Last week, I channeled my inner Top Chef and threw down with ten other food and mom bloggers in a Frugal Foodie Cook-off hosted by Food Lion.
The competition:
Prior to living in Charlotte, I’d never heard of Food Lion supermarkets, which was founded in North Carolina and has over 1,100 locations.
Don’t let the smile fool you–I came ready to compete!
The challenge: prepare a four-person dinner in under thirty minutes using less than $15 worth of groceries.
My teammates, Julie of Mommie Cooks and Alison of Coupon Kitchen, and me brainstorming (and trying not to panic):
Eleven women, four burners, one oven.
Our secret ingredient:
Once time was up, we plated our dishes and presented them to the judges, who included Mark Griffith of The Levine’s Children’s Hospital, Marci Grebstein, Vice President, Marketing at Food Lion, Cathy Green Burns, President of Food Lion, Kay Carter of Second Harvest Food Bank and Fred Peace, Store Manager of Food Lion Store 635.
Our meal: caprese chicken, spaghetti with white wine garlic sauce, and sautéed spinach and mushrooms.
Given the chaos that erupted in the kitchen, we were elated with the results. The judges loved our juicy chicken, but the top prize went to the Curry Chicken in Peanut Satay Sauce with Veggie Rice Pilaf and Roasted Teriyaki Carrots with Crushed Peanuts. That’s one fancy meal for $15!
THE GIVEAWAY –> this giveaway ended 9/24/12!
For participating in the cook-off, Food Lion graciously gave me a $100 Food Lion gift card to give away to one lucky reader!
Three ways to enter:
- Leave a comment below with your favorite no-recipe-needed meal (it can be as simple as brie + crusty bread = dinner)
- Follow @Fervent_Foodie on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. (be sure to leave a comment letting me know you tweeted)
- Like Fervent Foodie on Facebook, then leave a comment letting me know it’s official.
The giveaway ends at midnight on Monday, September 24th. I will randomly select a winner and post the results on Tuesday, September 25th. The winner must email me with their mailing address by midnight on Friday, September 28th. If I do not receive a response from the first winner, I will pick a replacement winner (and so on and so forth).
GOOD LUCK!
45 Comments
WoW! How exciting! Do you think you’ll want to do this again? I’m thinking TV show! (I like Fervent Foodie on Facebook)
Cinnamon Toast with butter!
Favorite no recipe meal: omelette!
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
I like you on Facebook.
I follow you on Twitter (mami2jcn) and tweeted–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/248766458136494080
It is so hard for me to do a no-recipe meal! Haha! But, I guess breakfast for dinner is my favorite no recipe meal. Eggs with cheese, hashbrowns, toast and bacon. Doesn’t get any easier than that!
I liked you on Facebook! 🙂
Sounds like an awesome experience! My no-recipe meal would be more of snack – Cut up apples with cinnamon and almond butter! healthy and delicious!
I tweeted your giveaway! https://twitter.com/sipsandsteps/status/248799425298849793
Just liked you on FB too! (Christina B)
my go to inexpensive meal is greek orzo pasta, I’ve been making it for so long, no recipe needed, just orzo, feta, asparagus lemons & a splash of olive oil!
I tweeted the giveaway & follow you on twitter! https://twitter.com/lindsaywynne/status/248804869819994112
My favorite no recipe meal is spaghetti and meat sauce!
I have liked you on facebook.
We love good old spaghetti!
I Follow @Fervent_Foodie on Twitter and tweeted https://twitter.com/jessrwarfield/status/248916982815133696
I like you on facebook too
Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup! Thanks!
ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
following on twitter @shuggysmommy
https://twitter.com/shuggysmommy/status/248962501662887937
ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
I Like Fervent Foodie on Facebook, (Ashley Hatten)
ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
I will have to go with Lasagna.
Following on Twitter as catholicfanatic and tweeted.
https://twitter.com/catholicfanatic/status/248976354320711681
Like Fervent Foodie on Facebook.
more of a snack but cottage cheese and natural creamy peanut butter
Spaghetti!
-Britt T.
brtucker89(at)yahoo(dot)com
What a fun idea! I rarely ever use a recipe. My go-to meals are giant salads filled with whatever produce I have on hand with some beans or grains, and egg scrambles. Pancakes topped with caramelized fruits are a weekend breakfast favorite.
hot dogs on a bun
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
like on facebook (michelle b)
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Shake n Bake chicken
Grilled cheese or a Ham melt sandwich
Chicken Quesadilla!
Anything mexican…always taste good and so easy to throw together at the last minute!
Tweeted it
Liked Fervent Foodie on Facebook
Angel Hair Pasta, Petite Diced Tomatoes, Balsamic Vinegar, Goat Cheese crumbles = YUMMY
Hot dogs and beans.
Peanut butter and banana sandwich
Mini wheats and milk
My favorite no recipe meal is linguine or angel hair pasta served with olive oil, white wine and simmered mushrooms. With a loaf of Italian bread and a glass of white wine, this meal is always a big success and takes no time to make.
Thanks for the comment, but the giveaway ended Monday 9/24!
Spaghetti with Prego Spaghetti Sauce
Thanks for the comment, but the giveaway ended Monday!
I like you on Facebook (Carolsue Anderson)
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/251234905453895680