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I 'may' have been a little too generous with the beef, the bottom half of the roll is buried!

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Subway has been the #1 selling sub shop in the nation for years and their success has put them near or at the top in all of fast food, ranking #3 in sales and #1 in the number of U.S.-based restaurants according to QSR Magazine. 

The Top Dog in sub sandwiches has recently gone through a makeover however, revamping their menu and upgrading their ingredients in order to stay ahead of the competition, which has become VERY competitive the last two years. Subway's market share fell from 58% to 53% over that time frame.

The makeover has been successful, with their Subway Series® of sandwiches a big hit and generating record-breaking sales growth.

One of those big hit sandwiches is Subway #3, The Monster™.

The sandwich features steak, bacon, a double portion of shredded Monterey Cheddar Cheese, fresh green pepper, fresh red onion, dressed with Peppercorn Ranch and served on Subway's toasted Artisan Italian bread.

It's a good sandwich, worth doing a copycat version of!  If you make it, just don't call it Subway #3, The Monster™, otherwise the Trademark police will be knocking on your door.

Here's my spin on Subway's sandwich.  I used skirt steak, pre-cut Carne Asada style.  Instead of red onion which can sometimes be a bit pungent, I used sweet Vidalia onion.  I also swapped out the Monterey Cheddar Cheese and Peppercorn Ranch dressing with Pepper Jack Cheese and regular Ranch dressing. 

The More Than A Monster Sandwich

Ingredients:

• One Hoagie Style Roll
• 4-6 ounces of skirt steak (buy it pre-cut, Carne Asada style, but NOT seasoned)
• 3 slices of bacon
• 1/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• A few splashes of Worcestershire
• A few dashes of Black pepper
• A few dashes of garlic powder
• A few dashes of onion powder
• A few dashes of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• Sweet Vidalia Onion, sliced
• Green pepper, sliced
• One healthy spoonful of Garlic Mayonnaise

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the bacon (and yes, I know you're going to make more than 3 slices, c'mon, it's bacon!) on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  Hit it with some black pepper and bake for about 20 minutes.  If you are doing just three slices, watch your time, 3 slices will cook faster than 6 or more.  I prefer the oven-bake method for bacon because it cooks more evenly, and the result is crispier bacon throughout.  While the bacon is cooking, slice the green pepper and onion, and set aside.  In a small bowl or Ramuken, stir in some black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder into that healthy spoonful of mayo, and set aside.  When the bacon is done, place the bacon on some paper towels to drain and use that bacon fat!  In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the hoagie roll in about a Tablespoon of bacon fat (you don't get THAT at Subway!), once toasted, set aside for assembly.  Adding another tablespoon of that bacon fat to the skillet, saute the steak.  Let it get all happy in the bacon fat and add the dashes of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional Cayenne pepper.  Stir to incorporate.  Once the steak is browned, hit it with a few splashes of Worcestershire and top with the shredded cheese until melted.  To assemble, dress the bottom bun with the garlic mayo.  Put on the meat, apply the onion and green pepper slices, top with the bacon, and dress with the Ranch.

Tip:  You may be tempted to saute the green pepper and onion with the steak and that would be tasty.  But keeping them fresh balances out the richness of that bacon fat, also giving you that crisp veggie texture element to enjoy.

There you have it, the More Than a Monster Sandwich! Enjoy!  I think you'll prefer it over what Subway offers and it's cheaper to make too. Subway's six-inch sandwich carries a suggested price of $6.39. Making your own more generously portioned six-inch sandwich at home will save you a couple of bucks, with plenty of ingredients left over to make more!

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Related: Subway Archives - BachelorontheCheap.com

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate these food reviews and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

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What the bowls are supposed to look like

One of those "Available for a limited time" menu items, KFC's Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl is a quick lunch or dinner for just $5.

Here's the description from the KFC website:  Our Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl features our signature rich, creamy macaroni and cheese, topped with our crispy fried chicken nuggets and a three-cheese blend. Available in classic or spicy for a limited time!

What I got served by KFC, it's swimming in a lame hot sauce, turning the breading on the nuggets soggy

I'm a fan of the classic version Bowl, but I recently tried the spicy version and I have to say I was less than impressed.  Drowning in a not-very-spicy concoction the Bowl was not repeat buy worthy, I can craft a better version myself.  So screw the "Limited Time" crap, make a copycat version!  You can read the review here.

