Great Meal Ideas & Shopping Pass!

BJ's Wholesale Clubs knows that people are having a hard enough time trying to pay their bills.  They know that in these economic times, the rising costs of fuel, and utilities,  and unemployment rates still going up, people are having a very hard time feeding their families, good, quality, healthy meals. 

BJ's is a wholesale club, which means yes, there is a cost to be able to shop at their stores.  However, did you know that you can still save as much as 30% off your grocery bill by shopping at BJ's?  Even taking into considering the annual cost of their membership fees? Right now you can print out this FREE ONE day pass to try it out for yourself. 

BJ's is also helping come up with some great meal ideas for your families.  The people behind the scenes at BJ's are working hard to come up with new meal ideas to keep your family out of the old recipe rut, that many of us fall into, and they are doing all this, while keeping more money in your wallet!  Here are Seven new recipes that they have come up with to feed a family of four, for under $12.00.  That's $2.75 per serving or less! 

Tortellini salad – Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club


With grilling season approaching, this salad is a light alternative to heavy, mayo-laden pasta side dishes.

Serves 4 at $1.47 per serving
Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below) or similar bottled dressing
1 lb. frozen Mama’s Home Style 5-Cheese Tortellini
2½ cups Fresh Broccoli, chopped
3 medium Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 Green Onion, chopped

1. Cook pasta until almost al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add broccoli
to pot with pasta and cook just until pasta is al dente, about 1 minute
more. Drain immediately. 2. Rinse pasta and broccoli in very cold
water until completely cooled. Drain thoroughly. 3. Combine pasta and
broccoli with rest of vegetables in large bowl. 4. Prepare vinaigrette
according to recipe. Add to pasta and vegetables, reserving 1/ 3 cup.
Toss to coat. 5. Chill overnight. 6. Bring to room temperature before
serving and drizzle with reserved vinaigrette.

 DIJON VINAIGRETTE
3/ 8 cup Wesson® Canola Oil
3/ 8 cup Rozzano® Balsamic Vinegar
½ cup Grey Poupon® Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Land O’Lakes® Half and Half
1 tsp. McCormick® Dried Italian Seasoning
1 clove Garlic, minced

Pulse in blender or whisk until thoroughly combined

Angel Hair Frittata – Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club
A solid brunch item – or for brinner (breakfast for dinner)
Serves 4 at $1.72 per serving

4 Tbsp. Rozzano® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 small Zucchini, sliced
1 Tomato, seeded and chopped
1 Green Onion, diced
4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp. Black Pearls® Sliced
Black Olives
½ tsp. McCormick® Basil
Leaves, crumbled
4 Eggland’s Best Eggs
Salt and Black Pepper
½ cup Locatelli® Grated Romano Cheese
6 oz. Barilla® Angel Hair, cooked al dente

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté fresh
vegetables and garlic until tender, about 3 minutes. 2. Stir in olives and
dried herbs. Set aside to cool. 3. Preheat broiler. Beat eggs and cheese in
large bowl. Stir in vegetables and pasta and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat remaining oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Pour
egg mixture into pan and spread with spatula until veggies and pasta
are evenly distributed. 5. Cook until eggs are set and golden-brown on
bottom. 6. Immediately place skillet under broiler. Cook until top is set
and golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven.
7. Loosen edges with butter spreader. Carefully invert pan over large
plate and slide frittata out. 8. Cut into 4 wedges and serve immediately.

Toasted Ravioli – Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club
Great for game night
Serves 4 at $2.64 per serving

1 pkg. Joseph’s Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli
½ cup Milk
1 cup Progresso® Italian Bread Crumbs
2 cups Wesson® Vegetable Oil
¼ cup Locatelli® Grated Romano Cheese
2 cups Rozzano® Fresh Bruschetta, for dipping

1. Heat oil in cast-iron or other heavy skillet until thermometer
reads 375º. 2. Pour milk and bread crumbs into individual
shallow dishes. 3. Dip ravioli in milk, shaking off excess, and
then immediately into bread crumbs. 4. Carefully add ravioli
to hot oil a few at a time. Don’t crowd pan. Cook ravioli until
golden-brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway so that
they cook evenly. 5. Carefully remove first batch of ravioli
from pan with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels while
second batch cooks. 6. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve
with warm bruschetta.

Shrimp Lo-Mein – Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club
A healthier version of a take-out favorite
Serves 4 at $2.74 per serving

8 oz. Barilla® Whole Grain Spaghetti
1 Tbsp. Kikkoman® Soy Sauce
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Domino® Cane Sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh Ginger, grated
2 tsp. Argo® Cornstarch
1 lb. Berkley & Jensen® 21/25 Frozen Raw Shrimp, defrosted
4 Tbsp. Berkley & Jensen® Peanut Oil
2 stalks Celery, finely sliced
1 ½ cups Fresh Express® Cole Slaw (undressed)
1 Green Onion, minced

1. Cook spaghetti until al dente and drain immediately. Rinse with
cold water and drain thoroughly. Set aside. 2. Mix soy sauce, ginger,
cornstarch, salt and sugar in large bowl. Add shrimp and let marinate
for 20 minutes. 3. Heat wok or large, straight-sided skillet over high
heat until very hot. Add 2 Tbsp. of oil. Using slotted spoon, carefully
add shrimp to hot pan. Reserve marinade. Stir-fry until shrimp is
just opaque. Immediately remove from pan and set aside. 4. Add
remaining oil. Stir-fry celery, slaw and green onion until just tender,
about 5 minutes. 5. Add shrimp to ingredients in pan, along with
reserved marinade. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce boils and
thickens. 6. Add spaghetti to pan and toss to mix. Remove from heat
and serve immediately.

