Where's the thread with those ridiculously easy dinner ideas (like cereal)?

[three4me]

It's going to be a busy week and I need some inspiration. I can only serve cereal for dinner so many times in a week! I seem to remember a thread with ideas of what people considered "easy" dinners but I can't seem to find it...

[Guest]

I don't know about a thread, but grilled cheese has always been a hit here. Also spaghetti.

[purplejackmama]

I suck at thread searches but I'll give you a couple of ideas that I use. Brown a couple lbs of ground beef. Add taco seasoning to one, Italian to the other. Save for taco Tuesday and spaghetti another night.

 

Grill up chicken on Sunday afternoon. Use all week on salads, quesadillas, sandwiches and quick warm ups.

 

Somehow when I serve sub sandwiches it feels more "meal like" than regular sandwiches.

 

Chicken breasts with taco seasonings and a jar of salsa in the crockpot all day makes delicious chicken burritos.

 

I usually (when it's not 1000 degrees outside) make a pot of soup early on the week for a quick option all week.

 

And when all else fails, a couple nights of cereal is good for everyone when it helps my sanity!

[Tanaqui]

Is it summer where you are? If so, do you mind cooking or would you rather serve cold or grilled food as much as possible?

[ktgrok]

scrambled eggs and toast (with or without bacon or sausage...get the kind you just have to heat up)

 

Frozen pancakes with frozen sausages and fruit

 

Salami, crackers, cheese, grapes

 

Soup (from a can or picked up at deli) and sandwiches

 

Frozen pizza

 

Sandwiches and pickles and fruit. (deli rolls makes them fancy)

 

Rotisserie chicken, bowl of fruit, bag of rolls

[three4me]

Is it summer where you are? If so, do you mind cooking or would you rather serve cold or grilled food as much as possible?

Yes, summer here. And it's been hot! Anything with minimal cooking or tasty in the crock pot would be good. I also have a rice cooker.

[DawnM]

Do you have an Instant Pot?  I am testing out dump meals this month.  It doesn't work as well in the crock pot without some added steps, but it is doable.

 

Can you just get some frozen meals this week?  Lasagna, pizza, etc....????

[Guest]

We just had hot dogs and chips for dinner. LOL

[three4me]

Do you have an Instant Pot? I am testing out dump meals this month. It doesn't work as well in the crock pot without some added steps, but it is doable.

 

Can you just get some frozen meals this week? Lasagna, pizza, etc....????

No instant pot.

 

I do think I have a bag of frozen ravioli from Costco. That's a good idea.

[foxbridgeacademy]

We do a loaf or two of Italian bread (the big soft one from walmart, costs a dollar) a bag of Italian style cheese (needs to have parm or add parm) and pepperoni. I butter and garlic the bread put on pepperoni, sprinkle cheese then bake. We have a small salad and dip the bread in marinara or spaghetti sauce. Takes 10 minutes total.

[Ausmumof3]

We do a loaf or two of Italian bread (the big soft one from walmart, costs a dollar) a bag of Italian style cheese (needs to have parm or add parm) and pepperoni. I butter and garlic the bread put on pepperoni, sprinkle cheese then bake. We have a small salad and dip the bread in marinara or spaghetti sauce. Takes 10 minutes total.

An antipasto platter is another nice easy thing if it's really hot. Some olives, good quality bread and salami, chopped capsicum or whatever. Then a bagged salad on the side.

 

Depending on whether you can convince your family that it's a meal of course.

 

I'm loving those soup stock cartons for easy winter meals... Just add some diced veg and soup pasta or vermicelli. Yum and easy.

[Tanaqui]

Okay. I don't have any crock pot recipes, but let's see what I can do that's reasonably fast.

 

Monday: Kielbasa and microwaved potatoes  with a cucumber-tomato-scallion salad. Ice cream for dessert.

Tuesday: Pasta with jarred tomato sauce, broccoli, and a green salad. Peaches with whipped cream for dessert.

Wednesday: Hummus and pita with a side of green beans and a greek salad. Watermelon with mint for dessert.

Thursday: Grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches (or cold cuts if you can get away with it, which we can't in this house) with carrots on the side and yeah, salad sounds good. Ice cream for dessert, it's hot out.

Friday: Rotisserie chicken with corn on the cob (which you can buy at the store same time where I am) and, I don't know, cabbage on the side. More salad! Strawberries with whipped cream for dessert.

