The Economic Cook: super bowl snacks for less than $11
Like most people, I enjoy hosting a Super Bowl party. However, with a $20 weekly grocery budget, I had to make due with what was in the fridge instead of ordering out. Last week’s grocery shopping left me with sweet potatoes, corn, cilantro and a little kale from the previous week. Super foods don’t naturally translate into football snacks, but I couldn’t let these vegetables go to waste and I had to make enough snacks to feed three people. My solution: southwestern egg rolls with apple black bean salsa and sweet potato fries.
Southwestern egg rolls
Ingredients:
1 pack of egg roll wrappers $2.67
1 can of black beans $0.79
1 cup of corn (I had frozen corn on hand from last week)
2 jalapenos chopped $0.78
1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1 cup of cheese $2.00
1/2 cup of chopped kale
1 chopped chicken breast $2.75
1 tablespoon of cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped green onion $0.78
Cost to make: $9.77
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Cube chicken and cook on medium high heat until thoroughly cooked.
- In a pot on medium low, heat corn and black beans. Add kale, green onions, jalapenos, spices and chicken. Mix, then take off heat and let cool slightly.
- Add a tablespoon of black bean mixture. Most packages of egg roll wraps include instructions on how to properly roll the wrap.
- Once rolled, brush each wrap lightly with oil. Be careful not to use too much oil or the wrap will tear.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turning rolls over half way through bake time.
Apple black bean salsa
Ingredients:
1 large sweet apple (such as a gala, jazz, or fuji) $0.33
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons of lime juice (1 lime) $0.33
1 diced jalapeno (included in price above)
1/2 cup of diced onion (I used a onion purchased the previous week)
Cost to make: $0.66
Directions:
- Mixed black beans, chopped apple, cilantro, jalapeno and onion.
- Add lime juice and chill.
Sweet potato fries
Ingredients:
3 medium to large sized sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of chili-powder
1/2 tablespoon of seasoned salt
Directions for sweet potatoes fries
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Peel and slice potatoes into 1/4 inch fries.
- Coat fries evenly in olive oil. Add seasoning.
- Arrange in a single layer on cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are soft with a crisp exterior.
- Broil for a few minutes on both sides for desired crispness, Be careful not to leave them to long or they will char.
With vegetables leftover from previous shopping trips, I managed to make Super Bowl snacks for the average price of a large pizza.