BAKE
freezer-to-oven meal
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 lb cheese tortellini, frozen or fresh
2 jars alfredo sauce
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (optional for vegetarian)
1/2 cup pesto
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
9×13 metal or foil baking pan or (2) 8×8 baking pans

1. In a large bowl combine tortellini, alfredo sauce, chicken if using, pesto, and mozzarella cheese.
2. Pour into baking dish. Top with shredded parmesan cheese.

MAKE IT NOW
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and let bake an additional 10 minutes until golden and bubbly all over. Serve.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to remove as much air as possible, then cover with foil. Label and freeze.

BAKE FROM FROZEN: Remove plastic and foil, then cover again with foil. Bake covered at 375°F for 50 minutes. Remove foil and let bake an additional 10 minutes until golden and bubbly all over. Serve.

EASY RAVIOLI LASAGNA
freezer-to-oven meal, vegetarian
serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS
1 pound frozen Ravioli
24 ounces pasta sauce
8 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach
15 ounces Fat Free Ricotta
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups mozzarella shredded

1. Break up frozen spinach into a small bowl, mix in ricotta and garlic.
2. Put a thin layer of red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
3. Lay down your first layer of raviolis. top with half the spinach mixture, then 1/3 of the red sauce, then 1/2 a cup of mozzarella. Repeat this layer again.
4. Top with remaining ravioli, then red sauce, then mozzarella.

MAKE IT NOW
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and let bake an additional 10 minutes until golden and bubbly all over. Serve.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to remove as much air as possible, then cover with foil. Label and freeze.

BAKE FROM FROZEN: Remove plastic and foil, then cover again with foil. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 1 hour . Remove foil and bake for 20 -30 minutes more minutes until golden, bubbly and all the pasta is cooked through.

THAI PEANUT CHICKEN SATAY
no cook-prep, gluten-free, dairy-free, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
14 oz can coconut milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp curry powder yellow
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. In a medium bowl combine coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, ginger, tamari, honey, sesame oil, garlic, curry powder, cumin, garam masala and red pepper flakes. Whisk all together until smooth. Add chicken.

MAKE IT NOW
Add chicken and sauce to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
Transfer chicken and sauce to a labeled container or freezer bag and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, transfer chicken and sauce into an instant pot. Add in 1/4 cup water or chicken broth. Cook for 15 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer chicken and sauce into an instant pot. Cook for 12 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From thawed or freshly made, transfer chicken and sauce into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low 6 hours.

SERVE WITH: My favorite way to serve this is in lettuce cups with chopped fresh cilantro and peanuts on top, but this is also great served over rice, in burritos, or on a salad.

CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN
no cook-prep, gluten-free, dairy-free, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup orange juice
1 cup chicken broth
juice of 2 fresh limes
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 tbsp ground cumin

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Add to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Saute for 5 minutes or until you have about 1/4 cup of liquids. Cook for 12 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6 hours.

SERVE WITH: My favorite way to serve this is homemade burrito bowls. Just add rice, sour cream, guac and cilantro for a super delicious meal. Tacos and nachos are great ways to serve this as well.

CUBE STEAKS WITH GRAVY
no cook-prep, dairy-free, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
6 cube steaks
2 cups water
1 cup pureed yellow or white onion
1/2 cup soy or tamari sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp beef bouillon
1 tsp salt
dash pepper

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Add to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Add 1/4 cup water. Cook for 23 minutes at high pressure, then do quick release. Place on saute. Remove steaks. Whisk in a small bowl 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Pour mixture into the liquids left in the Instant Pot. Whisk continually until gravy starts to thicken. Add cubed steaks back into the pot, heat until warmed through then serve.

From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 20 minutes at high pressure, then do quick release. Place on saute. Remove steaks. Whisk in a small bowl 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Pour mixture into the liquids left in the Instant Pot. Whisk continually until gravy starts to thicken. Add cubed steaks back into the pot, heat until warmed through then serve.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove steaks. Transfer remaining liquid to medium saucepan. Whisk in a small bowl 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Bring saucepan liquids to simmer over medium-high heat. Slowly add while whisking the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Whisk continually until gravy starts to thicken. Add cubed steaks into the pot, and heat until warmed through, then serve.

SERVE WITH: So delicious served over buttery mashed potatoes and a side of green vegetables.

CHICKEN FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
no cook-prep, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs/1 kg)
1/2 large onion, pureed
2 tsp butter, diced
14.5 oz can beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp garlic, minced (about 6 cloves)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
On serving day: 6 slices Havarti cheese + 6 hoagie rolls

1. In a large bowl mix together onion, butter, beef broth, Worcestershire, cornstarch, garlic, salt, parsley, pepper, and thyme. Add chicken and transfer to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Add to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Saute for 5 minutes or until you have about 1/4 cup of liquids. Cook for 30 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 28 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours.

TO SERVE: Shred chicken. Toast hoagie rolls under the broiler until golden. Place some shredded chicken on hoagie bottom, and top with a slice of havarti cheese. Spoon off fat or use fat separator on liquids left in crock pot. Serve this “jus” into small bowls and serve with each sandwich for dipping.

CHICKPEA WILD RICE SOUP
no cook-prep, gluten-free, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal, vegetarian
serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup uncooked wild rice
1 can chickpeas, drained
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp (1 mL) celery salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 lb chicken breasts (optional)

On serving day:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cornstarch
2-1/2 cups whole milk

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Add to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Add 1/4 cup water. Cook for 30 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 28 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours.

TO SERVE: After cooking in Instant Pot or Crock Pot, shred chicken if using. In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add cornstarch and whisk for 30 seconds until smooth. Add in whole milk and whisk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add to soup and stir gently until all blended together and creamy. Serve.

LOADED POTATO SOUP
no cook-prep, gluten-free, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal, vegetarian
serves 6

INGREDIENTS

32 oz bag frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 large onion, pureed or diced
1 cup shredded carrots
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup butter, cut into slices
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp celery salt
8 oz package diced or cubed ham (optional)

On serving day:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Add hash browns, onion, carrots, broth, garlic, butter, salt, pepper, celery salt and ham (optional) to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Add to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Saute for 5 minutes or until you have about 1/4 cup of liquids. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 5 hours or low 7-8 hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6 hours.

TO SERVE: After cooking in Instant Pot or Crock Pot, add in heavy cream and stir until well combined. Serve topped with cheddar cheese, bacon bits or sour cream if desired.

EASY SAUSAGE GUMBO
no cook-prep, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal, whole30
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
12 oz Smoked turkey or Kielbasa sausage, sliced into thin slices
10 oz okra, fresh or frozen
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
28 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juices
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 dashes tabasco or hot sauce

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Transfer contents to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Add 1/4 cup water. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 5-6hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low 4-5 hours.

SERVE WITH: So delicious served over rice and a crisp green salad or corn-on-the-cob.

This recipe can also be found on it’s own page on my blog here: Easy Sausage Gumbo Recipe

BEEF BARLEY STEW
no cook-prep, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 lb beef stew meat, diced small
1-1/4 cups diced carrot, fresh or frozen
1 onion, diced or pureed
3 ribs celery, diced
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup pearl barley
5 cups water
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp Beef Bouillon powder

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Transfer contents to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Add 1/4 cup water. Cook for 30 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 27 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 5 hours or low 9 hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 8-9 hours.

SERVE WITH: My fav is a sprinkling of parmesan cheese along with a slice of crusty bread slathered with butter.

This recipe can also be found on it’s own page on my blog here: Slow Cooker Beef Barley Stew

SHREDDED BEEF FAJITAS
no cook-prep, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal, whole30
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 lb beef roast or beef chuck steak
1 onion, pureed or diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup beef broth
2 tsp minced garlic
12 oz ground chorizo

1. Cut roast or steak into around 4 large pieces. Add beef, onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, broth, and garlic to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot. Then pinch small pieces of ground chorizo and add into mixture. Stir gently to combine.

MAKE IT NOW: Transfer contents to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Saute for 5 minutes or until you have about 1/4 cup of liquids. Cook for 60 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 55 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 7 hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 5-6 hours.

TO SERVE: After cooking in Instant Pot or Slow cooker, shred roast, removing any fatty pieces, then place back into pot and stir to combine. Drain excess liquid if desired. Serve meat mixture in warmed tortillas and garnish with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

This recipe can also be found on it’s own page on my blog here: Instant Pot Shredded Beef Fajitas freezer meal recipe

SWEET & TENDER BBQ RIBS
no cook-prep, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6

INGREDIENTS
2-3 lbs boneless pork country-style ribs
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup bbq sauce
salt and pepper

On serving day: 1 cup favorite barbecue sauce (I love my homemade BBQ sauce recipe!)

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot.

MAKE IT NOW: Transfer contents to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Cook for 50 minutes at high pressure then allow 20 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 45 minutes at high pressure, then allow 20 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on low 7-8 hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

TO SERVE: After cooking in Instant Pot or Slow cooker, remove ribs, discard juices. Place meat back into pot, add bbq sauce and stir gently to coat. Serve.

I’ve adapted this recipe to make it a little simpler from a recipe on my blog here: Boneless Country Style BBQ Ribs

BEST EVER HEALTHY TURKEY CHILI
no cook-prep, instant pot meal, crockpot meal, easy freezer meal
serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, with juices
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1/4 cup diced onions
2 tsp minced garlic
4 oz can diced green chilis
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb extra lean ground turkey

1. Add tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, onion, garlic, chilis, kidney beans, black beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt to a gallon sized freezer bag or container for instant pot. Then pinch small pieces of ground turkey and add into mixture. Stir gently to combine.

MAKE IT NOW: Transfer contents to either the instant pot or crockpot and cook as directed below.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL: Seal bag or container, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK IN INSTANT POT
From frozen, add contents into an instant pot. Saute for 5 minutes or until you have about 1/4 cup of liquids. Cook for 20 minutes at high pressure then allow 10 minutes for natural release.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into an instant pot. Cook for 17 minutes at high pressure, then allow 10 minutes for natural release.

COOK IN CROCK POT
From frozen, transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low 6-7 hours.
From thawed or freshly made, transfer into slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low 5-6 hours.

SERVE WITH: My fav is a topping the chili with a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. Sooo good!

I may not have all my stuff together when it comes to being too busy, and hopefully one day I’ll find balance. But at least I can make up some freezer meals to survive. I hope you love these 15 super duper easy freezer meals and they help you save lots of time!

LEARN MORE FREEZER MEALS TIPS

The post 15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

25+ Perfect DIY Valentines for Kids

2026-02-05T17:03:36Z

Gathering up all the most adorable & perfect DIY Valentines for kids in this post has made me really nostalgic. All these ideas are so fun, so easy and any kid would love to bring these fun Valentines to give at the school party.

The best part? These Valentine’s Day ideas I’ve shared all have free printable tags so all you have to do is buy a little toy or treat, print out the tags and you are good to go. So easy!!! And thrifty too.

25+ DIY VALENTINES FOR KIDS

1. You Make My Heart Glow Valentine. Glow stick Valentines! How clever and thrifty too. Use her black-n-white free printable and add a glow stick. (via Delia Creates)

2. Peel the Love Cuties Mandarin Oranges Valentine. Not only is this a cute & clever Valentine idea, it is a healthy one as well! (via Happy Money Saver)

3. You Blow Me Away Valentine. Every kid loves bubbles and this is an adorable & easy Valentine idea! Find some inexpensive bubbles (usually at Target or the dollar tree at this time of year) and print out the free tags. (via Lacey Placey)

4. So Glad We’re In the Same School Valentine. A fast and inexpensive homemade Valentine using Swedish Fish candy and a free printable tag. (via I Heart Naptime)

5. You Light Up My World Finger Light Valentine. These finger lights are all the rage! Just attach them to the free printable valentine and you’re good to go. (via Design Mom)

6. Narwal Valentine. The free printable and cute spiral suckers make for the cutest homemade valentine ever! I’d even want to get this Valentine! (via The Cards We Drew)

7. Hey Valentine, I Think You’re A Star (Starburst Candy Valentine). This homemade valentine you’ll have fun getting your kids to paint on the stars! (via It’s Always Autumn)

8. Squishy Valentines. Oh how funny and fun these squishy valentines are. Stick them on the free printables and you’re done! (via Paper Heart Family)

9. Tiny Animal Valentines. Using little dinosaur toys! How awesome are those! (via Sweet C’s Designs)

10. Superhero Lollipops Valentines. Superheroes are a fun idea for Valentine Treats and this Tootsie Roll Sucker is so adorable! (via Made to be a Momma)

11. Blow Me a Kiss Valentine Valentine’s Day is all about love and being sweet! This is a perfect little idea to use for classrooms or with friends! (via The Frugal Girls)

12. It Takes a BIG Heart to Help Shape Little Minds Valentine. Be sure that you do not forget the teachers on Valentine’s day! This is a small way to say thank you for all of the hard work that they do! (via Happy Money Saver)

13. Friendship Bracelet Valentine. This is a very cute and thoughtful Valentine Idea if you need a non-candy idea! (via Dandee-Designs)

14. Hope You Have a Ball Valentine. Bouncy balls are always a ton of fun and this would be a great frugal Valentine’s Day classroom swap idea! (via Happy Money Saver)

15. Lucky Charms Cereal Valentine. This is absolutely adorable! This is made with mini boxes of Lucky Charms cereal and would be great for kids and adults! (via Lily Jane)

16. Don’t Go Changin’ Valentines using Chocolate Coins. This is a very clever idea and everyone loves chocolate! (via Jacolyn Murphy)

17. I Chews You Bubblegum Machine Valentine. This valentine is a favorite for kids of all ages. (via Savings Lifestyle)

18. I “Wheelie” Like You Valentine. Uses dollar store cars! If you have little boys that want something a little special on Valentine’s Day, this would be a super cute and fun way to do that! (via Creating Really Awesome Fun Things)

19. Ring Pop Valentines. Kids go nuts for Ring Pops, at least mine are always asking for them at the store checkout zones! This Valentine one they will sure to love. (via The Gracious Wife)

20. Riesens Why I Think You’re Sweet Valentine. Riesens are a delicious candy and this is a very sweet way to tell someone all of the different “Riesens” that you love them! (via Happy Money Saver)

22. You Rock, Valentine! Pop Rocks are such a fun candy and this is a fantastic and frugal way to make a great Valentine! (via A Small Snippet)

23. Will You O”Fish”ally Be My Valentine? Goldfish crackers are a kid favorite and this is such a cute idea for Valentine’s Day! (via Pink Peppermint Design)

24. Tic Tac Toe Valentine. Get some packages of Tic Tac’s, print off a Tic Tac Toe free printable and you’ll have an adorable homemade Valentine to give out. (via Atkinson Adventures)

25. Lego Valentines. Got some extra legos hanging around? Lego Valentines would be so cool!! (via The Resourceful Mama)

26. My Heart Pops for You Popcorn Valentines. Fill up a plastic bag with popcorn, add some washi tape, and print-and-stick the label to the bag and you’ve got the perfect DIY Valentines for kids! (via Birds Party)

MORE VALENTINES IDEAS

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“Peel” the love Valentine… Cuties Valentine Idea

2026-02-05T17:04:14Z

I am pretty much in {love} with Cuties oranges. With Valentines Day coming up, I thought to myself…why not make a Cuties Valentine for my kids to give to their friends at school? So with the idea I got to work, created little printable tags and I think they turned out super cute!

Now….I’m not one of those parents that give out tooth-brushes for Halloween or anything, but I really do love that this Valentine is a healthy snack. Plus my kids gave the idea two thumbs up, so there ya have it.

Kid approved. 🙂

Cuties Valentine Instructions

Take a Cutie orange (or tangerine) and put it in a zip lock bag. Fold the corners in and staple our free printable tag on top. Have your child sign and then you are done, easy peasy.

Or if you want to use these adorable circle tags inside the bag just print them, cut them out and add to bag with a ribbon.

I did find some little cellophane bags at the dollar store (over by the party supplies) that were the perfect size. I just used a glue dot and attached the circular printable to the orange. Then tied it up with a cute orange ribbon.

Today I am offering up these nice FREE printables to all you wonderful Happy Money Saver readers.

Click here to get your free printables: Cuties Valentines Ziploc Bag Tags or Cuties Valentines Round Heart Tags

This post is part of my Happy Thoughts series where I am trying to be more kind, more thoughtful of others & give back. See more Happy Thoughts here.

MORE VALENTINES IDEAS

The post “Peel” the love Valentine… Cuties Valentine Idea appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Printable Goal Planner (to crush your goals this year)

2026-02-05T17:02:35Z

Are you ready to achieve the success you’ve always wanted this year? This printable goal planner can be your best friend to make clear goals and achieve them. You can use it for career milestones, personal development, better relationships, and much more. This planner can help you turn your dreams into achievable action plans.

Why you’ll love these Printable Goal Planners

This goal planner is designed to help you break down your goals into actionable steps, with goal setting, ideas, tracking progress, and celebrating achievements. From career and financial goals to mental health and hobbies, you can set goals to improve each part of your life.

With this printable planner, you can also print as many copies as you want, so you’ll be able to make all the changes you need until you find what works best for you.

Check out also all our other Free Printables!

Why Use These Printable Goal Planners?

If you’ve ever struggled to stay organized or felt overwhelmed by your many goals, a printable goal planner can provide structure and clarity. Here are some reasons why they’re a game-changer:

Customizable for Every Goal: Whether you’re setting professional goals or personal ones, printable planners let you focus on what matters the most.
Affordable and Accessible: Unlike expensive physical planners, printables are budget-friendly. Once you download them, you can print them at home or at a local printing shop. Plus, they’re accessible anywhere—simply save the file to your device for easy use.
Promotes Accountability: Writing down your goals and tracking your progress helps you stay accountable. Each time you complete a step, you’ll feel accomplished and more motivated to tackle the next one.
Eco-Friendly Options: By printing only what you need, you’re reducing waste compared to buying a pre-printed planner that may include pages you’ll never use.
Boosts Productivity: Having a clear plan of action allows you to focus on your tasks without distractions. Goal planners help you prioritize your time and energy more effectively.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE PDF

Best Features

Goal Overview Page: Organize your goals by category, such as career, financial, spiritual, physical health, and hobbies.
Action Plan Page: Break down your big goals into smaller, manageable steps with deadlines.
Progress Trackers: Stay motivated by visually tracking your achievements.
Brainstorming Section: Use dotted space for sketching ideas, mind mapping, or jotting down inspirations.
Challenges and Resources: Identify potential obstacles and list the tools or people who can help you overcome them.
Celebration Section: Plan rewards for achieving milestones to keep your motivation high.

How to Use a Printable Goal Planner

Start with a Goal Overview: Use the “Goal Overview” page to categorize your goals. For example, list career goals like “Get promoted by the end of the year” or personal development goals like “Learn a new language.”
Create Actionable Steps: Use the “Goal Planner” page to break each goal into smaller tasks. For instance, if your goal is to run a 5K, your action steps might include “Research local races,” “Create a running schedule,” and “Buy proper running shoes.”
Set Deadlines: Assign realistic deadlines for each step. Having a timeline keeps you on track and prevents procrastination.
Track Your Progress: Regularly update your planner to mark completed tasks and assess your progress.
Reflect and Celebrate: Take time to review your successes and identify areas for improvement. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small, to stay motivated.

Examples of Goal Categories

Career

Organize projects and deadlines.
Map out your career trajectory.

Financial

Track your income and expenses.
Set savings goals or create a debt payoff plan.

Personal Development

Plan courses, books, or skills to learn.
Track habits like journaling or meditation.

Physical Health

Create workout schedules and meal plans.
Track your weight, water intake, or fitness milestones.

Relationships

Set goals for connecting with loved ones or building new relationships.
Plan date nights or family activities.

Mental Health

Track your mood, self-care activities, or therapy progress.

Hobbies

Schedule time for creative pursuits like painting or writing.

Download the Goal Planner

Start today by downloading the goal planner. Print the templates, grab your favorite pen, and take the first step toward crushing your goals. Remember, every big achievement starts with a clear plan!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE PDF

The post Printable Goal Planner (to crush your goals this year) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies {Freezer style}

2026-02-05T16:25:50Z

I am about to share one of my most beloved recipes.

Shh… come closer, ( beckoning you with my finger) this recipe is top secret!

Today I am giving out my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it makes a large batch, and you can freeze the cookie dough, so that you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want without having to make them. Just pop them in the oven and within 15 minutes you got yourself a wonderful breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a midnight snack. 😉

Neighbors will swoon over your amazing mom skills, when all the kids brag about how their mom always has a fresh batch of cookies waiting for them when they get home from school. And if your like me, (and if you are, I am sorry for that) you will bask in all the glory. So keep this secret between us, shall we. No one needs to know that the cookie dough was actually made several weeks earlier. Ba ha ha!

Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter (4 sticks)
1 ½ c sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 TBSP vanilla
6 c. Flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp soda
4 c. chocolate chips

Directions: Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In separate bowl whisk together flour, salt and soda. Mix well. With mixer running, add flour till well combined. Add Chocolate chips and mix well. Drop into rounded tablespoon sized portions on your cookie sheet. I line mine with parchment. Bake 350 for 9-12 min or till done.

If you would like to freeze these, here’s what I do:

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Pack as many scoops of cookies as you can fit on the sheet. Press lightly with your hand to make the top flat. Freeze for 1-2 hours until solid. Place in gallon freezer bags. If you don’t have room to put a cookie sheet in your freezer, then you can take gallon sized freezer bags and place scoops of cookie dough directly in the bag. Then Freeze. This method may be a little bit more messy, but it’s what I almost always end up doing. To bake from frozen state, just place them on cookie sheet and place in preheated 350 oven. Bake for 12-15 min. That’s it! Enjoy.

Get the Printable Version of this Recipe here:

Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make a big batch of cookies to store in the freezer for another day.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings

Calories 353kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

2 cups butter 4 sticks
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla
6 cups Flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp soda
4 cups chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In separate bowl whisk together flour, salt and soda. Mix well. With mixer running, add flour till well combined. Add Chocolate chips and mix well. Drop into rounded tablespoon sized portions on your cookie sheet. I line mine with parchment. Bake 350 for 9-12 min or till done.

Notes

If you would like to freeze these, here’s what I do: Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Pack as many scoops of cookies as you can fit on the sheet. Press lightly with your hand to make the top flat. Freeze for 1-2 hours until solid. Place in gallon freezer bags. If you don't have room to put a cookie sheet in your freezer, then you can take gallon sized freezer bags and place scoops of cookie dough directly in the bag. Then Freeze. This method may be a little bit more messy, but it's what I almost always end up doing. To bake from frozen state, just place them on cookie sheet and place in preheated 350 oven. Bake for 12-15 min.

Nutrition

—> See ALL of my Freezer Meals recipes here.

Oh and make sure and subscribe to my email e-newsletter so you can read when I post new freezer meals along with all kinds of great money saving deals each day.

The post Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies {Freezer style} appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

30 Best Gifts for Women

2025-01-22T00:41:21Z

Trying to find the perfect gifts for women on your shopping list? It isn’t always easy! I came up with the 30 BEST gifts to give to women this holiday season that’ll show how much you care about her and what she likes – there’s something here for everyone!

If you’re looking for perfect gifts for women on your shopping list, chances are she either has everything or you just aren’t sure what she’ll really LOVE. No matter the case, these gift ideas are sure to wow her and each will absolutely be something she’ll enjoy using – that’s the best part!

Here are the best gifts for women – there’s something for everyone!

BEST GIFTS FOR WOMEN 2025

1. COZY FLEECE ROBE – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – this robe will keep her cozy and warm all winter long, and beyond! Perfect to get ready in or snuggle up in after a long day.

2. PACKING CUBES – (Buy on Amazon) – if she travels a lot, these are a MUST-have. Packing cubes make everything in your suitcase so much more organized and help you be more efficient. These are a great gift idea she’ll love!

3. BLUETOOTH SPEAKER – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – whether she listens to music, podcasts, works out daily, or all of the above, you can always use a great Bluetooth speaker. This is a great one and comes in a ton of color choices.

4. TRAVEL JEWELRY ORGANIZER – (Buy on Amazon) – while this is perfect for organizing jewelry while traveling, it also has a compartment fit for her makeup. Also comes in a ton of colors, and is a perfect gift to give to the woman who has everything.

5. PINK RUNNING SNEAKERS – (Buy on Amazon) – how pretty are these? Even if she has too many shoes to count, you can’t ever have too many pairs and this is a must-add pair for her collection.

6. APPLE WATCH – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – if you’re looking for a gift that will really surprise her, give her an Apple Watch! They are such a fun gift and so incredibly convenient to have and use on a daily basis. Love this one that comes with the classic, versatile sports band.

7. SCENTED BODY LOTION – (Buy on Bath & Body Works) – these body lotions come in, literally, a thousand scents. They’re all incredible and you can’t go wrong with any whether you want to pick a holiday-themed scent or something more classic she’ll use it year-round. Giving the gift of incredible and luxurious body lotions is the way to go!

8. SLEEP HEADPHONES/EYE MASK – (Buy on Amazon) – ok, this might just be the coolest gift EVER. It’s basically a blackout eye mask that also has Bluetooth technology, so you can listen to music/TV/movies/etc. while wearing it. HOW COOL is that?!

9. CREPE MAKER – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – this is a super fun kitchen gadget that she’ll love to use on a laid-back morning or a late-night snack!

10. HEATED BLANKET – (Buy on Amazon) – I love my electric, heated blanket and I know any woman who receives this as a gift will too! It’s such a smart idea and really does keep you soo warm. This is one of the best ones, highly recommend it.

11. INSTANT POT – (Buy on Amazon) – this has to be THE most practical, most useful gift you could buy a woman (or anyone on your list, really). Instant Pots make cooking an absolute breeze. There’s nothing better!

12. BATH BOMB GIFT SET – (Buy on Amazon) – there is nothing quite as luxurious and relaxing as a bath with a fizzing, incredibly scented bath bomb in it after a long day. This gift set will help her relax and have some much-needed time for herself.

13. HEATED CAR SEAT CUSHION – (Buy on Amazon) – I love the idea of gifting these. What’s better than a cozy, warm car in the cold months of winter?

14. STAND MIXER – (Buy on Walmart) – this lightweight, easy-to-use (and clean!) mixer is a must for every kitchen. It’s perfect for whipping and mixing, and you can even get a variety of attachments to make it the ultimate kitchen tool.

15. AIR FRYER – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – love fried food but not the health part of it? Yeah, I’m with ya! An air fryer is a perfect way to enjoy delicious food without the calories. A total must-have.

16. SPERRY RAIN BOOTS – (Buy on Amazon) – how pretty are these? I love the color combo. They’re perfect for slushy snow or rain and are SO warm on your feet. A gift she’ll love and definitely won’t be expecting!

17. COLOR BLOCK WRAP-FRONT PONCHO – (Buy on Amazon) – this pretty, color-blocked wrap can be worn a number of ways and the colors are so neutral, it matches everything! An affordable gift that feels and looks super luxurious.

18. SANUK SANDAL – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – these have to be the most comfortable sandals out there, for real.

19. OPAL COUNTERTOP NUGGET ICE MAKER – (Buy on Amazon) – the perfect sized ice maker to sit atop a counter in your kitchen! This makes the perfect-sized ice cubes and is one of those underrated gifts that she, or anyone, will just love and use more than ever thought possible.

20. Hand Soap Gift Set – (Buy on Amazon) – these hand soaps are incredible, and some of the best-scented soaps you could ever use! So many different scents and these are just some of the very best. They come in an affordably priced set and are ready for you to gift!

21. BOSS LADY MUG – (Buy on Amazon) – for the woman who’s a total boss, this is a PERFECT gift.

22. TEMPUR-PEDIC PILLOW – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – these memory foam pillows make the best gifts, they’re incredibly comfortable!

23. DEEP TISSUE NECK MASSAGER – (Buy on Amazon) – she can take this to the office, keep it in her living room or just about anywhere else with how portable it is! It’s also heated, and perfect to release tension in your neck and upper back.

24. ACRYLIC MAKEUP ORGANIZER – (Buy on Amazon) – these beautiful, acrylic organizers are the perfect way to store, organize and display makeup, cosmetics, jewelry, and accessories!

25. REVLON HOT AIRBRUSH – (Buy on Amazon | Target | Walmart) – for a busy woman who likes to get ready quickly, this one-step hair drying hairbrush is a perfect two-in-one. I think I need one myself!

26. APPLE AIRPOD PROS – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – these have been one of the hottest gifts for a year or so now, and they still are! They’re the best for multi-tasking purposes.

27. FOREO LUNA FACIAL CLEANSER – (Buy on Amazon) – for the beauty guru, this is a must-have! You put your cleanser on and use this to massage it into your face for an extra deep clean.

28. COZY SLIPPERS – (Buy on Amazon) – these may look like your typical pair of cozy slippers, but they’re more… You can put them in the microwave to keep your feet extra warm! How fun is that?!

29. PLAID BLANKET SCARF – (Buy on Amazon) – this color combo is too pretty! Perfect to pair with an everyday outfit this winter.

30. WOOL WRAP COAT – (Buy on Amazon) – his coat is so versatile and it matches every outfit imaginable. Love how expensive it looks and really, it isn’t!

These gifts for women in your life are sure to be ones that she’ll love and will make her realize how much effort you put into them!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

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20 Classy & Memorable Gifts for your Boss

2024-12-29T21:27:01Z

Getting a present for your boss can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be! Here are 20 thoughtful and memorable gifts for your boss that will show your appreciation!

If you have a boss and are looking for a gift for them, but don’t want to give them the same thing as everyone else always does (Christmas Vacation style…), I’ve found 20 awesome and memorable gifts for your boss!

You always want to keep it professional but also find something that they’re appreciative of and that shows what they mean to you in the workplace. With that being said, here are the 20 most classy and memorable gifts for your boss!

20 MEMORABLE GIFTS FOR YOUR BOSS

1. Leather Tech Portfolio: this leather case is perfect for keeping all of their electronic cords organized while traveling or even just from going back and forth to the office.

2. Timex Weekender Watch: a super affordable but really, really nice watch that they can wear daily!

3. Bath Bombs: I love that these bath bombs come in a nice, pre-packaged box. Isn’t it so pretty? These bath bombs are made with different enchanting scents, they smell incredible!

4. Boss Lady Desk Sign: no better gift for a female boss that has a great sense of humor AND is a true boss lady.

5. Dotted Lunch Tote: this designer (but oh-so-affordable!) lunch tote is perfect for your boss to use every day to bring their lunch to work in!

6. Password Journal: now THIS is a super useful gift! This journal is under $10 and the perfect way for your boss to keep track of all of their passwords. We all struggle with that, don’t we?

7. External Battery: here’s another gift idea that everyone can always use another of, even if they already own one. With how often we’re all on our phones, these external batteries are always essential to have!

8. Voluspa Candle: this is the perfect candle for your boss to keep on their desk! It has a beautiful, clean gardenia scent and the beautiful packaging can’t be beaten.

9. Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager: how great is this portable massager? It’s perfect for your boss to keep at their desk and use to relax on even the busiest of days.

10. Crystal & Gold Pen Set: if you work in an office space, you’re probably always looking for a pen… This gift set is perfect for your boss or any co-worker, really!

11. YETI Tumbler: these tumblers are always great to have for keeping your drinks hot OR cold for hours – or an entire workday.

12. Tie Clip Set: this 10-piece tie clip set has the most versatile and classy-looking tie clips. They’re affordable, come already gift-boxed, and are always useful if you work in a professional setting.

13. Bamboo Cheese Board: if your boss also loves to entertain, this is a perfect gift idea. It also comes with mini serving knives!

14. Business Card Holder: you will not believe just how affordable this is. It’s a fun gift, too!

15. Amazon Echo Dot: even if your boss already has one of these at home, they can always use one in the office! Seriously, have you used the Echo Dot before? It’s SO helpful with pretty much everything and even plays music!

16. Plaid Fringe Throw Blanket: this oversized, cozy throw blanket is a must-have. It’s a classic print and will match any color scheme they have at home. Or hey, maybe they’ll keep it at the office to stay cozy during the winter!

17. Wooden Massage and Reflexology Kit: you may want to order one of these for yourself, too… Nothing better than a relaxing paint session after a long, stressful day.

18. Waterman Ballpoint Pen: here’s another super well-made, nice pen to gift. They may never write with a smoother pen than this one!

19. Watch Box: this watch box fits up to 6 watches and is perfect for keeping them on display on their dresser at home.

20. Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug: if your boss has a long commute, this is a super practical gift. Perfect for keeping their coffee or tea hot on the drive to work each morning!

These classy and memorable gifts for your boss are sure to impress and also let them know how much you mean to them!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

The post 20 Classy & Memorable Gifts for your Boss appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

17 Creative White Elephant Gifts That Everyone Will Want!

2024-12-29T21:27:25Z

Let’s talk white elephant gifts… There’s always the handful of gift ideas that people always think of and the typical things that people will bring to these parties, but if you want to stand out with your gift this season, these creative white elephant gifts are sure to impress!

I love white elephant gift exchanges for some odd reason. Whether it’s the surprises that happen each time a gift is open to the competition of trying for a gift I want and even trying to find a cool gift to bring, I love it all.

In fact, I love them so much that I have several different types of white elephant gift idea posts you can look through.

17 CREATIVE WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT IDEAS

1. USB Car Charger: not only does this charge multiple devices at once, but it also has space in it to store small things that you don’t want to get lost – change, cords, etc!

2. Avocado Slicer: if you eat a lot of avocados, you know that this avocado slicer is basically a must-have kitchen product.

3. Magnifying Wall Mirror: this mirror is pretty cool, it has two sides and easily can mount up on the wall. Fun gift idea!

4. Grilling Spice Gift Set: all of the essential spices to cook with, perfect for the grill guru. The best part is, it’s a gift that everyone can use no matter who gets it!

5. What Do You Meme Game: one of the most fun games ever! Fun for all, too.

6. Hooded Head Scarf: the softest and coziest way to keep warm this winter! Seriously, how much would you love this??

7. Bluetooth Beanie: perfect for a cold morning run, shoveling snow, or just a car ride on a cold day. Something so different!

8. Magnetic Tool Wrist Band: the best gadget for working on at-home projects! This is under $15 and a perfect gift for everyone.

9. Foot Massaging Roller: great to keep under their desk or just at home – perfect way to give yourself a DIY foot massage!

10. Hand Spiralizer: this makes spiralizing veggies a breeze! And they’re the best side dishes, so you know everyone will appreciate this one.

11. Electronic Organizer Carrying Case: for someone who travels a lot or just has a lot of electronics (who doesn’t, right?), this organizer will make sure their cords don’t get tangled and they’ll always know where everything is!

12. Bamboo Utensil Set: these utensils are made with organic bamboo and are meant to last a long time! They’re another item that everyone can always use new of.

13. Travel Pillow: this is not-your-average travel pillow, guys! You can wear it in a couple of different ways, it’s super lightweight and a must-have travel accessory.

14. Microwave Popcorn Maker: the most convenient way to eat popcorn! Everyone will love this – adults, kids, and makes snacking for college students who live in a dorm a breeze.

15. Desk Supplies: basically all of the desk accessories that we’re all always looking for extra of…

16. Bluetooth Shower Speaker: now you can listen to music from the shower! These are so cool and definitely something everyone could use!

17. Essential Oil Diffuser: a great way to diffuse oils, or get into oils if someone who has never used them before gets this!

These creative white elephant gifts are sure to be the hit of the party!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

The post 17 Creative White Elephant Gifts That Everyone Will Want! appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

25 Hilarious White Elephant Gift Ideas

2025-01-22T00:41:47Z

This post isn’t about all those sweet and nice gifts you would give at a white elephant exchange, these are silly ones. Ones with toilet humor and fart jokes. A few might not be family-friendly, but the majority are. These are the most hilarious white elephant gift ideas to get people laughing.

Yep, it’s getting to be that time of year again. It’s the season of buying gifts for those you love, freaking out, and realizing you only have xx amount of days until Christmas.

It’s the time of year we eat too many goodies and wear ugly sweaters. And..it’s the season of holiday parties which means White Elephant Gift exchanges.

Now before I begin sharing my top 25 best white elephant gift ideas, I wanted to tell you that I haven’t had this much fun writing a post in a while.

I have been laughing so hard imagining my friends opening up one of these gifts. Some of these I just want for myself, so I can play practical jokes on my family members. Yeah, I won’t be winning any mother of the year awards any time soon…hee hee.

25 HILARIOUS WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT IDEAS

Toilet Shaped Coffee Mug – Everyone will laugh when they see this. Fill it with hot cocoa and it looks like a dirty toilet! Haha.

2. Neon Sign in the Shape of a Unicorn. No one will expect this, yet somehow they will fight over it for their kids. Hilarious.

3. Squatty Potty. Funny yet actually a great product!

4. Lucky Charms only Marshmallows package. – What everyone wants anyways.

5. Hula Skirt with Coconut Bra. When they get it they will need to wear it which makes it hilarious.

6. Disposable Camera Russian Roulette (2 pack disposable cameras) – Fill up one of the cameras with weird pictures and write a note on the gift saying “Disposable Camera Russian Roulette” One is empty and the other is filled with photos that may haunt your dreams. ” Or something like that. Be creative here… haha.

7. Toilet Night Lights – These are silly and actually really cool too.

8. Unicorn Horn – Make all of their real-life unicorn dreams come true with this inflatable unicorn horn!

9. Dust Mop Shoe Slippers for House Floor Cleaning – You can accomplish 2 things at once with these shoes- keeping your feet warm and mopping your floors!

10. Emergency Underpants – You never know when you’ll need these!

11. Car French Fry Holder – This will be the best gift for all foodies. No more fries falling into the side of your seat!

12. Kitchen Safe – Never let anyone eat your cookies while you’re sleeping again!

13. Magic 8 Ball – A fun game for every person of any age!! 😉

14. Hamburger Flash Drive – Who wouldn’t love a mini hamburger to store all of their files on?

15. “If You Can Read This… Bring Me Bacon” Socks – These socks will make them laugh!

16. ‘I’m Trying to be Awesome Today…’ Mug – For the person who’s ALWAYS busy being awesome.

17. Bread-Shaped Keyboard Wrist Pad – The perfect gift for carb lovers!

18. Package for You Ugly Sweater – This one is for Adult only parties. But it’s hilarious for sure.

19. Natures Dong’s Calendar – I’m dead ya’ll. There are no words. So funny!!!!!

20. 101 Pooping Puppies Puzzle. Everyone loves puppies! Hahaha.

21. Lightsaber Chopsticks that Light Up! So funny!!

22. Cat Balls Calendar – I think this one’s even more hilarious than the Natures dong calendar!

23. Old Lives Matter Tumbler – cracks me up!

24. Hanging Cat Hand Towels – these are so silly and they come in 3 different types of cats.

25. Flickin Chicken Game – Target toss game looks so fun!

So there you have it! 25 of my favorite hilarious white elephant gift ideas I could find.

Got any other favorites you want to share? Or homemade funny ideas you have seen or done before? I would love to hear about it.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

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30 Classy, Nice & Useful White Elephant Gifts they will fight for!!

2025-01-22T00:41:35Z

Some White Elephant parties can be funny or silly, and you’d need to bring a hilarious white elephant gift. But this is the list for you if you want ideas for classy or tasteful white elephant gifts!

I’ve been to many white elephant parties through the years, and these are some of the most classy, nice, and useful white elephant gifts I’ve seen people fight repeatedly.

Because as you may know, some White Elephant parties can be funny or silly, and you’d need to bring a hilarious white elephant gift. But this is the list for you if you want ideas for classy or tasteful white elephant gifts!

Let’s be honest for a minute.

No one wants to be that person who, when someone opens up your gift that gives that happy little “oh neat!” face. Then they place the item clearly on their lap making sure everyone can see it so that, hopefully, one person will trade with them.

These are the gifts no one wants to go home with. Gifts that they feel “stuck” with.

No. We all want that amazing gift that everyone ooh’s and ahhh’s over. That everyone’s eyes get all big for.

That gift that everyone fights for.

These are so classy and tasteful that I would actually fight over them too.

30 CLASSY, NICE & USEFUL WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

1. HIDDEN CAMERA DETECTOR (buy on Amazon ) For 2025 all the rage are these hidden camera detectors – check your hotel rooms, cars, and other places for hidden cameras, great for privacy. Because it’s such a new trend, people will fight for this one!

2. GEL NAIL POLISH KIT WITH UV LIGHT (buy on Amazon here) Such an unusual gift idea that includes everything you’d need for doing gel nails at home. Lots of polish too.

3. STANLEY CUP (buy on Amazon ) This one is useful for anyone! One of the most popular selling beverage holder, and I love the vintage vibe of this color. But any color would be great.

4. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS PROJECTOR (buy on Amazon) The gift everyone wants but rarely ever buys! Light ups the house and gets things all festive for the holidays.