Pasta Primavera– Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club
A classic dish loaded with healthy veggies
Serves 4 at $2.44 per serving

8 oz. Barilla® Linguine
1 small Summer Squash, thinly sliced
10 oz. Asparagus Spears, 2" pieces
8 oz. Green Giant® Baby Carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 cup Berkley & Jensen® Grade A Fancy Peas, defrosted
1 recipe White Sauce (below)
¾ cup Sargento® Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Grape Tomatoes (Optional)

1. Add pasta to large pot of rapidly boiling, salted water. Cook
4 minutes. 2. Add all vegetables except peas to pot with pasta.
Cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente. 3. Drain
immediately and transfer to large serving bowl. Add peas and
toss to mix. 4. Prepare white sauce according to recipe. While
still hot, add ½ cup shredded cheese and stir until melted. 5.
Pour cheese sauce over pasta-vegetable mixture and lightly toss
to mix. 6. Serve immediately garnished with remaining ¼ cup
shredded cheese and Grape Tomato halves (optional).

BASIC WHITE SAUCE Makes 2 cups.
Your microwave’s cooking times may vary.
Please watch carefully.
4 Tbsp. Land O’Lakes® Sweet Butter
4 Tbsp. Gold Medal® All-Purpose Flour
2 cups Milk
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter on high in 1-qt., microwave-safe
bowl, about 20 to 30 seconds. 2. Stir in fl our,
using spoon to break up lumps, until smoothly
blended. 3. Add milk, salt and pepper and stir
until completely blended. 4. Microwave on high,
pausing to stir every 30 seconds or so, until sauce
is thick and bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Variation: Add 2 cups of shredded Cracker Barrel®
Sharp Cheddar Cheese and toss with cooked elbow
macaroni for mac and cheese. See pasta recipes
for more variations.

Baked Ham and Ziti Casserole – Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club
Comfort food at its best; also a great make-ahead meal
Serves 4 at $2.04 per serving

8 oz. Barilla PLUS® Penne
12 oz. fresh Broccoli Florets
8 oz. Wellsley Farms® Ham Steak, 1" dice
White Sauce (see above)
¾ cup Sargento® Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp. McCormick® Whole Peppercorns (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Add pasta to large pot of rapidly
boiling, salted water. Cook 4 minutes. 2. Add broccoli florets
to pot with pasta. Cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is
al dente, about 6 minutes. 3. Drain immediately and transfer
to large serving bowl. Add ham and toss to mix. 4. Prepare
white sauce. While still hot, add shredded cheese and stir until
melted. 5. Stir in peppercorns (optional) then immediately pour
sauce over pasta-vegetable mixture. Toss lightly to mix and bake
30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Lemon-Chicken Bowtie Pasta– Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club
A bright and flavorful dish that’s sure to please
Serves 4 at $1.91 per serving

8 oz. Barilla® Farfalle
4 Perdue® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (1¼ lb.)
5 Green Onions, sliced
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Wesson® Canola Oil
1/ 8 tsp. McCormick® Cayenne Pepper
1½ cups Progresso® Chicken Broth
2 tsp. Grey Poupon® Dijon Mustard
¼ cup fresh Lemon Juice

White Sauce (see above)

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. 2. Cut chicken
into ¾" pieces. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high
heat. Add green onions and garlic and sauté one minute.
3. Add chicken and sauté, turning chicken occasionally until
cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. 4. Add pasta, toss
and set aside. 5. Adapt Basic White Sauce recipe (see previous
page): mix cayenne pepper into fl our before adding. Reduce
milk by 1½ cups, substituting same amount of chicken broth.
Add chicken broth-milk mix to fl our mix per recipe instructions.
6. While sauce is still hot, whisk in mustard and lemon juice,
then immediately pour over chicken-pasta mixture; lightly toss
to mix. 7. Garnish with sliced lemon and serve immediately.


BJ's Wholesale also accepts manufacturer's coupons, in addition to their in-club coupons!  This excerpt was taken directly from the BJ's FAQ section of their website on using coupons:

Can I use coupons?

Absolutely! BJ’s accepts all manufacturers’ coupons — including the ones that come in your Sunday newspaper — giving you additional savings on top of our everyday low prices. Plus, we offer BJ’s Members-only coupons throughout the year. After all, saving you money is what BJ’s is all about.
You can get your exclusive BJ’s coupons:
•Online. To access and print online coupons, you will need to activate your Profile by creating a Password.
•In BJ’s Journal, a BJ’s Member magazine
•Through special-offer mailings
•In BJ’s in-Club coupon flyers
Can I use more than one coupon?
You may not use more than one coupon on a single item. However, if you buy a multi-pack (a pack that contains multiple full-sized packages of a single product shrink-wrapped together) you may use multiple coupons.
For example, if you have 2 coupons for 50% off an 8-oz. bottle of face cleanser and you are buying a multi-pack that contains 2 or more 8-oz. bottles of face cleanser you may use both coupons.

I think I will be trying the Lemon Chicken and Bowtie Pasta first!