What are the easiest recipes/meals you have in your bag of tricks?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

It can seriously be anything--veggies and dip and rolled up lunch meat, sandwiches, frozen burritos, whatever. I'm really trying to pull together a list of super easy meal ideas for when I'm sick of cooking (which is most days right now), but also for when we have a long day and I don't have time or energy to cook a big meal and we just need to eat quickly. 

 

Here are a couple of mine:

 

Vacuum sealed salmon fillets (thaw in water super fast) over chopped broccoli tossed in Soy Vey teriyaki sauce, then baked in the oven for 15 minutes or so. The liquid from the fish mixes with the teriyaki and cooks the broccoli. Yum!

 

Roast beef on good rolls or bread, with provolone or swiss cheese. Toast the whole thing in the toaster oven or broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts and the bread toasts a bit, then add whatever toppings you like and slap the top on. 

 

I'll add more if I can remember them. I'd love to hear others' ideas!

 

:lurk5:

[Annie G]

Spaghetti and eggs. I cook spaghetti noodles (Or plunge leftover spaghetti into boiling water for a minute to reheat), toss it into a frying pan that has some melted butter, then beat some eggs (I usually do two per adult serving and one per kid serving) and toss in with the spaghetti. Cook until eggs are done, and sprinkle parmesan on top if I'm feeling fancy. Other wise just salt and pepper and eat. 

It's our standard 'just got home from a trip or a long day' meal because we always have eggs and spaghetti noodles in the house. 

 

It sounds gross but it's really good. My daughter throws in some frozen peas at the end and has been known to add diced ham and stuff but I'm a purist. 

[HomeAgain]

-Baked potato night.  I throw salsa, cheese, lunch meat and sour cream on the counter.  Everyone can fix their own.

-Salad.  I buy a bag, grilled chicken strips, pico, a lime, and a few avocados.  Everything gets thrown together and dressed with the lime, salt, pepper, and olive oil

-Tortellini w/pesto

 

 

[Ottakee]

Black beans tacos

 

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 can diced tomatoes

Drain these and add 1 packet taco seasoning mix. Heat and serve on flour tortillas with cheese and anything else you want.

[regentrude]

pasta with tomato sauce

pasta with salmon in white wine and cream sauce

pasta with mushrooms in cream sauce

pasta with meat sauce

rice with sauteed vegetables/ stir fried beef strips

rice with Indian or Thai curry with chicken (this one not fully from scratch; I use jarred curry paste or curry simmer sauce)

 

All those take five minutes hands on time and cook while the pasta or rice cook. Start to table 25 minutes

 

Today I made shakshuka. Very quick, too.

Edited July 9, 2017 by regentrude

[HomeAgain]

Spaghetti and eggs. I cook spaghetti noodles (Or plunge leftover spaghetti into boiling water for a minute to reheat), toss it into a frying pan that has some melted butter, then beat some eggs (I usually do two per adult serving and one per kid serving) and toss in with the spaghetti. Cook until eggs are done, and sprinkle parmesan on top if I'm feeling fancy. Other wise just salt and pepper and eat. 

It's our standard 'just got home from a trip or a long day' meal because we always have eggs and spaghetti noodles in the house. 

 

It sounds gross but it's really good. My daughter throws in some frozen peas at the end and has been known to add diced ham and stuff but I'm a purist. 

 

Sounds like a pasta carbonara.  That's another favorite here but I'm terrible at making it.  Dh is much better at getting it creamy and just right.

[Annie G]

Sounds like a pasta carbonara.  That's another favorite here but I'm terrible at making it.  Dh is much better at getting it creamy and just right.

 

That was probably what Mom was trying to make- but she was a 17 year old bride in the 50's and I think she really just wanted something cheap. So there's no finesse to it- it's not creamy because I grew up eating it like Mom made it- eggs just dumped in and scrambled.   If I made real pasta carbonara my family probably wouldn't let me get away with spaghetti and eggs any more so I'm not messing with success. g

[Annie G]

Sounds like a pasta carbonara.  That's another favorite here but I'm terrible at making it.  Dh is much better at getting it creamy and just right.

