My Best Affordable Recipes of 2023

Chicken parmesan

1. Cut two boneless skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound them out. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. In one bowl, combine ½ cup of flour, salt and pepper. In the second bowl, crack 2 eggs and whisk them with a fork. In the third bowl, stir together ½ cup of freshly shredded parmesan and ½ cup of Italian bread crumbs.

3. One by one, roll the chicken in flour, dip in eggs and coat in breadcrumbs. Once breaded, place them back on the cutting board.

4. Heat up two spoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place two pieces of chicken at a time on the skillet to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Let it sit 3-4 minutes on each side, until it gets golden, a crust appears and it cooks through. After the first batch is done, add a bit more oil and continue.

5. Pour marinara sauce in a 9*13 casserole dish, creating a thick bottom layer. Arrange chicken pieces over marinara in a single layer.

6. Spoon the rest of the marinara sauce over the top of each piece of chicken, add a layer of shredded mozzarella, and pop in the oven at 425˚F for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Top with dried parsley and serve.

This makes a perfect dinner, and I almost always have the ingredients on hand.

Mini garlic parmesan chicken meatloaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a muffin pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine two pounds of ground chicken, diced yellow onion or onion powder, six cloves of pressed garlic, ¾ cup of Italian bread crumbs, an egg, lots of dried parsley, three ounces of parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Fold everything together well with your hands without over mixing it.

3. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and fill it with the mixture. Press it down into the muffin cup with your fingers for flat tops.

4. Pop the tray into the oven for 25 minutes.

5. While it is baking, get started on the sauce. In a large saucepan, heat up two tablespoons of olive oil. Add three cloves of crushed garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

6. Add in a tablespoon of flour and whisk continuously until incorporated. Still slowly stirring, lower the heat to medium-low and slowly add in 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Keep whisking slowly until smooth and warm.

7. Once the heavy cream mixture is hot (but not boiling), whisk in three more ounces of parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt. Keep mixing slowly until the cheese is incorporated and the sauce is thickened. Stir in dried parsley.

8. Top each mini meatloaf with plenty of creamy sauce as you serve it.

This meal is all about garlic and parmesan cheese, which are two of my favorite things, and it also made me discover how much I love ground chicken.

White chicken enchiladas

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a medium size bowl, mix three cups of shredded chicken with half a block of room temperature cream cheese, garlic powder and a cup of shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Fold it all together with a spatula.

3. Evenly stuff the mixture in the middle of cooked flour tortillas, roll them up tightly and place them into your prepared pan seam down.

4. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt three tablespoons of butter. Stir in three tablespoons of flour and a tablespoon of taco seasoning.

5. Add a can of chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Allow the mixture to heat up for a few minutes, then add half a cup of shredded Pepper Jack cheese and whisk.

6. Stir in ¾ cup of sour cream and a four ounce can of chiles; whisk for just a minute or until the sour cream is completely dissolved, but do not allow it to boil.

7. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

8. Bake for 22-25 minutes and then switch the broiler on for a few minutes to brown the cheese.

We typically serve this with Mexican rice.

Mini barbecue bacon cheddar meatloaves

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Cook and crumble around six pieces of bacon.

3. To a mixing bowl, add two pounds of ground beef, seasoned salt, onion and garlic powder, half a bottle of chili sauce, 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, two eggs, cut up bacon, a tablespoon of yellow mustard and two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Mix it with your hands.

4. Form the mixture into eight little meatloaves and lay them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, pressing a small dent into the middle of the meatloaves.

5. Brush plenty of your favorite BBQ sauce on top of the meatloaves, making sure they are coated well.

6. Bake for 25 minutes.

I made scallop potatoes and pea salad on the side. This is a great meal, and even those who do not care for meatloaf will definitely appreciate it.

Beef stroganoff

1. Prepare some egg noodles while you are making the beef. When the noodles are done cooking, drain them but do not rinse them.

2. In a large skillet pan with high sides, brown up a pound of ground beef, onion if you like it, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper. Drain the grease.

3. Whisk together a cup of water and a packet of brown gravy. Pour this into the ground beef.

4. Add a can of cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken or celery works, too) and several dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together until combined.

5. Add half a cup of sour cream. Again, sour cream just does magic to this sauce. Stir and let it simmer on medium heat while the noodles cook.

6. Add the noodles into the skillet, top with dried parsley and stir.

This is so easy to make, so I have made it a lot, and my family never gets tired of it. We usually serve it with peas or canned corn.

Best recipes 2023

What are the best easy and cheap food recipes you discovered this year? Share in the comments!