So here's the copycat version of KFC's Spicy Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl, done with convenience in mind.

Ingredients:

• One box of mac & cheese, prepared as directed with a cook's tip
• One serving of your favorite brand of frozen chicken nuggets, prepared as directed
• 1 ounce of Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
• A few splashes of Frank's Redhot or your favorite hot sauce brand
• A healthy pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

My version looks and tastes way better!

It's pretty straightforward, pretty much a preparation per product instructions and assembling, rather than a bonafide recipe.  Cook's tip:  Add a few dashes of onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper to the milk used in making the mac & cheese.  Do this when the pasta is cooking, mixing in a small bowl or ramekin.  This allows the seasonings to bloom (especially the garlic and onion powders) for a bit and will elevate the overall flavor profile of the mac & cheese.  A little dried parsley flake is a nice add too.  Another cook's tip:  If you're baking the chicken nuggets rather than frying, hit them with cooking spray before placing them in the oven, this will crisp up the breading a little nicer.  Serve up the mac & cheese in a bowl, top with 4-6 chicken nuggets and hit them with the hot sauce as desired.  Add the shredded Colby Jack (the heat from the pasta and chicken will provide a nice melt), then hit the dish with the crushed red pepper flake. 

As I was writing up this copycat version to include checking into a nutritional comparison, the KFC bowl is a salt bomb!  It doesn't taste salty but does pack a whopping 2,270mg of sodium.  That's 95% of the recommended daily intake in one bowl!  Yikes!  The copycat version, while still not "healthy", (but we're talking a fast food dish after all) has 1450mg of sodium in comparison.

This is also an inexpensive dish to prepare, costing less than $1 per serving using ingredients purchased at Aldi and items I had on hand in my pantry and fridge.  BONUS:  I can make more tasty bowls to boot! 

• Aldi discount brand "Cheese Club" mac & cheese - $0.50 (3 servings per box)
• Kirkland chicken nuggets - $5.89 (11 servings per bag)
• Happy Farms Colby Jack brick cheese - $1.99 (8 servings)

Why pay $5 for the lousy-prep bowl KFC served me when I can create a bowl that looks and tastes WAY better for less than $1?  I love the KFC concept, thank you, but it's poorly executed.  I'll take the copycat, please.

Prep time:  15 minutes, or about the same amount of time it would take you to jump in your vehicle, drive to the nearest KFC, wait in the drive-thru line, then drive back to your place of work or home.

And I'm left wondering, "Who has the best chicken nuggets in fast food?"  And, "Who makes the best-frozen chicken nuggets?"  Sounds like the next couple of Bachelor on the Cheap Food Challenges to me...

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Related: Food Review: KFC Spicy Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl

Related: Fast Food Mac & Cheese Battle: Arby's vs. Chick-fil-A vs. KFC

Related: Who has the best Mac & Cheese in fast food?

Related: Food Review: Cheese Club Macaroni and Cheese Dinner from Aldi

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate the article you just read and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

follow me on Twitter @Bacheloronthe1

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Heartier than traditional cornbread

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Here's a terrific bread that combines the sweetcorn taste of Iowa (my home state) with the wheat of Kansas (my adopted state)!

A non-traditional cornbread, there's no cornmeal in this recipe. It's super easy to put together and has no added sugar.  On a personal note, I prefer it over the traditional stuff.

Kansas Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• A pinch of Kosher salt
• 2 cans of creamed corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon yeast
• 1 tab of butter, melted

This bread toasts up really nice in a pan with a little olive oil or put on the grill to pick up a hint of smoke

Directions:  In a small bowl, lightly scramble the 2 eggs, and add 1 can of creamed corn, stirring to combine.  Set aside.  Heat up the second can of creamed corn in a microwave-safe bowl, until the temperature hits between 100 - 110 degrees.  Use a low or defrost setting to do this, you don't want a temp higher than 110 degrees, as that will kill the yeast. Stir to ensure even heat distribution, and recheck the temp with a quick read thermometer.   Add the yeast to the warmed creamed corn, and set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow it to bloom (the yeast will react nicely to the sugars from the corn).  While the yeast is blooming, in a large mixing bowl, add the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, optional cayenne pepper, and Koser salt, and stir to incorporate.  Add the creamed corn mixed with the egg, and stir to incorporate.  Add the second creamed corn with the yeast and stir until a soft dough forms.  Knead on a lightly floured surface, just enough to ensure all ingredients are incorporated and the dough is slightly moist throughout, you don't want to overwork it.  You can also do this with a stand mixer using a dough hook on speed 2.  Place in a large greased bowl, turning to coat.  Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour, until doubled in size.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the melted butter over the top and bake in a 9-inch square cake pan for 50-55 minutes, or until the edges are golden, brown, and delicious and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.  Let rest on a wire rack for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.

