When we are trying to come up with delicious meals for our family, we know we have to be inventive or it’s so easy to get into a rut of pork chops, chicken breasts, and hamburgers. If we do that, it will be super boring to eat at home. I look at a lot of recipes in cookbooks, read the internet cooking sites, and of course watch a little Food Network to get ideas. I’m always finding the Honeysuckle White 93/7 ground turkey on sale or coming across coupons for it, so I use it often. Last winter, we learned how to make authentic Hungarian goulash and this is simply a Southwestern variation on it. In the southwest, our food is influenced more and more by Spanish cooking. This was very rich, tasty, and of course healthy when compared with many meals you could cook at the same price.

1 lb Honeysuckle White ground turkey 93/7 ($0.83) on sale + $1.00 coupon

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes ($0.49)

1 14.5 oz can of corn ($0.56)

1 15.5 oz can of black beans ($0.59)

1/2 yellow onion ($0.15)

1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper ($0.40)

1/2 bunch of cilantro ($0.44)

3 cloves garlic minced ($0.05)

1 teaspoon kosher salt ($0.05)

CORNBREAD:

1/3 cup cornmeal ($0.25)

3/4 cup unbleached flour ($0.30)

1/2 cup white sugar ($0.25)

3/4 teaspoon table salt ($0.05)

2 teaspoons baking powder ($0.10)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil ($0.10)

1 egg ($0.10)

1/2 cup milk ($0.25)

TOTAL: $4.96

Recipe: Combine diced onion, turkey, salt, and chipotle pepper in a pan. The onion should provide enough moisture to avoid using cooking oil. Brown the turkey. Add all of the other ingredients and simmer on low uncovered the entire time the cornbread is cooking. For the cornbread, mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then combine. Pour into a greased baking dish or cast iron skillet and bake on 400 degrees for 21 minutes. If you prefer this dish to be a little soupier, simmer covered.

NOTES: The prices of my ingredients will vary based on the latest prices I pay and of course sometimes I get my meat or canned goods for next to nothing. We buy all private label brands unless we can get a good brand for less either through a sale or with a coupon. I do not include sales tax because many states do not charge taxes on food. This meal feeds two adults, two 12 year old twins, and a 3 year old boy. The 3 year old boy usually only eats part of our meal. If you don’t have any ground chipotle pepper, you could always use a bunch of paprika with some black pepper.  For those unfamiliar, chipotle pepper is simply smoked jalapeno peppers. It adds a nice smoky flavor and heat. I use McCormick’s bottled ground Chipotle Pepper.