I get really smug about cooking on a budget. Like, I’m standing there, stirring up a delicious dinner, and patting myself on the back, telling myself how awesome I am because I just saved the family a small fortune on groceries, still we eat well most of the time, and who is a dork for clipping coupons now? When was the last time You shaved $200 from the budget without giving up something essential, like electricity or satellite TV? Yes. Satellite TV, for us, is essential, if we want to stay married. Also, if we want to be sane. So if you’re gonna have your satellite TV and eat too, you have to get smart.

Recently, I found us at the end of a paycheck and funds were wearing thin. One trip to Checker’s, and we had everything we needed to eat for over a week for about $50. And it wasn’t just a freezer full of frozen pizza and a cabinet full of Ramen.

One of my budget meals utilized a couple of ingredients I purchased, and a lot of stuff I (and most everyone, I think) keep stocked in the fridge at all times. Even considering that I used some of our sour cream, butter, mayo, and part of an onion, I think this meal still cost about eight bucks and would feed a party of five. If I can keep it under $2 a person, I’m feeling pretty smug about the situation.

Also, this was fast, easy, didn’t dirty a lot of dishes, and was something my toddler could “help” with. Mr. Meat and Potatoes loved it, and therein is the final judgement. It’s going “in the rotation.”

I had purchased an “economy” package of bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on at 98 cents a pound. Bargain! I pulled five thighs out and froze the rest for a future meal. I turned the oven on to 350 degrees, coated a cookie sheet with cooking spray, sprinkled kosher salt and cracked black pepper on the top and bottom of each one, and gave each another light mist of butter-flavored cooking spray. People, I love cooking spray.

I popped them into the oven to “pre-cook” because I wasn’t sure the actual dish would be in the oven long enough to satisfy my need to be sure that all chicken is cooked and cooked through.

And then Johnny and I set about putting together the rice part of the show. Into a large mixing bowl went two boxes of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix (the original, not the fast-cooking kind). I opened the spice pouches and Johnny dumped them in. I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and we dumped that in. Also into the bowl went 2 cups of water, a cup of milk, 1/2 a cup of sour cream, and 1/3 of a cup of mayonnaise.

I also gave about 1/3 of a red onion a very rough chop, and cut up some carrots into large bite-sized pieces – about a cup. I think you could throw some frozen broccoli or asparagus tips in here as well – whatever ya got. We stirred all of that together thoroughly, and then pulled the chicken out of the oven.

Into my largest casserole dish went the rice and vegetable mixture, and then I put the five breasts atop it, skin side up. I dished a little of the liquid over the top of each thigh, and returned the whole thing to the 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. My rice wasn’t quite cooked at that point, so another 10 did the trick. If I were you, though, I’d check before I just set the timer for 35 minutes. All ovens are different and you don’t want to blacken your chicken.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/meganstuke/photos/2011/nov/21/225167/

No-Soup Chicken and Rice
2 boxes Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice Mix (original, not quick cook)
5 chicken thighs – skin on, bone in
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups water
1 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup carrot, bite sized
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
cooking spray
salt and pepper (for chicken)

Normally I eschew cooking from any sort of pre-packaged box, but Uncle Ben’s Rice is one of my few exceptions. I love the wild rice mix. The herb packet is tasty, it cooks up perfectly every time, and dang if I am not too proud to admit that I love the stuff.

Since it was just Mr. Meat and Potatoes and Johnny and me for this meal, and since Johnny basically doesn’t eat, we had loads of leftovers for lunches and the rest of the week. Leftovers are a very big deal to me, and it’s especially nice if they are from a meal we really enjoyed, because they are much more likely to actually be eaten. Cha-ching! Mr. Meat and Potatoes appreciated the crispy, flavorful skin on the chicken, and much as it pained me to do so, I removed mine before eating.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/meganstuke/photos/2011/nov/21/225168/

This, to me, is a nice update on the old canned mushroom soup chicken and rice standard. Not that there’s anything wrong with that — I still love it from time to time — but I have to say, I like this better. Maybe we can apply a similar principle to the old mushroom soup green bean casserole on Thanksgiving this year, no?