 

All that salad makes it look like you put more effort into dinner than you did, and you can call it healthy.

[JanetC]

Breakfast for dinner isn't just cereal. Eggs and pancakes also cook up quickly.

Buy gourmet pasta sauces from an upscale grocery deli, all you have to do is boil the water and serve. If you're really desperate, Trader Joes sells frozen plain pasta you can microwave. I did that during my kitchen remodel.

Take n bake pizza dough also from Trader Joes. Actually, wander the aisles at TJs for various ideas.

A bag of deboned rotisserie chicken from Costco: put it on bread for sandwiches, in a pot with veggies and rice for soup, on lettuces and veggies for a salad.

Fruit and cheese plate, serve with a crusty bread.

Leftover hummus makes a pasta sauce: warm some chopped tomatoes and olive oil until the tomatoes start to soften. Stir in pasta and hummus. Thin with additional oil to desired consistency. Use good olive oil.

Edited July 25, 2016 by JanetC

[rebcoola]

Popcorn

[LucyStoner]

No instant pot.

 

I do think I have a bag of frozen ravioli from Costco. That's a good idea.

Frozen ravioli with commerically made pesto and whatever vegetable matter at hands is a good one.

 

My fall back is black beans, cheese and spinach in a quesadilla. This is why we always have canned black beans, cheddar, tortillas, spinach and salsa around.

 

scrambled eggs work too.

 

And never dismiss the easy summer dinner of fruit, cheese and good bread. Or that "it's too hot to move" option of ice cream.

[regentrude]

In my culture, the traditional dinner is bread and cheese. We put bread, cheeses, ham on the table, sit down together, and everybody makes their own sandwich. Plus a salad or some raw veggies or fruit. It takes 5 minutes to set the table and zero prep time for the food. And perfect in summer when it is hot.

Edited July 25, 2016 by regentrude

[Ottakee]

Black bean tacos

 

1 can black beans , drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, NOT drained

1 can corn , drained

1 packet taco seasoning mix

 

Mix together and heat. Serve on flour tortillas with cheese.

 

Easy to add left over beef or chicken, rice, or serve with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, etc.

[kiana]

Cottage cheese and fruit is a great summer meal that I didn't see mentioned yet. 

[Faithr]

Cook rice in rice cooker.  Heat a can of black bean soup and pour over rice, top with grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.  Serve in bowls.

 

Another quick meal is making frittatas with any leftovers.  You can put in veggies, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.  Just dump leftovers in big frying pan and saute with some olive oil.  Poor some eggs over it and cook gently until done.  Serve with fruit or salad.

 

Tuna salad melts.  Make up some tuna, spread over a slice of bread, top with slice of cheese and melt in toaster over.  Serve with fruit, salad or just some crudite kind of stuff.

[Pippen]

Crockpot Chicken w/ Black Beans.

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-with-black-beans-cream-cheese-89204

[DawnM]

The worst is when you have picky eaters.

 

3 out of 5 of us don't eat black beans.  And one eats no beans, period.

 

And tuna is a "maybe."  

 

Here is what I find:   Keeping it really simple is the best.  A bag of pre-washed salad, a bottle of dressing, a rice cooker, and a meat I can stick in the oven or grill quickly.  No fancy mixes or chopping.  OR, buy pre-made mixes like the Trader Joe's curry sauce, and dump.

 

The above will be my meals for the first two months of me returning to work.  OR we will get frozen pre-made meals, OR it will be cooked by someone other than me.

 

 

[three4me]

You all are fantastic!! Thank you so much!

 

(Does no one remember that thread from a couple months ago?!) 😉😂

[Tanaqui]

I remember the thread, but fat chance that I'll be able to find it!

[HeWillSoar]

Bag of frozen ravioli with sauce, bread

 

Cheese quesadillas

 

Rotisserie chicken, sides

 

homemade waffles--recipe card taped inside the cabinet for easy viewing

 

deli meat and hard rolls

 

Those are probably my easiest meals, and also ones that I've made so much everyone is sick of. 

Edited July 25, 2016 by HeWillSoar

[zoobie]

No instant pot.

 

I do think I have a bag of frozen ravioli from Costco. That's a good idea.

