Struggling to find quick meals

Michelle - posted on 04/26/2011

Spaghetti. for the sauce I just use 1 medium onion finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or grated, cook till transparent 500g minced beef add to onion and garlic and cook till brown, add a teaspoon or two of mixed or italian herbs, a tin of crushed tomatoes and a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to thicken. If you want to add more flavour you can chuck in some zucchini or carrot or mushroom, I use red win vinigar. serve with some cooked pasta of your choice. my daughter loves it although I suggest you save bath times till after for little kids if their anything like mine they will get it head to toe. top with grated mozerella or Parmesan cheese TAKES ME ABOUT 30MINS although make sure you put the pasta on first

Chris - posted on 04/25/2011

I just posted this somewhere else, but it's truly a life savor in my house.

Zesty Ravioli Skillet

1/3 cup whipping cream
4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
6 oz provolone cheese, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with onions, undrained
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 pkg small frozen cheese ravioli (about 65)

Measure cream using Easy Read Measuring Cup. Wash spinach in large Stainless Mesh Colander; drain. Grate cheese using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with grating blade. Set aside cream, spinach and cheese.

Add oil to (12-in./30-cm) Skillet; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Finely chop jalapeño with Food Chopper. Add jalapeño to Skillet; cook and stir 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Press garlic into Skillet with Garlic Press; cook and stir 15-20 seconds or until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, salt and black pepper to Skillet; cook and stir with Bamboo Spatula 1-2 minutes or until simmering. Add ravioli; stir to coat. Cook, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir cream into Skillet. Cook, uncovered, 1-2 minutes or until simmering. Sprinkle spinach over ravioli; cook, covered, 1 minute or until spinach starts to wilt.

Remove Skillet from heat. Top with cheese; cover Skillet and let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Another thing to remember is that your family is probably not looking for gourmet meals. Cut yourself some slack--Have a soup and sandwich night (grilled sandwiches if you want to get fancy) or breakfast for dinner is another easy go to.

Juanita - posted on 04/21/2011

Ham sandwiches,cheese,and juice!

Marissa - posted on 03/31/2009

If you do happen to go home before making tracks Pop some baked potatoes in the oven. That way they are ready for when you return. Well that is what i do. I come home from school. pop them in and away I go. When I get back home they are about ready so I just pop some beans or grated cheese, either a bit of tuna and you have one healthy meal :)

Lauren - posted on 03/30/2009

Like another poster mentioned, the biggest time saver that I can offer is to precook some ground beef and chicken breast and freeze. Then all you need to do is defrost and use in various recipes such and pasta with meat sauce, tacos, sloppy joes, shepherds pie, tater tot casserole, chicken pot pie, chicken ala king, chicken alfredo over pasta, etc.

Kim - posted on 03/30/2009

Jana --- great idea about the roast! :) Thank you.

Kim - posted on 03/30/2009

Excellent idea Tabatha! :) Thank you!

Kim - posted on 03/30/2009

Thank you Teyaka! I'll have to try it!

Sara - posted on 03/30/2009

I don't cook on Saturday's either!

I do some light cooking after my kids are in bed (around 8pm). I cook some hamburger or stick some chicken in the oven to cook for a couple of hours. The next day it is really easy to take the chicken out of the fridge and cube up for a pasta salad or just re-heat and serve with instant mashed potatoes. If I cook up 5 lb of hamburger one night I package it in 5 different containers and stick them in the freezer. it is easy to take out next day and make something with it. Then I have about 5 different meals started. I usually do this on Sunday night and Monday night so I have a whole week or more of meat already cooked.



My family also likes to take any ingredient in my fridge and put it inside a tortialla shell with cheese on it. I have done this with leftover chicken and rice. add some ranch dressing when it is hot and I have a full meal.

Juli - posted on 03/30/2009

Easy One Pot Spinach Lasagna in 25 minutes



You will need 1 spaghetti pot



Ingredients:



1/2 lb very lean ground beef

26 oz. can cheap spaghetti sauce

1/2 Tablespooon italian seasoning

1 cup water

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

8 ounces whole wheat egg noodles

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella



Directions:

Brown the ground beef and drain.

Add spaghetti sauce, spinach, italian seasoning, and bring to a simmer.

Use 1 c. water to rinse out sauce can and add water to the pot. When simmering, add 8 oz whole wheat egg noodles and mix well. Turn heat to med-low and cover pot with lid.

Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

When noodles are done (after 15 minutes) add in cottage cheese and mix well, cover and cook 5 minutes. Then add 1 cup mozarella and mix. Add rest of mozarella on top and remove from heat.



Makes 6 large servings. Serve with dark green salad and tomatoes.

Victoria - posted on 03/30/2009

If u have the time, roast a whole chicken, if not buy one......make a chicken caesar salad, add romaine lettuce, croutons and dressing...i like to add extra's tomato, cucumber, scallions, peppers, whatever is in fridge.Serve with a can of your favourite soup, or crusty bead. Make a chicken salad with left over meat, for sandwiches. Or u could saute some frozen shrimp, serve over couscous, which only takes minutes to make, microwave some frozen veggies...good to go..Or just add shrimp to caesar salad.