 

That was probably what Mom was trying to make- but she was a 17 year old bride in the 50's and I think she really just wanted something cheap. So there's no finesse to it- it's not creamy because I grew up eating it like Mom made it- eggs just dumped in and scrambled.   If I made real pasta carbonara my family probably wouldn't let me get away with spaghetti and eggs any more so I'm not messing with success. g

[Julie Smith]

when my boys were younger, they thought this recipe should be in a cook book: 

 

1. Take some frozen peas.

2. Put them in a bowl.

3. Eat (with or without a spoon).

[HomeAgain]

That was probably what Mom was trying to make- but she was a 17 year old bride in the 50's and I think she really just wanted something cheap. So there's no finesse to it- it's not creamy because I grew up eating it like Mom made it- eggs just dumped in and scrambled.   If I made real pasta carbonara my family probably wouldn't let me get away with spaghetti and eggs any more so I'm not messing with success. g

 

In that case, my inlaws served me the same dish! :laugh: I wonder if an ancient cookbook had it in there somewhere.

[73349]

Veggie frittata (especially if there are any leftover cooked veggies)

 

Grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches (I use the waffle iron), maybe with fruit or a smoothie on the side

 

Bagel pizzas

[zoobie]

Chicken breasts cut in half (butterflied), seasoned with lemon pepper or BBQ rub or whatever, sautéed in a cast iron skillet. Steamed or roasted veggies or salad.

 

Pull out prepared taco meat or pulled pork or shredded beef. Heat and season if it's plain pulled pork. Make slaw salad and slice some avocados. Serve with tortillas for kids. Or the pulled pork can be BBQ. On buns for kids.

 

Frozen mini meat loaves. Throw in oven. Make mashed potatoes in Instant Pot and steam some green beans.

 

French dip in the Instant Pot or crock pot. Make a bunch and freeze some for the next time.

 

The sloppy Joes your daughter made tonight--next time have her make a double batch and freeze half.

 

When I'm really done, I make mac and cheese in the instant pot for the kids, steam some broccoli or cut up raw veggies, and scrounge in the deli drawer for myself.

[regentrude]

do you mean easy or quick? my earlier post, that's all easy and quick.

Easy but not quick is anything that can bake in the oven: roast, roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes.

And soups and stews. But the longer they cook, the better they are, so I would not make a soup if I had only 25 minutes.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

do you mean easy or quick? my earlier post, that's all easy and quick.

Easy but not quick is anything that can bake in the oven: roast, roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes.

And soups and stews. But the longer they cook, the better they are, so I would not make a soup if I had only 25 minutes.

 

 

Either, really, so long as I don't have to chop forever or stir and add things in turns or use multiple pots for multiple elements! A longer cooking time is OK if the prep is easy.

[Ali in OR]

I'm taking  a math class 2 days a week 3:30-5:30. Those have to be easy dinner nights, but so far I haven't had to resort to take out. I'm trying to do mostly home meals over the summer because it gets a lot harder during the school year with the kids' activities. Easy around here:

 

Taco night--one of four fillings (ground beef with taco seasoning, crockpot Mexi-chicken, crockpot pork carnitas, leftover grilled steak), hard fried corn tortillas or fajita-sized flour tortillas

 

Sandwich night--deli meats, pulled pork (crockpot or from freezer), grilled cheese or ham and cheese panini to be fancy. Add fruit or green salad, chips, a carton of low-sodium tomato soup

 

Breakfast for dinner--French toast, pancakes, or waffles with bacon and fruit

 

Chili in the crockpot (I usually have time earlier in the day to get this going). Around here that also means hot dogs for the kids--picky eaters!

 

Spaghetti--spaghetti and bacon is the kids' all-time favorite--diced bacon, a little butter, and parmesan stirred into the spaghetti. We also can do marinara in the crockpot or a meat sauce.

 

Frozen ravioli with marinara

 

Trader Joe's Asian night: orange chicken, potstickers, and cha siu baos from TJ's with rice. My new version of this is to pick up some Singapore noodles from a Chinese restaurant for dh and I and let the kids eat baos! Trader Joe's pizza night is also easy--their pizza dough and pepperoni, my homemade sauce (usually a jar in the freezer) and cheap shredded mozzarella.

[regentrude]

Either, really, so long as I don't have to chop forever or stir and add things in turns or use multiple pots for multiple elements! A longer cooking time is OK if the prep is easy.

 

the oven is your friend.

You can cook the entire meal in the oven - meat, fish, potatoes. vegetables. And roasting flavors are delicious.

Plus, it is very forgiving with respect to time; for most things it does not matter whether they stays in a few minutes longer or not.

 

Easiest way for potatoes is to cut them in chunks and oven bake them with olive oil and spices. and no peeling!!!