5. ELECTRIC SALT & PEPPER GRINDERS (buy on Amazon). I have this set and its amazing! Fun and useful.

MORE USEFUL WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

6. NEW PILLOWS (buy on Amazon or look at local stores for deals) Nothing beats a good pillow. Not only do you show up with the biggest present, everyone will fight for this one!

7. BLUETOOTH SPEAKER (buy on Amazon ) I am a big music fan! This is wireless, has a built-in mic, hands-free call, an AUX Line, TF Card, and more!

8. DEAD SEA MUD MASK (buy on Amazon | Walmart) I love this mask. It is rich in minerals and creates a gentle exfoliation effect that removes excess oil, toxins, and dead skin cells, so my face is soft and glowy!

9. 4-PACK RING STANDS FOR PHONES (buy on Amaz on | Walmart) Everyone loves these little ring stands; they come with hooks so you can put them in your dashboard too. Fun!

10. EARBUD HOLDER (buy on Amazon ) A fun and a unique little device to store your earbuds. Take them along in your pocket without worrying about them getting all tangled up.

MORE CLASSY WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

11. MAGNETIC PICKUP TOOL (buy on Amazo n) This tool can magnetically pick up so many things like screws and items. Super cool gift and one that can be used for many different purposes.

12. BATH BOMB GIFT SET (buy on Amazon) I’m a fan of bath bombs. These look a lot like Lush bath bombs, and the reviews are great. I’d fight for this many bath bombs for sure, there are 12!

13. AIRZOOKA (buy on Amazon ) Do you want to “blow” your friends away? Or just want to call down the stairs loudly to your kids? Yeah. This is perfection. Everyone fought over this one at last year’s party.

14. BREAKFAST SANDWICH MAKER (buy on Amazon | Walmart | Target). Can you believe this exists? So cool. We all need one!

15. TILE MATE: ULTIMATE KEY/PHONE TRACKER (buy on Amazon | Walmart ) This is something I would totally fight for at a white elephant party. I mean, come on…. you can put these on your phone or keys and track to find them when you lose them! Genius!!!

MORE WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS EVERYONE WILL FIGHT FOR

16. PORTABLE FOOSBALL TABLE (buy on Amazon) This one is a little bit more expensive, but oh so cool! Great for the office or anyone who loves to have a little fun.

17. AIRPLANE FOOT HAMMOCK (buy on Amazon | Walmart) This one is so unique and cool, I want it! I want it!

18. AMAZON GIFT CARDS – Everyone always loves gift cards. Consider wrapping the gift card up in multiple boxes so that it looks huge and the person has to open a bunch of boxes to get it.

19. CREPE MAKER (buy on Amazon | Walmart) I kid you not, I’ve been to two white elephant gift parties, and the crepe maker was a hot trading item both times.

20. QUESADILLA MAKER (buy on Target ) I’ve seen people fight over this quesadilla maker. It’s a popular one for sure.

MORE NICE & USEFUL WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS 2025

21. ON THE GO JEWELRY CLEANING PEN (buy on Amazon) This one seems perfect for any jewelry lover. I’m not a huge jewelry gal myself, though, so this one is a total guess.

22. COLOR CHANGING UMBRELLA (buy on Amazon) As the rain falls on the printed white droplets, they change different colors of the rainbow. Can you say awesome?

23. MINI PORTABLE HUMIDIFIER (buy on Amazon) During the dry winters, this one would be super useful to have around at home, at the office, or in the car. Someone will love this one.

24. MEMORY FOAM TRAVEL PILLOW (buy on Amazon) Look at how much this unique pillow can do. What a nice classy white elephant gift.

25. VEGGIE CHOPPER (buy on Amazon) So helpful in the kitchen and saves hours of chopping time. It’s one of my all-time favorite kitchen tools.

MORE TASTEFUL WHITE ELEPHANT IDEAS

26. ELECTRIC BLANKET FOR THE CAR (buy on Amazon) This would make a great emergency blanket to leave in the car. You never know when you might get into trouble and need it to stay warm.

27. ZOOM LENS KIT FOR CELL PHONES (buy on Amazon) I’ve always seen these but never tried them. I think people would think this is one nice gift! And will take picture-taking to a whole new level.

28. RETRO HOT DOG TOASTER (buy on Amazon | Walmart) You can toast the hot dogs and the buns at the same time. Who wouldn’t want this gift?

29. STARTER SEED VAULT (buy on Amazon) For those who like to be prepared! This will be a great gift if you know someone who likes to grow their own fruits and vegetables. You won’t be disappointed.

30. BLACK TITANIUM PLATED KNIFE SET (buy on Amazon | Walmart) Do you know someone who loves cooking? This would be the perfect gift for that person.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

The post 30 Classy, Nice & Useful White Elephant Gifts they will fight for!! appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

27 Cheap Gifts for Men in 2025 (That He will Actually Want)

2024-12-29T21:27:18Z

Whether it’s your significant other, dad, brother, friend, or any other man in your life, these cheap gifts for men are sure to impress them and be something he actually wants to use!

Look no further if you have a man in your life that’s hard to shop for! I’ve found 27 of the BEST cheap gifts for men that are inexpensive and that he’ll actually enjoy once he opens them up.

From the most practical things to genius and different things he would never think of, here are the BEST gifts to give men this season!

1. PAJAMA PANTS – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – Every man can always use pajama pants, which are the comfiest and softest. So simple, but such a great gift!

2. BREAKFAST SANDWICH MAKER – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart | Target) – whether he gets up early for work and needs something quick to-go or just loves making things like this, this is an awesome gift that he’ll LOVE to use!

3. LEGO MOTORCYCLE – (Buy on Amazon) – who says that men can’t have fun with LEGOs? This set is perfect for adults and will be so fun for him to put together.

4. POCKET CARD HOLDER – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – easier than carrying around a wallet, and just as effective – it’ll hold all of his credit cards and I.D. and is super convenient.

5. LEATHER TRAVEL TOILETRY BAG – (Buy on Ama zon | Walmart) – this leather toiletry case is perfect for any man, but especially if he travels a lot or works long hours! You could even fill it with his favorite products.

6. QUADCOPTER DRONE WITH HD CAMERA – (Buy on Amazon) – this is the ultimate toy for men, trust me on that!

7. RECHARGEABLE HAND WARMERS – (Buy on Amazon) – these are the ultimate gift that he’ll get so much use out of in the winter months!

8. PORTABLE WIRELESS BLUETOOTH SPEAKER – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – with 10 hours of playtime, this waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a must-have.

9. WIRELESS CAR CHARGER & ADAPTER – (Buy on Amazon) – this is a really neat little tool for him to have in his car… It’s wireless and is Bluetooth enabled, so it can act as a charger, radio transmitter, and stereo. So many uses and definitely something he doesn’t already have!

10. CARHARTT SWEATSHIRT – (Buy on Am a zon) – cozy, durable, and a perfect hoodie for every man.

11. BLUETOOTH BEANIE – (Buy on Amazon) – he can wear this while shoveling snow, working out, or just about anything else! What’s better than keeping your head warm while listening to music, tv, etc?

12. BBQ RUB SET – (Buy on Amazon) – the tastiest gift idea out there!

13. PRANK BOX – (Buy on Amazon) – the most comical gift and one that’ll have you all laughing when he opens it!

14. AIRPOD PROS – (Buy on Amazon) – for such a great, popular gift, these are sure to impress and be something he loves and uses daily.

15. ROKU TV – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – if he loves sports, movies or relaxing and watching TV, he’ll LOVE the Roku!

16. MAGNETIC PICK-UP TOOL – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – never struggle to pick something up again with this genius, must-have tool!

17. WIRELESS CHARGER – (Buy on Walmart) – this stand is perfect for his nightstand and fits his phone, Apple Watch and AirPods – and charges them all at once!

18. 3-PACK RADIOS – (Buy on Amazon) – practical, handy, and useful to have on hand!

19. LEATHER WATCH – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – for a watch that looks like it cost a fortune, this one is under $100! If he’s in need of a great new versatile watch he can wear daily, this is a perfect option.

20. TILE TRACKERS – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – if he is often losing things like his phone, keys, sunglasses or just about anything else… These Tile Trackers are exactly what he needs in his life!

21. SHERPA THROW BLANKET – (Buy on Amazon) – this is an awesome gift idea and probably something he doesn’t have his own of – great for keeping to cozy up with in the living room or at night!

22. MAGNETIC WRIST BAND – (Buy on Amazon) – this is an incredibly useful tool, to keep track of tools!

23. 37-IN-1 MULTI-TOOL – (Buy on Amazon) – this is quite literally the only tool he could ever need!

24. CANDLE THEORY SCENTED CANDLES – (Buy on Amazon) – whoever said that candles weren’t for men, too, was wrong – check these out!

25. BLUETOOTH TURNTABLE – (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – this is an incredibly cool gift… It plays old records and/or uses Bluetooth to stream music!

26. BEARD SHAPING TOOL – (Buy on Amazon) – now, this is something he most certainly doesn’t have but will LOVE, and use weekly!

27. BBQ TOOL KIT – (Buy on Amazon) – if he loves to grill, he needs the ultimate set like this every time he cooks!

These ideas for cheap gifts for men are all sure to impress, no matter what the man on your shopping list is into!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

The post 27 Cheap Gifts for Men in 2025 (That He will Actually Want) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

20 Best Gifts for Teens under $35 in 2025

2024-12-29T21:27:11Z

Are you on the hunt for a great gift for a teenager on your shopping list this holiday season? I rounded up the best gifts for teens that they’ll actually want, and the best part is they’re all under $35.

Teens can be hard to shop for. But lucky for you, I have two teens in my house right now, and they gave the official thumbs up on all these ideas.

So if you can’t or don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on Airpods (which is what they really all seem to really want…) these are some other fun and affordable options they will still love. I hope these ideas help you out if you’re stumped on what to buy a teen – please share if you have any other great ideas too!

20 BEST GIFTS FOR TEENS

All of these items are pictured in the graphic above and numbered so you can quickly find them. All of these gifts for teens are under $35 on Amazon.com and make great gifts.

1. Ultra-Thin Quartz Analog Wrist Watch – This is great for teens as their first watch or even just to wear daily. You’d never guess that it’s under $50.

2. Jack Black Shave Essentials Set – When he begins to shave, this essentials kit will keep him looking and feeling fresh!

3. Large Initial Necklace – These initial necklaces are so popular. There’s no doubt that the teen girl on your shopping list would love to open this up!

4. Portable Bluetooth Speaker – EVERY teen will love this portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s affordable and comes in a couple of fun colors to choose from!

5. Nerf Sports Mini Perfect-Shot Hoop – With a rotating hoop that can be hung almost everywhere, this is sure to be something that every teen will love, use and play with for hours.

MORE GIFT IDEAS FOR TEENAGERS

6. Under Armour Baseball Cap – This classic fitting baseball cap is just that, a classic. It’s simplistic enough that he can wear it with any outfit, and let’s be honest, every teen boy would agree that they couldn’t ever have too many baseball caps in their closet.

7. Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds – I can’t believe that these are under $40. It’s near impossible to find a good pair of earbuds like this! The wireless kinds have become extremely popular, and for a good reason – what’s more convenient? Teens will love to receive these this holiday season!

8. Mini Nano Drone – this is a great beginner drone, AKA for teens, especially for them to learn how to use these devices. It’s portable, mini, and a great gift! Imagine how excited they’ll be when they open this up?

9. Bath Bomb Gift Set – each of these shaped bath bombs is infused with different essential oils, how cool is that? This is such a fun, already put-together gift set to give this holiday season.

10. Light Pink Felt Letter Board – this pretty, pink felt letter board is a perfect way for teens to express their creativity. It comes in a variety of colors and is the customized decor piece for their room that they’ll LOVE to update.

MORE CHEAP GIFTS FOR TEENS

11. Lighted Vanity Makeup Mirror – Teen girls who are just getting into makeup will go crazy over this lighted vanity mirror! The coolest part is, the LED lights can be adjusted based on the time of day, natural lighting, etc. The teen on your shopping list will love and use this so much!

12. Burrito Blanket – Have you ever wanted to be a giant tortilla, burrito, or any tortilla-based food? Simply lay down inside the blanket and roll yourself up, becoming the burrito that you’ve always wanted to be in the softest blanket ever!

13. Slammo Game Set – is an action-packed 2-on-2 volleyball-style outdoor game. The coolest part? It’s unisex! Perfect gifts for teens or for anyone on your list.

14. Oversized Tortoise Shell Sunglasses – Every teen girl that opens these up will freak out in excitement… They’re a dupe of an expensive, designer pair of sunglasses that she’s sure to know about! Either way, she’ll be so excited to wear these every day. They’re only $10 so they’d also be a great teen stocking stuffer.

15. Herschel Supply Co. Card Holder Wallet – You can now trust your teen with money by gifting him this wallet, ha! It has ample spots for cards, cash, and his I.D. Want to spruce it up? Add a gift card when you gift it!

MORE INEXPENSIVE GIFTS FOR TEENS

16. Big Life Journal – This is more than just a journal, it’s an interactive goal planner and writing prompt journal all in one that has thousands of positive reviews from happy teens and their parents.

17. Echo Dot – One of the hottest gifts for teens out there right now! Stream songs, talk to Alexa, answer questions, and add so much to their room. You can also get a hold of them even when they are in their room!

18. Bluetooth Beanie – Combine music and hat, not only provide HiFi music sounds but also keep warm in the winter. This is going to be one gift they will use all winter long!

19. 3-in-1 Charging Station – How cute is this?? The useful 3-in-1 Charging Station keeps all your electronics in one place, charged and ready for the next day!

20. Just Dance – These annual Just Dance games are the BEST. And I’m not talking just for teens… you’ll want to play this, too! It has all of the latest hit songs and brings hours of endless dancing, laughing, and fun.

And if all else fails…. get them an Apple iTunes gift card or straight-up cash. Haha! Teens will never say no to cash!!!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

The post 20 Best Gifts for Teens under $35 in 2025 appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Repairing Honey Hair Mask with Essential Oils

2024-10-29T15:55:30Z

Say “bee-gone!’ to dry, brittle, over stressed hair, and “Hello!” to soft, sleek, honey-licious locks with this Repairing Honey Hair Mask. It’s a simple, natural remedy to nourish and repair dry, damaged hair, restore moisture, reduce frizz, and improve overall hair health.

Honey is one of the most amazing natural beauty products ever. It’s like magic…Magic, I tell ya!

Especially when it comes to repairing damaged hair. I could not believe how sleek, soft, luscious, and healthy my hair looked after I used this Repairing Honey Hair Mask! I don’t know about you, but I totally rely on my high-heat styling tools to style my hair daily and it gets a lot of damage as a result.

Well, this hair mask seems to just erase all the damage that I have done throughout the week. It’s like a hair miracle mask, really!

Cost Breakdown

One of the advantages of making a homemade repairing hair mask is its affordability, especially when compared to salon treatments or commercial hair masks. However, it’s good to mention that the prices may vary, depending on the quality of the products you choose, since both honey and olive oil prices can vary greatly. Here’s a breakdown of potential costs:

1/2 cup honey: $0.94
1/4 cup olive oil: $0.53
3 drops Clary Sage essential oil: $0.58
3 drops Geranium essential oil: $0.43

Total: $2.48

Ingredients

Honey: The humectant properties in honey help regulate and retain moisture in hair. Plus, honey can help promote hair growth and strengthen hair follicles.
Olive Oil: Olive oil helps to moisturize your hair shafts as well as your scalp, helping to reduce dryness and dandruff. Using olive oil in your hair can also help smooth away fly-aways, protect your hair from breaking, make it extra soft, and bring much needed moisture back from hair damaged from blow drying, heat, and styling. Plus, the olive oil in this recipe helps to dilute the honey so that the oil treatment is easier to apply to your hair and makes it less sticky from the honey.
Clary Sage Essential Oil: Clary Sage essential oil is balancing, floral, and feminine. It helps to balance the pH levels of your hair allowing it to look and feel healthier than ever.
Geranium Essential Oil: Also known as “poor man’s Rose”, Geranium essential oil is a common oil used to help beautify hair. Geranium helps to add shine, increase moisture, and promote new hair growth.

How to Make Repairing Honey Hair Mask

Step 1. In a small bowl, add the honey.

Step 2. Add the olive oil. Stir until combined.

Step 3. Add the Geranium drops.

Step 4. Finish with the Sage drops. Stir again.

How to Use it

To use, apply to hair, focusing on ends and damaged areas. Let sit for at least 15 minutes (I prefer to leave it on overnight). Wash with shampoo (you may have to double rinse with shampoo to get all of the oil out) and condition. Style as usual and enjoy your shiny, healthy, and glowing hair.

FAQs

How often should I use this repairing hair mask?

For dry or damaged hair, using the mask once a week is ideal. If your hair is healthier, you can use it every two weeks or as needed to maintain softness and manageability.

Can I leave the hair mask on overnight?

It’s not necessary, but I recommend it! If you choose to leave it overnight, make sure to cover your hair with a shower cap to avoid mess and rinse it out thoroughly in the morning.

Can I use this mask on color-treated or chemically treated hair?

Yes, this mask is generally safe for color-treated and chemically treated hair. The nourishing and hydrating properties of honey and olive oil can help restore moisture lost during chemical treatments.

More Homemade and DIY Beauty Ideas

Happy Homesteading: Making Homemade Soap

Homemade Bath Bomb

Honey Lavender Homemade Relaxing Bath Melts

Bye Bye Dry Skin! { Homemade Body Butter Cream }

DIY Professional Manicure or Pedicure at home to save money

Homemade Face Wash

Repairing Honey Hair Mask

Say "bee-gone!' to dry, brittle, over stressed hair, and "Hello!" to soft, sleek, honey-licious locks with this Repairing Honey Hair Mask. It's a simple, natural remedy to nourish and repair dry, damaged hair, restore moisture, reduce frizz, and improve overall hair health.

Keyword hair mask, homemade hair mask, repairing hair mask

Prep Time 5

Sitting time 15

Total Time 20

Servings hair mask

Author Karrie

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 drops Clary Sage essential oil
3 drops Geranium essential oil

Instructions

In a small bowl, add honey and olive oil. Stir until combined.
Add essential oils, stir again.
To use, apply to hair, focusing on ends and damaged areas. Let sit for at least 15 minutes (I prefer to leave it on overnight). Wash with shampoo (you may have to double rinse with shampoo to get all of the oil out) and condition. Style as usual and enjoy your shiny, healthy, and glowing hair.

Notes

For dry or damaged hair, using the mask once a week is ideal. If your hair is healthier, you can use it every two weeks or as needed to maintain softness and manageability.

The post Repairing Honey Hair Mask with Essential Oils appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

15 Gift Ideas for Busy Moms

2024-12-29T21:27:07Z

Trying to find the perfect gift for a busy mom is impossible! This year I did the research for you and came up with 15 AMAZING gift ideas for busy moms to show your love and appreciation all year long!

If you have a busy mom in your life, or a new mom juggling a million things, chances are she could use a gift that’s really going to help her get things done during the day. Right?

If so, you’re in luck because I’ve put together some of the BEST gift ideas that busy moms will love, appreciate, and really use every single day. Here are the top gift ideas for busy moms!

GIFT IDEAS FOR BUSY MOMS

1. HAIR STRAIGHTENING BRUSH – (Buy on Amazon) – This hairbrush also straightens, which means she can get two things done in less time – and moms know that every second they have to get ready each day is precious!

2. WORLD’S SOFTEST COZY SLIPPERS (Buy on Amazon) – The perfect, coziest pair of slippers she can slip on when she gets home after a long day!

3. INSTANT POT (Buy on Amazon | Walmart) – Instant Pot: if you don’t have one of these yet, you NEED one. So does every busy mom out there. Instant Pots are game-changing… They make cooking dinner a breeze!

4. YETI TUMBLER (Buy on Amazon) – Just a really great tumbler that all the ladies love!

5. ROUND WRIST KEYCHAIN (Buy on Amazon) – These key chains are so smart – it fits on her wrist, so it frees up a hand to wrangle kids or carry in groceries!

6. FITBIT WATCH (Buy on Amazo n | Walmart) – These are great for so much more than just tracking your daily steps – she can also track her sleep, and heart rate and help keep her feeling her best.

7. AIRPOD PRO (Buy on Amazon) – It’s no secret how popular these have become over the past few years, but they are a prime gift idea to gift a busy mom. Nothing like not having an extra cord AND being able to multi-task!

8. 2023 ORGANIZATIONAL PLANNER (Buy on Amazon) – Help her organize and prioritize and get ready for the next year!

9. DIGITAL PICTURE FRAME (Buy on Amazon) – This is one of my favorite things I own! Get updated pictures as soon as they take them!

