Really Fast and Easy Meals

[mamaotter]

During tax season I need a menu of items that are really quick to cook, and also really easy since my DH is not much of a chef. I realize these use a lot of prepackaged or convenience items, but when I'm working 60-75 hours a week, I'm the queen of convenience. Anyway, I thought I'd post some of my standby's and hope that some can be added so I'll have more to add to my list.

Dinner #1
Ham steaks
Country Crock Mac & Cheese (comes in microwavable tubs, usually in the meat case)
Apple Sauce
Some sort of veggie (I am very fond of the frozen veggies in the steamer bags)

Dinner #2
Turkey (or Roast Beef) from the deli**, sliced thick
1 can of gravy
Bob Evans mashed potatoes (microwavable tub sold in the meat case)
some sort of veggie

Dinner #3
Pasta & Meatsauce (1 jar of sauce, 1 pound of browned ground beef, one can diced tomatoes)
Garlic Bread (frozen)

Dinner #4
Cube steak & gravy over rice

1 lb cube steak, cut in small pieces. Brown in a little oil with some onion. Add 1 can of corn (drained) and one can of mushrooms (drained). Add one can of gravy. Heat through. Serve over rice.

Dinner #5
Kielbasa & Potatoes

About 6 potatoes cut into bite sized pieces (you can peel or not). 1 lb keilbasa (I use the light) cut into bite sized pieces. 1/4 cup oil. 1 pkg lipton onion soup mix. Mix it all together, put it in a pan and bake at 400 for 1 hour (covered with foil, after 1/2 hour mix). Serve with vegetables on the side. (I make this up the night before).

I'll also put a pot roast or beef stew in the crockpot sometimes. If I do that I'll cut everything up the night before. It does help that I work from home, as I can also sometimes put a chicken or something in the oven.

**I'll add that this only works in certain regions depending upon the quality of the deli meats... Our deli meats have the taste and texture of real sliced beef or turkey - not that pressed slimy stuff....

[erin]

Oh your dinner number 5. I make something similar in a frying pan with no extra oil/grease by just cooking some of the kilbasa, then throwing in the tatoes and the mixed veggies all in the one pan. I use pepper and garlic salt and it is delicious. Vinny will make that for dinner for us and he is 13, he adds a little bit of butter though. Everything is just the right flavor. Cook till the potatoes are tender.

[Sue]

Janet don't forget tacos, waffles or pancakes, eggs, burgers, and chicken fingers (Sam's Club sells a big bag of popcorn chicken that is heat and eat). You also can't go wrong with cereal or frozen pizza. Quesadillas are easy too. Or cook a whole turkey (which is really very easy, you don't have to stuff it, just rub olive oil on it, salt it and throw it in the oven or on the grill) and you can get a few meals out of that. And don't feel obligated to do anything more with the carcass than throw it in the garbage!

I'd encourage your boys to start handling the menu planning - you could write your list down for them to choose, either randomly or planning ahead - and over time I think you'll find they'll help you pick up the slack. And on the days that you're totally overwhelmed they will be able to fend for themselves. My kids got very adept at fending for themselves which sometimes is necessary for every one of us.

[erin]

Pizzadillas were a hit at my house.

Sun dried tomato tortillas, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pizza toppings. Make your own pizza and fold it, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and have have a pizza/quesadilla.

[Tina]

Similar to #2:
Deli roast beef sliced thin (some delis will give you the au jus to go with it)
Warm beef it in the au jus and serve on hard rolls.
tossed salad and veggies

Quick Stir Fry
Great use of leftovers - one dish meal
Diced meat (beef, chicken, pork), veggies (anything), rice, soy sauce

Sloppy Joes:
Ground beef, diced onion, ketchup, bbq sauce, worcestershire sauce
Serve on rolls
veggies

Subs
Sub rolls, variety of meats, cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onion and various condiments.
Serve with raw veggies (carrot/celery sticks) and pickles.

I'll also throw a bag of mixed dried beans, water, boullion cubes, diced onion, can of diced tomatoes, and spices in the crockpot before leaving for work. Serve it over rice and you have a great vegetarian meal.

[ruffages]

Penne with Pesto and Sausage: 1 lb penne pasta (cooked), 1 pkg sweet italian sausage cooked and cut into rings (this takes a little longer than the pasta if you boil the sausage), 1 tub pesto (Butolli is usually the best in the refrigerator section). Drain cooked pasta, throw sausage on top and mix in pesto. EASY.

Sausage and gravy and biscuits (you can use canned biscuits)...Brown country sausage and remove from pan, make a roux with the fat and a little flour (I usually have to add butter), add milk and make cream gravy. Add sausage back in and season. Pour over biscuits (surprisingly...my kids LOVE this).

Hot Beefs: large chuck roast, pkg of Lipton onion soup, a can beer (that's SueK's suggestion and MAKES It). Throw all in a crock pot and cook until meat shreds. Serve on dinner rolls with a little horse radish sauce (or BBQ).

