What to do with grocery store markdowns: recipes & tips!

I love any deal, but grocery markdowns are one of my favorite ways to save.  By markdown, I mean products on clearance or "manager specials" throughout the store.  Im such a dork that I get super excited when I see those orange stickers.  Maybe I need a life?  Anyway, I thought I would give some tips on what to do with some commonly found markdowns, as well as some great recipes I've come across.  Before buying anything, make sure there are no brown spots on meat, dents in cans or moldy produce!

• Bananas.  I actually like slightly brown bananas over ripe, but when I see a big bag of them I get them for two reasons: bread and smoothies.  Check back in a few days for my smoothie tips.  
• Banana Oatmeal Bread (from allrecipes.com) This is a new favorite and its amazing as bread or muffins!  It freezes well, too.  Just cover in foil and then a freezer bag (after cooking, of course).  I don't use shortening, I substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1/2 c of butter, as a review suggested.
• Peppers. 
• With bell peppers I slice them and freeze for pasta, stir fry, fajitas or whole for stuffed peppers.  When you defrost them, make sure you let them drain liquid.  They loose their crispness, but the flavor remains when you use them for cooking.  
• Jalapenos and other spicy peppers also freeze well, but I try to use them right away.  My aunt gave me a great recipe for stuffed peppers, if you are interested, message me! 
• Meat.  I love finding chicken, pork roasts, sausages, or more expensive cuts of meat like flank steaks or NY strips on markdowns.  If you freeze them right away, they are okay for months. 
•  If you watch the Food Network, Tyler's Ultimate has great recipes.  Here is one for a pot roast.  So delicious!
• Ground beef or turkey can be made into meatloaf or burger patties.
• Italian sausage freezes well both raw and cooked.
• When I first bought a pork roast I had no idea what to do with it.  I find slow cookers are the best route for tender results.  This pulled pork recipe from allrecipes.com (can you tell I love this website?) gets a lot of compliments.  I usually add more of my favorite bbq sauce to it.
• Chicken the best bargain, especially if it happens to be Gold n' Plump because there are always coupons for it.  
• Flank steak is a great marinade & grill steak.  Slice it thin for tacos or just sliced with potatoes works too. 
• Avocados.  I can eat guacamole every day, I love it so much.  If you happened to miss my "Healthier Guac" recipe, you should try it!  It can be frozen too!  When I find bags of 12 avocados, I make huge batches and freeze them in cup sized portions.  Make sure you add a bit of extra lemon or lime juice.
• Berries & other fruit.  We fly through fruit around here, so finding edible fruit on markdown is a jackpot (sometimes fruit on markdown is mushy or almost moldy).  
• I freeze strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for smoothies. 
• Apples can be made into applesauce or apple cake or bread. 
• Canned goods: stock is a great find!
• Veggies. 
• Corn can be sliced off of the cobb and frozen.  Rachael Ray has a great corn chowder recipe that we love, also. 
• Zucchini doesn't freeze well by itself, but if it is mixed with other veggies for a stirfry mix it will be okay.
• Broccoli freezes or you can make soup first, then freeze.  I do recommend cutting it first. 
• Bread.  There is always day old bread which you can make garlic bread with (just combine minced garlic, butter and Italian seasoning) or bread crumbs super fast.  Both freeze well. 

There are many other great finds out there, but this should get you started.  Don't be scared of trying new recipes.  You can also find products or foods you would may have always wanted to try on markdown.

Keep your eyes peeled when you are shopping, you can find some great deals! If you need some suggestions or recipes, message me.  I have many saved!