Cooler weather means warmer meals. Soon families will be gathering around the table for meals that not only warm the body, but the soul as well. These meals don't have to cost a fortune and they also don't have to be loaded with fat. There are a number of cheap and healthy meals that are perfect for families. Best of all, many of these meals can be prepared on a busy work night. Take casseroles for example. Casseroles are affordable, easy, and can even be made healthy. This week, let's look at a couple delicious casseroles for those cold evenings.

Chili Cornbread Bake
Serves 4

8 cups of leftover chili
¾ cup cornmeal mix
¼ cup of all purpose flour
½ - ¾ cup milk
½ cup of sharp shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Pour the chili into an 8 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal mix, flour, and milk.
3. Pour the cornbread mixture over the chili and top with the cheese and cayenne pepper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown.
5. Serve with low-fat sour cream and salsa.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Serves 8

4 split chicken breasts, roasted
10 ounce box of frozen broccoli
1 cup of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of low-fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 eggs
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1 sleeve of reduced fat butter crackers, crushed

1. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Blanch and drain the broccoli and allow it to cool slightly.
3. Combine the cheese, soup, mayonnaise, eggs, and fresh cracked black pepper.
4. Toss the chicken and broccoli with the soup mixture.
5. Pour the mixture into a medium sized baking dish and top with the crackers.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
7. Serve with a side salad and crusty bread.

When people think of fall, visions of pumpkin pie soon come to mind. Who doesn't love pumpkin pie? But, pumpkin is far more than just pie. In fact, there are hundreds of different recipes you can make with pumpkin. Best of all, when Thanksgiving rolls around, you can always find great deals on pumpkin puree. This week, let's save some money in the kitchen by making some delicious pumpkin treats.

First of all, don't make the mistake of purchasing pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling can be overly spiced, not to mention that it can't be used for savory dishes. Instead, purchase either whole pumpkins to make homemade puree or purchased cans of pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin puree has a long shelf life and truly takes all the work out of pumpkin recipes.

Next, purchase pumpkin pie spice for sweet treats. Pumpkin pie spice makes it easy and affordable to prepare pumpkin treats. Instead of having to buy cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc., all you need is one bottle of pumpkin pie spice.

Now it's time to look for recipes. Pumpkin can used to make soup, bread, pie, turnovers, cake and so much more. A quick search on the internet will give you a wide selection of pumpkin recipes. Of course, you can also try the following recipe, if you like.

Easy Pumpkin Bread
Makes 1 Loaf

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 -2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, to taste
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer.
3. Stir in the pumpkin puree, flour, spice and pecans.
4. Pour batter into a glass loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of the loaf and comes out clean.

What could be more comforting in the fall than stew? Also, what could be more affordable? A large batch of stew can be served for a couple days and the leftovers can be frozen for a quick meal a couple weeks later. While it may be tempting to grab a can of stew at the grocery store, homemade stews are far superior and much more affordable. This week, let's save some money by making a big batch of stew.

First of all, if you haven't already got a large soup pot, now's the time to invest in one. Large soup pots are great for pasta, soup, dumplings, and so much more. During the cold winter months you'll find yourself using a soup pot quite often.

Another great purchase is a slow cooker. Slow cookers are perfect for small batches of stews. More importantly, slow cookers allow you to cook your stew all day so that it's ready when you get home.

Last, but not least, go on the hunt for delicious recipes. There are cookbooks devoted to soups and stews, but free recipes are easily found online. You can even join online groups to find even more recipes. Of course, you know that I can't write this blog without giving you a delicious recipe to start out with.

Easy and Lean Beef Stew

Serves 6 - 8

8 cups low sodium beef stock

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 pounds sirloin beef tips, trimmed of fat

1 pound of baby carrots, cleaned

1 pound of baby Dutch potatoes, cleaned

2 large onions, chopped

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoon cornstarch

Water

Fill a four quart slow cooker with the beef stock and tomato paste. Stir long enough to dissolve the tomato paste.

Add the beef and vegetables.

Season with pepper and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, mix the cornstarch with enough water to create a slurry and add to the stew.

Turn the slow cooker to high and cook until the stew thickens.

Serve with crusty French bread and a side salad.

When you're on a budget, a birthday party can seem extremely expensive. This is especially true if the birthday party is hosted outside the home. Everything from a cake to the meal can cost a fortune when celebrating at a local restaurant. Instead of spending a fortune on birthday parties, why not save some money in the kitchen and make your own birthday cake and party foods?

