$5 Friday: Summer Barbecue

The Fourth of July weekend is a great excuse for grilling out. The recipe for today’s $5 Friday is not earth-shattering by any means, but it’s one of my family’s absolute favorite meals in the summer time. It’s flavorful, satisfying, and really inexpensive to make.

Barbecue Chicken with Homemade Russet French Fries

4 small chicken Breasts =$1.50

1/2 cup + 2 tbs barbecue sauce =$.25 (I usually pay $1 per bottle, so I’m guesstimating)

1 lb russet potatoes =$1.33 (3 lb/3.99 at Wegmans)

Rosemary, Sea Salt, Pepper -- $.25

Olive Oil -- $.50

1. Marinate the chicken  in the barbecue sauce for at least one hour, but preferably overnight, in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, grill on medium high for about 5-7 minutes on each side.

2. To make the fries, first wash the potatoes and peel them -- this is a great task for kids to help with (although mine always try to eat the raw potatoes -- yuck!)

3. Cut them into thin wedges -- I like mine as thin as possible because they’ll cook faster and get crispier.

4. Par-boil the potatoes for about 5 minutes. This will help with the cooking time in the oven.

5. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil (about 2 tbs), sprinkle with salt, pepper, and about 1/2 tsp dried rosemary.

6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes, turning once. I have also cooked these in the toaster oven on a hot day, but check them more frequently -- they’ll burn much faster.

Total Cost= $3.83

A fresh salad of greens from the garden would round out this meal if you have them available. Dress with a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar, and you’ll still have a complete meal for under $5!