Edited July 9, 2017 by regentrude

[meganrussell]

Meatball subs - frozen meatballs, can of sloppy joe sauce and a bag of hot dog buns

 

Crockpot chicken - throw in boneless chicken breasts with a few cans of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken or cream of celery. Serve with rice.

 

Beef enchiladas- ground beef, a can of chili beans, a can of cream of chicken, sour cream and cheese - mix and wrap in tortillas. Bake.

[MamaHill]

We eat this once every week or two.  Literally 5-8 mins of prep time for the chicken.

 

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs:

- Wash chicken thighs and place flat in 11x17 pyrex dish sprayed with Pam.

- Heavily salt & pepper and then season with ample amounts of garlic powder.  Don't be shy with the seasonings.  This is what makes it melt-in-your-mouth yummy.

- Cook uncovered at 400 for 20-30 mins.  You'll know they're done when you can easily stab it with a sharp knife.  The knife should slide right in to several of the pieces.

 

 

I usually serve this with Jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth (sooooo good) and green beans or steamed broccoli.  Or a small salad if we have fixins in the fridge.

[scbusf]

I'm a big fan of sandwiches, or cold cut assortments with pickles and olives. DH doesn't care for that plan at all!!!!

 

Pesto Chicken - Spread jarred pesto on chicken and bake until chicken is done. Then melt mozzarella cheese on top. YUM.

 

I have a skillet that is a grill pan and I have been known to "grill" chicken in that and then finish it off in the oven for about 15 minutes. I sprinkle the chicken with seasoned salt or lemon pepper seasoning or whatever I feel like.

[medawyn]

2 canned chipotles + 1/3 c olive oil + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar blended into dressing

 

Toss with a bag of coleslaw + half a bag of shredded carrots + two cups shredded rotisserie chicken + 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve with diced advocados and tortilla chips.

 

(If I'm feeling less lazy, I throw in some julienne red pepper and snow peas. Also, the color of the dressing is terrible, so I recommend purple cabbage coleslaw, but either is delicious.)

Edited July 10, 2017 by medawyn

[Tanaqui]

Baked potatoes with (frozen) broccoli, bacon (chopped before I fry it), and cheddar cheese.

 

Fish taco filling on a bed of shredded cabbage (everybody likes plain cabbage in this house, but the girls don't seem to like tortillas ever)

 

Lentils and rice with a side of cauliflower - heat up a skillet, toss in some mustard seeds, add some cumin seeds once the mustard seeds pop, add some minced garlic and your cauliflower, cover, stir in salt, pepper, and some cilantro when done.

 

Shakshouka, which is some sort of tomato sauce with eggs poached in it. I'm the only person who likes this, because the people who like eggs don't like tomatoes and vice versa, but it's really fast so screw them.

 

Baked chicken, oddly. Toss my chicken into the oven atop a bed of chopped potatoes, set the timer for 20 minutes before it comes out. When the timer dings, steam two types of vegetables and sautee some cabbage grated with carrots and onions. Done. (I can do this faster by using chicken thighs and precooking the potatoes.)

 

Baked ham. Like the chicken, but I cook the potatoes on the side and mash them.

 

Pork chops sauteed with bok choi, carrots, and ginger, with rice.

[Angie in VA]

2 canned chipotles + 1/3 c olive oil + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar blended into dressing

 

Toss with a bag of coleslaw + half a bag of shredded carrots + two cups shredded rotisserie chicken + 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve with diced advocados and tortilla chips.

 

(If I'm feeling less lazy, I throw in some julienne red pepper and snow peas. Also, the color of the dressing is terrible, so I recommend purple cabbage coleslaw, but either is delicious.)

 

 

I must make this!   :drool5:

Edited July 10, 2017 by Angie in VA

[Bluegoat]

Cut up some peppers and red onion and garlic (or use bottled mushed garlic).  Put into some kind of roasting pan.  Add cherry tomatoes or cut up larger ones.  Add chicken thighs, boneless or bone in, or legs, or whatever.  Toss in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper and any spices you like. (Basil or Italian seasoning is good.)  Bake in oven at 375 for 45 min to an hour.  Serve over rice, noodles, whatever.

 

You can also chop up and add sweet potato or eggplant to the pan which is great for adding bulk, cheaper than more meat.

 

Pretty easy, but it seems like a real cooked meal, and there is lots of veg.

[medawyn]

Thought of another (I'm in the throes of "morning" sickness and can sympathize with no cooking; I'm impressed I even opened a thread about food.)

