Dinner for the frighteningly hungry.

The other night I was at work until 6pm. As I was about to head out the door on my 50 minute commute home, I realized there was nothing to cook for dinner. I mean, we had plenty of rice and pasta, but nothing for protein and nothing much for vegetables. No problem - I asked a co-worker for directions to the nearest grocery store and started out. I was so hungry that dressing up frozen pizza seemed like a good option.

Of course, the grocery store "right down the road" turned out to be more like 15 minutes down the road, and then being a holiday weekend the store was packed, not to mention unfamiliar in layout and selection. I must have stood in front of the frozen pizzas for nearly 10 minutes, before realizing that:

1. $7 is a LOT of money to spend for a frozen pizza of dubious quality.
2. Apparently there is a law which dictates all frozen pizzas must contain AT LEAST 600mg of sodium and 9g of fat per serving.
3. There is no such thing as a non-organic (aka non-expensive) frozen pizza that does not have brown chunks of meat with unnamed origin on it.

After wandering around the store for another 15 minutes, my frugal side got the better of me and I finally selected a 4lb bag of frozen chicken breast on sale for $3.99, and a can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes for $.79. At the time I reached the highway and called Andrew to let him know I was headed home, my stomach had begun to digest itself. Andrew, who knows more about me than he lets on, suggested he could make something to go with dinner before I got home. I swear that boy is heaven sent. Here's the resulting, pretty tasty dinner, which was ready 15 minutes after I walked in the door.

Chicken "parmigiana" for the Frighteningly Hungry

1lb chicken (any large cut could work, but the breast was nice) cut into grillable sections) $1
1/2 of a 15oz can diced tomatoes $.38
1/2 c pasta sauce (garlic or garden veggie - whatever you have around) $.30
1/2 c random veggies, diced small (we used olives, peppers, and spinach)
2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1T olive oil
1/4 c shredded mozzerella cheese (or mix, but cheddar might taste odd) $.15
1 c rice (preferably cooked by a helpful spouse ;-D ) $.17

Servings: 4 (modest) or 3 (for the frighteningly hungry!)
Total Cost:
Cost per Serving:

To Make:

1. Boil water to cook rice per package instructions
2. Heat a countertop grill (highly recommended in the summer) or skillet. Place olive oil in a shallow dish and drag the chicken through it to coat both sides (this is ideal for the grill, as too much oil makes a bigger mess to clean up after). Grill or pan fry chicken in a covered pan for 5-10 minutes, or until it feels firm when compressed with tongs/fork - chicken that is still raw in the middle has a lot of "give" to it, but cutting it open to check doneness multiple times will allow the moisture to leave the chicken.
3. While the chicken is cooking, place pasta sauce, sugar, spices, random veggies, and diced tomatoes (partially drained) in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a microwave safe plate (if you are afraid of microwaving plastic wrap) or plastic wrap and microwave 2 minutes or until it boils - we all know how unstandardized microwave cook times are! Peel back the cover a little, stir, and microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until it boils again.
4. To serve, place fluffed rice (topped with some parsley, salt, and pepper, or butter-replacement of choice) on a dish, top with a piece of chicken. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken and sprinkle 2T of shredded cheese on top.

Frugal Tips

• Ok, so maybe this is for those who are frugal with their time, but contrary to what your mother may have told you, frozen chicken breast can be placed directly on the grill or covered pan without thawing. The key is the grill with a top and bottom, or pan with the lid. Yes, the outside will cook before the inside, but if you keep it in an environment where the moisture cannot evaporate out as the inside catches up, it cooks just fine without drying out. Time saver? Check.
• Adding a bit of white sugar to tomato based sauces helps take the acrid taste out of them - a common problem with homemade dishes.
• To make this"stretch" further, add more sizeable veggies to the sauce - such as mushrooms, chunked up summer squash, or broccoli. Microwaving it all together assures that the nutritional value of the vegetables is not lost in boiling water. Then dice the chicken and mix it with the tomato mixture to be served more like stirfry over rice.