Jana - posted on 03/29/2009

Oh another meal I always have in the freezer, whenever I make a pot roast (in a crock pot of course!) I always buy the biggest piece of meat at the deli so I can have a meal of pot roast the first night.  Then the meat that is left over I cut up and freeze in portions that first my family.  Then when I am really lazy or straped for time, I can pull out some of the shredded beef from the freezer, cook some egg noodles add gravy, voila, beef and noodles! So good, now I'm hungry :)

Jana - posted on 03/29/2009

My "go-to" meal is always Pasta, with chicken and pesto.  While the water is starting to boil there is enough time to clean and cut the chicken into bite size pieces, while the pasta cooks you have time to cook the chicken in a skillet.  When both the pasta and chicken are done, toss them together with the pesto (I like Digorno's Pesto in the refrigerated section of the store) add a salad and you're good to go.  Or if I am grilling/baking chicken earlier in the week, I just add a few more pieces so they are already cooked when I make this meal.

Dawn - posted on 03/29/2009

i like to make my own sloppy joes when i'm in a hurry.

you can add your own variations to this...i mix it up all the time



i lb ground beef

i small onion

2 cans chicken gumbo soup (undrained)

3 TBS ketchup

3 TBS mustard

salt and pepper

1 package hamburger rolls (or just use toasted bread)



brown meat and onions, add salt and pepper

add soup and ketchup and mustard mix well

simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through

serve on toasted buns



for a variation on this recipe i sometimes add a can of drained corn. and if i don't have any chicken gumbo soup i just add a cup of cooked rice instead. you can also add a can of diced tomatoes or beans if you like. this can be on the table in 15 minutes! ENJOY:)

Heather - posted on 03/29/2009

Try making a big pot of mac n cheese and then put in some ground meat. If you make twice as much as you normally eat and then freeze it, you have cooked two meals and can save one for another week.

Tabatha - posted on 03/29/2009

after i grocery shop i take the ground beef (not all) and i mix in 1 egg 1/2 onion dryed tyme or whatever you like. then bread crumbs or crushed plain potato chips and soy sauce mix all of it up. take a cookie sheet put cerain wrap (sorry about the spelling) down then take some of the meat, make a ball then flaten it and put on the cookie sheet. when theres no meat left cover and throw in your freezer. the next day take them out and put them in a ziplock bag and put back in the freezer till you want to use them!

for a side take a yam cut off the yucky parts wash. cut into1 1/2 inc rounds butter a baking dish sprinkle with a little sugar and bake for about 15-20 min at 350! so yummy :) i got more ideas if you want :D

i hope this helps you avoiding the drive thru :D

Lisa - posted on 03/29/2009

One of my favorite fast meals are pita pizzas:

-pitas of your choice ( I use whole wheat)

-choice of toppings

-pizza sauce

-cheese

Throw it all together and it only needs to go in the oven for about 15 mins..This nice thing about this is it's not pre-made frozen pizzas so you can pick your own ingrediants and make healthier choices this way! Also you can take your favorite toppings, chop them all up, throw them in a bag or container together and just grab a handful to make your pizzas! (Less prep time!)

One more favorite quick meal:

-Any bite size pasta (I use penne or fusilli)

-Ham cut into cubes (or chicken breast)

-Cheese of your choice ( I use cheddar) cubed

-Sweet pickle cut into small pieces (optional)

-bottle of 1000 island and bottle of zesty italian dressing

So basically you just cook the pasta, rinse in cold water, add the ingrediants (and you can play around with them and add whatever you else you might like!!)

Mix the dressing in a 60/40 1000 island to italian ratio (or just to your own preferred taste) and pour over other ingrediants!!! I sometimes add bacon bits as well..The real ones, not the little fake crunchy ones!

It makes a decent meal or a great side!!!

Teyaka - posted on 03/29/2009

I found a sheppard's pie works great. It only takes a few minutes. All you need is

1 pound of hamburger

1 package of instant mashed potatoes

1 jar of beef gravey

1 can of each veggie of your choice (usually carrots, peas, and or green beans)

Brown the hamburger in a skillet. While its browning make the instant mashed potatoes and warm up your veggies. Combine the browned hamburger and gravey then put that in the bottom of a casserole dish, then layer your veggies. On the top put your mashed potatoes. Add cheese if you want on the very top. You can serve like this, or you can put it in the oven to brown the mashed potatoes on the top. But its quick, easy, and feeling.

Sometimes I leave everything seperate so my hubby and oldest can pick and choose what they want in their pie.

Kim - posted on 03/29/2009

Thank you Kimi!

Kimi - posted on 03/29/2009

I sometimes make crock pot chili, it takes a bit to prepare in the morning, but is ready by suppertime. Another option is to make extra large amounts of something (like spaghetti) when you doo cook, and freeze it for another day. If you truely don't have time to cook, check out www.soupworks.com

I also find oven meals like casseroles quick and easy