Lean Cuisine's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce - Deal of the Day

I can heartily recommend this latest Deal of the Day. It's nothing fancy or unusual, just spaghetti in a tomato sauce with ground beef and mushrooms. I am a fan of Lean Cuisine and they have a simply delicious one with their Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.

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At eleven and a half ounces, this is a filling work lunch entree. And it's loaded. There is plenty of spaghetti and meat sauce.

There are just a few mushroom pieces, but they are thickly sliced.

I especially liked the thick and chunky tomato sauce. It has a nice hint of herbs and the tomato sauce is mildly sweet with real pieces of tomato.

The beef ground meat hits the spot as there are plenty of large pieces throughout. It's a generous serving.

Cheese is listed in the ingredients, but it's a pretty minimal flavor. And the weak link is the spaghetti. As with most frozen Italian frozen pasta dishes, microwaving leaves the noodles overcooked and slightly mushy.

I like my spaghetti al dente, with a slight chewiness. I guess Lean Cuisine is going for the middle of the road here. While a flaw, the other flavorful ingredients save the day.

Sometimes I like a simple meal with a minimum of ingredients. This one fits the bill, deliciously.

So on my cheap$kate dining scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give Lean Cuisine's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, an 8! This is a great Deal of the Day I stock up on when it shows up at my local 99c only Store.

Buttery Brussels Sprouts & Pasta

Butter's back! Sure why not. Used judiciously, it's a good fat (click here to read about benefits and here, too.) At least you know where it comes from, unlike margarine.

When Brussels sprouts are cooked they take on a slight nutty flavor and they do taste like cabbage. I was not a fan of them as a kid, but I love them now. I'm sure my recipe of Buttery Brussels Sprouts & Pasta will please anyone in your family.

And any veggie tastes even better sauteed in butter. When fresh cooked pasta is mixed in you have a hearty meal that comes together very quickly.

Just get a pot of water going for the pasta, and by the time it's done, the buttery sauteing Brussels sprouts should be ready. The whole meal only takes about 10 minutes to do.

 I slice each Brussels sprout in halve to cook quicker, plus that's more surface for butter to coat. Packaged Brussels sprouts contain various sizes, so if you get some extra small ones go ahead and saute them whole. Most are in the 2 inch tall range.

They take almost no prep, just slice of the brown stem end and remove any yellow leaves.

And 10 ounce bags of Brussels sprouts are still showing up at my local 99c only Store, so I'll keep coming up with recipes for this tasty mini-cabbage - make sure to come back for more.

Butter is not as cheap as it used to be. I get mine from the 99c only Store. It's over my price point, but you get 2 sticks per package, and I seldom use more than a tablespoon at a time. So, it's still a good value purchase.

Dried pasta is always cheap. I used spaghetti, but you can use any type you have on hand.

If you are butter averse, or vegan, then it's okay to substitute with a favorite flavorful cooking oil (like coconut) or extra virgin olive oil. It all about lusciousness. And if you don't care for Brussels sprouts (or they are too hard to find and expensive) then try florets of broccoli or cauliflower. Just about any veggie will do, like: carrot, squash, spinach and green beans.

I'm bringing butter back into my life, but not too much, just enough to make tasty dishes like Buttery Brussels Sprouts & Pasta

Ingredients (2 servings)

• Brussels sprouts - I used a 10 ounce package.
• Pasta - I used about 1/2 package of spaghetti. It's okay to use any favorite pasta. If you like a lot of pasta then add  more (add another tablespoon or two of butter, though.)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter - I used salted butter. Okay to use sweet butter. You can substitute any favorite cooking oil or olive oil, to keep recipe vegan.
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic - optional. I use chopped garlic from the jar.
• Black pepper to taste - no salt necessary if salted butter is used. For sweet butter, then salt to taste.
• Water - to boil pasta. Reserve a 1/4 cup to add when all the ingredients are finally mixed together.
• Parmesan cheese - optional. Fresh shaved or dried from a container (it's cheaper.)

