Money $aving $auces

Below are two money saving sauces that are easy to make, AND these are favorites at our house. 

The FIRST one is an enchilada sauce, which falls between mild & medium on my spice index.  The recipe comes from Daddy's Deli in Little Rock, Arkansas and was originally made with 28 oz diced tomatos and 8 oz of water added.  (If you make it with the diced tomatos it needs to cook down for 30 minutes or more.)  However, I have picky eaters who don't like tomato chunks so I substitute the equal amount of tomato sauce.

ENCHILADA SAUCE

28 oz tomato sauce 

1 can diced green chili

1 T dried onion

2 T chili powder

2 t cumin

1 t garlic powder

Stir together and heat over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.  Stir occassionally as it starts boiling.  This recipe typically costs $1.60 to make.  If I bought this much store bought enchilada sauce, then it would cost over $8 AND it would not taste as good.  This sauce is a favorite at our house.  Mild enough for the kids and spicy enough to have great flavor.  This sauce is also great mixed with ranch dressing for a Southwest Ranch flavor, and it is a fabulous base for tortilla soup.

SECOND SAUCE:  My kids eat lots of chocolate syrup to add to milk, pediasure, ice cream and squeezed directly into their mouth when they think I'm not looking.  The next recipe is for homemade chocolate syrup.  The recipe taste so much better than store bought syrup.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP

½ cup cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

After removed from heat add

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Twins Mark & Luke enjoying a drink together.
Photo by La Marie Photography/Angela Covington

Mix all the ingredients except the vanilla in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a low boil for 2 minutes to fully dissolve the sugar.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Remember to let this cool in the pan for 10 minute or so because it can melt a plastic squeeze bottle.  Stores in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container.  I've been told it lasts a month in the refrigerator, BUT not at our house! It is also great on pears!  I especially like that it does not contain milk because of the milk allergies in our family.  The syrup costs $1.50 to make the same amount that I buy for $2.57 in the off brand.