10. COOKBOOK SERIOUSLY GOOD FREEZER MEALS (Buy on Amazon | Target | Walmart) – One of the best gifts you could give a busy mom is my favorite cookbook ever! It’s filled with the very best freezer meals that the whole family will love. Great easy fast meals to make ahead and freeze for busy nights.

11. EYE MASSAGER (Buy on Amazon) – A MUST-have for every woman! This massager relaxes your eyes and reduces the pressure especially if you get migraines. I’ve had mine for a while and I LOVE IT!

12. MICROWAVEABLE NECK PILLOW (Buy on Amazon) – She can heat this up in the microwave and give herself a much-needed break with this cozy, warming pillow.

13. FREEZER MEALS: bring a busy mom in your life a couple of freezer meals this holiday season, no doubt she’ll consider that the most perfect gift!

14. CHARGING DOCK (Buy on Amazon) – Really, who can remember to always charge all of their devices?? This charging dock is great for a busy, always multi-tasking mom.

15. iROBOT ROOMBA VACUUM (Buy on Amazon) – The easiest way to keep the house clean, 24/7! Any busy woman or mom would LOVE this.

These gift ideas for busy moms will be sure to that busy woman in your life how much you love and appreciate her!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS

The post 15 Gift Ideas for Busy Moms appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

My 100 Favorite Stocking Stuffers Under $10

2024-12-29T21:27:33Z

Christmas is almost here, and thinking of stocking stuffers for your family can be hard. Here are 100 of my favorite stocking stuffers! Get it all for under $10 shipped!

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. I’m sure you are starting to list everything you need to buy and get ready. I hope this list of 100 of my favorite stocking stuffers will make your shopping a little easier this year. I have found great deals for you on some great things your kids or family might be asking for. Come check it out!!

My Favorite Stocking Stuffers

Were you able to find something you like? I hope so. Thank you for checking out my favorite stocking stuffers. Happy Holidays!!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

STOCKING STUFFERS AND GAMES

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The post My 100 Favorite Stocking Stuffers Under $10 appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

20 Thrifty Trunk or Treat Decorating Ideas

2024-10-14T20:18:39Z

Check out this AWESOME list of 20 of the BEST simple and thrifty ‘Trunk or Treat’ ideas for your car, truck or SUV! You’re going to love these easy and super fun Halloween ideas to make your trunk the best in the lot, without spending a lot of money or time!

Every year my church does a Trunk or Treat for Halloween, so I am always looking for simple trunk or treat decorating ideas and something that can be put together quickly and effortlessly.

If you haven’t heard about a Trunk or Treat before, it’s usually a church, school, neighborhood or community sponsored event where people gather up and park their cars in a big parking lot. They open up their trunks or truck-beds and decorate them. Then they pass out candy.

It’s a fun way for kids to get a lot of candy in a short amount of time. Plus, it’s a nice, safe family-friendly environment, too.

Here are my favorite Simple Trunk or Treat Ideas

1. Skeleton Theme

Set up a spooky Skeleton Truck or Treat Idea from Curly Crafty Mom complete with lots of skeletons, carved pumpkins and lights! A perfect setting to a fun Halloween night and an easy Trunk or Treat idea for SUV’s! Use Halloween decorations you already have, or get some plastic skeletons at the dollar store, plus take out those Christmas lights earlier this year and use them to light up your trunk!

2. Candy Land Theme

Bring Candy Land from Pinterest to life in your trunk! This works great in a truck because you can fill the whole thing with candy – every kid’s dream! No kid will be able to resist walking up those colorful tiles! It’s colorful, fun, and delicious! Perfect for a Trunk or Treat in the morning or afternoon, with plenty of sunlight to brighten up those colors.

3. Zoo Theme

It’s a true Trunk Zoo from Project Little Mo in this trunk. Perfect for SUV’s and that can use all your animal stuffed animals for a quick and thrifty trunk! You only need a fake gate and some hay to make the scene complete!

4. Unicorn Theme

This larger-than-life Unicorn from Pinterest is the perfect way to magically decorate your car for Trunk or Treat! I mean, who can resist those eyelashes and all of those colors – not me! You can use cheap fabric or tissue paper to make the pompons, and the unicorn hair, then make the eyelashes with black cable ties and fill colorful buckets with candy!

5. Camping Theme

Going camping has never been more fun than on this Camping Trip trunk from Jeannie Marie & Company. Set up a tent, a chair and a cute paper fire with plenty of treats – sounds like my kind of camping! Who knew that Trunk or Treat camping ideas could be so fun? Hide some yellow or orange lights underneath the tissue paper to simulate the fire for a fun-tastic effect at nighttime!

6. Mouth Theme

Have you ever seen a bigger Mouthful of Candy from Pinterest? Such a fun way to display treats in a car or an SUV especially if you want to walk around with your family! All you need is cardboard, paper, and a red plastic sheet or fabric to make this easy mouth trunk!

7. Wizard of Oz Theme

Follow the Yellow Brick Road from Pinterest all the way to the bucket of treats at the end of the rainbow! This would be a fun trunk or treat idea for church or a neighborhood gathering! You only need to create the yellow brick road with yellow paper or plastic, fill a basket with candies and make a paper rainbow next to it. And don’t forget to match it with costumes!

8. Frog Theme

Transform your car into one big Trunk Frog from Pinterest. Complete with the longest red tongue that is perfect for leading kids to the treats in the trunk. All you need is a green plastic tarpaulin sheet (you may already have in your garage) and some cardbard and plastic for the other details like the eyes and tongue. Oh, and don’t forget to print out a giant fly and tape it to the frog’s tongue!

9. I Spy Theme

Make the ultimate trunk with this interactive I Spy game from Pinterest. Use items from all over your house and add them in your trunk. Kids will be hanging around your trunk all night playing this game! What fun ideas for pickup trucks on Halloween!

10. Mummy Theme

What can you make with an old sheet and a little paint? A Mummy from Pinterest is the perfect idea for trunk or treaters! Such a simple trunk or treat idea that everyone will love!

11. Grease Theme

Bring all the nostalgia from the movie Grease from a User on Flickr to your trunk with simple decorations. This would be a fun trunk or treat idea for church, too. Bonus points if you wear a poodle skirt! Go, Grease Lightening! Complete it with cardboard vinyls hanging, and balloons!

12. Black Cat Theme

Transform your car into the biggest Black Cat from a User on Flickr the kids have ever seen! It will prove to be a purr-fect night with the treats in the trunk! It’s a simple trunk or treat idea that will knock the socks off the guests! This will work especially well at night! Use reflective paper or add some lights for an even spookier effect!

13. Pirate Theme

Ahoy, Matey! Pirate Treasure from Pinterest is found in your trunk and this is the one the kids will be clamoring to come to on Halloween night! Lay out your gold treasures – aka candy – for the perfect decoration/treat ever! Use a wooden box (like a fruit box or wine box, if you don’t have a small wooden chest) and fill it with chocolate coins and candies! Add some pirate accessories and decorations like a sword and a treasure map, for an even cooler effect!

14. Spooky Halloween Theme

A Classic Halloween trunk is the perfect way to come to a trunk or treat. With spiderwebs, gravestones and cauldrons, what more do you need for a spooky good time? You can get the fake spiderwebs and spiders at the dollar store or at any store that sells Halloween decorations (you may even already have some!).

15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Theme

Bring back the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the best way possible with this simple TMNT decor from Pinterest! This is an easy trunk or treat idea for SUV’s. The only way it could be better is if the theme song is playing. Turtle Power! You only need a couple of fabric scraps in green and orange to create the ninja turtle, and don’t forget to add a couple of paper pizza slices!

16. Jurassic Park Theme

Welcome all of the Jurassic Park fans to a fun world of dinosaurs in the back of your jeep from this cool idea from Pinterest! Complete with an inflatable dinosaur, this trunk will be a hard one to beat! It would also be a great idea for a truck bed! Add some fake plastic plants, spiderwebs, and use up all those plastic dinosaurs you have around the house!

17. Kayak Theme

Kayaks and candy – what a great combination! This is one of those ideas for a pickup truck that will wow the other guests! Easy to set up and so fun to be at as all the trick-or-treaters come by to get their candy! If Kayak is your favorite sport, then you won’t need to buy anything to recreate this fun trunk. Just add some blue fabric for water effect and you’re done!

18. Alice in Wonderland Theme

No Trunk or Treat is complete without an Alice in Wonderland-themed idea for a pickup trunk from Down South Balloons on Instagram! With simple decorations, mostly made out of paper and cardboard, this is a fun idea for your truck bed! Complete it with fake roses, a garland made of cards (plus lots more cards), and a directions sign for an even more magical effect!

19. Aladdin Theme

It’s a whole new world when you have an Aladdin-themed trunk from the Dating Divas that could be great for pickup trucks or for cars. I wonder if you can get a Genie to come out of that lamp though… Use some pillow stuffing to make the clouds, a small carpet (doesn’t have to be magical), and a stuffed tiger to complete your costumes!

20. 80’s THEME

So this is one I came up with several years ago. Yep that’s me in my 80’s thrift store finds! To make this thrifty trunk I went to the dollar store and bought a couple packages of black n white napkins. Then taped them together on the back to make the background. They had a gold foil table cloth that I cut out the letters 80’s Rocks and added that to the background. Then cut out a few colored triangles for added flair. I have a boombox that I blasted some backstreet boys music and displayed my old carebears, an 80’s phone, and anything else I had laying around from the 80’s. Also found light up glasses at dollar store as well and wore them for fun. Guess what..?? I won first prize that night for the best trunk!! Horray!!This is a fun and creative trunk that won’t break the bank.

More Halloween Ideas

20 Cheap Kid’s Halloween Costumes for Under $10 – If you’re looking for a cheap kid’s Halloween costume, check out this list!
Monster Cookies – The spookiest cookies that taste amazing and are a great family project!
Pumpkin Bowling – A fun family game that everyone can play using Halloween materials!
Halloween Treasure Hunt – Put together this adventure that will take Halloween to the next level with this super fun treasure hunt.
DIY Pumpkin Spice Room Spray – Fill your home with the fresh aroma of fall with this homemade pumpkin spice room spray.
Halloween Decor on a Budget: Spooky Man-Eating Spider – Make a giant Halloween decoration with these easy steps, without breaking the bank!
Easy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – The perfect fall treat with delicious pumpkin flavor that everyone will love.

For more Thrifty Trunk or Treat Ideas check out my Pinterest board full of them! And please tag me on Instagram showing me your trunk – who knows, it may end up on my list next year!!

This blog post was originally posted September 18, 2014, and updated with several new ideas, better images and updated descriptions on October 15, 2020.

The post 20 Thrifty Trunk or Treat Decorating Ideas appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken

2024-09-06T01:11:14Z

This Air fryer Tandoori Chicken is a delicious version of the classic Indian dish, cooked using an air fryer instead of a traditional tandoor oven. The airfryer gives the chicken a crispy exterior while keeping it juicy inside, all with less oil. A perfect weeknight dinner recipe for the whole family!

My recipe for Airfryer Tandoori Chicken is a modern twist on a traditional Indian recipe to enjoy this spicy, flavorful dish. By using an air fryer instead of a clay tandoor oven (not everyone has haha!), you can achieve a similar charred and smoky taste without the need for a lot of oil, making it healthier but still delicious!

Why the air fryer? The air fryer circulates hot air around the chicken, cooking it evenly and creating a crispy outer layer while keeping the inside tender and juicy. Using an air fryer also reduces cooking time compared to the oven, without compromising on the taste!

But if you don’t want to use the air fryer, you can check out this Baked Tandoori Chicken recipe that uses a standard oven instead or you can bake this chicken recipe in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet.

Ingredients

Chicken: Use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, with thighs being juicier and more flavorful, while breasts are leaner.
Paprika: Adds a mild, sweet flavor and a vibrant red color to the chicken.
Tandoori masala: An Indian spice blend key to achieving the authentic flavor of tandoori chicken, typically including spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala.
Turmeric: Provides a bright yellow hue and a warm, earthy taste, along with anti-inflammatory benefits.
Vegetable oil: Used to help the spices adhere to the chicken, help it crisp up while cooking and to add a bit of moisture.
Plain yogurt: Acts as the base of the marinade, tenderizing the chicken and helping the spices stick, while adding a slight tang. Make sure to use unsweetened yogurt.
Lemon juice: Brightens the flavors with acidity, enhancing the overall taste of the marinade.
Ginger and garlic : Two crucial flavor bases in many Indian dishes, offering a pungent and spicy kick.
(Optional) Fresh mint leaves: Provides a fresh, cool contrast to the warm spices, used as a garnish or blended into the marinade for an extra layer of flavor.

Substitutions

If you need to substitute some ingredients in this air fryer tandoori chicken recipe due to dietary preferences, availability, or taste, here are some alternatives:

Chicken Breasts or Thighs: Turkey or pork can be used for a similar texture, or tofu and paneer for vegetarian options.
Paprika: Sweet chili powder for a similar color with a touch more heat, or a combination of red food coloring and mild chili powder to maintain the vibrant red without altering the flavor too much.
Tandoori Masala: Make your own blend using equal parts of ground cumin, coriander, cardamom, and a pinch of clove powder to mimic the complex flavors of tandoori masala.
Turmeric: Mustard powder can be used for a similar earthy flavor and color, though it’s slightly more pungent.
Vegetable Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil like canola or sunflower oil will work, or for a richer taste, melted ghee or butter can be used.
Plain Yogurt: Sour cream or coconut milk yogurt for a dairy-free option, both of which maintain the creamy consistency necessary for the marinade.
Fresh Mint Leaves: Cilantro offers a similarly fresh flavor if mint is too strong or unavailable. Basil can also work for a different but complementary flavor profile.

Variations

Here are some interesting variations you can try with your air fryer tandoori chicken recipe to keep things exciting and cater to different tastes:

Spicy Tandoori Chicken: Add extra chili powder or fresh chopped green chilies to the marinade to give the chicken a fiery kick.
Vegan: Substitute the chicken for large slices of tofu, tempeh, or cauliflower steaks. Follow the same marinating and cooking process for a vegan-friendly version.
Smoky: Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the marinade, or a few drops of liquid smoke for an enhanced smoky flavor, mimicking the traditional tandoor-cooked taste.
Cheesy: Sprinkle grated cheese such as mozzarella or paneer over the chicken halfway through cooking for a gooey, cheesy twist.
Tandoori Chicken Wraps: Slice the cooked tandoori chicken and serve it in flatbreads or tortillas with fresh vegetables, additional mint yogurt sauce, and a squeeze of lime for a convenient, handheld meal.

Instructions with Photos

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, marinade the chicken with all the ingredients except the mint leaves.

Step 2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight for best results). You can also freeze in freezer bags as well.

Step 3. Soak your sticks for 10 mins. Then slide the chicken onto the kebab sticks. Preheat airfryer for 5 minutes.

Step 4. Cook for 13-15 minutes and serve with a little fresh mint.

Serving Suggestions

This air fryer tandoori chicken recipe is incredibly versatile and can be served in many different ways. For a traditional approach, pair it with steamed basmati rice, naan bread, and a side of cucumber raita to balance the spices. It also makes a great topping for salads or can be sliced into wraps with fresh veggies and a dollop of mint chutney for a refreshing meal. For a festive gathering, serve it as an appetizer with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of chaat masala.

Freezing Instructions

To use this tandoori chicken recipe as a meal prep freezer meal, follow these simple instructions:

Add the marinated cubed chicken pieces into a freezer bag. (Do not pierce them with the kebab sticks as that might cause holes in the bag, which would create freezer burn.)
Store the bag flat in the freezer for up to three months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to use.
Follow the remaining cooking instructions in the recipe, starting with the kebab sticks.

Storage and Reheating

Once cooled, place the leftover chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. For longer storage, you can freeze the chicken in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to a month.

To reheat, simply place the chicken in the air fryer at 350F for about 5 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly warmed through. Reheating in the air fryer helps preserve the chicken’s crispy exterior and juicy interior. Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel, to keep it moist.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use chicken with skin on for this recipe?

Yes, you can use chicken with skin on; however, tandoori chicken is traditionally made with skinless chicken to better absorb the marinade. If you prefer skin on, the skin will become quite crispy in the air fryer.

How long should I marinate the chicken for the best flavor?

For the best flavor, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. However, for even deeper flavor and more tender meat, marinating overnight in the refrigerator is ideal.

Is it necessary to preheat the air fryer before cooking the chicken?

Yes, preheating the air fryer for about 5 minutes at 360°F (180°C) is recommended. This helps to cook the chicken evenly and achieve a crispy exterior.

Similar Recipes you might enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out also these other chicken recipes:

Airfryer Tandoori Chicken

This Airfryer Tandoori Chicken is a delicious version of the classic Indian dish, cooked using an air fryer instead of a traditional tandoor oven.

Course Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword air fryer tandoori chicken, airfryer chicken, tandoori chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Marinate 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings people

Calories 292kcal

Author Karrie

Equipment

1 Air Fryer

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
¾ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons tandoori masala
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon ginger grated
1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves (optional) chopped

Instructions

Cut the chicken breasts/thighs into 1-inch thick pieces. In a large mixing bowl, marinade the chicken with all the ingredients except the mint leaves.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight for best results).
Cut the wooden kebab sticks to the size of the air fryer basket and soak in water for 10 minutes.
Put the chicken on the kebab sticks
Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 5 minute.
Place skewers into airfryer basket, spray with cooking oil and let it cook for 13-15 minutes.
Optional, sprinkle finely chopped mint over chicken and serve.

Notes

You can cook tandoori chicken in a regular oven. Place each piece of chicken 1/2 inch apart on a foil lined and lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through.

Nutrition

The post Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Quick and Easy Smoothie Freezer Packs

2024-08-27T23:34:21Z

Smoothies make a great quick breakfast meal, but they’re often a hassle during the busy morning rush. These smoothie freezer packs will help you get your day off to a good start, without adding more stress to your morning routine.

Smoothies are supposed to be a convenient, on-the-go meal, that’s easy and makes you feel good about drinking it. But are they? Let’s talk about what we know about smoothies:

They’re made up of whole foods – fruits, veggies, oats, or whatever you decide to put in yours, so they’re super healthy!
They make you feel like a super parent when you see your kids drinking all of that fruit + veggies goodness.
BUT there is a bit of prep work involved, and some mornings it’s hard to find the time to take all the ingredients out, blend them up and clean up afterwards.

So there’s the good and there’s the bad, right?

But the bad can be really bad when you’ve also got a toddler (or teenager haha) running around, demanding your attention. I can barely get the ingredients out of the fridge without a struggle, and I still have to wash, cut, blend, and clean up.

That’s just not happening for me most mornings. Well, unless I’ve prepared ahead.

Let me introduce you to the amazing idea of “make ahead” smoothie freezer packs. Just take a few hours and prep up some individual bags of smoothie ingredients, then on those crazy mornings… just grab a bag from your freezer and blend.

Today I’m sharing nine of my favorite smoothie recipes that you can freeze ahead of time, plus the easiest way to start any smoothie with my Yum Yum Smoothie Base!

If you’re also looking for more quick & easy breakfast recipes, check out these make ahead French toast sticks and these easy cinnamon roll overnight oats.

What Is The “Yum Yum Smoothie Base”

Adding yogurt is one of the easiest ways to make a smoothie richer, creamier and just plain delicious. However, I don’t always have yogurt on hand, and a big tub of yogurt takes up a lot of precious real estate in my fridge.

After experimenting, I found that mixing greek yogurt with vanilla extract and orange juice concentrate created the perfect combination for any smoothie, and my Yum Yum Smoothie Base was perfected!

I make this yum yum base up, and freeze it in ice cube trays then add them to the make ahead smoothie kits. These elevate your smoothie status from Smoothie Newbie to Smoothie Queen – you’ll be rocking it!

Ingredients

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt will make the smoothie creamy and smooth, while still keeping calories down.
Vanilla extract: A hint of vanilla will bring out all the flavors of the fruit.
Frozen orange juice concentrate: The juice concentrate it’s perfect to dilute the smoothie while still keeping the fruity flavor.
Other ingredients: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, protein powders, and more. Check the recipes below for 9 delicious different flavors of smoothie packs.

What Goes Well In A Smoothie?

Frozen fruits such as blueberries, strawberries or mangoes make a great starting point. Other fruits, such as bananas or pineapples, compliment berries and can create a more rich flavor for your smoothie.

If you feel like you need more vegetables in your diet…and let’s be honest, sometimes you don’t just want to snack on a carrot stick…I’ve found that spinach (easy enough to grow yourself!) or beets can work really well in smoothies.