This is a heartier loaf than a traditional cornbread, soaks up sauces and gravies much better, and toasts up really nice.

Recipe option, one jalapeno diced up when mixing the dough is a nice addition.

Now you know how to use that creamed corn that's been sitting in your pantry for months!

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate the article you just read and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

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By Mike Thayer

So you've got a bunch of ham leftover from the holiday dinner you made, or ham you were given to take home....  You can't just keep slicing a big thick slice of it off and eating it as is.....  Well, you can, but there's no variety in that.

What else can you do with it?

Lots.

There's the obvious, make a sandwich.  Some ham, Swiss cheese, a little mustard between a couple slices of bread or in a bun....  It's another dose of YUM!

You could grab a box of scalloped potatoes from your pantry, make the potatoes per the box instructions, chunk up some of that ham, throw that in before popping those taters in the oven and boom!  Dinner.  To add a little kick, finely dice up some jalapeno pepper to include in the mix.  TASTY!

You could do a similar thing by grabbing that box of mac & cheese from the pantry and in about 10 minutes, you'll have another lunch or dinner.

Dice some ham up and put it in the fridge for later use.  You can quickly grab that diced ham for a number of dishes.....  Diced ham and scrambled eggs for breakfast; Diced ham on a salad;  Ham fried rice; Ham & beans in the crock pot; Grab some tortillas to make ham & cheese quesadillas; open up a tube of crescent rolls and bake them up with ham and green onion.

There's all kinds of things you can do with leftover ham, have fun with it!

Here's a quick recipe for the grill - Ham Kabobs.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of pineapple chunks
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• a splash of orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• one medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• leftover ham, cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Fire up the grill.  While the 'outdoor stove' is getting warm and ready to receive, drain the pineapple, saving the juice for a marinade.  Mix that pineapple juice, yellow mustard, clove, optional cayenne pepper, olive oil, and orange juice in a small bowl, and set aside.  Put the pineapple chunks, green pepper, and ham on wooden skewers (you soaked them in water for about 30 minutes, right?).   Grill for about 5-8 minutes over direct heat, basting the kabobs with the marinade and rotating frequently until cooked through.  Makes a great appetizer or side dish!

Garlic Lime Pork Tenderloin

Not to be confused with pork loin, pork tenderloin is a more expensive cut, leaner, and as the name implies, more tender. The thing I love about this recipe and pork, in general, is that the meat pairs so well with citrus.

Ingredients

• Two pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• One teaspoon salt
• One teaspoon black pepper
• The juice from a lime
  
  

Directions
Place the pork tenderloin in a large ziplock bag or sealable container and set aside. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the meat, seal the container, and refrigerate for four hours. Grill over direct heat, placing the tenderloins over the hot spot to get that good sear and those great grill marks. Give the meat a quarter turn after about two to three minutes. Repeat until you’ve got good color on three sides of the meat. Move the tenderloins to the lower heat spot of the grill, making sure the ‘not so colorful’ side of the meat is on the cooking grate. Put the lid on and grill for another 20 - 30 minutes or until the internal temperature hits that magic number for pork - 140 degrees. Remove and let rest for at least five minutes, the rest will push that temp to 145. Slice into medallions for plating, hitting them with the juice from the remaining half a lime. Follow that up by brushing with melted garlic butter and serve. Grilling Option: Play around with the citrus flavor, or fruit for that matter. Try substituting lime with orange. Or if you prefer use pineapple juice. A mix is good. Try a mixture of half lime, half apple. It’s all about the layers of flavor!

Download Mike's Garlic Lime Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Enjoy!

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate this recipe and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or a monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

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This is the BEST cinnamon roll recipe ever and the secret ingredient is potato flakes!  Yes, potato flakes, they readily absorb the other ingredient flavors in the recipe and kick "Airy" and "Fluffy" up a couple notches.

