Easy Meals to Make?!
Easy Meals to Make?
Me and My BF live together and I usually make supper, I need some ideas on some quick and cheap meals to make. I've tried thinking of new things, but can't. Any ideas would help!
Answers:
Hi...I have an obscenely large collection of cookbook ebooks and recipe files (some tried and true, some to do). If you want I would be glad to send you some. It would help if other than simple you give me an idea of what you like. And I've been surprised to find that if you shop the sales sometimes you can cook food that you think would be expensive (and tastes it) cheaper than the typical "cheap" food. For example shrimp was just on sale here for $3.99 a lb, so it would have been cheaper to make a yummy shrimp scampi (VERY easy too!) than chicken!
Anyway let me know what you guys like and I'd be glad to help. I just need to see if I have all the cookbooks on disc...my main puter is temporarily down. But worst case I should have it back in a week or so. Also when I can get to those bookmarks I have a few you might like. Here are a couple I could re-find quickly. Check them out, and just let me know what you would like.
Also remember cooking is easy...most times if you can read the recipe, you can make it!!!
http://www.budget101.com/convenience_mix...
(I saved the link to mixes cause I wanted to try a couple, but there are TONS of budget recipes...poke around the site).
Plus Rachel Ray has made a career out of fast and easy recipes. You might want to poke around her stuff too;
http://www.rachaelray.com/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_tm...
http://www.foodieview.com/food/recipes/r...
Big giant salads are fun!
And making grilled chicken over ricearoni is good
the really fast meals r those cup noodles or microwave meals
Stir frys are quick and easy, and you can get creative and just throw things together. Veggies, meats ( steak strips, chicken, anything ) And just throw them in a stir fry pan with some vegetable oil and maybe some spices, then instant dinner (:
I make hamburger roll ups a lot. all you do is brown some hamburger meat and onions. while that is cooking take some canned crescent rolls and pinch the seams of two of them together to make a square. Do all of them like this. Drain the hamburger and onions then fill each crescent with the mixture and top with cheese. roll them up and bake until dough is done. Quick and easy. serve with french fries or a salad
Make-Ahead Meatballs
Meatballs:
4 eggs
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 pounds lean ground beef
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add the next five ingredients. Add beef; mix well. Shape into 1-in balls, about 12 dozen.
Place in single layers in ungreased 15-in X 10-in X 1-in baking pans.
Bake at 400oF for 10-15 mins or until no longer pink, turning often; drain. Cool. Place about 30 meatballs each into freezer containers. May be frozen for up to 3 months.
Yield: 5 batches (about 30 meatballs per batch).
Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs
1 can pineapple chunks (20 oz)
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar -- packed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 batch meatballs (30) -- frozen or thawed
1 large green pepper -- cut into 1" pieces
hot cooked rice
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set pineapple aside. Add water to juice if needed to measure 1 cup; pour into a large skillet. Add 1/3 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch; stir until smooth.
Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add pineapple, meatballs and green pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve over rice.
Use the Make-A-Head recipe above, or make your own
Sautéed Chicken with Lemon Garlic Sauce
1 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 chicken breast halves
salt, pepper
1/2 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. pitted kalamata or other intensely flavored olives
1 T. lemon juice
1 C. cooked rice, optional
Heat oil in medium skillet. Add garlic and saute over medium heat 1 minute. Add chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, and brown 5 minutes per side.
Remove chicken. Pour in broth and scrape up any browned bits. Return chicken to skillet along with olives. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add lemon juice and cook down liquids by a third. Return chicken to pan to heat through.
To serve, spoon chicken and skillet sauce onto each of 2 plates. Serve rice on the side.
Makes 2 servings.
20-Minute Chicken Parmesan
8 each Chicken breast halves
1 Egg
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
2 tbsp Butter
1 3/4 cup Spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Parsley
Remove the skin from chicken breasts. Slightly beat the eggs. Shred the mozzarella cheese. Grate the Parmesan cheese. Chop the parsley
Using palm of hand flatten chicken to even thickness. Dip chicken into egg then into crumbs to coat. In skillet over medium heat, in hot margarine, brown chicken on both sides. Add spaghetti sauce.
Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and parsley.
Cover, simmer for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
SERVES 4-6
If u have a computer go on line and look up recipes for quick and easy meals and u may get some good ideas!!!
quick-marinated beef kabobs
Heads Up:
Lucky for You - Some supermarkets and specialty markets sell ready-to-cook beef (or chicken) and vegetable kabobs. Invest in those, and you've banked yourself valuable prep time.
Makes 4 Servings
Menu Gameplan:
Step 1: prepare the strawberry sorbet slush
Step 2: assemble and grill the quick-marinated beef kabobs
Step 3: prepare the brown rice
Step 4: serve
Here's How to Make It in 20 Minutes:
Before You Start:
Preheat the broiler, or preheat the barbecue grill. Bring a 4-quart saucepan of water to a boil, covered, over high heat.