 

Ravioli bake is even easier for me than boiling it on a pot on the stove. Take a 13x9 pan, dump a bit of jarred pasta sauce in the bottom, add a layer of frozen ravioli on top, a bit more sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, another layer of ravioli, sauce, cheese. Cover it with foil and bake at 350 for 40ish minutes. Take off the foil, bake for another 10-15, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes before you plate it. You can do something similar in a crock pot too. 

[KungFuPanda]

Beef stroganoff from the spice aisle mix. It's as easy as hamburger helper. I add mushrooms

 

In your biggest pan, fry some onions until translucent then add a box of frozen pierogis and some cut up kielbasa

 

Get Italian sausage links and bake until cooked (so much earlier than frying) then cut them up and serve over spaghetti with jarred sauce.

 

Put a pork roast in the crockpot overnight. In the morning, shred it in your Kitchenaid. Separate into meal-sized portions. I mostly use it for burritos or pulled pork sandwiches.

 

All of these are served with bag-o-salad. In fact, bag-o-salad can be the meal of you add a few more veggies to it and some meat on top.

 

I'm also not above a cheese platter for dinner. A couple cheeses, a meat (pepperoni, salami, smoked oysters, lox, tuna salad, whatever. Serve with crackers or a baguette and some easy fruit. I generally do grapes.

 

There are also some pasta sauces that cook as quickly as the pasta. Alfredo sauce and clam sauce (from canned clams) is super fast.

 

Lastly, my patented formula for fast summer dinners is seasoned rice in the rice cooker and meat and veggies on the grill. Marinate the meat in the morning.

 

Having a plan and a small start in the morning really makes dinner less daunting and every now and then, just get the rotisserie chicken and deli sides and call it a night.

[magnificent_baby]

I suck at thread searches but I'll give you a couple of ideas that I use. Brown a couple lbs of ground beef. Add taco seasoning to one, Italian to the other. Save for taco Tuesday and spaghetti another night.

 

Grill up chicken on Sunday afternoon. Use all week on salads, quesadillas, sandwiches and quick warm ups.

 

Somehow when I serve sub sandwiches it feels more "meal like" than regular sandwiches.

 

Chicken breasts with taco seasonings and a jar of salsa in the crockpot all day makes delicious chicken burritos.

 

I usually (when it's not 1000 degrees outside) make a pot of soup early on the week for a quick option all week.

 

And when all else fails, a couple nights of cereal is good for everyone when it helps my sanity!

 

This is so good and SO easy. All I do is chicken breasts and one medium/large jar of salsa, then shred after cooking all day. Grab some bagged cheese, lettuce and small soft taco shells. Yum!!! My family devoured this. 

[MercyA]

Is it this thread?

[zoobie]

Maybe this thread? 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/605388-what-is-your-go-to-dinner-when-you-would-rather-do-anything-than-cook/

[zoobie]

Is it this thread?

 

You found it while I was searching. The spam thing kept making me prove I was human.  :lol:

[Tanaqui]

You found it while I was searching. The spam thing kept making me prove I was human.  :lol:

 

But you're not. You're clearly a cat. Your pic wouldn't lie, would it?

[MercyA]

You found it while I was searching. The spam thing kept making me prove I was human.  :lol:

 

I had an advantage in that I didn't have to search. I was already following the earlier thread because I really dislike cooking.  :blush:

[zoobie]

I had an advantage in that I didn't have to search. I was already following the earlier thread because I really dislike cooking. :blush:

Plus opposable thumbs. ;)

[MercyA]

Plus opposable thumbs. ;)

 

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Baseball mom]

It has been super HOT here.  We have been eating ALOT of cereal, salads, sandwiches, pancakes,  popcorn and ice cream :laugh:  Yeah we have had root beer floats for supper a couple nights.

 

Also I had some various already cooked meats in the freezer (BBQ -pulled pork- grilled pork chops, grilled burgers, chicken, shredded beef and ground beef).  I have pulled those out and made meals with them.  That way I don't have to turn on the oven and minimal stovetop.  Microwave is getting ALOT of use :thumbup1:

[Nan in Mass]

We eat a lot of smoked fish, sour ceam, cheese, bread, and fruit dinners in the summer. We put it out and everyone helps themselves.

 

Nan

[Guest]

Is it this thread?

Funny. In that thread I said hot dogs and chips, and in this thread I said... hot dogs and chips. Clearly I'm eating too much hot dogs and chips these days. LOL