Mmmm.....

So what's for dinner tonight? If you're like me, you're always looking for new recipes to try. Sometimes I feel like I get into this "rut" and cook the same things week after week. Boring. I often blame this on my tight grocery budget--but I think I'm just making excuses. :) :::Daydreaming::: "How I wish I could go to Whole Foods and get gourmet ingredients for every meal! I would be a master chef!" ::::: And then I come back to reality. I'm the typical wife and mom. My job is to help my husband by making yummy budget-friendly meals. SO, when I find a good one, I'm going to share it with you---because I hope you'll share yours with me! :) We're in this together, right? Please tell me I'm not the only one. 

Last night I discovered a great recipe that helped me use up the stuff left over in my fridge. If you're like me, there's always random unused ingredients from other meals during the week. I usually have a little shredded cheese, half a pepper, tomato, some mushrooms, and maybe half an onion. Go ahead, laugh. But I don't use the whole veggie if I don't need it! I hate seeing these good veggies wasted so I usually make something like Jambalaya to use them up. But, since I'm trying to add variety to meals, I decided to try something different this time. Bruschetta! It sounds so gourmet, right? Actually, it's super easy! And I used up all the ingredients in my fridge. The only item I had to buy was the Italian Bread.....

ringing in at a whopping $.99. 

Here's the recipe (also can be found at www.campbellskitchen.com) I tweaked it a little by using the leftover shredded Italian cheese I had and by adding mushrooms and tomato. I highly recommend adding tomato. It gave it a fresh taste. Super yummy! I also made up my own recipe for one half by using olive oil, tomato and fresh basil. This would also be great with some Balsamic. Yum! 

*Thanks to my friend Laura for the fresh tomatoes and basil from her garden!

MUSHROOM MOZZARELLA BRUSCHETTA

1 loaf (about 1 pound) Italian bread  (16-inches long), cut in half lengthwise

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup  (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese  (about 4 ounces)

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 small red pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 green onions, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

• Heat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until it's lightly toasted.
• Stir the soup, garlic powder and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.
• Spread the soup mixture over the bread to within 1/4-inch of the edges. 
• Top with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper and onions.
• Bake for 5 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Cut each half into 12 slices.

I broiled mine for about 2 min. to get the top a little crispy. I think this made it much better! :)


The finished product. Voila! Doesn't it look yummy? 

The best part---only spending $.99 on dinner.