There are lots of great deals to be found at Meijer this week! I especially love taking advantage of the “10 for $10, 11th item free” deals. Lots of great deals means lots of great bargain meals!

Stop by my friend Sonshine’s blog to see a list of the top deals to take advantage of at Meijer this week and every week.

Breakfast Idea – Mini-Blinis
Mini-blinis are one of our favorite breakfast treats. They freeze perfectly too, so they’re great to have on hand all the time. Mini-blinis are part of our traditional Christmas morning breakfast, but we like them so much we have them all year long too.

• 1 loaf thinly sliced white bread (Aunt Millie’s – 10/$10; 11th free)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (Meijer brand – 4/$5)
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 T. cinnamon

1. Cut crusts off each slice of bread. With a rolling pin, roll each slice of bread until flattened.

2. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until well blended.

3. Spread about 1-2 tablespoon cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread and roll-up jelly roll style.

4. Mix together 1 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Roll each blini in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar combination.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

To freeze: Place unbaked blinis on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer to flash freeze for about an hour. Transfer blinis to a freezer bag and keep frozen until ready to eat. To serve: Place frozen blinis on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. You can also cut each blini in half when serving a crowd.

Dinner Idea: Blackened chicken & Roasted asparagus bundles

• Chicken breasts (from 40oz frozen Tyson chicken breasts bag – $4.99)
• Blackening seasoning (I recommend McCormick or Penzey’s)
• 1 lb. asparagus ($.99/lb)
• 1/2 lb. Thorn Apple Valley bacon (2/$5)
• Olive oil

1. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Cover both sides of chicken breast with blackening seasoning. Add to hot skillet, cook 3-4 minutes on the first side, flip, cover skillet and continue cooking until done, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Snap ends off of asparagus. Divide into 5 stalk bundles. Wrap each bundle with one slice of bacon. Lay bundles on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Don’t forget to stop in at $5 Dinners to see all of this week’s bargain meals.

There are lots of great deals to be found at Meijer this week! I especially love taking advantage of the “10 for $10, 11th item free” deals. Lots of great deals means lots of great bargain meals!

Stop by my friend Sonshine’s blog to see a list of the top deals to take advantage of at Meijer this week and every week.

Dinner Idea #1 – Chicken and stuffing casserole w/ broccoli in cheese sauce

• 1 lb bone-in chicken breasts ($1/lb in the family pack)
• Chicken gravy (In the bottle or homemade)
• 1 pkg. Kraft Stove Top Stuffing Mix (10/$10; 11th free)
• 1 box Green Giant frozen broccoli in cheese sauce (10/$10; 11th free)

1. Cook chicken in 350 degree oven until fully cooked. Shred or dice chicken. Stir into 2 c. chicken gravy.

2. Prepare Kraft Stove Top stuffing mix according to package directions. Press into 8×8 casserole dish. Cover stuffing with chicken and gravy. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly. Serve with broccoli in cheese sauce.

Dinner Meal Idea #2 – Loaded Tuna Melts with Maple-glazed carrots

• 1 can Bumble Bee chunk white tuna in water (10/$10; 11th free)
• 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (from Pennsylvania Dutch sliced mushrooms – 10/$10; 11th free)
• 1 c. chopped fresh broccoli (10/$10; 11th free)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1 t. curry powder
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Aunt Millie’s English Muffins (10/$10; 11th free)
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (frim Meijer chunk cheese – 3/$5)

1. Combine tuna, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, mayonnaise, curry and salt and pepper. Split English muffins and place on a cookie sheet. Spread with 2 tablespoons tuna mixture. Top each with shredded cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.

For the carrots:
Steam a 1 lb. bag of baby carrots (10/$10; 11th free). Drain. Melt 1/4 c. butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Stir in 2 T. brown sugar and 2 T. maple syrup. Pour over carrots and toss to combine.

Other dinner ideas:

• Seasoned Chicken Breasts ($1/lb in family pack), mashed potatoes (5lb. Idaho russets – 2/$4), and steamed broccoli (10/$10; 11th free)
• Cheesy Tuna Casserole served with Dole Salad Blends (3/$5)

And for a breakfast idea, try this Cinnamon-Apple Stuffed French Toast. Take advantage of the apples that are $1/lb. and Aunt Millie’s bread that is 4/$5. Serve with a package of Brown & Serve sausage (10/$10; 11th free). This meal would be hearty enough for a breakfast-for-dinner meal also.

Welcome to the first week of the Bargain Meal of the Week. I am excited to join Erin from $5 Dinners in this new weekly feature. Each week you can come here to get a few meal ideas based around the current weekly sales at Meijer stores. (I’ll be publishing them on Sundays beginning next week.)

This week I have two meal ideas to share with you.

Meal #1 – Chili-topped salad with chips

• 1 lb. Certified Angus beef ground beef from round ($1.99/lb.)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 t. each salt, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 can Bush’s Chili Beans in Mild Sauce (25% off)
• 1 12oz. package Dole iceberg salad ($1.00)
• 1 c. shredded cheese (from 12 oz. pkg. Meijer shredded cheese – 2/$6.00)
• 1 bag Fritos (2/$4.00)

1. Cook ground beef and onion until done. Drain. Stir in seasonings, tomato sauce and chili beans.

2. Pour the salad into a large serving bowl. Top with chili mixture and cheese. Serve with Fritos.

Meal #2 – BBQ Chicken sandwiches with Cheddar Smashed Red Skin Potatoes

• 1 lb. Meijer fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts ($1.99/lb)
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce or 1 1/2 c. homemade barbecue sauce
• 2 1/2 lbs. red potatoes (from 5lb. bag red potatoes – 2/$5.00), quartered
• 1/4 c. butter or margarine
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (from 12 oz. pkg, Meijer shredded cheese – 2/$6.00)
• 1 pkg. Aunt Millie’s hamburger buns

1. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and cover with barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven and, using 2 forks, shred chicken in sauce.

2. While chicken is baking, place potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain.

3. Return potatoes to pot. Add butter or margarine, milk and sour cream. Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes to desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Stir in shredded cheese.

4. Place some chicken on each bun and serve with potatoes and a veggie of your choosing.