Enchiladas: Take left over hot beefs, mix with can of black beans, can of green chilis and 2 pkgs of Taco seasoning. heat through. Fill flour tortillas with mixture, adding some cheese. Put enchilada sauce in bottom of pan, place enchilidas seam side down, top with more enchilada sauce and cover (spray foil or it will stick to the enchilada sauce). Bake at 350 for 30 min, remove foil, add more cheese and cook til cheese melts. Serve with Zatarains Spanish rice. (for alternatives...you can replace the beef with chicken, and the enchilada sauce with green chili enchilada sauce)

NFTT/Workit Mom's Taco Soup and Curry Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut rice (IMO, the coconut rice makes this dish).

Chicken or Steak and cheese hoagies. Most of this you could prep before hand. Cut Steak (I like using round) or chicken into thin strips. Cut 1 onion and 2 peppers. Prep work done. When you're ready to assemble....add a little oil and garlic to a pan, stir fry the meat. When JUST pink, add the onion and peppers. Season with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook til veggies are desired doneness. Put on a hoagie roll with cheese (I like mozzarella, provolone or jack) and broil til cheese is melted and bun is toasted.

Hope this season passes quickly for you Janet!

Carolyn

[Lesley]

Soup and grilled cheese (grilled ham for Dan).

Mom always made her kind of chop suey by browning hamburg with onion, add a can of tomato soup and macaroni.

[Lora]

If you can afford it, some of the convenience items are really pretty good.
One "homemade like" dinner which is simple and easy except it would be nice to have a second microwave is:
Hormel Refrigerated Entrees (Meat) ready in 4 minutes in the microwave (in the container they came in) and found in the Meat Section. There are many choices like Roast Beef and Gravy, Turkey and Gravy, Meatloaf, etc. The tray slides out of the cardboard box and you can see the meat right there in the store!
http://www.hormel.com/products/refriger ... trees.aspx


Then I love the mash potatoes that steam in the bag from Alexia http://www.alexiafoods.com/index.jsp
(AWESOME foods by this company btw - love their garlic bread which is made with real butter)
Veggie steam in the bag, and throw some crescent rolls in the oven.


(If you like bread get the twin pack because 4 of us can eat that, lol)

(I usually do the potatoes, and then the veggie since the meat takes only 4 minutes.)

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Manwiches and baked in the oven frozen Alexia fries (many varieties including sweet potato) and veggie

Also similar are those pulled beef, pork, or chix bbq in the meat section that are microwavable.
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Gourmet Dining frozen stir frys are good (not fond of the garlic chix with pasta personally). Our favorite is the Chicken Stir Fry. The Chicken Alfredo looks good, but I have never seen it in the store. These are made on the stove in a large skillet and are very easy!
http://www.gourmetdining.net/products/32oz.htm

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[Kande]

Thanks for all these ideas. I'm on the other end of the spectrum than Janet - my husband is the one working 70 - 75 hours a week and I'm the one in charge of dinners, etc for everyone. I get to see him from 5-6 every day and most days don't get home until 4:15 or 4:30. Dinner pretty much has to be DONE! I will make note of a lot of these, as they sound like things I can do.

Janet - Those Bob Evans mashed potatoes and the mac and chess are SO GOOD. I crave that Mac and Cheese.

[Nancy]

I have two easy ones:

1) Frozen ravioli with spaghetti sauce (jar). My kids love this. I mix the meat and cheese ones. Better than the canned junk.

2) Someone here gave me the "recipe" for shrimp and tortellini that is great. Frozen shrimp - I boil for a few minutes to thaw. Cook frozen cheese tortellini. Toss together with lots of parmesan cheese. Yum.

I keep the frozen pastas and spaghetti sauce as a staple. Our local store frequently has the shrimp (precooked and frozen, no peels, no tails) on Buy 1 - Get 1 and I load up and keep those as well. Make for easy throw together dinners. I serve them with a veggie and some garlic bread.

[ruffages]

I have two easy ones:

1) Frozen ravioli with spaghetti sauce (jar). My kids love this. I mix the meat and cheese ones. Better than the canned junk.

2) Someone here gave me the "recipe" for shrimp and tortellini that is great. Frozen shrimp - I boil for a few minutes to thaw. Cook frozen cheese tortellini. Toss together with lots of parmesan cheese. Yum.

I keep the frozen pastas and spaghetti sauce as a staple. Our local store frequently has the shrimp (precooked and frozen, no peels, no tails) on Buy 1 - Get 1 and I load up and keep those as well. Make for easy throw together dinners. I serve them with a veggie and some garlic bread.

Hey Nancy...a fast easy trick to thawing frozen shrimp or blanching veggies is to throw it in the pasta when the pasta is almost done. I do this ALL.THE.TIME when I want to throw broccoli or asparagus in with pasta. Do the same with frozen shrimp. One pan, one drain, less mess.

