Penniless Recipe: Leftover Taco Casserole

My roommate and I hosted taco night at our apartment for a few of our friends last week. Needless to say, we had quite a bit of left overs. I've been slowly picking at them for the past few days but I knew I would have to throw a lot of the ingredients out if it didn't get eaten soon. So I made a taco leftover casserole! Casseroles are a great (frugal) way to use up leftovers. Even if you don't eat the whole thing, you can always freeze individual portions and then stick them in the microwave for a quick meal.

My "taco leftover" casserole (which can serve 2) consisted of:

• 2 soft corn taco shells
• 1 cup of mexican rice
• 1/2 cup of frozen peppers (I defrosted them in the microwave before adding them to the casserole)
• 1/2 cup of canned corn
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• Several tablespoons of salsa
• Tortilla chip crumbs (probably about 2 chips worth)

I greased my casserole dish and laid down the first taco shell. Then I layered on the rice, salsa, peppers, corn, and cheese. I laid down my second taco shell and did the same. Then I sprinkled the top with the tortilla chip crumbs for an extra crunch. I baked it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

The resulting casserole was a warm, cheesy, spicy delicacy. And I managed to use up a lot of the leftovers. I still have probably 10 corn tortillas. I'm thinking about baking them into tortilla chips...but I'll save that for another post.

Penniless Recipe: Fried Eggs and Tomato

I love thumbing through magazines like Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Fine Cooking to salivate over the gorgeously styled food. Seldom though do I find a recipe that A. I can afford to make and B. that I am capable of making. (Does anyone know what blanching is?). I was pleased to stumble across this recipe in Martha Stewart Living a few days ago. It's the perfect end of summer meal that only costs pennies. I tailored the recipe to feed just one person.

Here's what you'll need:

Cooking Spray
2 eggs
1 tomato
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (shredded or cubed)
Basil, Salt, Pepper

Crack the eggs in your pan. Wait until the whites are almost cooked through. Remove from stove top and top with tomatoes and cheese. Don't forget to sprinkle on your spices! Stick it in the oven on broil for a few minutes until the cheese starts to bubble. And voila, you're done!

Total cost? Not even a dollar
Total in-kitchen time? About 5 minutes
Total satisfaction? Oh, yeah!