Potato Flake Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of scalded milk
• 4 Tablespoons yeast dissolved in 1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup mashed potato flakes
• 3 eggs
• 10-11 cups of flour

Directions:

Pour the scalded milk over the sugar, salt, and oil in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, let rest for about 5 minutes.  Add the yeast mix, potato flakes, eggs, and 1/4 of the flour to the mixing bowl, and beat well until mixed.  Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 4-6 minutes), or knead with a stand mixer using a dough hook on speed 2.  Place in a large greased bowl, turning to coat, cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour, until doubled in size.  Punch down and divide in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough.  Spread with softened butter and a sugar/cinnamon mixture.  For that, use 1 stick of softened butter for each half (for those of you who live in Valley Center that means 2 sticks total for the entire recipe), combine with a 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1-1/2 cups white sugar, and 2 Tablespoons cinnamon.  After covering both halves with the spread, roll up the dough beginning with the long side.  Cut into 12 rolls per half.  Place rolls in a greased 9x13 pan.  This recipe makes 24 rolls in 4 pans.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 15-25 minutes.  While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon milk

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients and frost when the rolls have cooled slightly after removing them from the oven, about 5-10 minutes.  Double the recipe for more finger-licking goodness.

These cinnamon rolls are not only delicious and the best you're ever made, but they're also Bachelor on the Cheap Wallet Friendly!  You can make these HUGE, decadent cinnamon rolls for less than what you would pay for 3 canisters of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, which are 8-count canisters at about $2.50 each at the mainstream grocery store for a total of $7.50.  The size of the Pillsbury rolls compared to what you can make from scratch is laughable.

Enjoy!

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate this recipe and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or a monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

follow me on twitter @Bacheloronthe1

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Sometimes you don't feel like chopping an onion.

Or, like me today, you're out of onions, don't feel like running to the store, and the weekly grocery shop is two days away.

Enter, dried minced onion.

Typical uses for the dry option are to use them in recipes like meatloaf, burgers, or in creating a ground meat stuffing for peppers or manicotti.  A convenient substitute for fresh onion, the key to a dry mince is giving it time to absorb some of the moisture from the ingredients you're combining it with.  This eliminates a crunchy chew.  If you've ever used minced onion in a recipe before and didn't allow for enough time to let the onion get soft, you know what I'm talking about.

Rehydrating dried minced onion creates the opportunity to elevate the flavor profile.  Softening them up in warm water is boring and don't just toss them in the ground beef recipe.  Rehydrate the onion in a small dish with milk, chicken or beef stock, beer, or wine, use your imagination.   The onion will fully embrace whatever flavor you add to it.

I had some scrambled eggs this morning and lacking fresh onion to mince up, I reached for the dry stuff, rehydrating it in the splash of milk I used to make the scramble.  I just let the onions soak up the liquid for about 15 minutes before firing up the saute' pan, adding a pinch of salt, black pepper, and some hot sauce to further elevate the flavor profile.

To get the equivalent of 1/4 cup of fresh minced onion, you'll need about five teaspoons of the dry stuff. Marinading dried minced onion in chicken stock, wine, beer, or whiskey before introducing it to a recipe really adds a flavor punch to the finished dish. 

Marinate it!  You'll be glad you did.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate the article you just read and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or a monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

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I love a hot breakfast.  Cold cereal, a pastry, a muffin, or a smoothie just doesn't do it for me.

Over the years I've typically enjoyed a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant, biscuit, or wrap to start my day.  As a change of pace, I would swap out the sausage for ham or bacon.  In my book, meat, egg, cheese, and some kind of bread + coffee with hazelnut creamer = the ideal breakfast.

But with a need for being a little more heart-healthy and reducing my intake of sodium in mind, I recently made the switch to having oatmeal for breakfast.

As a breakfast sandwich replacement, oatmeal is easy to prepare and still satisfies my hot breakfast requirement.  Bonus:  Oatmeal is a Bachelor on the Cheap wallet-friendly food.  A 42-ounce container of Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oat Meal (if you're into name brands) will run you around $6 at the mainstream grocery store.  That's about 30 servings, breakfast for under $1 after you add some flavors, i.e., fruit, nuts, maple and brown sugar, or peanut butter and jelly.  If you don't mind store or discount brands, that 42-ounce canister of oats will cost you around $4 - $5, driving that cost per meal down even further.