Step 1: prepare the strawberry sorbet slush
3/4 cup strawberry sorbet
2 cups sliced frozen strawberries
1/2 cup light frozen whipped cream/topping for serving
Place the sorbet in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on Medium-high to soften slightly, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir in the sliced strawberries. Pour into a pie plate and freeze until serving time. (The freeze will be only partially frozen when you serve it.)
Step 2: assemble and grill the quick-marinated beef kabobs
3/4 pound beef tenderloin
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 large onion
1 red pepper
8 medium mushrooms
1/2 cup mango or peach chutney, for serving
1. Preheat the broiler or barbecue grill. Bring a covered 4-quart saucepan of water to a boil, covered, over high heat.
2. Meanwhile, cut the beef tenderloin into 1-inch cubes. Finely chop the garlic. Place the tenderloin and garlic in a resealable plastic bag with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Let marinate at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.
3. Cut the onion into 8 wedges. Cut the pepper into 8 squares. Stem the mushrooms, then wipe the caps clean. Blanch the onions and pepper in the saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes; drain.
4. Thread the onion wedges, pepper squares, mushroom caps, and beef cubes onto 4 metal skewers, beginning and ending with an onion wedge. Broil or grill the kabobs for about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired doneness.
Step 3: prepare the brown rice
2 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups instant brown rice
Pour the water into a medium saucepan, salt lightly, and cover. Bring to a to boil over high heat. Stir in the rice, remove the pan from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
Step 4: serve
1. Fluff the rice with a fork. Spoon a serving of rice onto each of 4 dinner plates, place a kabob on top, and serve with the peach chutney.
2. When ready for dessert, divide the strawberry slush among 4 dessert bowls. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons of the whipped topping and serve.
Ingredients Shopping List:
Strawberry sorbet
Sliced frozen strawberries
Light frozen whipped cream/topping
Beef tenderloin
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Mango or peach chutney
Instant brown rice
Sliced frozen peaches (optional)
Fresh parsley (optional)
Ingredients From Your Pantry:
Garlic
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Onion
Salt and pepper
F.Y.I:
"I think kabobs are perfect for a dinner party. The chutney dresses them up just enough to make them special."
- minutemeals' Chef Hillary
Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Quick-Marinated Beef Kabobs Menu
Single serving is 1/4 of the total menu, including dessert
CALORIES 555; PROTEIN 28g; CARBS 67g; TOTAL FAT 13g; SAT FAT 3g; CHOLESTEROL 80mg; SODIUM 123mg; FIBER 1g
18% of calories from fat
Brought to you by allfood.com
http://www.minutemeals.com
Try some crock pot meals. They are easy and very good. Banquet has some in a bag that you just empty the bag turn it on low and let it go. However there are many that you can just put some potato and carrots in the pot with a roast and broth and let it cook for 8 hours on low. They are great time savers.
Make something that can be used in a meal for tomorrow night, so that left overs are used and 1/2 the work is done tonight! Like make enough hamburger tonight to use some for tacos and speghitti tomorrow!
rotisserie chickens are three dollars and fifty cents by me. we buy one serve half of it for one dinner and i prepare sides, such as instant mashed potatoes, corn , sliced tomatoes ec. the second nite i shred the rest of the chicken meat and make homeade chicken enchiladas.
Cheesy Chicken Pasta.
Chicken.
Poach your chicken pieces in some stock and set aside, until cool enough to handle, and de-bone.
Pasta.
Place in salted boiling water and cook until you get the degree of cooking you like.
Penne or Elbows will do very well here.
Sauce.
Make a normal white sauce and add some grated tasty cheese, remove from heat and stir until it is smooth.
Combine everything and place in an oven proof dish, sprinkle with more cheese and bake until it is bubbling and the cheese has melted and started to brown.
Try the website chitterlings.com.........it's full of easy good tested recipes by contributors. Have fun!
Cheeseburger Macaroni
1lb. Hamburger
1 box macaroni and cheese
? cup milk
2 tbsp. Butter
1? cups shredded cheese (your choice)
(Optional) Mushrooms, onion, green peppers, chopped
Prepare macaroni and cheese according to box directions. Brown hamburger in a separate skillet, drain grease. Combine macaroni mixture and hamburger, add milk and butter, macaroni cheese packet and shredded cheese. Mix well to combine.
Mom's American Goulash
1 lb. Hamburger
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 lb. Large elbow macaroni
2 tbsp. Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Brown hamburger until no longer pink, drain any grease. Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Combine hamburger and macaroni in a large bowl or pot, add sauce, tomatoes with juice and butter. Allow to sit 15 minutes on warm so that macaroni absorbs some of the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bubble Pizza
2 tubes biscuits
1 lb hamburger, browned
2 cup shredded cheese, can use 1c moz and 1c cheddar
1 jar pizza sauce
Preferred pizza toppings
cut biscuits into quarters and place in a 9x13 baking pan, stir in all other ingredients and bake according to biscuit tube directions
Brian's Chili
2 cans Chili Beans in Hot Sauce (Bush's pref)
1 can Tomato Juice (Campbells pref)
1/2 a white onion
1 jar Hot Picante Sauce (Pace pref)
1-3 lb Stew Meat (to taste)
Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook 4-6hrs on low.