Thick and Creamy Potato Soup

Hello, winter! And hello, soup weather! Last night was the first seriously cold night we've had, so I decided it was time to break out the soup pot. I have another recipe for potato soup from my sister-in-law, but I wanted to try something a bit creamier. I found a recipe from Cooking by the Seat of My Pants for a Thicky and Creamy Potato Soup. It sounded lovely and just what I was looking for. Even better, I had most of the ingredients on hand, which is something I always look for in a recipe.

Corn Dogs

Today we're making something you can typically only find in a box in your frozen foods section at the grocery store, or even better, at your state fair. I tried making these delicious corn dogs once a long, long time ago... and they were a flop. I've recently learned a few tips and tricks (thanks, Alton Brown!) and decided to try, try again.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusal Bars

Whew! That's quite the name, isn't it? Well, it's also quite the dessert, and I can't see how you could possible shorten the name. They're not plain ol' pumpkin bars, not these fellows. And it certainly isn't pumpkin cheesecake... So the name sticks for now, but it doesn't matter. You're going to forget all about the silly name the second you bite into these suckers.

Hearty Lasagna

I got this recipe from Home Baked Memories. I've never made a lasagna without using a jar of spaghetti sauce. This only had a couple more steps to it, and my family LOVED it.

Welcome!

Welcome to Cheep Eats & Sweets! I'm Sarah, the writer/designer/photographer/cook/creative mind/busy mom behind this yummy food blog. I wanted to start this blog because a) I adore food blogs, b) I love to cook and have the fab camera to prove it and c) I wanted to show other moms some great, quick meals to cook on a budget.

And I am. On a budget, that is. Occasionally I might throw in a "splurge" meal here or there, but the majority of my meals feed a family of 4.5+ for less than $10 and mainly using typical pantry items. No fancy shmancy gourmet cookin' here, just plain good food. And bonus, I'll include a 4x6 recipe card for each recipe to add to your own recipe box.

So to kick it off, I'll start with a recipe I just loved as a kid. It's called Poppyseed Chicken. I think my mom asked for the recipe after eating dinner at a family friends' house. I'm sure she regretted it once us kids requested it over and over and over... and over. It's delish, and easy enough to prep in the morning and pop in the oven at night. Or if you have a super busy day ahead, prep the night before!

Poppyseed Chicken

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed (use leftover chicken, grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, whatever you have on hand!)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream OR 1/2 c. sour cream and 1/2 c. milk

Ritz cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve)

1 T. poppyseeds

1 T. butter, melted

1 lb. egg noodles

Cook the egg noodles and drain the water. Mix the sour cream and cream of chicken. Stir in the chicken. Pour egg noodles into 9x13 casserole pan. Pour on chicken mixture. Top with cracker crumbs and pour melted butter over crackers. Sprinkle poppyseeds. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Here's your recipe card!