Directions
Start a pot of water to boil for pasta. Prepare pasta according to package directions (I usually shave off a minute of cooking time for al dente.) While water heats up you can start prepping and cooking the Brussels sprouts.

Rinse off Brussels sprouts, if necessary. Next, slice off the tough stem ends of each Brussels sprout. Make a very thin slice, no need to take off too much. Remove any yellow leaves. If some green leaves detach, just add them to the pan too.

Slice Brussels sprouts in half, lengthwise. If the sprouts are small then you can leave them whole. The package I bought each sprout was about 2 inches tall.

Add butter to a medium heated pan. Once it melts add the Brussels sprouts and any loose green leaves. Each side needs about 2-3 minutes of cooking time. They will tenderize and get softer.

Once they are done then add a teaspoon of chopped garlic (optional.) Stir and saute one minute.

If pasta is not done yet, then turn the sauteing Brussels sprouts pan heat to low, until the pasta is ready.

Now time to bring it all together. I take out the cooked pasta right from the boiling water. (Of course, try a spaghetti strand to make sure it's done to you liking.) Next, add a 1/4 cup of pasta water. Pasta tends to dry out as it cools down, so a little pasta water keeps the pasta moist, and stretches out the butter sauce.

Mix the pasta and Brussels sprouts together. Serve hot and with parmesan cheese (optional.)

Ham, Peas & Cream with Pasta

If your arteries are clogged, then stay away from The 99 Cent Chef's decadently rich Ham, Peas & Cream with Pasta. Oh, what am I saying, go for it, you can exercise later!

My recipe is similar to a creamy Fettuccini Alfredo, (my appetizing recipe video is here) but, with the addition of bite-sized pieces of lean ham and tender peas.

I use a package of frozen peas that I get cheaply almost anywhere. If you can find fresh peas, then use them. But, don't use canned peas, as they will quickly turn to mush.

 

You can defrost frozen peas in a microwave oven, but be careful not to overcook them. It's quick enough to finish defrosting them in the frying pan as the cream simmers.

And, I'm lucky to find whipping cream, half and half, or even whole milk cheaply at my local  99c only Store. You won't be using too much, so, at whatever price it's worth it. But, you can go light and use regular milk instead of cream -- if you must.

I always have hunks of ham in my freezer. When whole ham shanks come on sale during Thanksgiving and Christmas I get one and break it down into thick slices, for future use. Of course, you can just get a single ham steak, or even use thin slices of deli ham, that's priced cheaply.

This Italian pasta dish comes together quickly, as everything is already cooked -- you are just heating it all up, in about the time it takes too cook a pot of dried pasta.

I used penne pasta, but you can use any favorite dried pasta you have on hand, like, spaghetti, or spiral and tube pastas. Dried pasta is inexpensive almost anywhere you shop for food. I don't quite use a whole package of pasta, so there is plenty of sauce to go around. If you want to finish off the whole package of pasta then just add another cup of milk, cream or half and half.

This is one tasty cheap$kate recipe. My Ham, Peas, and Cream with Pasta will have you back for seconds, so make plenty!

Ingredients (2-3 servings)
1/2 pound of ham - or about 6-8 ounces, cubed. Okay to use thin-sliced or thick. Add more if you like.
2 cups frozen or fresh peas - Canned are too mushy.
2 cups half and half milk - or equivalent. I used 1 cup of whipping cream and 1 cup of milk. Okay to use 2 cups of milk, instead of cream or half and half. You can add more cream or milk to taste, if you want more sauce.
8-12 ounces of penne pasta - or any favorite pasta. Okay to use spaghetti, tube or spiral pastas.
1 tablespoon parmesan - fresh shaved or dried. Optional.
1 tablespoon oil
Pepper to taste - no salt, as ham and parmesan cheese have plenty of salt for me.
Water to boil pasta

Directions
Get pasta started. Follow package directions. Simply boil pasta about 7-10 minutes. If pasta  is ready before ham and peas cream sauce, then drain and cool it down. You can reheat pasta in the cream sauce.

