Barbecue Cups: Fun for the Whole Family

While raising 8 kids, I had to be super frugal all of the time. Finding meals that would satisfy my criteria for healthy and their criteria for good wasn't always easy. This is an easy recipe that my mom made for me when I was a kid. It covers several food groups and fills the tummy. Served with a fruit salad and carrot & celery sticks or any veggie, it is a complete meal.

Barbecue Cups

Ingredients:
Barbecue
1 pound ground beef, turkey or pork
1 small onion
1 small green bell pepper
16 ounces Contadina* or Hunts* tomato sauce
1 small Contadina* or Hunts* tomato paste
1/4 cup Domino* brown sugar (I prefer dark brown sugar)
salt and pepper to taste
oregano to taste about 1/2 teaspoon

Cups
2 cups Biscuit mix such as Bisquick* or Jiffy*
Milk

Topping
Kraft* Cheddar or American Cheese

*Any brand may be used including store brands. These are just brands I commonly use. Getting the best buy for your money is the key to your shopping success.

In large skillet brown the meat, onion and green pepper. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Drain any excess fat. Add tomato sauce & brown sugar. Simmer on low heat while you prepare the cups.

Mix biscuit mix with enough milk to make a firm dough ball. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness on floured surface. Cut into eight 6 inch circles. Press dough circles into muffin pan and pinch edges like a pie crust.

Return to your skillet and add enough tomato paste to thicken your Barbecue. Fill each dough cup with Barbecue mix and bake at 350 degrees until crust is brown 12-15 minutes.

Top with cheese and return to oven until cheese melts. Gently remove filled cups from pan. Serve.

Makes 8 cups. Serving size- 1 or 2 cups.

So what's the cost? I am located on the east coast of the US, so my pricing will reflect the costs here.
Ground meat $2.00
Onion .50
Bell Pepper 1.00
Tomato Sauce 1.00
Tomato Paste .50
Brown Sugar .25
Biscuit Mix 1.00
Milk .50
Cheese 1.00
______
$7.75

This price is for the amount used of each product. If you don't have your pantry stocked and have to buy all of the ingredients, you will pay more but remember you are only using a portion of each ingredient purchased. (Example: If you have to buy a gallon of milk to get 2 cups you will pay for $3.oo for the milk though you will only use about $.50 cents worth for this recipe.)

Remember to shop for your stock ingredients and have them in your pantry at all times. I could make this particular meal almost any day as all of the items are commonly stocked in my freezer and cupboard. Many stores put canned tomato products on sale weekly. My store often has them 10 for $10.00 mix and match. I always buy ten to keep my pantry stocked. Watch for coupons in the newspaper and online for the tomato paste and sauce as well asthe biscuit mix. Be careful though to know your store brand prices as they are often lower than brand names even with a coupon. I know that Wal Mart has a their brand of biscuit mix for nearly half the price of the name brand. Doing a little investigating can save you lots of money.

Happy cooking!
Kim