I love the classic oatmeal flavors of maple and brown sugar, or apples and cinnamon, with a watchful eye on keeping it light to keep the sugar intake reasonable.  Another bonus of oatmeal is it will take on whatever flavor you want to throw at it, even savory ones.  Below are some oatmeal flavor ideas, some you may not have considered before.  Enjoy these 'recipe' ideas with milk, but as I play with flavor options, the less I like the addition of milk or a milk substitute to the bowl when serving. I prefer to keep it simple and robust, with the upfront texture of oatmeal and whatever flavor I'm adding.  An option here is to replace some of the water with milk or milk substitute for the boil before adding the oatmeal.  The result is a creamier texture.  Tip:  If going with sweet flavors for that bowl of oatmeal, I always put three dashes of cinnamon and one dash of cardamom into the boiling water, along with the salt per the instructions.

Fruit Bowl - Oatmeal prepared as directed, with the addition of whatever fresh fruit you may have on hand to the bowl.  While no fruit is a bad choice, berries are the healthiest nutritionally, and in my opinion the tastiest.  Dried fruits such as raisins, dates, and cranberries are OK, but watch the sugar content with those.  Tip:  If using dried fruits, soak them in the water you'll use to cook the oatmeal, soaking at least one hour is good, but overnight is best.  Dried fruits are a nice addition to overnight slow cooker oatmeal, no soaking required.

Go Nuts - Adding nuts to your bowl helps kick the protein up a notch and elevates the savory profile.  Oatmeal by itself has 5 grams of protein per serving.  Depending on the type of nut, just about any kind will do, adds another 4 - 9 grams of protein per serving.  Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and Brazil nuts all pair really well with oatmeal.  Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds can join the party too.  And while not packing as much protein as nuts, flax seeds and chia seeds will also add some protein, flavor, and texture to the dish.  Tip:  Flax meal is more readily absorbed by the body, I like to add a tablespoon to the boiling water when adding the oatmeal.  Serving option:  Use nut-based milk to compliment the nutty topping.

Fruit & Nut Bowl - Get the best of both worlds in one bowl, combining sweet and savory.  It's a texture and flavor dance in your mouth.  You get the crunch from the nuts, the heartiness of the oatmeal, and the natural sweetness from the fruit.  It's a spoonful of tasty and complete nutritional balance.

Peanut Butter & Jelly - It's a classic combination on toast for breakfast, and it's a classic sandwich for lunch, so why not 'classic' up some oatmeal?  When bringing the water up to a boil for the oatmeal, add a tablespoon of your favorite jelly and a tablespoon of peanut butter and stir to fully incorporate before adding the oatmeal.  The previously mentioned tip of added cinnamon plays really well here.  Serving option:  Whole peanuts and a smidgen more jam or jelly.  Use whole grapes (yes, really) if watching processed sugar intake.

Elvis, Hold the Bacon - Presley's fondness for peanut butter and banana sandwiches is well established, but some accounts include bacon as one of the ingredients.  Hold the bacon with this oatmeal.  Like the PB&J oatmeal, add the peanut butter when bringing the water up to a boil.  Slice up some banana to top the oatmeal when serving.  Bacon crumbles are optional.

"Reeces" Bowl - Staying with the peanut butter theme, a totally under-used source of protein, add the peanut butter to the boil, along with two ounces of your favorite chocolate bar.  I like to use dark chocolate to get the benefit of the flavanols and antioxidant properties that you can't get from milk chocolate. 

Maple & Brown Sugar - This flavor combination, along with Apples & Cinnamon, brings back childhood memories of Quaker Oats instant oatmeal in single-serve packets.  That was a go-to breakfast on Saturday mornings and those flavor pairings are time-tested delicious.  When making your own, some folks like to top their bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar.  Too sweet for me!  I like to use pure maple extract, adding a splash to the water along with a tablespoon of light brown sugar.  Stirring to incorporate, let the water come to a boil then add the oatmeal.  You get the maple flavor from the extract and all the sweetness you need from the brown sugar.  Flavor options:  Play with extracts, vanilla, almond, butterscotch, amaretto, marshmallow, strawberry, and more.  Not only are pure extracts a great flavor add, using them reduces your sugar intake.

Apples & Cinnamon - This is close to having a slice of apple pie for breakfast but without all the sugar!  Slice up an apple, mincing half of those slices to use with prepping the oatmeal.  When bringing the water to a boil, add some cinnamon along with that minced apple, and stir to incorporate.  Add the salt per the instructions, then add the oatmeal.  Serve with the remaining apple slices.  Serving option:  Mix some monk fruit sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over the oatmeal and apple slices for a little extra 'apple pie' flavor.

