Quick Dinner Recipes

I have gone crazy with ordering all the latest cooking books or magazines lately and I must say there are some great Quick Dinner Recipes out there.

The ideas popular food networks or famous chef’s come up with are amazing. I have to admit I do not have the talent to throw some ingredients into a pot and create a delicious tasting meal. I try but I know it wasn’t a hit when the pot is still full and the family isn’t requesting seconds. 

I ordered the Betty Crock Quick & Easy Cookbook a month ago and have used it almost nightly – no kidding. These are simple and inexpensive recipes and all are 30 minutes or less to prepare.

Most of these quick dinner recipes are less than $10 per family meal and many under $5 per meal. What a great concept, save money and time and get it all within one book. 

I own a lot of cook books and I subscribe to more cooking magazines than I should, so I get excited when I find one that works for me.

Of the chicken recipes I have tried so far, these are my favorite:

Barbecue Chicken and Vegetable Supper

Credits: Betty Crocker Quick & Easy Cookbook

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups frozen whole green beans
  • 2 cups refrigerated red potato wedges (from 20 oz. bag) **SEE BELOW FOR SIMPLE SUBSTITUTION**
  • 1 Jar (12 oz.) chicken gravy
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over me-high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt. Cook 4 minutes turning once until brown.

2. Add beans, potatoes, gravy and barbecue sauce, stir to coat and mix. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until beans and potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170 degrees).

***Easy substitution: try substituting frozen potato wedges or steak fries (no Need to thaw first)!!***

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Credits: Betty Crocker Quick & Easy Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Start to Finish: 20 Minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie or other cooked chicken breast
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 package (10 oz) pre-baked thin Italian pizza crust (12 inch)
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In small bowl mix chicken and barbecue sauce. Place pizza crust on ungreased cookie sheet, spread chicken mixture over crust. Arrange tomatoes over chicken and sprinkle with cheese. 

2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned. Sprinkle with cilantro (optional)

SPEED IT UP: No time for pizza? Substitute 6 flour tortillas, spread chicken mixture evenly over wrap within 1 inch of edge.

Top with tomatoes, cheese and cilantro. Roll tortillas up tightly.

May 8th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , | Category: Dinner Recipes, Dream Dinners Made Cheap, quick dinner recipes | One comment

Recipe 101 – See How 1 Recipe Can Create So Many Variations!

There is a great new food blog worth checking out! It’s called Cooking Recipe Guide – the purpose of the site is to show people how to use 1 simple recipe and create so many different variations with it.

I think this is such an important task to learn when you are trying to create cheap meals to feed the family, stay within a food budget and most important get back in the groove with basic cooking.

One great thing about living in Utah is the things I have learned about cooking through my exposure to the Mormon church.

I am not LDS but most of my family is and the one thing I can give credit to these women within the church is that they know how to cook. Now I’m talking the basic pull from the garden recipes and recipes that are made from scratch.

I know that having the basic ingredients such as flour, sugar, baking powder and salt always stocked in my pantry will allow me to create cheap meals for my family with ease.

I am no stranger to hard times and tight money and I will tell you I have used the basic baking Recipe shown on the Cooking Recipe site more than once. Honestly I prefer to cook that way. My kids eat healthier and I save money.

So check the blog Cooking Recipe Guide out and get back to the basics in cooking!!

April 22nd, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Dinner Recipes, Cooking Tricks & Tips, Healthy Meals, quick dinner recipes | One comment

Quick Tips For Make Ahead Meals

If your living paycheck to paycheck like me then you must know by now how important it is to prepare make ahead meals.

If not then your food budget can be difficult to maintain and cheap cooking is no longer as simple as it needs to be.

Having a selection of make ahead meals in the freezer will help you:

  • stay within your monthly food budget
  • comfort you as you drive past your favorite fast food chain and best of all
  • eliminate the “what am I going to make for dinner” thoughts that consume most of your day

When I first started out with the idea of preparing make ahead meals, it wasn’t that easy. I was making things harder than they needed to be.

I just needed a few simple tips and now I breeze through my meal planning.

For those just starting out with the idea of make ahead freezer meals, here are some quick tips, cheap cooking suggestions and fast ideas to help speed the process up.

Betty Crocker’s Great Tips for Quick Cooking:

  • Burgers: Make extra hamburger patties or meatballs and freeze in resealable freezer bags up to 4 months.
  • Ground Beef: Brown extra ground beef and freeze up to 3 months.
  • Meat and Poultry: Cut raw meat into strips or cubes; arrange in a single layer on cookie sheet lined with foil and freeze until firm. Put into resealable freezer bags and store up to 9 months.
  • Cooked Chicken: Cook extra chicken and cut it up. Put into resealable freezer bags and store up to 4 months.
  • Pasta and Rice: Cook and drain extra pasta or rice. Drain and toss with a little olive oil or vegetable oil to keep from sticking together. Put into resealable storage bags and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months.
  • Veggies: Chop, slice or dice fresh veggies; arrange in a single layer on cookie sheet lined with foil and freeze until firm. Put into resealable freezer bag and store up to 1 month.

    • Having a few extra minutes to spared during dinner can make or break the evening. Taking a few extra minutes NOW will save valuable time LATER!! Here are some great make ahead meals recipes that are simple to prepare, cheap to make and delicious every time.

    Cheap Family Meals Best Freezer Meal Recipes

    My Mom’s Goulash – My Poverty Meal

    Simple Ground Beef Chili Crockpot Recipe

    Broccoli and Cheese Soup

    Good ‘Ole Spaghetti

    Those are just a few of the popular Make Ahead Meals on this site…Browse all the categories above and I guarantee you will find some of your favorite recipes to prepare ahead of time and freeze.

    April 4th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Cooking Tricks & Tips, freezer meals recipes | 8 comments
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