 

Day one:

 

Roast chicken with the cavity stuffed with a halved garlic bulb, halved lemon, and a bunch of fresh rosemary. Salt and pepper on the skin. Roast on a bed of onion slices, baby potatoes, and carrots. I like Ina Garten's directions for perfectly roasted chicken.

 

Boil a pound or so of green beans (or, um, steam them in the bag in the microwave). While they are cooking, pour two tbsp olive oil into a small bowl and add 1 tbsp lemon zest (from one you shoved in the chicken) and 1/4-1/2 tsp of ground pepper. In another small bowl add 1/2 tsp rosemary (rescued from the chicken) and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Toss it all with the green beans when they are tender.

 

Save leftovers and throw the chicken carcass in the crockpot with enough water to cover overnight on low. Strain it in the morning and throw it in the fridge.

 

Day two:

 

Nicoise-ish salad: chop leftover potatoes and leftover green beans, add several sliced hard boiled eggs, a can or two of drained tuna and toss it all with bagged salad of choice and vinaigrette. Serve with French bread.

 

 

 

Day Three:

 

Sauté some onions and celery, add your homemade stock, chopped leftover chicken, carrots, and roasted onions + grain/pasta of choice. I like to cook my starch separately, but that's just be I freeze leftovers and am a lazy reheater.

[KungFuPanda]

I fry pierogis, onions, and kielbasa together in a big electric skillet and serve with a can of sour kraut and a can of beets. It's one of my easier shelf/freezer meals.

 

I also do browned italian sausage, jarred sauce, and pasta. Any half-used bell peppers can get tossed in too.

[Bootsie]

Broiled ham steak *(the ham steak has a fairly long refrigerated shelf life and cooks quickly, so I try to keep one on hand when I need a quick, easy dinner) with frozen veggies and fruit

 

Sausage in the crockpot with some bbq sauce (for days when I know ahead I need little last minute prep but don't know exactly when we will eat because the time is very flexible)

 

Scrambled eggs, omelet, bacon

[Bluegoat]

Oh, here is one.

 

Pork roast in a crock pot.  Salt (not too much), pepper, caraway seeds.  Cover in saurkraut and some of the juice.

 

You can cut an apple in too if you are ambitious.

 

Add salt at the end if you need to - it doesn't do to add too much at the beginning because the sauerkraut can be salty.

 

I like to serve it with egg noodles, and maybe carrots and/or broccoli. 

[6packofun]

Gosh, I love rotisserie chicken.  I'll buy 3 at Sam's Club, we'll eat 1 1/2 or 2 and use the rest for another meal.  My favorite?  Chicken tortilla soup made with cans of stuff.  LOL

 

1 big carton (4 cups) chicken broth

1 can mild rotel or a cup of salsa

1 can refried beans

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can of corn if you like

cumin and chili powder to taste OR a packet of taco seasoning

Whisk it up, add your leftover chicken (3-4 cups) and heat through.  Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion, and those crispy tortilla strips.  YUM!

[foxbridgeacademy]

We do baked potatoes in the microwave

 

eggs with toast

 

sausage and cabbage kilbasa sliced then toss in pot to brown edges, cut up cabbage toss in pot, stir.  Cook for a few minutes stir. then let cook until done maybe stir again- takes 15-20 minutes tops, plus it's really cheap. 

 

About 1X per month we have a fried foods night (otherwise we eat healthy, I swear).  Poppers, chicken strips, and french fries.

 

I'll get a chicken from the deli, a couple bags of frozen brown rice, mixed veggies and either use seasoning or buy a stir-fry sauce, takes about 10-15 minutes.

 

same for curry but add in a can of tomatoes.

 

I really don't have a lot of instant type meals, my kids won't eat them.

 

I do know that once they move out DH and I will be eating a lot of sandwiches and salads cause I am so over cooking.

[SimonJoshep]

Spaghetti and eggs. I cook spaghetti noodles (Or plunge leftover spaghetti into boiling water for a minute to reheat), toss it into a frying pan that has some melted butter, then beat some eggs (I usually do two per adult serving and one per kid serving) and toss in with the spaghetti. Cook until eggs are done, and sprinkle parmesan on top if I'm feeling fancy. Other wise just salt and pepper and eat. 

It's our standard 'just got home from a trip or a long day' meal because we always have eggs and spaghetti noodles in the house. 

 

It sounds gross but it's really good. My daughter throws in some frozen peas at the end and has been known to add diced ham and stuff but I'm a purist. 

Thanks for sharing such a recipe. Although how was the taste of it.