A restaurant meal is a special way to celebrate a birthday. But, making someone their favorite meal from scratch means so much more. That's especially true if it's a meal you don't make very often because it's expensive or time consuming. This is the perfect way to celebrate when only a few people will be coming over.

If a lot of people will be attending the party, food plattersare a wonderful idea. As always, you will definitely save money by putting platters together yourself. You will also save more money the more you have to do. For example, instead of buying cheese cubes, buy large blocks of cheese and cut them yourself.

The most important part of any birthday party is of course the cake. Just because you'll be making the cake at home doesn't mean you have to go with a mix. In fact, making a cake from scratch is much more affordable. Not to mention that they taste a lot better. There are literally hundreds of recipes online.

Speaking of recipes, the following recipe is great for entertaining.

Buffalo Chicken and Onion Rollups
Serves 20

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken, cooked and shredded
10 burrito sized tortillas
8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
½ package of ranch dressing mix
Buffalo wing sauce
1 cup of chopped green onions

1. Toss the shredded chicken with enough buffalo wing sauce to make it moist.
2. Mix the softened cream cheese with the ranch dressing mix and spread onto the tortillas.
3. Top with green onions and roll.
4. Cut each roll into five pieces and serve on a large platter.

It's that time of year again. Parents are smiling, while children are whining. School is almost back in session and that means school lunches. Parents have many choices. Parents can fix a bagged lunch, pay for a school lunch program, or drop off their children's lunch from a local fast food restaurant. Obviously, the healthiest and most affordable option is to create bagged lunches for your children. This week, let's discuss how you can save money in the kitchen by making bagged school lunches.

The most popular bagged lunch item is the classic sandwich. But, let's face it. The plain old PB&J can get a bit boring after a while. For a little something different, why not try topping raisin bread with slices of green apple, all natural peanut butter, and honey? It's not only a delicious treat, but healthy as well.

What about those children that love those expensive lunch kits? How can parents save money on those? First of all, buy some crackers, cheese, and luncheon meat to create the classic. For something a little special add mini bagels, pizza sauce, cheese, and turkey pepperoni to the lunch box so kids can make mini pizzas.

On those cold winter days, make use of the classic thermos by sending soups, chili, and even stews to school with your kids. If you really want to create a special lunch, surprise your kids with a thermos filled with hot chocolate for dessert.

Speaking of desserts, this week's recipe not only saves you money, but it's much healthier than most lunchbox desserts.

Personal Pudding Parfait
1 snack sized pack of sugar-free chocolate pudding
4 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
4 tablespoons fat-free whipped cream
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

1. Layer half the pudding, half the cookies, half the whipped cream, and half the chocolate chips in a small sealable plastic container.
2. Repeat the layers.

Bagged school lunches don't have to be expensive or even boring. With a bit of creativity, parents can prepare meals that are delicious, healthy, fun and affordable.

There's something satisfying about a big plate of pasta after a hard week at work or school. If you agree, chances are your family has a favorite Italian place they visit as often as possible. Who could resist the plates overflowing with lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, and of course those delicious cannolis for dessert? But, what if you could make two Italian dishes at home, plus appetizers and dessert for less? Not only would you please the entire family, but there would be leftovers for the next day. Let's see how you can save money by enjoying family night at home with delicious Italian food.

A typical dinner for four at an Italian restaurant would include the following:

Appetizers $10
Drinks $8
Entrees $48
Dessert $20

Total: $86

That's quite a total. Let's see how much we can shrink it.

Appetizers (Cheese Sticks):
Mozzarella cheese $3
Eggs $2
Seasoned bread crumbs $2
Total: $7

Drinks:
Water $0
2-Liter of soda $2
Total: $2

Entrees (Chicken Alfredo and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce):
Dry Fettuccini $2
Alfredo sauce $3
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken $5
Dry Spaghetti $2
1 pound of 93% lean ground beef $5
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms $3
Spaghetti sauce $3
Garlic bread $4
Total: $27

Dessert:
Cannolis from an Italian bakery $5

Total $41

Less than half of what you would pay at an Italian restaurant! Best of all, these dishes are easy to prepare. Plus, if you enjoy having Italian night at home, you can save even more money by investing in a pasta machine and a good Italian cookbook.

Another perk is being able to enjoy entertainment while having Italian night at home. You could pick out some Italian movies to watch. If the kids are older, you could choose gangster films, but if they're younger, why not go with the classic +Lady and the Tramp+?

