Frugal Friday: Banana Chimichangas

Perfect way to end an evening!

I have an insatiable sweet tooth lately.
Some days it's a craving for something fried (yes, I knooooow), some days it's a craving for a piece of fruit and some days (like yesterday) it's a craving for both.

The cheapo in me started thinking of all the ways I could combine the two without spending a fortune. I thought of going to Sonic for some French Toast, but that was more trouble than it's worth. (In money and calories!)

So I stood in my kitchen with nothing more than a craving and a budget.
I dug around until I found flour tortillas and a banana. Oh, the glory!

The Banana Chimichanga was born!
And, because I like the kitchen but don't care to spend all day in there, this recipe is super simple! 


You will need:

• 1 banana (I prefer the spotty ones!)  $0.13
• 1 flour (or corn) tortilla  $0.20
• 1 Tbsp. peanut butter (optional)  $0.08
• 1/2 C. Canola/Vegetable Oil for frying  $0.31
• 1 Tbsp. Honey for garnishing (optional, but highly recommended!) $0.11
• Brown Sugar/Cinnamon mixture for garnishing (optional, but again, highly recommended!) $0.03
• An awesome post-snack workout to reduce the number of pounds this snack can pack on.

 Directions:

1. Using shallow pan, heat approximately 1/2 cup of oil to 325 degrees. (You may need more or less depending on your pan size.) 
2. While oil is heating, spread peanut butter on tortilla in a thin layer. (If not using peanut butter, skip this step.) 
3. Place a whole banana on tortilla and roll up until sealed. 
4. Place rolled tortilla in hot oil, seam side down, and fry approximately 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.
5. Drain your chimis on a paper towel and garnish with honey and brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Total cost: $0.86 (!!!)

While it's not the healthiest thing in the world, I console myself with the fact that it does contain 1/3 of my recommended daily fruit intake. 

And the fact that it costs me less than a buck to make? That just makes it even easier to eat one.  

Or two. ;-)