Nuts or oats can help make the smoothie feel more like meal, giving you fuel for the day.

Some more offbeat ingredients, like cilantro or ginger, can brighten flavor.

So simple, right?

After years of experimenting with my daily smoothie, I’ve found a lot of combinations that work, and some that don’t. I’ve included eight of my best recipes below but I’m sure there’s many more. Be sure to comment with your favorite smoothie ingredient combos!

How Do You Freeze Your Make-Ahead Smoothie Freezer Packs?

This is the easiest part! Simply gather all your ingredients (without the water), portion into ziplock freezer bags, and squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can before labeling and freezing. That’s it!

And the best part is smoothie packs can be kept in the freezer for up to three months – meaning you can enjoy more variety, more often!

Mornings may be busy, but with make ahead Smoothie Freezer Packs, there’s no excuse not to start your day with something healthy, and so delicious.

Make Ahead Smoothie Kits

Freezer smoothie packs are the easiest make ahead breakfast! With 9 recipe ideas like a pineapple green smoothie, blueberry orange, cherry almond coconut, strawberry banana, and mango pear, you'll find one for everyone in the family! Just toss all the ingredients in the blender when ready to make!

Course Beverages

Cuisine American

Keyword make ahead smoothie, smoothie, smoothie kits

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings smoothies

Calories 95kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

Yum Yum Smoothie Base

1-½ cups greek yogurt 24 oz Greek God Yogurt (1 lb 8 oz container
1-½ tsp vanilla extract
1-½ cups frozen orange juice concentrate partially thawed (12 oz container)

Other ingredients for smoothies

6 cups frozen fruit see recipes below
3 bananas optional (see recipes below)
other optional ingredients to add to your smoothies such as nuts oats, spinach, kale, cilantro, flax seed, protein powder, ect.

Instructions

In a small bowl combine yogurt, vanilla and orange juice concentrate. Stir until smooth.
Place into silicone based ice cube trays measuring 1 tbsp (15 mL) into each spot. Or if you don’t have the trays you can line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and measure out 1 tbsp sized blobs onto the tray.
Place in freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. This should make 48 cubes or blobs that are 1 tbsp each.
If using banana in your smoothie, slice banana into 1/4 inch slices and place individually on parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Label 6 freezer quart sized bags. Remove ice cube trays and any frozen fruit from freezer; add smoothie base cubes and all ingredients as listed below to each bag. Seal bags, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

Notes

This recipe makes 12 smoothies (6 quart sized freezer bags that make 2 smoothies each bag).

Nutrition

How to make the Smoothies

Add contents of freezer smoothie bag to blender with 1/2 cup (125 mL) water. Blend. Add more water if necessary to get desired consistency. Each recipe makes two smoothies.

Click these links to jump to the smoothie recipes:

Green Smoothie
Orange Dream
Blueberry Orange
Strawberry Banana
Cherry Bliss
Blackberry Coconut
Just Beet it
Mango Pear
Pina Colada

Green Smoothie

2 cups (500 mL) packed fresh green spinach
1/2 banana frozen slices
1 cup (250 mL) frozen pineapple chunks
8 cubes or blobs of Yum Yum yogurt base

Orange Dream

1/2 cup (125 mL) frozen orange sherbet cut into chunks
8 cubes or blobs of Yum Yum yogurt base

Blueberry Orange

1 cup (250 mL) frozen blueberries
1/2 banana, frozen slices
8 cubes or blobs of Yum Yum yogurt base

Strawberry Banana

1 cup frozen strawberries
½ banana frozen slices
8 cubes or blobs of Yum Yum yogurt base

Cherry Bliss

1 cup pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup sliced raw almonds
8 cubes or blobs of Yum Yum yogurt base

Blackberry Coconut

1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup shredded or toasted raw coconut
8 cubes of Yum Yum yogurt base

Just Beet It

1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 small raw beet, peeled and diced
½ banana
8 cubes of Yum Yum yogurt base

Mango Pear

½ cup mango, fresh or frozen
1 pear, cored and chopped
½ banana
8 cubes of Yum Yum yogurt base

Pina Colada

Yum Yum smoothie base change: omit orange juice concentrate and substitute coconut extract for vanilla
1 cup frozen pineapple
¼ cup shredded coconut

WANT MORE SMOOTHIE RECIPES?

If you come up with any other amazing smoothie recipes using my yum yum base please share it in the comments below – I’d love to try it out!

The post Quick and Easy Smoothie Freezer Packs appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

5 Layer Dutch Oven Breakfast Recipe

2024-08-12T21:09:13Z

This dutch oven country breakfast really does have 5 layers! There is ground sausage, hashbrowns, eggs, biscuits, and cheese! My favorite way to prep is to pre-package everything in ziplock bags and place them in the ice chest, ready for a quick meal. It is the perfect hearty breakfast for a day in the outdoors!

Growing up, we always had yummy dutch oven food. Whether it was my Dad teaching the boy scouts, or as a family when we were in the woods camping, he was always making some sort of new recipe in the dutch oven.

Our favorite go-to camping recipe was this 5 layer dutch oven country breakfast. So this summer, when you are planning your big family campout, be sure to grab your dutch oven, print off this recipe and make this amazing camping meal.

Make sure to check out also my 10 Easy and Cheap Camping Meals post for more camping recipes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ground Sausage: Ground sausage adds depth and a savory flavor. Use ground pork sausage for a traditional flavor, or choose turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter option.
Frozen Shredded Potatoes: Frozen shredded potatoes are ideal for creating a hearty texture. You can also use freshly grated potatoes or sweet potatoes offer a fresher taste
Eggs: Use fresh, free-range eggs for the best flavor and nutritional benefits.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese melts beautifully and adds a creamy, tangy flavor. Choose sharp or aged cheddar or substitute with shredded mozzarella or gouda for a different flavor.
Biscuit dough: Biscuit dough provides a fluffy, soft texture and is a perfect topping. Use canned dough or homemade biscuit mix.

Variations

You can make variations to this 5 layer dutch oven country breakfast to suit your taste and preferences.

Southwestern Style: Use chorizo instead of sausage and add bell peppers, green chiles, pepper jack cheese, and top it with salsa and avocados.
Vegetarian: Scrap the sausage and add spinach, tofu, vegan cheese, and tomatoes.
Italian Inspired: Use Italian sausage, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
All-American BBQ: Use leftover BBQ pulled pork or chicken, cheddar cheese, crispy fried onions and extra BBQ sauce.

Equipment

These are the tools you’ll need to make this delicious country breakfast recipe.

Dutch Oven: Ideal for slow-cooking, braising, frying, and baking, the Dutch oven is an essential tool that can be used on the stovetop, in the oven, and directly on charcoal like in this recipe.
Charcoal: Opt for natural lump charcoal for a cleaner burn and better flavor, especially when grilling or smoking food, as it contains no additives and provides a hotter, more consistent heat.
Chimney Charcoal Starter: Choose a chimney starter with a heat shield and a stay-cool handle to ensure safety and comfort while igniting your charcoal.
Multi-Purpose Lighter: Select a lighter with a flexible neck and a durable, refillable design.

Instructions

Heat up some charcoal briquettes with a chimney charcoal starter. Once the coals have begun turning white, you are ready to start cooking. Dump out the hot coals and be careful not to get burned.

Step 1. Place the dutch oven over the proper amount of hot coals and cook the sausage until browned.

Step 2. Pour a bag of hashbrowns right over top the sausage.

Step 3. Third layer is a dozen eggs. Crack the eggs and place evenly across the surface of the hash browns.

Step 4. Sprinkle on 2 cups of cheese.

Step 5. Layer on some biscuits.

Step 6. Using some long handled tongs, cover the dutch oven and add the hot coals on top.

Now sit back and wait for about 45 minutes or until everything is cooked through and the eggs are set. When you lift the lid, your tummy will grumble and you will sing hallelujah! Breakfast is ready!

How To Determine How Many Coals To Place On, And Under Your Dutch Oven

The amount and placement of the coals on and under your dutch oven is important to get an even cook. The perfect amount of coals used for any dutch oven is based on its diameter. For example, if you are using a 12-inch oven, you will need two coals per inch, or a total of 24. Too many coals will result in too high of a temperature and overcooked or burnt food, not enough coals and your food won’t cook. To figure out how many coals go under and how many go on top, remember the number 2:

· 2 coals per inch of oven diameter
· place 2 more coals than the oven size on the lid, and
· place 2 less than the oven size under it.

So for my 12 inch dutch oven, I would place 12 +2, a total of 14 on the top. For the bottom, I would put 12-2 for a total of 10 hot coals. 14 + 10 = 24, which is the total diameter times 2. Have I confused you yet? Using this method and laying them out in a circular pattern and placing them evenly should give you a temperature of 350 degrees.

Storage

Pre-portion your ingredients and seal them tightly in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn and preserve freshness. For items that need to be kept cold or frozen, use a high-quality cooler with ice packs to maintain a safe temperature during transport.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen?

Absolutely! Grate fresh potatoes, and squeeze out excess moisture with a towel before using them in the recipe to prevent sogginess.

What other cheeses can I use besides cheddar?

Feel free to experiment with other melting cheeses such as mozzarella, provolone, or a blend of your favorites for different flavors.

Related Recipes you’ll enjoy

If you are planning a camping trip anytime soon, be sure to check out my other camping related posts:

5 Layer Dutch Oven Country Breakfast

This dutch oven country breakfast really does have 5 layers! There is ground sausage, hashbrowns, eggs, biscuits, and cheese! It is the perfect hearty breakfast for a day in the outdoors!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine camping

Keyword breakfast casserole, dutch oven

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 869kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

32 oz Ground Sausage – 2 small packages
30 oz Frozen Shredded potatoes
12 eggs
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can biscuit dough or homemade biscuit mix
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

While the coals are heating up, place the dutch oven over them and cook the sausage until browned.
Remove from heat and pour the package of hashbrowns over it. Then crack the 12 eggs over the potato layer as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle the cheddar cheese as the next layer. Then place the biscuits all over the cheese or homemade biscuit mix.
Cover the dutch oven and then add coals on the top and bottom of dutch oven. Allow to cook for 45 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Nutrition

The post 5 Layer Dutch Oven Breakfast Recipe appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Canning Fresh Peaches {No Sugar Recipe}

2024-08-10T22:56:24Z

I can remember as a child biting into a fresh ripe peach, letting the juice dribble down my chin and thinking life just doesn’t get better than this. As an adult my opinion hasn’t changed. I LOVE fresh, the problem with fresh peaches is that they are only in season for a little while. Thank goodness that they can be preserved by canning! This week my sister and I canned fresh peaches without using sugar and I wanted to share my recipe with you.

Growing up my mom was quite the canner. Working all day making peaches, pickles, tomatoes, grape juice, applesauce. She was always hot and tired by the time she was done. I suppose as a child I never appreciated all the work that went into the whole process. As an adult the thought of standing in my kitchen all day carvin’ up peaches just didn’t sound appealing. Let’s just say it took me many years as a mother myself to get the desire to can. But eventually I missed the flavor of homemade peaches, pears and applesauce so I knew I had to try.

My sister came to visit me this past week and we decided we would can peaches together. All I can say is that it is SO much better to can with someone. Especially someone who makes you giggle and laugh all the way through the process. We both had to fight the urge to eat them all up too…one for the canning jar, one for me. Two for the canning jar… ahem.

As I am starting on a more real foods lifestyle I wanted my recipe to be without white sugar. I loved the idea of using honey instead, since someday I dream of having my own beehive. We picked, peeled and canned the peaches together. Then we opened up a jar to try them out. They were wonderful!!

Perfecto! Glorious even.

Here is how to preserve peaches without sugar.

Supplies needed:

Jars, lids and rings
Canner, tongs, canning jar holder, pots
Cutting Board, paring knife
Large bowl, colander
Ice
measuring cups & teaspoons
Peaches – use freestone peaches – they make canning easy! The pits come right out. I used Elberta peaches this year.
Lemon Juice
Honey
water

You want to start with some fresh ripe peaches. We went down to our local u-pick orchard and picked 95 lb. of peaches!! We paid $0.70 per lb. I think it will be great when I have my own farm to grow a few peach trees so I will save money.

It was so fun picking peaches, we took our kids and had a blast. There were a few peaches we picked that were ripe and ready to eat but the majority of them had to wait a few days. I took a twin sized sheet and laid out each peach individually. If left in the boxes they will bruise more.

It took two days and then most of the peaches were ripe. You don’t want them to be too soft or too hard. Gently press them and if they slightly give they are ready.

Once you are ready to begin, get your stations ready. First step is to sterilize your jars and lids.

I ran my jars through the sterilize option on my dishwasher. If you don’t have a dishwasher just clean them with hot soapy water as best you can. You want your jars to be really clean to avoid any bacteria that might get in.

Also add your lids and rings to a pot and simmer until ready to use.

Peel your peaches either using the water bath method or with a peeler. I used the water bath method which is this. Get a pot of boiling water going. Have a bowl of ice water ready for cooling. Gently add in a few peaches, and then leave for 30 seconds in the boiling water. Quickly remove to the ice water to cool for one minute.

Then if the peaches are ripe the skins should just peel off super easily.

Then take your peaches, slice it in half and remove the pits.
I removed the little bit of red next to the pit…and sliced my peaches into 1/4 inch slices.

Then add them to the jar.I always stuff as many peaches as I can get in there until I get to the threads of the jar top.

To the jars: Add first one teaspoon of lemon juice to preserve color.

Then in a separate bowl you take 7 cups of warm water and mix in 1/3 cup of honey. I love this picture. It’s artsy-fartsy.

Pour the honey water combo into your jars leaving about 1/2 inch of headroom. I would also jiggle the jar to release any pockets of air.

Next add the lids and rings to the top of the jars. You can use a fork to get the lids out of the simmering water or one of those cool canning magnets. Don’t screw on the rings too tight. Place the jars into your canner and make sure there is 1 inch of water above the tops of the jars. Once the water is boiling boil your jars for 15-20 minutes. The canning manuals will tell you to cook them for 20-25 minutes but I choose to do it for 15 minutes.

After the time is up remove the jars on a towel to cool. Make sure to not have the jars touch each other. And do not touch them or mess with them as this can mess up the processing as well. The lids will “pop” as they cool. I love hearing that sound…

If for some reason once they are all cool you have a jar that didn’t pop, that means it didn’t seal right. So you can go ahead and eat right away or save in your refrigerator for up to a week or two.

Canned Peaches without Sugar

No sugar needed to make these delicious canned peaches.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword canning

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings quarts

Calories 416kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

20 lbs Peaches – freestone
10 tsp Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Honey
7 cups water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Sterilize your jars and lids. If you don't have a dishwasher just clean them with hot soapy water as best you can. You want your jars to be really clean to avoid any bacteria that might get in.
Add your lids and rings to a small pot and simmer on low until ready to use.
Start your large canning pot to boil. If it boils too quickly you can turn it to low until you're ready to add your canning jars to it.
Peel your peaches either using the water bath method or with a peeler. For water bath: Get a pot of boiling water going. Have a bowl of ice water ready for cooling. Gently add in a few peaches, and then leave for 30 seconds in the boiling water. Quickly remove to the ice water to cool for one minute. The skins should peel off super easily
Then take your peaches, slice in half and remove the pits. Note: I prefer to remove the little bit of red next to the pit and slice my peaches into 1/4 inch slices
Then add the peaches to the jars. Stuff as many peaches as you can get in there until your peaches reach just below the rings of the jars.
Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to each jar to preserve color.
Then in a separate bowl take 7 cups of warm water and mix in 1/3 cup of honey. Mix until combined.
Pour the honey water into your jars leaving about 1/2 inch of headroom. I would also jiggle the jar to release any pockets of air or use a canning tool to remove air.
Next add the lids and rings to the top of the jars. You can use a fork to get the lids out of the simmering water or one of those cool canning magnets. Note: Don't screw on the rings too tight!
Place the jars into your canner and make sure there is 1 inch of water above the tops of the jars. Once the water is boiling, boil your jars for 15-20 minutes. The canning manuals will tell you to cook them for 20-25 minutes but I choose to do it for 15 minutes.
After the time is up remove the jars, sitting them upright onto to a towel to cool. Make sure to not have the jars touch each other. And do not touch them or mess with them as this can mess up the processing as well. The lids will "pop" as they cool. I love hearing that sound…it's the best!
If for some reason once they are all cool you have a jar that didn’t pop, that means it didn’t seal right. So you can go ahead and eat right away or save in your refrigerator for up to a week or two.

Nutrition

After you are all done canning your peaches, consider doing a happy thought by sharing a finished jar with a friend saying “I love you to Peaches”. Who wouldn’t love that?

Questions? Comments? What are you canning this year? Do you have any tips to share?

The post Canning Fresh Peaches {No Sugar Recipe} appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Easy Make Ahead Orange Chicken Freezer Meal

2024-06-01T00:54:17Z

This Make-Ahead Orange Chicken Freezer Meal is a delicious and tangy chicken dish with the right amount of ginger and orange, and with the convenience of having it ready in the freezer to whip up last minute! You can prepare the meal in advance, freeze it, and then simply heat it up whenever you’re ready for a quick and tasty dinner.

This Orange Chicken freezer meal is a great way to have a tasty, homemade dinner ready with little effort. By preparing the chicken and sauce ahead of time, you can freeze it and have it on hand for those busy days when cooking from scratch is not an option. This meal combines the sweet and tangy flavors of orange ginger sauce with tender chicken pieces, making it a family favorite that is both delicious and convenient.

When you’re ready to eat, simply take the meal out of the freezer and heat it up. You’ll save time on busy weeknights and still enjoy a flavorful, home-cooked meal. With a little planning and preparation, you can make sure you always have a quick and satisfying dinner option available, making mealtime stress-free and enjoyable.

Check out all my Freezer Meals for more convenient dinner ideas like these Chicken Burrito Bowls (Make Ahead & Freeze) or these Stuffed Shells {Freezer Meal}.

And make sure to check out also my book “Seriously Good Freezer Meals“!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast for the best consistency. You can substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a juicier option.
Cornstarch: Helps to create a crispy coating on the chicken and thickens the sauce. It can be substituted with arrowroot powder or all purpose flour.
Vegetable oil: You can use any flavorless vegetable oil, like canola or peanut oil.
Fresh green onion: Adds a fresh, mild onion flavor and a pop of color to the dish. You can be substitute with chives or omit entirely.
Orange juice: Provides the sweet and tangy base for the sauce; fresh or store-bought juice can be used.
Soy sauce: Adds a savory umami flavor to the sauce; can be substituted with tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option.
Honey: Sweetens the sauce and balances the tanginess. You can use any type of honey you prefer.
Rice vinegar: Adds acidity and brightness to the sauce; it can be substituted with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Sesame oil: Provides a rich, nutty flavor, a little goes a long way.
Garlic: Adds a pungent and savory depth to the sauce. You can fresh or jarred minced garlic, or garlic powder for a milder flavor.
Ginger: Adds a warm, spicy note to the sauce; fresh or jarred ginger can be used, or powdered ginger for a milder flavor.

Variations

You can customize this Orange Chicken recipe to give it an extra kick of flavor or match your dietary preferences.

Spicy: Add 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to the orange sauce for a spicy kick.
Vegetarian: Substitute the chicken with firm tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian option.
Gluten-Free: Replace soy sauce with gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos, and ensure the cornstarch is certified gluten-free.
Extra Veggie: Add steamed broccoli, bell peppers, or snap peas to the dish for more vegetables.
Garlic-Lover’s: Double the amount of minced garlic for a more intense garlic flavor.
Ginger-Infused: Double the ginger for a spicier, more aromatic sauce.
Nutty: Add a handful of toasted cashews or almonds for extra crunch and nutty flavor.

Instructions with Photos

Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.

In a medium sized bowl, combine cornstarch and egg whites. Stir and add chicken to bowl. Turn to coat chicken until all are well combined.

Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot, add coated chicken in small batches. Cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

In another small bowl make the orange sauce by whisking together orange juice, water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add orange sauce mix. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up.

Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.

Freezing and Reheating

Freeze It for Later:
Pour the uncooked sauce into a labeled gallon-sized freezer bag and seal it, making sure to remove any excess air. Place the cooked and cooled chicken into another labeled gallon-sized freezer bag. For convenience, you can put the sauce bag inside the chicken bag to keep them together. Place the bags in the freezer.

Reheating:
To quickly thaw the frozen orange sauce mix, place the bag in a bowl of hot water. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Arrange the frozen chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly heated. Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Pour the sauce over the heated chicken and serve, garnished with chopped green onions if desired.