Family night doesn't have to be expensive to be enjoyable. In fact, spending time together at home gives families more time to bond. Stop paying expensive restaurant prices and gather your family around the table at home. When your children are grown and gone away to college, you'll be glad you did.

Do you love to take your family out for steaks on Friday night, but feel your budget getting tighter and tighter? Then why not fix steaks at home? With the wonderful warm weather, right now is the perfect time to enjoy family night at home. You can break out the grill and create a delicious steak dinner that costs a fraction of what you would pay at the steakhouse. This week, we'll discuss how you and your family can enjoy a delicious steak dinner in the comfort of your own home.

The typical trip to a steakhouse for a family of four can really add up. In fact, even eating at a steakhouse chain can be quite expensive.

4 sirloin steak dinner $48
4 drinks $8
4 desserts $12

Total $$68

That's quite a large total when you're trying to live on a budget and even a buffet restaurant costs around $48 for a family of four. Thankfully, you can prepare a delicious, high quality meal for a much smaller price.

4 (8 ounce) sirloin steaks $10
4 baking potatoes $4
Sour Cream and Butter $4
Salad Mix $4
Salad Dressing $3
Rolls $4
Bakery dessert $6

Total: $31

The truth is you could even afford to serve rib eye steaks if you wanted. You'll always save money when you prepare your own meals. If you want to save even more money, consider stocking up when steaks go on sale and stashing them in the freezer.

You can make this a special meal by cooking and eating outside or even incorporating other family night activities into the evening. You could play music, have a movie marathon, or even break out some fun games. The fun part apart about having family night at home is being able to be with your family. You can be as loud as you want and do what you want. Best of all, you don't have to a leave a tip.

Warmer weather brings to mind the visions of picnics. Who wouldn't want to escape to a lakeside getaway for the afternoon? Unfortunately, even on the weekend, this isn't always possible for busy families. After all, you have to get the food ready, make the trip, plan activities, etc. But, if you have a simple menu everything else seems to fall into place. This week we'll discuss a picnic menu that takes minutes to prepare.

Tuna and White Bean Salad
Serves 4

2 cans of solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
½ cup of green olives, chopped
¼ pound fresh mozzarella, cubed
½ cup fat-free Italian dressing

1. Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and chill until ready to pack your picnic basket.
2. Serve with crusty French bread.

Stone Fruit with Honey Mint Dressing
Serves 4

4 peaches, sliced
4 red plums, sliced
4 black plums, sliced
4 apricots, sliced
½ cup honey
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tablespoon of mint, chopped fine

1. Place the fruit in a sealable bowl and mix the last three ingredients to form a dressing.
2. Top the fruit with the dressing and chili until ready to pack.

Both of these recipes can be made the night before the picnic. All you have to do is freeze a few water bottles and store them in the picnic basket so that they keep your food cold. Don't forget to also pack some juice boxes for the kids and maybe a bottle of sparkling wine for you and your spouse. To make things even easier, pack the salad and fruit in single serve containers. Also, you can hold off on adding the dressing to the fruit to see if your children like it or not.

A picnic doesn't have to be a long, drawn out affair. You can quickly prepare delicious recipes that are healthy and make for wonderful picnic fare.

Do you ever wish you could just go home and have your meal mostly prepared? You're in luck. There are ways you can prepare two meals at one time. Not only does this make meals quicker to prepare, but it also saves money by ensuring that you use all of the ingredients you purchase. These meals use many of the same ingredients and reduce your need to clean out the fridge each week. This week, we'll focus on a couple meals prepared with chicken.

Spanish Rice With Mexican Spiced Chicken
Serves 4

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 boxes of Spanish Rice mix, plus the ingredients needed to prepare it
2 (16-ounce) cans of enchilada sauce

1. Mix the spices together and rub onto the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees until cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare the Spanish rice according to the package directions.
3. When the rice is cooked, stir in the enchilada sauce and heat through.
4. Serve four of the chicken breasts with half of the rice mixture along with some fat-free refried beans and warmed whole wheat tortillas.

Chicken Rice Enchiladas
Serves 4

8 whole wheat tortillas
4 leftover chicken breasts, shredded
4 cups of leftover rice mixture
1 cup of enchilada sauce
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Green onions

1. Fill the tortillas with the chicken and rice mixture and place in a baking dish.
2. Top with the enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes.
3. Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Cooking doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming to be healthy. When you take time to prepare ingredients for the next day, meals go together in a snap.

