Cheap, Easy Weeknight Meal

I have been loving the idea of soup and sandwiches with the fall weather cooling down. However, I wanted something easy to make that I could still control the ingredients.

So, I found a great recipe for a copycat version of Panera tomato soup, and I modified some of the ingredients. Then, I put a fun spin on the classic grilled cheese and purchased ingredients I felt comfortable with.

Even with grass-fed, gluten-free, and organic ingredients, the meal per person was less than $6.50, and I am sure that many people could find even better deals on some of the ingredients than I did.

Watch Noah and I make the recipe!

Ingredients

Panera Copycat Recipe found here.

• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 14 oz can chicken broth {or 2 cups}**
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
• ⅓ cup grass-fed butter
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk/cream
• 1 tsp dried basil

**Note: It is ideal to make it using chicken bone broth.

Directions

1. Combine the tomatoes, broth, and garlic. Bring to a boil, and let boil for 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar and butter and mix until they are completed mixed in.
3. Stir in the basil and coconut milk. For the coconut milk, select the portion that is the cream.

Cost of Ingredients

I bought the ingredients that I could on Thrive Market.

• 1 14 oz can chicken broth {or 2 cups} – ideal to make it with bone broth – $5.29/32 oz – $2.65
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar – $4.55/16 oz bag = $0.30
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk/cream – $2.39/can – use about half the can – $1.20
• 1 TBSP dried basil – $3.45/container – estimate $0.20
• Schar multi-grain bread – $4.99/loaf

I bought the rest of the ingredients from the local store.

• ⅓ cup grass-fed butter – average price for 8 oz Kerrygold is $3.50. So, I am going to estimate $1.25 spent on the butter that actually goes into the recipe.
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic – $4/container – estimate $0.25
• Raw grass-fed cheese – $8.00 for one block (and I will use half of it probably)
• Pederson Farm’s pasture raised bacon – $7.00/package –  if it isn’t all put on the sandwiches it will get eaten anyway
• 1 28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes – $1.99
• 1 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes – $1.98

Note: use cooked off bacon fat and extra butter while cooking the sandwiches

Cost per Person (Family of 4)

1.99 + 1.98 + 2.65 + 0.3 + 1.2 + 0.2 + 4.99 + 1.25 + 0.25 + 4 + 7 = 25.61/family of 4 = $6.40/plate