Kroger Bargain Meal June 28-July 4

I am so excited to see Georgia shrimp on sale at Kroger this week. They are too expensive for a $5 meal, but it's our anniversary, so this is perfect. A couple of years ago, I started noticing a bit of tingling in my hands and lips when I eat shrimp from other countries. I began to pay attention, and when I bought the wild caught, American shrimp, it didn't happen. I'm not sure exactly what those other shrimp are treated with, but my body doesn't like it. Unfortunately, wild caught are always pricier. They taste more like shrimp, though, which is a good thing. And, we're having some tonight! I can't wait. So, if you have any excuse at all, go buy some shrimp this week.

This week's $5 meal is tortilla soup. It starts with chicken.

To make it "tortilla" soup, I'm real fancy, and I put crushed chips in the bottom of the bowl. Nothing but the finest around here.

Top with cheese.

And look what you end up with! This is one of our favorites. Everyone loves it. Soup is a bit hard for my boys to eat, so I use a slotted spoon to get the good stuff out, then make it into a quesadilla for them. Same flavors, less mess. All good.

Tortilla Soup (serves 8)
1 whole chicken--on sale $0.99/lb--$3
water to cover
salt, pepper, onion, celery to flavor (whatever you have limp in the fridge)
2 tsp. oil--$0.10
1 onion, chopped--on sale $0.79/lb--$0.25
1-3 jalapenos, chopped (to taste)
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped--$0.15
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes--approx $1.50
4 ears corn, cut from the cob--on sale 4/$1--$1
2 tsp. cumin
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper
cheese, for serving--on sale $1.03/2 cups--$0.52
sour cream, for serving--on sale $1.77/24 oz--$0.44
avocado, for serving--$1
cilantro, for serving--approx $0.50/bunch--$0.25
lime, for serving--$0.25
chips, for serving (use the bottom of the bag)--$0.50

Cook chicken in water seasoned with salt, pepper, celery, and onion. Once chicken is done (about 45 minutes), remove from broth, allow to cool, and take meat off the bones. (I did this in the crockpot overnight.) Meanwhile, saute the onion, jalapeno, and garlic together in the oil. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, and chicken. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes or so. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime over the top.

note---using a whole chicken makes it a pretty chicken-y meal. You can certainly use less chicken (about half the time, I use half of the meat from a chicken). Your husband won't love you quite as much, but it's still good. You can also do beans instead of meat, and this soup easily adapts to extra vegetables (zuchinni anyone??).

And, in an easy on the cook twist, this meal is really filling and needs no side dishes.

Total cost--$8.96 (8 servings) or $4.48 (4 servings)

As always, 5dollardinners hosts lots of meals from bloggers all over the country. If you aren't in love with Kroger, you can find whatever store your heart fancies.