Is there anything better than a soup and sandwich on a cold evening? Chances are you probably serve this meal several times each winter. Truth be told though, tomato soup and grilled cheese, while classic, can get old after a while. Are there ways to update the grilled cheese and make it something different? Sure. In fact, here are a few recipes to get you started.

Mexican Grilled Chicken and Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of white bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
12 ounces of southwestern seasoned chicken strips
4 one-ounce slices of pepper jack cheese

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add a slice of cheese and three ounces of chicken to each sandwich.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with tortilla or taco soup.

Italian Grilled Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of Italian bread
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
4 one-ounce slices of whole mozzarella
4 ounces of turkey pepperoni
½ cup marinara sauce

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add a slice of cheese, one ounce of pepperoni and two tablespoons of marinara sauce to each sandwich.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with Italian Wedding soup or minestrone.

Fruity Grilled Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of French bread
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
8 ounces of low-fat strawberry cream cheese
4 ounces of strawberries sliced
4 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate sauce

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add two ounces of cream cheese, a quarter of the strawberries and one tablespoon of chocolate sauce.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

These recipes are not only a different approach to a classic food, but they're something your kids will love. There are several ways to make your own signature grilled cheese. Best of all, you can easily incorporate your children's favorite foods to make something they'll truly love.

Iron is an essential ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. While you can find iron in lean cuts of beef and in beans, another good source is dark green vegetables. Vegetables such as broccoli and spinach are great sources of iron. Unfortunately, that bit of information isn't enough to make your kids come running to the table. No, you have to be tricky when it comes to getting your children to eat these foods. Thankfully, there are recipes that do just the trick.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed "Fried" Chicken
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of finely chopped broccoli
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup light or fat-free mayonnaise
4 egg whites, beaten
2 to 3 cups of crushed cornflakes
½ tablespoon of Cajun seasoning

1. Use a knife to create a pocket in each breast.
2. Mix the broccoli, cheese and mayonnaise together and stuff into the chicken.
3. Use wet wooden skewers or toothpicks to close the pockets.
4. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg whites.
5. Mix the crushed cornflakes and Cajun seasoning together and thoroughly coat the breasts in the mixture.
6. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and then spray the tops of the breasts.
7. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Serve with a side salad and brown rice.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Pizza
Serves 4 to 6

Whole wheat pizza crust
1 cup of low-fat or fat-free Alfredo sauce
10-ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella
2 six-ounce packages of grilled chicken strips
1 medium red onion, chopped

1. Spread the pizza crust with Alfredo sauce.
2. Wring the water from the spinach and scatter across the sauce.
3. Top with cheese, chicken and red onions.
4. Bake according to the crust directions.

These aren't the types of meals that send kids running for the door. In fact, these are the kinds of recipes that encourage them to clean their plates.

It's getting close. You can almost feel it. Spring will soon be pushing winter out of the way so we can once again enjoy warm weather. While the official date is March 20th, you can actually enjoy a bit of spring tonight. Just imagine sitting down to a meal that whisks you away to a warmer time and place. If this sounds like something you'd like to do for your family, why not try the following recipes?

Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa
Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
8 pineapple rings, grilled and chilled
1 small red onion, finely chopped
½ of a jalapeno, seeded and minced

1. Season the chicken breast with the salt and pepper and grill on a grill pan until cooked through.
2. In the meantime, chop the pineapple and toss with the onion and jalapeno. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Top the chicken breasts with salsa and serve with a baked potato or baked French fries.

Tip: If you have small children, you may want to use even less jalapeno or add a bit of honey to increase the sweetness.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas
Serves 4

2 large bananas, cut in half
6 ounces of dark chocolate, melted
½ cup of shredded coconut, toasted
½ cup of macadamia nuts, chopped

1. Stick popsicle sticks into the flat ends of the cut bananas and freeze for at least 1 hour.
2. Dip the bananas in melted chocolate and sprinkle with coconut and macadamia nuts.
3. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and freeze until ready to serve.

Tip: You can choose any type of sprinkles you want. The coconut and macadamia nuts keep with the tropical theme of the main course. Just remember to stick with healthy ingredients, such as almonds or dried cherries.

Winter may still be beating on your door, but spring is only a few ingredients away.

Beans are a good source of fiber, protein and iron. They're low in fat and are an all around healthy food. The only problem is getting children to eat them. How do you convince children to eat this healthy food? The same way you get them to eat other healthy foods. If you add beans to kid-friendly recipes, you'll have no trouble at all.