Serving Suggestions

For a complete meal, serve the orange chicken over a bed of steamed white or brown rice, which will absorb the flavorful sauce perfectly. You can also pair it with a side of stir-fried vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, and snap peas for added crunch and nutrition.

Recipe FAQs

How long can I store the orange chicken in the freezer?

The orange chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to label the bags with the date of preparation.

Can I add vegetables to the dish?

Yes, adding steamed or stir-fried vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, or snap peas is a great way to make the meal more nutritious.

How do I quickly thaw the frozen sauce?

Place the frozen sauce bag in a bowl of hot water to thaw it quickly before reheating.

Orange Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe

Course Dinner

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword orange chicken

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 370kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 egg whites
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
fresh green onion, sliced optional

Orange Sauce

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic minced
1 tsp ginger pureed or minced
1 tsp cornstarch

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
In a medium sized bowl, combine cornstarch and egg whites. Stir and add chicken to bowl. Turn to coat chicken until all are well combined.
Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot, add coated chicken in small batches. Cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel as you cook remaining batches.
In another small bowl make the orange sauce by whisking together orange juice, water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.

Make It Now

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add orange sauce mix. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.

Freeze It For Later

Place uncooked sauce into labeled gallon sized bag. Seal, removing air. Place cooked and cooled chicken into another labeled gallon size freezer bag. You can add the sauce bag into this bag to prevent them getting separated. Place in freezer and freeze.

Reheating

Place frozen orange sauce mix into a bowl of hot water to thaw quickly. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place frozen chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until chicken is fully heated through. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.

Notes

Nutrition

The post Easy Make Ahead Orange Chicken Freezer Meal appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Homemade All Natural Carpet Cleaner Solution Recipe

2024-04-29T19:29:00Z

Making your own homemade all natural carpet cleaner has never been so easy! With our easy to make, inexpensive all-natural solution you won’t buy the commercial stuff anymore. It’s safe, effective, and uses ingredients you likely already have at home!

I bet you also hate spending $20+ dollars on that bottle of rug doctor concentrate carpet cleaner stuff, but really do want to have nice smelling carpets, just like me. Am I right?

Well… I actually have TWO homemade carpet cleaning recipes on this blog: This all natural carpet cleaner solution recipe in this post. And my all-time favorite (although not-all-natural) homemade carpet cleaner recipe here. Both work great but in all honesty, I do prefer my other one more just because it’s so powerful at getting the stains out.

What I love about this recipe is I always have the ingredients on hand. So when I’m too tired to run to the store when I’m out of ingredients for my other recipe I turn to this recipe! It’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to store-bought products, perfect for those who want to keep their home clean and green.

Ingredients

Vinegar: A versatile and natural cleaning agent, vinegar effectively cuts through dirt and odors, leaving surfaces sanitized due to its acidic properties.
Hot Water: Helps to dissolve grime and enhance the cleaning power of other ingredients, making it easier to lift stains from the carpet.
Essential Oils: Optional but beneficial for adding a pleasant aroma and can possess antibacterial properties, enhancing the cleaning solution’s effectiveness.

Essential Oils Recommendation

Adding essential oils to your carpet cleaner not only leaves your home smelling fresh but also leverages the therapeutic benefits these oils can offer.

Lavender – Known for its calming aroma, lavender also has antibacterial properties.
Lemon – Fresh and uplifting, lemon oil is great for cutting through grease and giving your carpet a clean scent.
Peppermint – Leaves a refreshing scent and has antiseptic properties, making it effective against dust mites.
Eucalyptus – Known for its ability to relieve respiratory issues, it also has strong cleaning capabilities.
Rosemary – Has a woodsy aroma and is good for improving air quality by repelling many common allergens.
Cinnamon – A warm, comforting scent that also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Orange – Sweet and refreshing, orange oil is excellent for eliminating stubborn stains and odors.
Thyme – Strong antibacterial properties make it effective against bacteria in carpets.
Clove – Known for its antimicrobial and antifungal qualities, perfect for a deep clean.

How to Use

Once you have your homemade all natural cleaning solution, here’s how you can use it with your carpet cleaner.

Before you begin cleaning, make sure that your carpet has been thoroughly vacuumed.
Fill the machine reservoir with this solution.
Test this homemade carpet cleaner on a less visible area of flooring to make sure it’s safe for your carpet and wait at least 24 hours for the test spot to dry to see the results.
Then you can run the machine over your entire carpet, making sure to show special attention to stains or spots. Wait least 24 hours for the carpet to dry and you’re done!

Storage

To properly store your homemade cleaning solution, transfer it into a clean, airtight container, such as a spray bottle or a jug with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to maintain its effectiveness and extend its shelf life. This precaution helps prevent the degradation of any essential oils used and ensures the solution remains strong for future use.

FAQs

What types of stains can this solution remove?

This homemade solution is effective against common carpet stains such as dirt, spills, and pet accidents. It works particularly well on fresh stains.

Is this solution safe for all types of carpets?

While this solution is generally safe for most carpets, it’s always best to do a spot test in an inconspicuous area first to ensure it doesn’t discolor or damage your specific type of carpet.

How long does the homemade carpet cleaner solution last?

When stored properly in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dry place, the solution can last for several months. However, for best results, consider mixing fresh batches for each cleaning session.

This recipe will clean your carpets very well and can get some powerful stains out too. But I will warn you, it will smell like vinegar pretty strongly while you are shampooing the carpets. But after it dries you will be left with a nice clean smelling house and no vinegar smells.

Happy saving money friends!

OTHER GREAT DIY CLEANING RECIPES

Homemade All Natural Carpet Cleaner Solution Recipe

This Non-toxic homemade all natural carpet cleaner solution uses only vinegar, water and essential oils but cleans deeply leaving your carpets fresh.

Author Karrie

Ingredients

1/2 gallon vinegar
1/2 gallon hot water
5 drops essential oils optional

Instructions

MAKING THE SOLUTION

In a large bowl or pitcher, combine the vinegar, hot water and essential oils, stirring until well combined.

HOW TO USE SOLUTION

Before you begin cleaning, make sure that your carpet has been thoroughly vacuumed.
Fill machine reservoir with this solution.
Test this homemade carpet cleaner on a less visible area of flooring to make sure it’s safe for your carpet and wait at least 24 hours for the test spot to dry to see the results.
Then you can run the machine over your entire carpet, making sure to show special attention to stains or spots. Wait least 24 hours for the carpet to dry and you’re done!

The post Homemade All Natural Carpet Cleaner Solution Recipe appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Freezer Friendly Garlic Bread

2024-04-17T23:25:21Z

This warm buttery freezer friendly Garlic Bread Toast is the perfect accompaniment to any Italian meal or a delightful snack on its own. It has crispy edges and buttery, garlicky flavor, and it will be everyone’s favorite at the table.

Today, I am beyond excited to share with you one of my all-time favorite recipes: Freezer Friendly Garlic Bread. Brace yourselves, because once you try method out, you’ll never look at garlic bread the same way again!

Why Garlic Bread? Let’s face it – garlic toast is the unsung hero of any meal. It’s the thing all the kids grab first. Whether you’re serving up a comforting bowl of pasta, a hearty soup, or a fresh garden salad, garlic bread has the magical ability to elevate any dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.

Why We Love It:

Convenient: Having a stash of freezer-friendly garlic bread on hand means you’re always prepared to whip up a quick and tasty side dish.
Flavorful: The combination of garlic, butter, and dried herbs creates a flavor explosion that will leave your taste buds singing with joy.
Versatile: Pair this make-ahead garlic bread with pasta, soups, salads, or enjoy it as a snack on its own – the possibilities are endless!
Easy: You need just a few common pantry ingredients and minimal cooking time, plus having it ready in the freezer, you can whip it up on short notice. The aroma of toasted garlic bread spreading throughout the kitchen is enough to gather everyone around the table.

This easy garlic bread recipe is cheaper than buying the pre-made kind. And it tastes better too!

Ingredients to make Freezer Friendly Garlic Bread

Bread: Use long bread loaves such as French bread, Baguettes, or Italian bread. You can use either white or whole wheat bread, as you prefer.
Butter: Use good quality unsalted butter to adjust the seasonings yourself. You can also use salted butter but be careful to not overseason.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is a pantry staple that you always have available and a good substitute for fresh garlic to make garlic bread even easier and quicker.
Parsley: Dried parsley is another pantry staple, easy to use. If you have more time, you can also use finely chopped fresh parsley.

Instructions with Photos

Making this freezer friendly garlic bread will be the easiest thing you do all day!

Step 1. Cut your loaf of bread in half long ways. In a bowl, combine the butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Step 2. Add the seasonings to the softened butter and mix well until you get a creamy butter.

Step 3. Apply the butter mixture to the inside of both halves of the bread.

Step 4. Lay your bread on a cookie sheet, butter side up and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. You can skip this step if you don’t mind the butter mixture sticking to your knife.

Step 5. Remove from freezer and slice your bread into large chunks.

Step 6. Place the chunks on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Freeze for Later Instructions

If you want to freeze this delectable bread recipe for later, simply lay both sides of the bread on a cookie sheet, and butter up, for 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and put both halves together, butter side facing each other. Wrap it thoroughly in plastic wrap then place it back in the bag you bought it in. Remove the air from the bag and twist the top closed.

To bake from frozen: Slice bread into chunks. Place the chunks on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Substitutions and Variations

Vegan: Use plant-based butter and check that your bread is vegan.
Low-Sodium: Omit the salt and use unsalted butter.
Herb Variations: Substitute parsley with basil, thyme, or a mix of Italian herbs for a different flavor profile.
Cheesy Garlic Bread: Sprinkle grated Parmesan or mozzarella on top before baking.
Spicy Garlic Bread: Add red pepper flakes to the butter mixture for a kick.
Garlic Bread Sticks: Slice the bread into sticks before applying the garlic butter for fun, dip-friendly shapes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve garlic bread toast fresh from the oven while it’s still warm and crispy. It pairs beautifully with pasta dishes like spaghetti bolognese or a creamy alfredo. It also makes a great starter; serve it alongside a selection of cheeses, cured meats, and olives for a simple yet elegant appetizer.

Recipe FAQs

What is the best bread for garlic bread toast?

A crusty French baguette or a dense Italian loaf works best as they hold up well under the weight of the butter and retain a good crunch.

Can individual garlic bread slices be frozen for later use?

Yes, you can freeze individual garlic bread toast slices. Spread the butter mixture on the bread slices, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and freeze. Bake them directly from the freezer when ready to eat; just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Or you can thaw and bake as directed as well.

Can I use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder?

Yes, fresh garlic can be used for a stronger flavor. Use about 5-6 fresh garlic cloves finely minced in place of garlic powder for this recipe.

Freezer Friendly Garlic Bread

This easy freezer-friendly garlic toast will bring back memories of childhood and comfort food!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword freezer friendly garlic toast, garlic bread

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings slices

Calories 121kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

1 loaf French Bread
1 Cup Butter, softened
2 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 1/2 TBSP Dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 TBSP Salt

Instructions

Remove your bread from the plastic bag and set plastic bag aside for later use.
Cut your loaf of bread in half long ways.
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, garlic powder, dried parsley and salt together and mix until well combined.
Using a butter knife or spatula spread the butter mixture thoroughly to the insides of both halves of the bread.

MAKE IT NOW

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Using a sharp knife, cut into large chunks and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

FREEZE IT FOR LATER

Place bread butter side up on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Remove from freezer and combine the two halves of bread, butter sides facing each other.
Wrap the loaf of bread thoroughly and tightly with plastic wrap, making sure every spot is covered.
Now place your loaf of bread inside the bag it came in, making sure the majority of the air is out of the bag. Tie the bag with the bread tie it came with.
Place in freezer and freeze for up to 4 months for best results.
To bake, remove from freezer and allow to thaw for about an hour outside the fridge.
Using a sharp knife, cut into large chunks and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

Vegan: Use plant-based butter and check that your bread is vegan.
Low-Sodium: Omit the salt and use unsalted butter.
Herb Variations: Substitute parsley with basil, thyme, or a mix of Italian herbs for a different flavor profile.
Cheesy Garlic Bread: Sprinkle grated Parmesan or mozzarella on top before baking.
Spicy Garlic Bread: Add red pepper flakes to the butter mixture for a kick.
Garlic Bread Sticks: Slice the bread into sticks before applying the garlic butter for fun, dip-friendly shapes.
Sub Fresh Garlic instead of garlic powder: Use about 5-6 fresh garlic cloves finely minced in place of garlic powder for this recipe.

Nutrition

And there you have it, folks – the ultimate freezer-friendly garlic bread recipe that will revolutionize your meal prep game. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or simply craving a savory snack, this garlic toast is sure to impress. So go ahead, whip up a batch, and indulge in garlicy goodness whenever the mood strikes!

Got any questions or want to share your own twist on this recipe? Drop them in the comments below! And don’t forget to follow me for more freezer-friendly recipes, kitchen hacks, and culinary adventures. Until next time, happy cooking!

The post Freezer Friendly Garlic Bread appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Chicken Burrito Bowls (Make Ahead & Freeze)

2024-03-14T04:04:38Z

I’m just going to say it… nothing beats a good chicken burrito bowl! Packed with seasoned chicken, savory Spanish rice, beans, cheese, salsa, and all the fresh toppings your heart desires. Not only do these chicken burrito bowls taste incredible, but you can also freeze them into portion sizes so you can have a single meal ready to go whenever you are. Perfect for work lunches!

These little make-ahead chicken burrito bowls are the perfect combination of healthy ingredients, super flavorful taste, they are fast to reheat and the best part of all? I get full from eating them!

These chicken burrito bowls are a super versatile quick & easy meal, and you can customize them as you prefer.

Work at the Office? Treat your frozen bowl like an ice pack for your toppings, then by lunchtime your bowl will have partially thawed. Microwave and enjoy.
After school kids saying “I’m hungry?” Heat up a chicken burrito bowl.
Lunch at home for one? Put away that pb&j today and toss one of these in the microwave.
Want a fun dinner for the family? Individual bowls for everyone!
College kid? Make ahead a bunch of these for lunches or dinners as a thrifty meal.
Eating Keto? Just replace the rice and beans with a keto friendly Spanish cauliflower rice.
Picky eater? Customize them any way you like.

Just look at all that chicken burrito bowl goodness!

Ingredients

Rice: In my opinion, this recipe is the BEST using the homemade Spanish rice recipe in my cookbook Seriously Good Freezer Meals on page 296. It totally just makes the whole chicken burrito bowl just go POW! But if you don’t have my cookbook you can use a store bought package mix of Spanish rice, or head to your nearest Mexican restaurant and order yourself a family size portion of Spanish rice. Hey, no judging here guys! We are all about saving time here, right? You do what you gotta do to survive, man… to survive…
Chicken: I used boneless and skinless chicken breast filets, but you can also use boneless chicken thighs or turkey breasts.
Seasoning: A blend of spices such as chili powder, cumin, used to season the chicken, giving it a robust and authentic Mexican flavor.
Black beans: A nutritious and hearty ingredient, it adds to the bowl extra protein and fiber. You can also substitute with kidney beans, pinto beans, or skip the beans altogether.
Salsa: Salsa is optional, but it’s a zesty addition that can be spooned over the bowl to add moisture and a spicy or tangy kick, depending on your preference.
Cheese: You can use cheddar cheese or for a fun kick use Pepper jack cheese because it’s a slightly spicy and creamy. Plus it’s cheese that melts beautifully, adding a rich and tangy flavor to complement the other ingredients.
Other toppings: These can include a variety of options like diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and sour cream, allowing each person to customize their bowl to their taste.

Storage solutions

As for containers to use, you can use any microwave safe bowls or containers, and a lot of stores carry them. My favorites are these 4-cup Pyrex glass bowls with lids, they are the perfect sized lunch containers. If you want to buy some disposable containers in bulk consider checking out your local restaurant supply store like URM or Cash n Carry.

But if you can’t find microwave safe disposable paper or glass bowls at your local store, go to the aisle that has all of the disposable aluminum pans and grab the aluminum bowls. They obviously aren’t microwave safe but they are the perfect size and handle freezing well.

To reheat, just dump all of the contents of the chicken burrito bowl onto a plate and heat up that way. After it’s heated, add desired toppings. I personally love to add lettuce, sour cream, and sliced avocados. Yum!

Recipe FAQs

How long can I store the burrito bowl in the freezer?

You can store the chicken burrito bowls in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How can I make this recipe vegetarian?

Replace the chicken with a plant-based protein like tofu or quinoa, or simply increase the amount of beans and vegetables.

How can I make the burrito bowl spicier?

Add jalapeños, increase the amount of spicy salsa, or include additional chili powder in the seasoning.

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Simple, healthy and full of flavor chicken burrito bowls great for making ahead!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chicken Burrito Bowls

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings bowls

Calories 383kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

8 single serve bowls or containers
6 cups cooked Spanish rice (for best flavor use recipe in my cookbook “Seriously Good Freezer Meals” pg. 296)
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast filets
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 15 oz. cans black beans
1 cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup salsa, optional

Optional Toppings for Serving

lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, avocado

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Cook your Spanish rice according to package directions, then let it cool.
Trim the fat from the chicken filets and then cut them in half, length-wise.
In a small bowl mix together the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Season the chicken on both sides by sprinkling spice mixture. Use up the whole spice mixture.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat add olive oil and chicken. Cook the chicken until tender, around 4-5 minutes each side, until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from the pan and place on a cutting board to rest for about 5 minutes. Then slice into thin strips.
Using a fine mesh strainer, drain and rinse black beans until rinse water runs clear. Set aside and allow to drip until mostly dry.
Place all 8 bowls individually on your surface.
Equally divide Spanish rice into each bowl.
If using salsa, spread about 1 tbsp (15 mL) salsa over the rice.
Top rice with 2 tbsp (30 mL) shredded cheese.
Evenly divide cooked sliced chicken into all bowls; about 1/4 cup (60 mL) chicken to each bowl.
Add about 1/4 cup (60 mL) black beans over chicken, dividing beans equally among bowls.
Cover each bowl with air-tight lid or cover with a square of plastic wrap, pressing down, making sure to remove as much air as possible, then cover with foil or lid. Label and freeze. Or keep in the fridge for up to one week.

REHEATING

From fridge: Remove foil and plastic wrap. Place into microwave safe bowl or plate if necessary. Microwave on high covered with plastic wrap, for 1 minute. Stir. Continue cooking on high for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until heated through. Top with desired toppings and serve.
From freezer: Remove frozen bowl from freezer. Remove foil and plastic wrap. Place onto microwave-safe bowl or plate if necessary. Microwave on high covered with plastic wrap, for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir. Continue cooking on high for an additional 1 minute 30 seconds or until heated through. Top with desired toppings and serve.

Notes

You can store the chicken burrito bowls in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

I hope you all love this recipe as much as I do! Making a bunch of these chicken burrito bowls up ahead of time sure makes me happy every time I pull one out at lunchtime.

SEE MORE OF MY BEST FREEZER MEAL RECIPES:

Creamy Cheesy Cilantro Chicken Taquitos (Make Ahead & Freeze)
Healthy Homemade Hot Pockets (Make Ahead & Freeze)
Best frozen Mozzarella sticks recipe
Breakfast Bowls (Make-Ahead & Freeze)
Freezer Friendly Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

The post Chicken Burrito Bowls (Make Ahead & Freeze) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Chicken Scampi Recipe – Just Like Olive Garden But Better!

2024-03-08T01:00:25Z

This chicken scampi recipe is to die for. Angel hair pasta covered in a creamy garlic sauce with caramelized onions and bell peppers, then topped with pan-fried chicken tenderloins.

After trying chicken scampi for the first time at the Olive Garden I just knew I needed to recreate it and make it even better. Some of my other favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes I’ve recreated are Olive Garden Italian dressing and Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup.

I am so excited to share one of my families most favorite pasta dishes with you today! It’s my Chicken Scampi recipe and it is so good that me and my husband always fight over the leftovers the next day!

Have you tried the Olive Garden Chicken Scampi? This is where I first fell in love with this dish. Angel hair pasta covered in a creamy garlic sauce mixed with caramelized red onions and bell peppers. Then topped with pan-fried chicken tenderloins. Oh my!

Although I love Olive Gardens chicken scampi, I honestly prefer my own recipe. Does it taste better you ask? I will let you be the judge. But the answer is yes. 100% yes.

INGREDIENTS

To make this Chicken Scampi recipe, you only need a handful of simple ingredients.

