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.

Delish Holiday Cooking Sweepstakes

Msn’s Delish a free on-line recipe website that I recommend everyone check out is hosting a Holiday Cooking Sweepstakes.  Now I normally don’t participate in sweepstakes because I never win anything, I cannot remember a time when I have. But considering the fact that I’m dreading Christmas because I am broke I thought why not give it a try. So it’s pretty easy you answer 3 questions about recipes (very easy they give you the answers) and it then enters you in the Sweepstakes for the day. You can try daily. After you have answered the 3 questions correctly you get the chance to win an instant prize such as money or cookbooks and it’s fun.

So check it out and WIN big, sweepstakes prizes include $5,000, new appliances and vacations. just click on the link below, it will open in a new window so you can come back to Cheap Family Meals when done!

Are you looking for a kitchen update? Wish you had new appliances? Dreaming of that cooking vacation in Italy? Well, you might get all of that with the $5,000 cash grand prize in the Delish Holiday Cooking Sweepstakes!

The new Delish.com recipe & lifestyle site is offering chances to win cash, incredible prizes weekly, and great gift cards, cookbooks & more instantly!

Just go to http://www.delishholidaycookingsweepstakes.com?affiliate_id=1r and play Recipe Trivia for your chance to win $5,000 and more!

Cooking Meals For A Month

As we prepare for a New Year to approach during a recession that is starting to affect everyone, we have to focus on preparing Family Meals For Less with more determination that ever before.  I am preparing to launch a new section of Cheap Family Meals that will focus on cooking meals for a month.  Here’s what it will include:

  1. Make ahead freezer meals that will be prepared for 2 weeks at a time using the most popular viewed recipes from right here at Cheap Family Meals.
  2. A complete printable shopping list, with prices, that will allow you to go right into the grocery store and shop and know  exactly what you are going to spend.
  3. A complete supply list including freezable Ziploc bags, freezable containers and more so that as you start cooking, you will have all the necessary supplies at your fingertips.
  4. 14 days of recipes including:
  • Quick One Dish Meals
  • Easy Ground Beef Meals
  • Crockpot Meals
  • And of course Viewer Choice Meals (see below for details)

The launched is planned for the first week of January 2009 as I find this is a critical time to budget right after Christmas.  Please bookmark this site, add it to your feeder or send me an e-mail and I will notify you the day it goes live. This is going to be an excellent resource you do not want to miss!

I need you help, even though I have access to the most popular recipes viewed on Cheap Family Meals, I would like to know what your meal preferences are. Please take the viewer Poll’s below, it’s simple and sweet and will allow me to focus on the 14 best recipes with simple preparation for my viewers.

How Do You Cook:

What Do You Like Cooking?

Thanks for all your support and stay tuned THIS IS GOING TO ROCK!

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