Dinnertime Pizzazz for Less than $10

(ARA) - With food costs rising and budgets tightening, it’s time to get creative at mealtime. The trick is to do more with less, and there are many great options -- from smart recipes to great food products -- to help stretch the dollar and delight the appetite.

The experts at Target and SuperTarget offer tips to keep meal costs down:

* Buy on sale. Check weekly ads in-store and online for deals.

* Try the store brands. Brands like Archer Farms and Market Pantry at Target and SuperTarget taste great and cost less than national brands.

* Plan a weekly menu. Use that as a basis for your shopping list. You’ll stretch your dollars and your leftovers. Last night’s roast chicken is a perfect filling for taco night. Sautee the remaining shredded chicken with onion, warm up corn tortillas and add salsa, guacamole and a squeeze of lime juice.

* Buy larger portions on sale to split up into smaller packages or freeze.

* Make it a challenge. Bring the family to the grocery store and challenge everyone to come up with a meal for $10 or less.

Don’t think a family meal for less than $10 is possible? It’s not only possible; it’s a piece of cake to make. Try the following delicious recipes using Market Pantry ingredients from Target:

Enchilada Lasagna Pie

Ingredients:
8 ounces. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) can red or green enchilada sauce
4 corn tortillas, quartered
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Cook beef and onion six to eight minutes or until beef is browned; drain. Season to taste. Stir in beans.

3. Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce in 8-inch deep dish pie plate. Layer half tortillas, beef mixture, half remaining sauce and half of cheese over sauce in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sauce.

4. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese. Bake five more minutes or until cheese melts. Enjoy topped with sour cream and chopped cilantro (optional).

Makes four servings. Prep time: 15 minutes, Total time: 50 minutes

Salad with Mexican Vinaigrette

Stir two tablespoons chopped cilantro into 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing. Serve over mixed greens, tomatoes and green onions.

A Twist on Flan

Spoon caramel ice cream topping over a dish of vanilla pudding. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Date night doesn’t have to mean dinner and a movie out on the town. When you throw in a babysitter your simple night out could cost more than $100. Stay in, rent a movie and make the following recipe for a delicious homemade dinner. Prepare frozen spinach and artichoke purses as an appetizer, an artisan French petite loaf and a mixed salad for course number two and warm some prepared molten lava cakes topped with whipped cream for dessert. You’ve got a restaurant-quality experience on your home turf. Candles optional.

This menu of Archer Farms items makes a great dinner for two for less than $15.

Archer Farms Seared Patagonian Scallops with Herbed Linguini Alfredo

Ingredients:

8 ounces linguini (from a 16-ouncepackage)
8 ounces Archer Farms wild-caught Patagonian scallops, thawed (from a 16-ounce package)
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup prepared Alfredo sauce (from a 12.3-ounce jar)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons garlic and herb cheese spread
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Cook and drain linguini as directed on package.

2. Meanwhile, blot scallops with paper towels. Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Add scallops to skillet, not touching, in single layer.

3. Cook one minute or until well browned; gently toss to turn. Cook an additional minute or until just opaque. Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Heat just until hot.

4. Spoon scallops and sauce over pasta in serving dishes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves two. Prep time: 15 minutes, Total time: 15 minutes

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Marble Slab Creamery Kicks Off the Year With 'Delicious Duets'

CC Note: Yummy, yummy, yummy. We just love the slab!

/PRNewswire/ -- Marble Slab Creamery is kicking off the New Year with a brand new line of ice cream cakes inspired by new flavor combinations. Known for its freshly made ice cream and the innovation of the "granite slab" technique, the brand will introduce four new ice cream cakes and Tasty Creation ice cream combinations to its line of gourmet products. The brand is managed by NexCen Franchise Management, Inc., a subsidiary of NexCen Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEXC) .

The new ice cream cakes and Tasty Creation ice cream combinations will be offered in four flavors - Caramel Peanut Butter Crisp (Sweet Cream ice cream, crushed Butterfinger(R) and chocolate chips), Cookie Dough Drizzle (Birthday Cake ice cream, crumbled cookie dough and crushed Oreo(R) Cookies), Smooth Mint Masterpiece (Cool Mint ice cream, chocolate sprinkles and Andes(R) Creme de Menthe candies) and Swiss Cocoa Buttercup (Chocolate Swiss ice cream, Reese's(R) Peanut Butter Cups(R) and crushed Nestle(R) Crunch(R) bar).

"We encourage the customer to try our new Tasty Creation ice cream combinations in a cone, and then take the cake home," said Jenn Johnston, senior vice president of brand marketing for NexCen Franchise Management. "We plan to continue to expand the brand's gourmet product line throughout 2009."

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Minty Holiday Desserts Offer Healthier Entertaining Options

CC Note: Our staff members just adore the peppermint flavors. These recipes received the Fayette Front Page coveted "Four Chocolate Covered Strawberry" award.

(NAPSI)-The holidays bring more than stockings filled with goodies. Days can be filled with school events, shopping, decorating and party menu planning. Yet even the most experienced hostess may need ideas for delicious, make-ahead desserts that won't be too filling. Fortunately, creating scrumptious treats that taste indulgent but are easy on the waistline is simple with the right recipes.

Create delicious desserts with the refreshing holiday flavor of peppermint. And when made with Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Peppermint Light Ice Cream, they have a third fewer calories than those made with full-fat mint ice cream but also a rich creamy texture not often found in light ice cream.

For example, Peppermint Ice Cream Lollipops are a jolly treat to serve Santa's elves of any age. They feature the favorite combination of ice cream and cake with a candy cane handle and can be made ahead, leaving you a little more time for holiday fun.

Peppermint Ice Cream Lollipops

(Makes 12-14 servings)

1 box yellow cake mix

Powdered sugar

2 cartons Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Peppermint Light Ice Cream

Small candy canes or striped sugar sticks

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two 10x15-inch rimmed baking pans (jelly-roll pans) with parchment or waxed paper. Coat with cooking spray. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter between both prepared pans. Bake 12 minutes until golden brown and top springs back when touched. Remove from oven and sprinkle cake with powdered sugar.

Run a knife around pan to release edges. Place a clean towel over cake and invert pan. Remove pan and paper lining. Starting at long edge of cake, roll up cake and towel. Place cake seam side down on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with second cake.

Soften ice cream at room temperature about 10 minutes. Gently unroll cooled cakes. Scoop about 4 cups of ice cream onto each cake and spread evenly, ¼-inch thick. Reroll cakes without towel. Wrap in plastic and place in freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Slice cake 1-inch thick. Cut a slit in side of slices and insert candy canes. Serve immediately or wrap decoratively in plastic, twisting ends like lollipop wrappers. Freeze until ready to serve.

Have these ingredients on hand for a quick, creamy, adult dessert in a glass.

Peppermint Ice Cream Espressos

(Makes 2 servings)

Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned

Peppermint Light Ice Cream

2 servings brewed espresso, about ¼ cup each

2 tablespoons Kahlua or amaretto

Whipped cream

Pour ¼ cup hot or cool espresso into a demitasse cup or aperitif glass. Add Kahlua or amaretto. Add small scoops (about ¼ cup) of peppermint ice cream to espressos. Pipe whipped cream on top and serve immediately.

More Free Recipes

Ice cream lovers can find additional dessert ideas-including recipes made with two other seasonal favorites, eggnog and pumpkin-at icecream.com.

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