Chicken Tenderloins: Boneless and skinless chicken tenderloins are preferred for this recipe, but you can also try it with chicken breasts, or chicken thighs.
Flour: For dusting the chicken, which helps in creating a light crust when pan-frying. All-purpose flour will work great.
Olive Oil: Used for frying the chicken and sautéing the garlic. Extra virgin olive oil is preferred for its flavor, but you can also use other mild oils such as canola or avocado oil.
Butter: Adds richness to the sauce. Unsalted butter is often used to control the saltiness of the dish.
Garlic and Onion: Freshly minced garlic and onion is key for the characteristic flavor of scampi sauce.
Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers will complement the chicken flavor and add sweetness and flavor to the dish.
Parsley: Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish and added flavor.
Seasonings: The right seasonings are important to get the best scampi sauce. On top of salt, and pepper, I add Italian seasonings and red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
Pasta: Angel hair is the best choice for this dish but it’s also often served with spaghetti or linguine. The pasta is typically cooked al dente and tossed with the chicken and sauce.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SCAMPI SAUCE?

It is super easy to make the scampi sauce that tastes just like the Olive Garden one. Basically, all you need to do is saute some garlic and onion, add in chicken broth and some seasonings and simmer for 15 minutes. Then after the flavors have developed together, you add in some heavy cream and simmer on low for 10 minutes more. Such a delicious and creamy sauce.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN SCAMPI?

After making your scampi sauce, make the rest of the recipe and assemble the dish reading for serving.

Dredge the chicken tenders in flour and fry them until golden brown.

2. Caramelize the sliced peppers and onions until soft.

3. Cook the angel hair pasta and add the scampi sauce to the pot.

4. Add the peppers and onions to the pasta.

5. Plate the pasta and add the chicken on top.

6. Add more sauce on top and fresh Parmesan and parsley.

STORAGE NOTES

Once your chicken scampi is cooked, it’s important to store any leftovers properly to maintain freshness and ensure safety.

First, allow the chicken scampi to cool to room temperature, but do not leave it out for more than two hours to prevent bacterial growth. Then, transfer the leftovers into airtight containers. If you have cooked pasta mixed with the chicken and sauce, you can store it all together.
Refrigerate the containers and consume the leftovers within three to four days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the chicken scampi in airtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags for up to two months.
If reheating from frozen, it’s best to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Remember, reheated chicken scampi is best when heated just until warm, as overcooking can dry out the chicken and affect the sauce’s consistency.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts for this recipe?

Yes, you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. They tend to be juicier and more flavorful but keep in mind that cooking times may vary slightly due to the difference in texture and thickness.

Can I add vegetables to this dish?

Absolutely! Mushrooms, broccoli, or spinach can be great additions. Sauté them in the pan together or in place of the peppers and onions.

Is it possible to make chicken scampi ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare this Olive Garden chicken scampi recipe ahead of time. However, it’s best to store the sauce and chicken separately and combine them when reheating to maintain the best texture and flavor.

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES

Chicken Scampi

One of my family’s favorite pasta dishes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Chicken Scampi recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 739kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

3 tbs butter
2 tbs minced onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbs dried parsley
1 cup heavy cream
16 oz angel hair pasta
1 lb chicken tenderloins about 9-12 pieces
salt and pepper
1 cup flour
4 tbs olive oil
2 red bell peppers
1 red onions
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, optional garnish

Instructions

In a medium sized sauce pan add butter, minced onion, minced garlic and saute over medium heat for a 1-2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic burn! Add in chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and the dried parsley. Simmer for 15 minutes on med-low heat.
After 15 minutes is up add heavy whipping cream and simmer on low, without boiling for 10 minutes.
In a separate pot, boil the angel hair pasta according to the directions on the box.
To prepare your chicken tenders, sprinkle with salt and pepper and dip in flour. Fry in a skillet over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Set aside.
Take your onions and bell peppers and cut in julienne strips, making sure to remove all seeds and the white membrane on the inside. In the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in, add another tablespoon or so of olive oil and saute the onions and bell peppers. I cook on high for 3-5 minutes until they get soft and caramelized.
Take the creamy garlic sauce and add half of it to the pasta. Stir to incorporate sauce.
Add all the onions and bell peppers and mix into the pasta. Dish up pasta, adding the chicken on top. Drizzle more sauce over pasta and chicken. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.

Notes

You can store the leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for three to four days.

For longer storage, you can freeze the chicken scampi in airtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags for up to two months.

Nutrition

This dish is perfect in so many ways. I hope you love it as much as I do.

The post Chicken Scampi Recipe – Just Like Olive Garden But Better! appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Christmas Charcuterie Board

2023-12-10T14:57:16Z

This is the best Christmas Charcuterie Board you’ll find this Christmas season! So many savory snacks all together on one delicious board, arranged in the shape of a whimsical Christmas tree. So festive and fun, it’s almost too beautiful to eat – almost.

The simple “cheese board” has been elevated this past year. Creative chefs are finding ways to not only incorporate more yummy items but also build beautiful arrangements with food. That’s why this Christmas Charcuterie Board is perfect for Christmas parties and family dinners during the holiday season.

Bright, seasonal colors come together to create an eye-catching appetizer board with lots of savory and sweet flavors. Because this recipe goes far beyond simple meat and cheese, there’s something for everyone on the Christmas Charcuterie Board.

Busy hosts and chatty guests will love the “hit & run” aspect of the Christmas Party Charcuterie Board. It’s easy to grab a quick nibble off the board without committing to silverware or plates. But it’s substantial enough that you could take your time and prepare a small appetizer dish from items on the board.

Younger guests will love that the Christmas Charcuterie Board has something for them, too. Tasty bites of grapes, cookies, and crackers are a great way to include your kiddos in the fun.

What makes this recipe so wonderful is that there’s no cooking involved. Nothing to bake, boil, or fry, and nothing you need to keep warm. Hot appetizers and warm dips can be wonderful, but it’s like having another baby to care for throughout the party. It’s so much nicer to put out food you can set & forget – and then spend time actually talking with your guests.

INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED

This Christmas Charcuterie Board combines cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, fresh basil, balsamic glaze, celery, cheese, green olives, black olives, green grapes, red grapes, dried apricots, pistachios, crackers, rosemary sprigs, holiday cookies, and alphabet cookies.

HOW TO MAKE THE CHRISTMAS CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Gather all your ingredients and a 12×18 inch wooden cutting board.
Assemble Caprese skewers (see below) and set them aside.
Wash and cut celery into finger-length sticks. These will be used vertically for the base of the tree.
Use the white cheese cubes to start the base layer of the tree. This layer should be your widest layer horizontally across your board.
Add in your Caprese skewers, green olives, and black olives gradually narrowing the width of your layers to create a tree.
Continue this process while adding green and red grapes, dried apricots, and pistachios.
Add the sprigs of rosemary sporadically to mimic a tree.
Next, layer your favorite crackers horizontally across the bottom edge of the board.
Now it’s time to get creative and add your favorite holiday cookies or use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters for some fun holiday cheese shapes!
Serve immediately and enjoy!

CAPRESE SKEWERS

Gather mozzarella balls, basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, balsamic glaze, and toothpicks.
To prepare the skewers, gently puncture the end of the tomato with a toothpick and slide the toothpick lengthwise through the tomato.
Next, pierce a basil leaf through the center and layer it alongside the tomato. Then repeat by adding a mozzarella ball to the end of the toothpick.
Finally, using a fork or spoon drizzle with your favorite balsamic glaze.
Set aside until you assemble the Christmas Charcuterie Board.

HOW DO I STORE MY CHARCUTERIE BOARD?

Chill the completed board in the refrigerator before serving. Begin by calculating how long until serving time. If less than 30 minutes, you can simply lay the board on a flat shelf in your fridge. Anything longer than that and your cheese and celery will begin to dry out. You can prevent this by carefully wrapping the entire board in Saran Wrap. If you have someone to help you, this works best as a two-person task (one to

Some other easy appetizers to serve at Christmas parties are Tex Mex Dip and 3 Ingredient Cream Cheese Apple Dip.

CAN I MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS?

You may alternate any dried fruit as a substitute for dried apricots. I like golden raisins, cranberries, and dates (pits removed). Instead of white cheese, try your favorite American, Colby, or pepper jack cheese. Softer cheeses tend to be more popular than a hard Parmesan or Romano. If you do not have a wooden charcuterie board on hand you can substitute a large cookie sheet.

HOW SHOULD GUESTS REMOVE FOOD FROM THE BOARD?

I recommend providing small tongs next to the board. These are my favorite!

IS THIS CHRISTMAS CHARCUTERIE BOARD FREEZEABLE?

You know I LOVE using my freezer for handy make-ahead recipes. Unfortunately, this just isn’t one of them. Make it fresh, enjoy it fresh.

PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES

It is best to serve immediately if you are using cheese or dairy products.

Floppy celery stalks can be revived by soaking them in a glass of water in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Cookies and crackers tend to lose their crunch if refrigerated overnight. Instead, store those in a separate container at room temperature.

If your family has those all-day-and-into-the-evening dinners, you might try retrieving your board and putting back into the refrigerator for a second appearance later that evening. Just make sure the cheeses haven’t sat out too long. Refresh any depleted items, and serve it again!

WHAT OTHER CHRISTMAS RECIPES CAN YOU MAKE?

Create this No-Bake Peppermint Pie.
Make these Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies.
Bake this Homemade Swedish Cardamom Bread.
Serve up this delicious Homemade Hot Chocolate.
Make this yummy Homemade Pecan Pie.

If you make this charcuterie board, I would love to see it! Snap a picture of it and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!

Christmas Charcuterie Board

This Christmas Charcuterie Board is the most delicious collection of appetizers and snacks you’ll have this holiday season. Fresh cheese, nuts, crackers, cookies, and dried fruits in the shape of a Christmas tree. It looks beautiful and tastes incredible! A surefire crowd pleaser.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Christmas charcuterie board, Christmas tree charcuterie board

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 67kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

Christmas Charcuterie Board

2-3 stalks of celery
white cheese cubes
green olives
black olives
green and red grapes seedless
dried apricots
pistachios shelled
crackers
rosemary sprigs
caprese skewers (recipe below)
holiday and alphabet cookies optional

Caprese Skewers

1 10 oz container of cherry tomatoes
1 8 oz container mozzarella balls
fresh basil
¼ cup balsamic glaze
toothpicks

Instructions

CAPRESE SKEWERS

Gather mozzarella balls, basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, balsamic glaze, and toothpicks.
To prepare the skewers, gently puncture the end of the tomato with a toothpick and slide the toothpick lengthwise through the tomato.
Next, pierce a basil leaf through the center and layer it alongside the tomato. Then repeat by adding a mozzarella ball to the end of the toothpick.
Finally, using a fork or spoon drizzle with your favorite balsamic glaze.
Set aside until you assemble the Christmas Charcuterie Board.

CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Gather all your ingredients and a 12×18 inch wooden cutting board.
Wash and cut celery into finger-length sticks. These will be used vertically for the base of the tree.
Use the white cheese cubes to start the base layer of the tree. This layer should be your widest layer horizontally across your board.
Add in your Caprese skewers, green olives, and black olives gradually narrowing the width of your layers to create a tree.
Continue this process while adding green and red grapes, dried apricots, and pistachios.
Add the sprigs of rosemary sporadically to mimic a tree.
Next, layer your favorite crackers horizontally across the bottom edge of the board.
Now it’s time to get creative and add your favorite holiday cookies or use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters for some fun holiday cheese shapes! Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Cookies and crackers tend to lose their crunch if refrigerated overnight. Instead, store those in a separate container at room temperature.

Floppy celery stalks can be revived by soaking them in a glass of water in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

The post Christmas Charcuterie Board appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Homemade Swedish Cardamom Bread

2023-12-10T14:55:14Z

This is the best-tasting Swedish braided bread you’ll ever have, with traditional flavors of cardamom and cinnamon. This bread is lightly sweet with a drizzle of icing and perhaps a few sprinkles for a fun touch of color. Perfect for breakfast, an afternoon treat or really anytime!

Some of my favorite treats are the ones that go a little easier on the sweetness. Don’t get me wrong…I love a warm cider donut rolled in sugar, and look forward to my annual caramel apple. But sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a treat that doesn’t hit me over the head with its sweetness.

Family recipe books from “the old country” are filled with these kinds of sweet but subtle treats. Back before sugar was poured with such a heavy hand, families were making delicious breads, cakes, and pastries that relied more on fruit and spices for their flavors.

My husband’s grandmother was a fantastic cook, and would make Swedish braided bread every Christmas. But she never shared her special recipe with anyone, so one year I decided to re-create it based on my husband’s description of the bread.

We went through a few experimental recipes, but finally cracked the code! I came up with one that tasted just like his Grandma’s. For someone who loves cooking, there’s no better feeling than creating food that brings back wonderful childhood memories.

Traditionally, this loaf of golden bread is beautifully braided and topped with a drizzle of icing and perhaps a few sprinkles. Who doesn’t love sprinkles?

INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED.

As this is bread, you will need to create a dough using all-purpose flour, water, yeast, granulated sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, and salted butter. The bread is gently spiced with freshly ground cardamom seeds, and finished with a sweet drizzle of icing, and topped with colorful sprinkles.

HOW TO MAKE SWEDISH CARDAMOM BREAD

Prepare your cardamom:

Open the green cardamom pods by pressing down on them using the flat side of a chef’s knife. Open the pods and remove the cardamom seeds, discarding the outer hulls (I also pick out papery inner fibers as much as possible – you won’t get them all though, so don’t worry too much!).
Coarsely grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder. If you don’t have either of those, add seeds to a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin, the bottom of mason jar, or the flat side of a meat tenderizer (press down, don’t hammer it).
You’ll need 2 separate portions of the seeds: Measure out 3 teaspoons of the lightly crushed seeds, then continue grinding 1 teaspoon of seeds until finely ground.

Proof the Yeast (You don’t need to proof instant yeast, bread machine yeast, or fast-rising yeast).

Add warm water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment (the one that looks like a curly-Q. Mix on low for 10 seconds just to combine. Then allow the mixture to sit for 5-8 minutes until you see the yeast turning foamy. If your yeast does NOT turn foamy, it’s likely dead and you’ll want to redo this step with fresh yeast.

While that’s proofing:

In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Once it’s melted, add to the saucepan 2 cups evaporated milk/water mixture
Bring the milk-butter mixture to lukewarm heat (104-110 degrees). If you have a thermometer, this is a great time to use it. Too hot and you could kill the yeast. Remove from heat and set aside to cool if necessary.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat your eggs.

Making the Dough:

Turn your mixer on low and let it stay on low while you add the ingredients.
Add in your beaten eggs, the sugar, milk mixture, cardamom, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Increase to medium speed, and let mix for 1 minute.
Add 2 more cups of flour. Increase to medium speed, and let mix again for 1 minute.
Slowly add in remaining 1-2 cups of flour – ½ cup at a time until mixture comes away from the edges of the bowl and a dough ball forms that is lightly sticky.
Cover mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Line 2 (13-by-18-inch) baking sheets with dampened parchment paper (To dampen, cut your sheets of parchment paper to fit your baking pans, crumple them up, get them wet, shake out, and spread out flat onto each pan).

Braiding the Dough

You’ll have enough dough to make a total of 4 loaves of bread.

Divide dough into 8 equally sized pieces. To make your first loaf, take 2 pieces of dough and roll each one into a skinny rope about 30 inches long.

Cross the two ropes to form an “X,” (pic 1) then bring all 4 strands down so it looks like a baby octopus. (pic 2)

Take the furthest left strand and put it over the strand next to it. Then you’ll take the furthest right strand and put it under the strand next to it (and over the next strand). (pic 3)

Then the furthest left strand goes over one. And then the furthest side under the strand next to it (and over the next strand). (pic 4)

Then repeat the process.

Take the furthest left strand and put it over the strand next to it. Then you’ll take the furthest right strand and put it under the strand next to it (and over the next strand).

Then the furthest left strand goes over one. And then the furthest side under the strand next to it (and over the next strand). Repeat until you get to the end.

When you reach the end, pinch the remaining dough together and tuck it under the loaf slightly. Repeat with the other dough ropes to make 3 more loaves.

Place each loaf onto a parchment-lined baking sheet 4-6 inches apart. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes until slightly risen in size.

Bake the Dough

Preheat oven to 350°F. Make an egg wash by mixing in a small bowl 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water together. Lightly brush the top and sides of braided loaves with the egg wash, and optionally sprinkle with pearl sugar (if you aren’t making the maple frosting).

Bake for 25-30 minutes and the surface of the loaves is golden brown (if using a thermometer, bake to 195°F). Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting or slicing.

Make the Frosting

Ingredients are butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, maple extract, vanilla extract with sprinkles, or pearl sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (it looks like the skeleton of a shield), beat the butter on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes.

Then with the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar, and continue beating until the sugar is fully incorporated.

Add in vanilla, maple extract, and cream. Mix on low speed until incorporated.

Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the buttercream for an additional 5 minutes. If frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s just right. Or if frosting is too thick, add in more cream, one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Frost top of each completely cooled Swedish cardamom bread loaf and decorate with sprinkles if desired. To serve, slice, and enjoy.

To store, wrap completely in plastic wrap. A very light coat of cooking spray on the plastic wrap helps keep it from sticking to your icing. You can keep your Swedish braided bread on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days. But why would you want to? It tastes best fresh on the day of baking.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE REGULAR MILK?

Canned evaporated milk makes for beautifully rich Swedish bread, however, you can substitute whole milk if necessary. Avoid 2%, 1%, or nonfat milk, which will affect the taste and texture of your bread.

WHAT DOES CARDAMOM TASTE LIKE?

Cardamom is a unique spice grown in South Asia and Southeast Asia, with a flavor described as minty and an aroma described as smoky. I know, it sounds like a weird combo, but it works.

Cardamom makes a great tea, an aromatic seasoning in rice dishes, and is the featured flavor in Swedish Cardamom Bread. Cardamom pods look like soft almonds, in colors ranging from green to brown to black. Inside the pods are the cardamom seeds. This is the part used in recipes, usually ground into a coarse or smooth powder.

IS SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK THE SAME AS EVAPORATED MILK?

Let’s just say the two are cousins, not siblings. Both products are thick milk with lower moisture content, but sweetened condensed milk is about 50% sugar, and oozing with sweetness. I don’t think I’ve ever made a recipe with sweetened condensed milk that didn’t result in me dabbing a little bit on my finger for a taste! It’s wonderful in recipes like dream bars, but a little too sweet for Swedish Cardamom bread.

IS CARDAMOM EXPENSIVE OR HARD TO FIND?

Most grocery stores carry both ground and whole pod cardamom. I prefer the whole pod, which I peel fresh and grind myself. It tastes so much better! Pre-ground cardamom often includes ground-up husks, giving it a weaker flavor. Plus, whole cardamom pods last longer (3-4 years if stored in an airtight container). I picked some up for about $3 at an Indian grocery store, which is less than half the cost at the supermarket. Cha-ching!

**You’ll need 25-35 green cardamom pods for this recipe. This is about 1/8-1/4 ounce.

CAN YOU FREEZE SWEDISH CARDAMOM BREAD?

You betcha! Before freezing your Swedish bread, double-wrap it to prevent freezer burn. Wrap your unfrosted loaf snugly in plastic wrap, then place it into a 2-gallon freezer bag. Or use a vacuum sealer to seal – but use the pulse setting on your vacuum sealer so you don’t crush your bread. It’s better to freeze it unfrosted, or else the frosting will break off or rub off onto the plastic wrap. Place frosting in a separate quart-sized freezer bag and seal with loaves. Freeze for up to 5 months.

Some other delightful bread recipes to freeze include this freezable chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread and this cinnamon glazed pumpkin spice bread.

WHAT DO I DO WITH THE YEAST?

Many aspiring cooks shy away from baking homemade bread because yeast can be intimidating. If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the store trying to make sense of all the yeast varieties, I feel your pain! Instant yeast? Active dry yeast? Fast-rising yeast? Ackk! And if that weren’t enough, some yeasts need to be “proofed.” Say what?

Try not to be discouraged. It’s just like sugar, flour, and oatmeal – there are different kinds to be used in different recipes. As for the matter of proofing, here’s what that means. Yeast is a dehydrated single-cell, living organism that makes bread rise. Activating or proofing your yeast prepares it for that task. Dead yeast = no rise.

Proofing is actually a super-easy process. Mix your yeast with water and sugar, wait 10 minutes, and presto: Your yeast is proofed and ready!