[eternalsummer]

pasta with tomato sauce

pasta with salmon in white wine and cream sauce

pasta with mushrooms in cream sauce

pasta with meat sauce

rice with sauteed vegetables/ stir fried beef strips

rice with Indian or Thai curry with chicken (this one not fully from scratch; I use jarred curry paste or curry simmer sauce)

 

All those take five minutes hands on time and cook while the pasta or rice cook. Start to table 25 minutes

 

Today I made shakshuka. Very quick, too.

 

Yes, this is my go to for looking like I've cooked a complicated meal without actually having to do the cooking.

 

I buy a jar of curry sauce (this one: http://www.mayakaimal.com/assets/prod-ss-kc.jpg)and pour it over shrimp, which I buy frozen (already peeled and de-veined) or cod (which I buy as frozen boneless skinless fillets).  I serve with whatever steamed vegetable I have in the fridge and rice or if I am feeling fancy, roasted potatoes.

[SparklyUnicorn]

crack slaw (ground meat of choice, slaw mix, bit of soy sauce, bit of toasted sesame oil)

taco salad (or tacos)

baked chicken with whatever veg side

grilled meat and veg (marinated chicken tenderloins are so fast and easy)

 

 

[eternalsummer]

the oven is your friend.

You can cook the entire meal in the oven - meat, fish, potatoes. vegetables. And roasting flavors are delicious.

Plus, it is very forgiving with respect to time; for most things it does not matter whether they stays in a few minutes longer or not.

 

Easiest way for potatoes is to cut them in chunks and oven bake them with olive oil and spices. and no peeling!!!

 

and this is the only way I do potatoes, and I do it a lot.  Just chop, oil, salt, oven, timer, forget about it.  I do a lot of potatoes at once this way because there are a lot of us and we'll all eat them cold later if some escape the first rush (hardly ever do).  Sometimes I do a pan of the potatoes underneath a pan of fish with asparagus around the edges of the fish.  

[Pink and Green Mom]

4 ingredient pulled pork (and one ingredient is salt, LOL).  I make it Whole 30 compliant by using no sugar added bacon.  This is from the Nom Nom Paleo website.

 

-lay three slices of bacon on bottom of crock pot

-take a 3-6 lb. Boston Butt/shoulder roast

-make 4-6 slits in meat and put a clove of garlic in each slit

-sprinkle meat with Himalayan salt (3/4 tsp per lb of meat if the large granules, about half of that if small crystals)

-cook on low for 12ish hours or until it can be shred.  (I shred it outside of the crock pot and use only as much of the liquid that somehow ends up in there to moisten it - just a few spoonfuls.

 

Everyone can add whatever sauce they want, make sandwiches or serve over a salad, and it can be used for dinner and a few lunches.  I even use it for breakfast - heat some meat in a small skillet, scramble some eggs and pour eggs into the skillet and cook until eggs are done.

 

I am not a fan of crockpot cooking at all but this is one that I can actually stand.

[Zinnia]

Fish tacos---flour tortillas, fish sticks, bagged coleslaw mix, green salsa

 

Trader Joe's or Aldi's orange chicken, rice, frozen eggrolls

 

French toast

 

Migas, served in tortillas to make tacos if everyone is very hungry.  I'll add meat if we have it.

 

 

 

 

[Debbi in Texas]

Saute onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a little olive oil or butter. Add beaten eggs and cook until desired doneness. Add feta cheese and serve. May add salsa if you wish. Maybe some toast if you wish.

[Annie G]

Thanks for sharing such a recipe. Although how was the taste of it.

I grew up with it so to me it's delicious.  We had it often on Friday night since way back then Catholics didn't eat meat on Fridays.   

 

I like eggs and I love pasta...and I REALLY like an occasional quick meal. 

[Pam in CT]

when my boys were younger, they thought this recipe should be in a cook book: 

 

1. Take some frozen peas.

2. Put them in a bowl.

3. Eat (with or without a spoon).

 

Fast:

 

Tortellini/ravioli/etc with pesto, green beans, salad

Poached fish fillets, broccoli, salad

(Leftover) diced chicken in TJ curry or simmer sauce with some leftover veg thrown in, rice, salad

(Leftover) diced lamb in tapenade/tomato sauce (nets out to a kind of accelerated tangine), cous cous, salad

Cold (leftover) chicken / lamb / fish sliced onto substantial salad

(Leftover) baked potatoes with (leftover) chili & other fixings

Sir fried rice with (leftover) veg (I do a big pan then separate out into veg version with tofu and meat version with leftover chicken or fish), salad