In large pan over medium heat add oil. Slice ham into cubes or shred it into bite sized  pieces. Heat the ham through, about 3 minutes. If you are using thin sliced ham, then heat for just a minute.

Next add the frozen peas. Or, defrost peas before adding them to pan to cut down on cooking time.

Finally, pour in the cream, half and half, and/or milk. Season with pepper to taste. I find ham is salty enough for this entree, but add some if you like. Sprinkle in the dried parmesan. If the parmesan is fresh shaved, then add it to pasta just before serving. Stir and bring liquid to a low simmer.

Cook until peas are defrosted and heated through, about 3 minutes. Be sure to try a pea to check for doneness.

Finally, mix in the cooked pasta. If the pasta is drained and cooled down, then cook it in the sauce until heated through. All you need to do is heat everything for a minute or two.

Pasta will absorb some sauce, so serve it as soon as it's hot enough.

The pasta will be delish the next day, too. You can drizzle in a tablespoon of milk when reheating, if the sauce thickens too much by the next day.

Pasta with Kale

I'm late to the kale craze. My go-to greens for a blast of nutrition are spinach and Southern-style greens. Spinach is quick to tenderize, while collard greens take an hour of slow cooking to get all the bitterness out. Kale looks like mustard greens, but cooks tender quicker.

My favorite spinach recipe is for Saag Paneer, and for collard green, it's, of course, Soul Food Greens with molasses and bacon. Both are so good - just click on the names to get my recipes.

My Pasta with Kale is a light entree, but flavorful. It's simple and quick to make. You just saute the chopped kale in a little olive oil, then add some garlic and pasta water; add the cooked pasta and top with some parmesan cheese - that's it.

Kale shrinks when cooked, but not as much as spinach does. I find the stems are tough, so I removed the largest parts of them. 

Kale can be eaten raw and stays somewhat firm when sauteed for about 5 minutes. I like the texture and taste. It seems to have a light broccoli flavor.

I don't know how much kale cost a couple years ago, but I find it at regular markets priced as cheap as lettuce and at my local Latin market it's even cheaper.

This is a light pasta meal, but filling. I think you will like my Pasta with Kale, especially since it's so nutritious.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 bunch of kale - clean and remove tough stems. Chop into 2 inch segments.
• 2/3 to 1 whole package of spaghetti - or any favorite pasta. Cooked according to directions. I used regular spaghetti, but you can use gluten free or whole wheat pasta.
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic - fresh or from a jar.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil - or any favorite tasting oil.
• Water for boiling pasta - save a quarter cup of pasta water to add to finish recipe.
• Parmesan cheese - to top finished dish.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Extra ingredients - red pepper flakes, a little white wine or lemon juice. Also a pat of butter, or drizzle on extra tablespoon of olive oil when finished.

Directions
Start the pasta water boiling. Add a tablespoon of salt. When pasta water is boiling then add it and follow package directions. I always cut off a minute of cooking time.

Clean the kale and remove the largest parts of the stems. Roughly chop the kale into about 2 inch segments. Doesn't have to be perfectly chopped. The kale will shrink a little when cooked.

Add tablespoon of oil to a medium heated pan large enough to cook the kale. Add the kale and stir while it cooks and softens. Kale will reduce in size and be tender in about 5 minutes.

When kale is soft move it to one side and add the garlic. Let it cook for 30 seconds while stirring. Don't let it burn though. Mix the garlic into the cooked kale.

Now time to bring it all together. Pasta should be done. Drain it but save some of the pasta water.

Add 1/4 cup of pasta water to kale. Mix well and add the cooked pasta. You can add the parmesan cheese now, or add it when the Pasta with Kale is served.

Also add any extra ingredients listed above: like a splash of white wine or lemon juice.