Not every type of yeast needs to be proofed. Here’s a quick guide to help you:

Active Dry Yeast – Yes
Fresh Active Yeast – Yes
Instant Yeast – No
Bread Machine Yeast – No
Fast Rising Yeast – No

Check out how EASY it is to proof your yeast: https://feastandfarm.com/how-to-activate-yeast/

PRO TIPS/ RECIPE NOTES

Active Dry Yeast is the most common yeast you’ll find, and it’s the one I recommend for this recipe.

Most cardamom bread recipes just have a nice sugary drizzle and sprinkles on them, but my husband’s grandma used a maple buttercream frosting that tastes like perfection! For me, it’s now the only way to enjoy cardamom bread.

Use a timer to keep track of your mixing times. Overmixed dough gives you chewy bread, and not in a good way. Many a recipe has been ruined by a stand mixer left on autopilot while the chef walks away to throw in a load of laundry (Right here, guilty as charged!)

A good place for the dough to rise in a slightly warmed oven. Start with an oven that is completely cold, then set to bake at 350 degrees (F). Don’t wait for it to pre-heat…just count to 30, turn off the oven, and you’ve got a great environment for rising dough. And it won’t be so hot that it melts any plastic wrap or catches your dish towels on fire. Stick a Post-it note on the oven door to remind everyone that something is inside.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU MAKE WITH YEAST?

Bake these freezer-friendly Homemade Bread Buns
Create this fantastic Ham and Cheese Stromboli
Make these Homemade Blueberry Lemon Sweet Rolls
Prepare these Make Ahead & Freeze Homemade Dinner Rolls
Create happy thoughts with this Homemade Honey Oat Bread

If you make this Swedish Cardamom Bread, I would love to see it! Snap a picture of it and share it with me on Instagram, using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver

Swedish Cardamom Bread

Swedish Cardamom Bread is perfect for family and friends joining to “break bread” together. The cozy flavor of cardamom combines with the light sugary sweetness to create a shareable bread loaf that looks beautiful on the table and tastes heavenly. It has just enough sweetness to make you lick your fingers once or twice after you’re done eating it.

Course bread

Cuisine Swedish

Keyword Braided Bread Recipe, Cardamom Bread, Swedish Bread

Prep Time 1 15

Cook Time 30

Rising Time 1 15

Total Time 3

Servings

Calories 767kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

½ cup warm water heat on the stovetop, or 30 seconds on high in the microwave
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 -¼ tsp active dry yeast from a ¼ oz packet
½ cup salted butter
1 oz 12-oz can evaporated milk + about ½ cup water enough to make 2 cups with the milk
4 eggs beaten
¾ cup additional granulated sugar
3 tsp cardamom seeds lightly crushed
1 tsp cardamom seeds finely crushed or ground
1 tsp table salt
8-9 cups all purpose flour

Egg Wash:

1 egg
1 tsp water
pearl sugar optional, if not frosting loaf with maple frosting

Maple Frosting:

¾ cup salted butter
5 cups powdered sugar also known as confectioners sugar
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
½ tsp maple extract
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sprinkles or pearl sugar optional

Instructions

Prepare your cardamom:

Open the green cardamom pods by pressing down on them using the flat side of a chef’s knife. Open the pods and remove the cardamom seeds, discarding the outer hulls (I also pick out papery inner fibers as much as possible – you won’t get them all though, so don’t worry too much!).
Coarsely grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder. If you don’t have either of those, add seeds to a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin, the bottom of mason jar, or the flat side of a meat tenderizer (press down, don’t hammer it).
You’ll need to separate portions of the seeds: Measure out 3 teaspoons of the lightly crushed seeds, then continue grinding 1 teaspoon of seeds until finely ground.

Proof the Yeast (You don’t need to proof instant yeast, bread machine yeast, or fast-rising yeast).

Add warm water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment (the one that looks like a curly-Q. Mix on low for 10 seconds just to combine. Then allow the mixture to sit for 5-8 minutes until you see the yeast turning foamy. If your yeast does NOT turn foamy, it’s likely dead and you’ll want to redo this step with fresher yeast.

While that’s proofing:

In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Once it’s melted, add to the saucepan 2 cups evaporated milk/water mixture
Bring the milk-butter mixture to lukewarm heat (104-110 degrees). If you have a thermometer, this is a great time to use it. Too hot and you could kill the yeast. Remove from heat and set aside to cool if necessary.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat your eggs.

Making the Dough:

Turn your mixer on low and let it stay on low while you add the ingredients.
Add in your beaten eggs, the sugar, milk mixture, cardamom, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Increase to medium speed, and let mix for 1 minute.
Add 2 more cups of flour. Increase to medium speed, and let mix again for 1 minute.
Slowly add in remaining 1-2 cups of flour – ½ cup at a time until mixture comes away from the edges of the bowl and a dough ball forms that is lightly sticky.
Cover mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rest for 20 minutes.
Line 2 (13-by-18-inch) baking sheets with dampened parchment paper (To dampen, cut your sheets of parchment paper to fit your baking pans, crumple them up, get them wet, shake out, and spread out flat onto each pan).

Braiding the Dough

You’ll have enough dough to make a total of 4 loaves of bread.
Divide dough into 8 equally sized pieces. To make your first loaf, take 2 pieces of dough and roll each one into a skinny rope about 30 inches long.
Cross the two ropes to form an “X,” then bring all 4 strands down so it looks like a baby octopus.
Take the furthest left strand and put it over the strand next to it. Then you’ll take the furthest right strand and put it under the strand next to it (and over the next strand). Then the furthest left strand goes over one. And then the furthest side under the strand next to it (and over the next strand). Then repeat. When you reach the end, pinch the remaining dough together and tuck it under the loaf slightly. Repeat with the other dough ropes to make 3 more loaves.
Place each loaf onto a parchment lined baking sheet 4-6 inches apart. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes until slightly risen in size.

Bake the Dough

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make an egg wash by mixing in a small bowl 1 egg and 1 tsp water together. Lightly brush the top and sides of braided loaves with the egg wash, and optionally sprinkle with pearl sugar (if you aren’t making the maple frosting).
Bake for 25-30 minutes and surface of the loaves are golden brown (if using thermometer, bake to 195°F). Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting or slicing.

Make the Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes.
Then with the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar, and continue beating until the sugar is fully incorporated.
Add in vanilla, maple extract and cream. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the buttercream for an additional 5 minutes. If frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s just right. Or if frosting is too thick, add in more cream, one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Frost top of each completely cooled Swedish cardamom bread loaf and decorate with sprinkles if desired. To serve, slice and enjoy.
Alternative topping: You can drizzle a glaze of powered sugar and milk over the bread.

Notes

To Freeze: Swedish bread freezes nicely for up to 5 months. Wrap the unfrosted bread in plastic wrap, then place the wrapped loaf into a freezer bad. Freeze the frosting in its own bag then tuck it in with your wrapped loaf so everything stays together.

Since this recipe creates 4 loaves, you might enjoy using 1 loaf to make French toast or Monte Christo Sandwiches.

I love topping this bread with maple icing, but you can add your custom touch using vanilla drizzle, sprinkles, turbinado sugar, or pearl sugar.

Everything’s better with butter, including Swedish Cardamom Bread. Don’t be shy with the butter – it will taste amazing!

Nutrition

The post Homemade Swedish Cardamom Bread appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

2023-12-10T14:58:32Z

These chewy ginger molasses cookies are seriously so soft, delicious and one of my easiest recipes to make ever.

Everybodys making goodies this time of year. I can’t even seem to scroll through Facebook without seeing frosted sugar cookies, homemade fudge, chocolates galore and all those things I totally love about this season…the treats!

Growing up my Mom would spend a day with us four girls making about 4 or 5 different holiday treats then deliver them to friends and family. I can remember sitting there rolling up homemade caramels in wax paper and shaking colored sprinkles on frosted sugar cookies. I’m not sure what was more fun…. laughing along with them all or licking all the frosting off my fingers. Ahh, those were the days. The days of eating as much sweets as I wanted to without gaining a pound. Why oh why did you leave me, metabolism?

Believe it or not, these chewy ginger molasses cookies were not one of the treats we made back then. No, I didn’t discover this amazing treat until a few years ago, when my sister in law dropped off a batch of these heavenly gems. Just one bite and I was smitten.

Not kidding when I say I probably ate like 6 cookies that night. They were that good. I didn’t regret it even one little bit.

So this is that chewy ginger molasses cookie recipe with just a few small tweaks. It’s perfection I tell you. Soft on the outside and just the right amount of chewy in the inside.

And everyone that I have delivered these too begs me for the recipe!

CHEWY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES INGREDIENTS

To make this recipe you’ll need butter, sugar, eggs, molasses, baking powder & soda, flour, spices and salt. Simple quick and easy ingredients come together in a flash.

HOW TO MAKE AHEAD & FREEZE THESE MOLASSES COOKIES

If you want to prepare for a party, or just want to have a bunch of these for whenever you are craving them, you can choose to make them ahead and freeze. This recipe works great for both baking ahead first or freezing the dough raw. To freeze them after baking just flash freeze a single layer of cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add a layer of parchment on top, then add another layer of cookies, continuing until all cookies are stacked between layers of parchment. Place in freezer until frozen, about 30 minutes, then transfer to airtight bag or container and freeze.

If you’d like to freeze them raw, just roll them in a ball, roll in the sugar, then place directly into a freezer safe bag and freeze. Then on the day you’d like to bake them, just toss them on a baking sheet and bake away. Honestly, I’ve done both methods of freezing and I love them both equally the same, so you can choose either way.

HOW LONG CAN YOU FREEZE THESE?

The fully baked cookies will last up to 6 months in the freezer. But if you are wanting to freeze the raw dough the time frame is 4-5 months in the freezer.

MORE OF MY FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPES

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies
Easy Sugar Cookies
Gingerbread Man Cookie Gift
Easy Make Ahead & Freeze Desserts

HOW TO MAKE SOFT GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

These chewy ginger molasses cookies are seriously soft, delicious and quick to make.

Course Dessert

Cuisine dessert

Keyword ginger molasses cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings cookies

Calories 171kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 -1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup molasses
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and molasses together on low for one minute, until well combined.
Add baking powder, baking soda, flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Mix on low just until blended, do not overmix.
Roll into 1 inch balls. Then roll in sugar until all sides coated.

MAKE IT NOW

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cookie balls after being rolled in sugar on a baking sheet, spacing 2-3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 6 – 8 minutes, until edges of cookies are just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for at least 5 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD & FREEZE

To bake first & freeze: Bake as directed above. Allow to cool. Then place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, without touching and flash freeze 30-40 minutes until frozen. Remove and transfer to gallon sized freezer safe bag. Seal, removing as much air as possible and freeze.
To freeze raw cookie dough: Place cookie balls after being rolled in sugar directly into a labeled gallon sized freezer safe bag. Seal, removing as much air as possible and freeze.

COOK FROM FROZEN

Place frozen cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing 2-3 inches apart. Let thaw for about 5 minutes while oven preheats. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes, until edges of cookies are just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for at least 5 minutes.

Nutrition

This truly is the best ever ginger molasses cookies recipe! Happy baking!

The post Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Sweet & Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

2023-12-10T14:59:12Z

Sponsored by Frigidaire Gallery®.

I realize baking is a science. Room temperature eggs, cream this and that before adding this again. Mix, mix again. Etc.. etc.. For some reason, all of that goes out the window for this easy sugar cookie recipe and it just works every time despite the lack of scientific execution. Mix your liquid ingredients together, add in the dry stuff and you’re good to go.

Another reason this easy sugar cookie recipe is, well, easy is because I skip the rolling and cutting into cute shapes part. (THE HORROR.) Can we still be friends? Try it. You’ll save a little sanity and they’ll taste just as good. Promise.

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

Dough:
1 ½ cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Frosting:
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk

Directions for Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 400. Dump your butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. See? All happy together in the bowl.

Add in your flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until combined.

If you’re feeling extra fancy feel free to stick the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerating your dough keeps spreading in the oven to a minimum and also results in a slightly better flavor. Who knew, right? If you’re not too concerned about it, skipping the step won’t make or break your cookies.

Using a cookie scoop, (my favorite is this 1.5 Tablespoon sized cookie scoop) place cookie dough on a cookie sheet. I like to use parchment paper for easy clean up.

Grab something that has a flat surface (I like to use a small mason jar) and flatten your cookie until it’s about ½ it’s original height.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges barely start to golden. You don’t want to over bake them. Let cool completely.

By the way, having my Frigidaire Gallery® Double Electric Wall Oven with true convection is so glorious. Seriously, baking with two ovens at once and using the convection mode I can bake ALL my cookies and be done with the whole batch in 8-10 minutes. Plus I’m really happy with how these ovens are able to keep an even baking throughout. They bake everything to perfection. It’s nice when you can trust your oven to do that. Another favorite feature I love is the quick preheat button; my oven is at the perfect temperature in less than 5 minutes!

So yep, it’s raining cookies over here! No more waiting to bake batch after batch. I never knew the glory of having two ovens until now and with the time savings I find myself baking more. Which makes my family really happy, my ever growing chunky body… now that is another matter. Ha!

For the frosting, place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with a hand or stand mixer until creamy and well combined. Mix in food coloring if desired. Frost cookies after they have completely cooled. I used the Aymuna cookie decorating shooters to help pipe on cute designs.

Aren’t they pretty?

There’s something so festive about sugar cookies, and this easy sugar cookie recipe is sure to please your pickiest palates. No hours slaving in the kitchen needed.

Sweet & Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

The most delicious and easy sugar cookie recipe EVER!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword sugar cookies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Total Time 28

Servings cookies

Calories 203kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 cups butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly until well combined. Blend in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover and chill 30 minutes (or longer) if desired. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet (I used 1/4 cup cookie scoop but you can make them as small as you like) and flatten each cookie a little bit with a cup or other flat surfaced item. Tip: if its too sticky dip in white sugar between cup flattening. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are just beginning to brown. Cool completely.
For frosting, mix all ingredients together with a hand or stand mixer until creamy and well combined. Mix in food coloring if desired. Frost cookies after they have completely cooled.

Nutrition

The post Sweet & Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

2023-12-10T14:44:35Z

This tasty Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board features the best fall appetizers with mini sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and sweet treats to create the perfect snack or a light lunch. Best of all, nearly everything here can be prepared in advance, freeing you up to focus on the family dinner (or the Friendsgiving feast).

If you’re a foodie, a food-lover, or just someone who loves the flavors of fall, then Thanksgiving is the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s perhaps the most food-focused holiday on the calendar. Sure, other holidays involve food, but Thanksgiving centers around it. It has no special songs, no special clothes, and only 1 real tradition: To eat.

When you’re hosting Thanksgiving it’s easy to lose yourself in the cooking and preparation. But at some point during the day you realize…everyone is hungry. And that means the everyone will soon shuffle into the kitchen in search of food. Your best defense is this Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board. This sweet & savory platter of appetizers for Thanksgiving is filled with a half-dozen different finger foods that will delight your guests while helping bridge the gap until dinner is served.

CHARCUTERIE BOARD – WHAT YOU NEED

Sweet Potato Souffle Puff Pastry

Cream Cheese Apple Dip (with apples and pear slices for dipping)

Mini-Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwiches on Homemade Rolls

Cream Cheese Acorn with finely chopped pecans and pepper jelly (with crackers)

Prosciutto wrapped pickled asparagus

Cinnamon candied pecans

HOW TO ARRANGE A CHARCUTERIE BOARD

So much about entertaining relies on the visual aspect of food. A napkin folded into the shape of a swan doesn’t make your dinner taste any better. But it surprises and delights your guests, letting them know the occasion is special and fun. A well-designed charcuterie board has the same effect.

At first glance, it just looks like food has been casually piled into sections across the board. In reality, it’s organized chaos. Like a beautiful barn wedding, or an outdoor banquet in a field with rustic benches and tables. The variety of foods on the charcuterie board symbolize the bounty of the season. And the act of preparing 6 different foods to ensure everyone gets something they like is how we demonstrate love through cooking.

ASSEMBLING THE CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Assemble all the items that will go on your charcuterie board. Start to add structure to the board by filling in the edges with bigger items like the rolls, crackers and decorations. Cut out the cream cheese with a cookie cutter. I love to use my acorn for the fall but a pumpkin or leaf would be cute on the board. Add pecans to garnish.
Mix up the apple dip.
Place the apple dip into a small container on the board.
Add in the sweet potato souffle puff pastries.
Make up the turkey sandwiches with the homemade rolls.
Fill in with the rest of the food. Add garnishes, fruits, nuts, cheese or anything else you have on hand. This is the time to let your creativity shine!

WHAT GOES ON A CHARCUTERIE BOARD?

While the French word charcuterie technically refers to a cooking specialty involving prepared meats, today’s American charcuterie board typically features a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and garnishes.

For this recipe, we’ve changed things up to include different flavors of the holidays. What makes this board extra fun is the variety of tastes, textures, and temperatures. The goal when creating a great fall charcuterie board is not to make sure everyone likes everything, but rather that everyone finds something they enjoy.

WHAT GARNISHES DO I USE?

This is a fun opportunity to add a few creative touches to your charcuterie board. A mini-pumpkin, a sprig of thyme, or a whole pomegranate can be lovely garnishes There are no real rules – just a few guidelines:

Make it obvious what’s a garnish and what’s an item to be consumed.
Anything you put on that board should be clean enough to touch the food around it.
Avoid garnishes that might get into your food, like the tufts of a dandelion or the flakes of a dried leaf.

Food might touch, overlap, and mingle across the loosely defined borders on your board – and that’s OK. White gloves and polished silver trays are for hors d’oeuvres. This is about relaxed, casual noshing without any pretense.

WHAT CAN I BRING TO THANKSGIVING DINNER?

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is like conducting an orchestra. You’re in charge of every last note performed, including the song selection, tempo, and delivery. A perfect performance is achieved through a combination of skill and practice. And the easiest way to disrupt the performance is to add a new variable just before the start of the concert.

Offering to bring a side dish to someone’s house on Thanksgiving is courteous and polite, but it introduces that same type of variable that can disrupt things. You’re bringing the unknown into your host’s well-orchestrated dinner plans.

To avoid situations like these, offer instead to bring an appetizer (like this charcuterie board). It lets you contribute to the festivities in a way that won’t disrupt a well-planned dinner or steal the spotlight from the host.

PRO TIPS/NOTES

Arrange generous portions of each component across a serving board, platter, or large plate. Make room for large and small garnishes.
Don’t be afraid to let the items touch each other. A “crowded” board looks more full.
If you have more food than can fit on your board, be sure to include at least some of each of the 6 components, and save the extra helpings to replenish your charcuterie board after 15 minutes.
Bake the rolls a day or two in advance so they’re not competing for your time (or your oven space) on Thanksgiving day.
Sweet Potato Filling can be made a day in advance as a terrific timesaver.
Set a reminder on your phone for the time you wish to prep and serve the charcuterie board.

The next time you make this Thanksgiving charcuterie board, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

Thanksgiving appetizers you make in advance, like creamy smooth apple dip, hearty mini sandwiches, and tender puff pastry topped with sweet potato soufflé. All the best Thanksgiving appetizers come together on this Thanksgiving charcuterie board.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Thanksgiving appetizers, Thanksgiving charcuterie board

Prep Time 1 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Author Karrie

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Souffle Puff Pastry
Cream Cheese Apple Dip with apples and pear slices for dipping
Mini-Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwiches on Homemade Rolls
Cream Cheese Acorn with finely chopped pecans and pepper jelly
Prosciutto wrapped pickled asparagus
Cinnamon candied pecans

Instructions

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTION

Assemble all the items that will go on your charcuterie board. Start to add structure to the board by filling in the edges with bigger items like the rolls, crackers and decorations. Cut out the cream cheese with a cookie cutter. I love to use my acorn for the fall but a pumpkin or leaf would be cute on the board. Add pecans to garnish.
Mix up the apple dip.
Place the apple dip into a small container on the board.
Add in the sweet potato souffle puff pastries.
Make up the turkey sandwiches with the homemade rolls.
Fill in with the rest of the food. Add garnishes, fruits, nuts, cheese or anything else you have on hand. This is the time to let your creativity shine!

Notes

Arrange generous portions of each component across a serving board, platter, or large plate. Make room for large and small garnishes.
Don’t be afraid to let the items touch each other. A “crowded” board looks more full.
If you have more food than can fit on your board, be sure to include at least some of each of the 6 components, and save the extra helpings to replenish your charcuterie board after 15 minutes.
Bake the rolls a day or two in advance so they’re not competing for your time (or your oven space) on Thanksgiving day.
Sweet potato filling can be made a day in advance as a terrific timesaver.
Set a reminder on your phone for the time you wish to prep and serve the charcuterie board.

The post Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board appeared first on Happy Money Saver.