Chicken and Black Bean Salad
Serves 4

8 cups of romaine lettuce
2 cups of shredded chicken
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa
3 green onions, chopped
4 ounces of Mexican blend cheese
½ cup fat-free sour cream

1. Layer the salad in the order the ingredients are listed.
2. Serve with baked tortilla chips.

Tip: If your children love spicy food, you could substitute chili beans in place of the black beans and add jalapeno slices.

Spicy and Cheesy Bean Taquitos
Serves 4

8 small tortillas
1 can of fat-free refried beans
1 cup of Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
½ cup taco sauce

1. Spread the tortillas with the refried beans and top with cheese.
2. Roll the tortillas into tight cylinders.
3. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet, seam side down.
4. Spray the tops of the taquitos with additional cooking spray.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Drizzle with taco sauce and serve.

Bean Burgers
Serve 4

2 cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup bacon bits
¼ cup sweet onion, chopped fine
Additional whole wheat flour
Olive oil

1. Place the beans in a food processor and pulse until a paste forms.
2. Add flour a tablespoon at a time until the paste thickens and can be shaped.
3. Fold in the bacon bits and onion.
4. Shape the mixture into patties and coat with additional flour.
5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Saute the patties until golden brown.
7. Serve with your favorite hamburger buns and toppings.

Happy Eating!

You've probably heard the rumors; people whispering about beef being unhealthy. Is it true? It depends. If you like Ribeye or New York strip steaks, you do need to cut back. On the other hand, if you enjoy the lean, beefy flavor of 93-percent lean ground beef, you're in luck. Not only is this option low in fat and calories, but it can be used in so many different recipes. All of which your family will simply love.

Italian Style Salisbury Steaks
Serves 4

1 pound of 93-percent lean ground beef
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 egg whites, beaten
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
4 cups of pasta sauce

1. Combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg whites, onion, bell pepper and garlic in a large bowl.
2. Pat the ground beef out into 4 patties and cook in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Once the patties are cooked through, top with pasta sauce and heat through.
4. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread.

Tip: The onion and bell pepper are added to keep the meat moist. You can add any vegetables you like, which means this is a great way to sneak nutritious vegetables into your meal.

Philly Cheese Burgers
Serves 4

1 pound of 93-percent ground beef
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
2 large onions, sliced
8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil
4 slices of provolone cheese
4 whole wheat hamburger bu

1. Shape the ground beef into patties and season with pepper and salt.
2. Cook the patties in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. In the meantime, pour enough olive oil into the bottom of a medium skillet. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté until cooked through.
4. Place a quarter of the onion and mushroom mixture on each patty, add a slice of cheese, cover and cook until the cheese melts.
5. Serve on whole wheat hamburger buns with baked French fries.

Winter is the perfect time to prepare a large pot of chili. Unfortunately, this means your family may get tired of chili over the course of two or three days. It doesn't have to be this way. There are several ways to turn chili into a brand new meal or snack. Your family won't complain about leftovers, you won't have to cook a complex meal, and the meals will be healthy. What more could you ask for, besides recipes?

Chili Cheese Bake
Serves 4

3 large whole wheat tortillas
4 cups of chili
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of salsa
½ cup fat-free sour cream
Green onions, sliced

1. Line square pan with a whole wheat tortilla.
2. Top the tortilla with 2 cups of chili, 1/3 cup of salsa and 1/3 cup of cheese.
3. Repeat the layers.
4. For the last layers, add the last tortilla, salsa and cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
6. Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Super Simple Chili Mac
Serves 4

4 cups of cooked macaroni
4 cups of chili, heated
½ cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup green onions, sliced
½ cup fat-free sour cream
Hot sauce or salsa, to taste

1. Top the macaroni with the chili and other toppings.
2. Serve with oyster crackers or saltines.

Quick Nachos
Serves 4

1 bag of baked tortilla chips
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups of chili
1 cup of salsa
½ cup black or green olive slices
½ cup fat-free sour cream
½ cup of green onions, sliced
¼ cup jalapeno slices

1. Spread the tortilla chips out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts.
2. Top with chili, salsa, olives, sour cream, green onions and jalapenos.
3. Serve immediately.

Chili doesn't have to be served up the same way each night. It doesn't even have to be another meal. The quick nachos make an excellent snack, especially for the big game.