It didn’t happen on purpose, but I was excited about the savings. Making some mini bagel pizza’s for the freezer was on my list. How excited do you think I was to find everything I was going to purchase on sale! So the $13.29 is without planning and without coupons. I could have saved even more if I’d done that.

This time I bought a pack of whole wheat and a pack of the regular mini bagels. I don’t think I’ll use the whole wheat again. They didn’t crisp up as well and who likes soggy pizza?! Bonus, the regular package of mini bagels actually had 14 instead of the 12 it was labeled to be holding. So I actually got 52 mini bagel pizza’s from the two packs.

If your family is like mine, you can go through one of those large packs of bagel bites in no time and not even curb their hunger. My son and nephew easily go through one of the big boxes. On average that large box holds 40 bagel bites and looks to be running around $9.89. Not a good deal if this appetizer doesn’t curb their appetite. The mini bagels you can buy in the bread aisle are much larger than the bagel bites. So these are much more filling and you can’t just pop one bagel in your mouth. I guarantee my son and nephew can’t eat 40 of these and then eat a full meal on top of it. At least not while still only 13 and 12, maybe in another couple of years

Not to mention I can use turkey pepperoni and it’s much healthier. These take me less than an hour to put together and cook, even doing such a large batch that needs to be cooked one sheet at a time. I could probably do it all at once, but I prefer to use the one big flat cookie sheet I have because I can scrape the cheese off. I can fit half the recipe on my cookie sheet at one time.

I also don’t make all the mini bagels pepperoni. My oldest likes cheese only, so a little less than half are only cheese. It won’t take two packages to make the full batch pepperoni.

Mini Bagel Pizza Appetizers

2 bags mini bagels (approximately 24 bagels) $5.00
1 lb. shredded mozzarella (buy it whole and shred yourself) $3.00
1 jar spaghetti sauce (sweeter sauces work better) $2.00
1 pack turkey pepperoni, pack I bought was 6oz $3.29

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Split bagels and place on cookie sheet.
3. On the bagels that will have pepperoni (I do half and half) place a slice of pepperoni in the whole of the bagel.
4. Use a small spoon and lightly spread spaghetti sauce onto bagels. You don’t have to spread it out too much as it will spread on cooking.
5. Place another 2-3 slices of pepperoni on the bagel and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake in oven for approximately 13 minutes. You don’t want to over bake them since you will rebake them later to eat.
7. Let cool and place in layers in a deep aluminum baking pan. Separate layers with wax or parchment paper.

To reheat bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes straight from the freezer.

Extras: There are times I add sliced olives or maybe some other veggies or ham to the mix. Since they are small I prefer to add no more than 3 ingredients, it just gets difficult to store if the cheese can’t bond with the bagel.

By Ann Martin

With the cost of food consistently rising, all of us are looking for ways to keep those grocery bills low. One easy way is to grow your fresh produce. Even if you don’t have a large area for a garden, start small and grow a few tomatoes, strawberries, and herbs right from small containers. Buying fresh produce certainly makes your grocery bill high. We all want to trim the bill, but still want to have our families eating healthy meals. Also, try and go meatless with your meals a few nights a week and your will notice your grocery bill being lower at checkout as well. Here are a few recipes from Cookinglight.com that can get your grocery budget back on track. The recipes below feed a family of four for under $10.00 and you never know, you may even have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.
• While pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic and shrimp; saut? or 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to pan; saut? 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, pepper, basil, and oregano; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in tomato paste and lemon juice; cook 1 minute or until slightly darkened. Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, and diced tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until thickened.
• Return shrimp to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta.
• Serves 4.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; saut? 6 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until done.
• Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones.
• Place chicken in a medium bowl; stir in cream cheese, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion, and saut? for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saut? for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove 3 tablespoons onion mixture; add to chicken. Add chili powder, red pepper, and cumin to remaining onion mixture in pan; saut? 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 3/4 cup water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.
• Tear 1 tortilla into small pieces; add to tomato mixture. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour tomato mixture into a blender, and process until smooth.
• Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray.
• Warm remaining 8 tortillas according to package directions.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam-side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over filled tortillas.
• Sprinkle filled tortillas with cheddar cheese.
• Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Sprinkle with green onions.
• Serves 4.

Korean-Style Beef Skewers with Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek (chile paste, such as Huy Fong)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1-pound) top sirloin steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 ounces wide rice sticks
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

• Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
• Combine first 6 ingredients in a zip-top bag. Add beef to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag; reserve marinade.
• Thread steak evenly onto 8 (8-inch) skewers.
• Grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
• Combine reserved marinade and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute.
• Soak noodles in boiling water until tender; drain. Place noodles in a large bowl. Pour reserved marinade mixture over noodles; sprinkle with onions; toss. Serve with skewers.
• Serves 4.

Ann Martin is a writer for dinnerware center, an online tableware store. Dinnerware Center specializes in tableware sets from major brands, including the Oneida Michelangelo and Noritake stoneware dinnerware sets. Not only is she a writer, but a creative mom who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and seeking out money-saving ways to do that.