Carolyn

[funnygirl]

Most definately keep on hand jar sauce & pasta (see a thread from way back about pantry abundance. Still working on the pasta!) I also keep frozen turkey meatballs (heat & eat), and garlic bread.

I also have been freezing soup & chili (if you make one pot, it is easy to double for freezing).

I like Nancy's chop suey, but I called it just pasta & sauce.

Oh Chinese casserole. Will have to dig that up again, aleays a crowd pleaser.

[Jen O]

janet, this won't work for non cheese lovers, but it's very easy in case others are interested:

Crock pot cheesy chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of cheddar soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
garlic salt
pepper

put chicken breasts in crockpot, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. pour over cans of soup. heat on low for 8 hours. serve over rice, egg noodles, etc.

[sarah]

Garlic Beef Bites (I'm always sharing this, it's my favorite and it's pretty good for you):

1lb stew meat
Olive Oil
Garlic

Brown the meat in the olive oil and garlic (I used a TON last time, but I love garlic), then dump in the crock pot on low for 6 hours. You don't have to brown the meat, I do it when I have time. If you don't brown the meat just dump it all in the crock pot and put on low.

Then you chop a cucumber and mix it with plain yogurt and a dash of salt. You can throw it in a pita pocket or just eat plain. It's great either way!

[Sharon]

Sarah, that dish sounds wonderful.

I also do tuna fish burritos, chicken salad wraps, BLT wraps. I love to make a large meal every 3 days or so, then we eat leftovers for 2 days.

One of our favorite meals is to cook 2 whole chickens in the electric smoker. All that you do is season the chickens and toss them in. 4-5 hrs later, yummm.

[holliejjj]

wow I really miss out on making alot of good meals due to dh refusing to eat red meat and seafood lol

[ruffages]

wow I really miss out on making alot of good meals due to dh refusing to eat red meat and seafood lol

Hollie...you know that in A LOT of cases you can adapt recipes that WERE beef to chicken. Case in point...the chicken and cheese hoagies.

Another, stroganoff...use chicken breasts sliced, onion, chicken broth, sliced mushrooms and sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.

Chicken in the crockpot will shred just like beef does, it just doesn't need to cook as long as beef does.

Beef burgundy? Chicken Chardonnay.

Janet's cube steak and gravy over rice? EASY enough to use chicken.

Look at recipes and see if there is anything that makes the recipe "BEEF" specific and can you adapt it for chicken. Frequently you can.

Janet...another idea which I love. I keep a giant bag of chopped romaine lettuce (Sams Club $3.20/bag), a jar of Caesar dressing (I AM a snob here...I don't do typical bottled, but prefer either Lighthouse or Maries) and croutons. That giant bag of popcorn chicken SueK mentioned...make that for the kids but add enough chicken to throw on top of a caesar salad. I LOVE this salad (actually, Marissa does too). I'll also thaw a bag of shrimp and warm it EVER so slightly and use shrimp instead of chicken.

Carolyn

[Lora]

Another one we had last week was Sweedish meatballs.

I buy the Rosina meatballs (they make both regular Italian and Sweedish) from the freezer section.
I get the McCormick seasoning packet (isle where the gravy is) which actually has the spices to make the meatballs from scratch, but also a gravy packet which I use.

Boil some egg noodles to serve it over or steam some frozen mash potatoes from Alexia.

Veggie and your're done.
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My mom was telling me about a really simple recipe that was a hit for dinner guests she was going to make again.
Penne pasta
Steamed broccoli
Jar of Alfredo sauce
Editing to add: A can of chicken (she says the one from costco is good but any would be fine) - Sorry I forgot this before!
I'm definitely going to try that one!

[Esmeralda]

I was going to suggest my shrimp and tortellini dish, but Nancy already mentioned it! Glad you like it, Nancy!

Just last week I dredged some chicken in bread crumbs, then put olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt over the top and baked. It was really quite yummy and both kids liked it.

[jane]

esme that does sound good. Did you dip in olive oil before the bread crumbs, or just pour the oil on after bread crumbs were stuck to the chicken?

Janet, my weekly fare always includes tacos. I brown ground beef and add the taco spice right then ( I buy a giant container of taco spice at Sam's) and freeze in one pound amounts. Maybe Dan would eat a taco without cheese? Our other staple is chicken chunks sauteed in a bit of olive oil. We might dip in teriyaki glaze and add rice on the side, or make into a stir fry, or turn into fajitas by sprinkling taco seasoning on after it's cooked.

Third almost every week thing is cheesesteaks. Buy the rarest deli roast beef you can buy so that when browning, it releases lots of juice. Chop into small squares. Brown in a little spray. You can also saute onions and peppers in olive oil to add to it too, then we put shredded mozzarella on top of it all in a hoagie. I use seasoning salt too.

Such a thankless chore, being the meal planner. I'm trying to find my grill, deck still has 14 or so inches of snow on it...