Honey, Cinnamon & Vanilla - This is an excellent change of pace flavor profile, taking advantage of honey as a healthier alternative to granulated sugar.  Add the trio to the boil before adding the oatmeal.  Real vanilla bean is awesome in this, as is a tab of butter melting on top when serving.

Looks like sausage, right?

Oatmeal Patties - This is a savory preparation, creating oatmeal 'burger patties' if you will, which oatmeal once thickened kind of lends itself to.  All you have to do is replace half the water with evaporated milk.  This helps to bind the oatmeal.  Add whatever savory flavors you want to the boil, garlic powder, black pepper, minced onion and/or onion powder, chili powder, Montreal Steak Seasoning, etc., I've used chicken stock and beef stock instead of water to boost the savory element for these which came out quite nicely.  Once the oatmeal is cooked, allow it to sit and cool, then press the oatmeal into 1/4 pound 'burger' patties.  Refrigerate for 24 hours.  To prepare, heat up some olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Cook the patties until heated through, about 3 minutes per side or until they start to caramelize.  Served with a sunny-side-up egg topper, this is a great alternative to a traditional bowl of oatmeal (plain oatmeal is also quite good with an egg topper by the way, with the goodness of that perfectly cooked yolk running everywhere...).  Preparation option:  Dust with Parmesan cheese before sauteing.

The health benefits of oatmeal are so numerous and it doesn't have to be loaded up with sugar to taste good.  It's also versatile, besides having a great bowl for breakfast, it's great in baking, it's a gluten-free option, you can't have granola without it and there are non-food uses too!  Did you know oatmeal is great for your skin? 

Enjoy the oatmeal ideas and,

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Enjoy this post?

If you appreciate the article you just read and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

follow me on Twitter @Bacheloronthe1

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It's the season of Lent and fish Fridays.

If fried fish is the only way you will eat fish, then you'll come to like grilled fish even better than fried after reading this.

That's pretty much the only way I used to eat fish, fried...  A beer batter was preferred and I had absolutely no interest in offerings that were 'baked,' 'poached' or just sauteed in butter.  There just wasn't enough flavor in the fish and the texture wasn't right in those other preparations.

Enter, the grill.

Smoke does A LOT for fish, and so does the kind of heat you get from a grill.  The texture of fish changes when placed directly over a fire and it absorbs smoke flavor readily.  Fish and the grill are a perfect pairing because what turns out to be mush in a poached offering, becomes crispy on the outside but tender on the inside deliciousness in a perfect bite delivered from the coals......   What is bland in a baked preparation becomes, "I didn't know salmon could taste this good!" in a grilled preparation.  I don't care how much seasoning and pretty decorative parsley is placed on the fillet, baked fish sucks.

Teriyaki Salmon

Here's a fantastic marinade for about two pounds of salmon:

Marinade ingredients

• Half cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• The juice from half a lime
• One Tablespoon of dried, minced onion
• One teaspoon of garlic powder
• One Tablespoon of light brown sugar
• Couple dashes of balsamic vinegar

Directions
Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl or big measuring cup, and set aside. Cut your salmon into four equal pieces (optional), place in a Tupperware bowl or a big zip lock bag, and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Fish does not need a lot of time to marinade, don't marinade for more than four hours, or your fish will turn to mush.  Salmon is great for the grill, remember to take the fish out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes prior to placing it over the coals. You’re doing this to inspect the fish and make sure it‘s well covered in the marinade. It’s not about letting the protein come up to room temperature like you hear some of the cooking show talking heads say, that’s just yada, yada talk to kill air time. The truth is, refrigerated meats and/or fish won’t come up to room temperature in just 30 minutes, not even close. OK, back to the salmon…..

Put the fish over direct heat, fish side down at first (not skin side), let them sizzle for about two minutes to get some nice grill marks, do NOT cover. Flip to the skin side after two minutes, keeping it over direct heat to get that skin crispy.  Now you can put a lid on it, for about another 3-5 minutes to get that nice charcoal flavor.  Remove from the grill and let them rest. This recipe is a real crowd-pleaser.   Excellent served with grilled lime wedges, a side of rice pilaf, and glazed carrots.

