Kroger Bargain Meal August 9-15

This week's meal is an old family favorite. I remember making it for the first time my senior year of high school. I took leftovers for lunch, and it impressed my home ec teacher at the time! If you've never had this, try it. You'll impress yourself, and it'll become an old family favorite of your own. It's very versatile, too. Canned beans, dried beans, whatever. Canned corn, fresh corn, frozen. It's all good. You can use bottled salad dressing if pushed for time. Add Ro-tel if you have a lot of it hanging around. Eat it with chips. Eat it with a spoon. Add some chicken or avocado, and you've got a main dish. It's good anyway you get it.

Marinated Black Beans
adapted from Southern Living, May 1993

1/3 cup red wine vinegar--$0.20
1/3 cup olive oil--$0.15
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
juice of 1 lime--$0.25
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 pound dry black beans, cooked (or 3 cans)--$0.75
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn, thawed--on sale--$0.98
1 large bell pepper, chopped--on sale--$0.50
1-3 jalapenos, chopped--$0.20
1 onion, chopped--$0.25
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped--$0.45

Combine first 7 ingredients to make dressing. Add other ingredients in a large bowl. Allow to chill 1-24 hours.

Total cost--$3.73 for 10 servings--$1.49 for 4 servings

Serve with grilled chicken--on sale $1.99/lb--$3
and buttered pasta--on sale $0.88/lb--$0.44

Total cost--$4.93