Shop Cheap

Fresh from the Shop Cheap Kitchen, researcher Sheila Kern has recipes that match what's on sale this week. If you like the pasta dishes, Raley's has Barilla pasta for 89-cents and boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1,77lb. Safeway has lean ground beef for $3.49lb; Ragu sauce for $1.25 a jar and Golden Grain pasta for 75-cents. Other items mentioned in the recipes include: blueberries and grapes at Save Mart; grapefruit and grapes at Safeway.

Enjoy! And come back next week for super Super Bowl recipes.

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

From www.kraftrecipes.com

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.

Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

From www.foodnetwork.com

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Show: 30 Minute Meals Episode: Instant Babysitter

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti

Salt, for pasta water

Meatballs:

1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced

Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for passing at table

Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese.

Grapefruit Chicken Satay Salad

From EatingWell: January/February 2007

4 servings, about 2 cups each

Ingredients

2 large pink or ruby-red grapefruits

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

8 cups roughly chopped romaine lettuce, (about 2 hearts)

1 cup sliced radishes, (about 8 radishes)

Directions

With a sharp knife, remove the peel and white pith from grapefruits and discard.

Cut the grapefruit segments from the surrounding membranes, letting them drop into a small bowl. Working over a large bowl, squeeze the remaining membranes to extract the juice. Set the segments and juice aside separately.

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil.

Toss chicken, dry mustard, garlic powder, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, pepper and salt in a large bowl until the chicken is well coated. Place on the prepared pan in a single layer.

Broil the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar and hot sauce into the reserved grapefruit juice until smooth. Add the cooked chicken and lettuce; toss to combine. Serve the salad topped with radishes and the reserved grapefruit segments.

Fluffy Green Grape Salad Recipe

From www.tasteofhome.com' target

12-16 servings

Ingredients

2 cans (8 ounces each) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix

1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 cups halved green grapes

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the pineapple and pudding mix; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Fold in the whipped topping and grapes. Refrigerate until serving.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

From www.nyt.com

Yield: one dozen pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Combine the milk and rolled oats in a bowl, and set aside.

2. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the buttermilk and whisk together. Then whisk in the vanilla extract and the oil.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and quickly whisk together. Do not overbeat; a few lumps are okay. Fold in the oats and milk. Let sit for one hour, or refrigerate overnight.

5. If necessary, spray the hot griddle with pan spray. Drop by 3 to 4 tablespoons onto the hot griddle. Place six or seven blueberries on each pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to break through, two to three minutes. Turn and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute on the other side, or until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and continue until all of the batter is used up.

6. Serve hot with a small amount of butter and maple syrup.

Advance preparation: You can keep these, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze for up to a few months.