Simple Grilled Shrimp

Shrimp is such an easy thing to do on the grill, it's quick, delicious and crowd-pleasing.  And you don't have to worry about seasoning it up a whole lot, let the shrimp itself, be the star. 

Ingredients:

• Two pounds of jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• One teaspoon of garlic powder
• Juice from half a lemon
• One teaspoon of dried parsley flake
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put the shrimp in a large ziplock bag.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the shrimp in the bag.  Refrigerate for one hour.  When the grill is ready to receive, put the marinated shrimp on metal or water-soaked wood or bamboo skewers over direct heat.  These cook up rather quickly, about a minute or so on each side or until pink all around with a slight char from the grill.  Hit them with the juice from the other half of the lemon, and some garlic butter (if you've been paying attention throughout the book, you know to always have some garlic butter sitting over indirect heat on the grill), and serve immediately.  Ingredient Option:  Add some chili flakes to the garlic butter.

Tasty Grilled Tilapia

Tilapia is my go-to fish, it's readily available, it's cheap and the best part is it can take on any flavor you want to throw at it.  It is a more delicate fish than the 'meatier' fillets like salmon or tuna, so you may want to use a grill basket or grill sheet when throwing this fish on the grill.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tilapia fillets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Two tablespoons of Cookies Flavor Enhancer or all-purpose seasoning salt
• One lemon, sliced into four wedges and brushed lightly with olive oil
  

Directions:

Season the fish on both sides with the seasoning salt and place it into a large ziplock bag.  Pour in the olive oil and refrigerate for one hour.  When the grill is ready to receive, place the fillets and the lemon wedges over direct heat and put the lid down so the fish and citrus can absorb some smoky goodness.  This fish cooks quickly, it's only going to need about 2-3 minutes per side.  Remember, because this fish is flaky, you may want to use a grilling basket or grill sheet.  Serve the fish immediately, squeezing that grilled lemon wedge over the Tilapia at the table.

Serving Options:  Tilapia is SO versatile!  Brush it with your favorite BBQ sauce before placing it on the coals.   A classic preparation of garlic butter with fresh chopped Italian parsley is also very good.  And there's nothing like a little kick, Tilapia brushed with Sriracha is excellent.

Tuna Steaks

Quality tuna on the grill is tough to beat.  A nice thick-cut tuna steak is to fish, what a Ribeye steak is to beef.  And because tuna is so good, there's really no need to doctor it up much, you want to really enjoy the essence of this fish.  I prepare mine quite simply.   Dress the steaks with olive oil, salt, and pepper on both sides.  When the grill is ready to receive, put the tuna steaks over direct heat.  And this is an excellent piece of fish to get those great diamond grill marks on.  Rotate the fish a quarter turn after one minute, then let it sear another minute before flipping, keeping the tuna over direct heat for another minute or two.  With tuna, you don't want to cook it all the way through, you want a strip of pink running through it, just like a medium to medium rare Ribeye.  If you cook tuna all the way through, it tends to dry out, meaning a much less enjoyable piece of fish.   Enjoy tuna steak as is with a side or rice, or slice it up to make some fantastic fish tacos!

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Crab Dip & Toasted Garlic Bread

Baked Crap Dip & Toasted Baguettes

I love a good crab dip, but that's not easy to do when you live in the Midwest...  It's not like good, fresh crab is readily available and canned crab is, well, eh...  Hopefully, you've got a nice seafood shop near you that offers lump crab meat.  In a pinch, the imitation stuff will do, it's better than canned which undoubtedly will have shell bits in it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lump crab meat
• 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion, reserve some for garnish
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• The juice from one lemon
• Baguette, sliced
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

It's another dose of YUM!

Directions:  Mix all ingredients (except the baguettes and melted garlic butter of course) together in a medium-sized bowl.  Transfer to a cast iron skillet and grill over indirect heat on the grill until bubbly, golden brown, and delicious, about 45 minutes.  The key is low and slow with this.  About 10 minutes before pulling from the grill, melt the garlic butter in a grill-safe bowl and toast the sliced baguettes, brushing them with the garlic butter on both sides until golden, brown, and delicious.  Serve the baked dip on the toast and enjoy!

You would pay high dollar to get this kind of appetizer in a restaurant and finding a restaurant that even has this appetizer on the menu could prove to be a challenge.  Making this yourself makes sense and it's SO tasty!  It's another dose of YUM!

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