Peanut noodles with (leftover) diced chicken, salad

Tuna on substantial salad 

Nice bread, cheese, olives, smoked fish

 

 

Slow oven/little prep (I jam everything in around 400 degrees, set the timer, and go read a book til it's time to rouse myself and make the salad):

 

Whole chicken, pan of roasted veg, baked potatoes (extra of chicken & potatoes for later meals); salad

Roast leg of lamb, later add pan of multicolored baby potatoes and pan of asparagus; salad

Roast beef, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts; salad

Lamb shanks, later pan of asparagus; cous cous and salad

Pan of seasons chicken thighs or drumsticks; sautéed veg, quinoa, salad 

Edited July 10, 2017 by Pam in CT

[teachermom2834]

Fajitas- i usually start with fresh chicken tenderloins but frozen works too. Add frozen pre-sliced onions and peppers and prepared fajita seasoning. Tell everyone the meat is in the skillet and cheese, sour cream, salsa, tortillas, whatever are self serve.

 

We are big meat eaters. I do a lot of meat cooked up ahead and thrown in the freezer. I'll do a crock pot of pulled pork and then portion it up for several meals in the freezer. Same with shredded chicken and ground beef for tacos. Then I have components available. I'll say "there is shedded chicken. You can use it to make a salad or a wrap or a sandwich or a quesadilla or nachos, etc".

 

With a dh that works late and teens coming and going it has become more often than not everyone making some variation of a dish based on whatever meat I have pulled out of the freezer. A variety of sauces and condiments keeps it a little interesting.

 

I have found this a very budget friendly way to eat as well.

Edited July 10, 2017 by teachermom2834

[KungFuPanda]

Thanks for sharing such a recipe. Although how was the taste of it.

If this intrigues you, try looking up carbanara recipes. SOOOO fast and easy and you get a creamy pasta without using cream.

[J-rap]

Our very simplest and fastest ones:

 

 

Omelets (add whatever filling we have on hand...  generally cheese/spinach/onions), usually served with carrot sticks on the side.

 

Burritos, made with warmed tortillas and a can of refried beans;  add salsa, cheese, onions.  Again, served with carrot sticks on the side.

 

Granola/yogurt parfait, made with layers of granola (as unsweetened as possible) or grape nuts, plain yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit, and a little juice or milk so it's not so dry.

 

A can (or two or three) of chili beans already spiced (we like Bush's), throw in a bag of frozen mixed veggies (like peas, carrots and corn) and some chopped onions, and sprinkle grated cheese on top when serving.

 

Canned soup (usually it's a vegetable soup) with grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

 

 

Other meals that are super simple but take a tad more effort and actually need to be cooked for awhile:

 

 

Chicken breasts, potatoes (cut into large chunks), carrots (cut into two-inch pieces), and chopped onion thrown into a casserole dish with a little butter, salt and pepper.  Cover and bake for about an hour.

 

Up to 3 pounds or so of chicken breasts (usually I cut them into thirds) or thighs or whatever you have mixed with 1 bottle bbq sauce, 1 cup of Coke, 1 sliced lemon, 1 sliced onion.  Cook all day in slow cooker and serve over rice, with a bag of pre-made salad on the side.

 

Sloppy Joes (with pre-made canned sauce).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[meena]

Grilled or baked chicken breasts + rice + vegetable

 

• For the chicken I'll do some type of marinade. It can be as easy as pouring over whatever salad dressing we have, along with salt, pepper, and spices that complement the dressing. Sometimes I'll spend a bit more time and do a wet rub (basically spices, a little bit of brown sugar, and olive oil) or a yogurt marinade. I made this Greek marinade for the first time last night--it was super easy and tasted amazing.
• Rice is just thrown in the rice cooker. Sometimes I'll add spices but most of the time it's just salt and a little oil or butter. You could easily substitute a different grain or starch (quinoa, potatoes, couscous, or pasta)
• Vegetables are usually whatever is quick and easy. Raw carrots, broccoli, and/or cauliflower. Bagged salad. Frozen vegetables steamed with a little bit of water or chicken broth, seasoned with butter/salt/pepper. A weird thing I love is canned green beans heated with a little bit of Italian dressing, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper.

Pasta + sauce + vegetable (meat optional)

• The fastest is fresh or frozen pasta, which cooks in about 3 minutes. We like the fresh cheese tortellini and frozen spinach ravioli from Costco. Aldi and Trader Joe's have good options as well.
• The quickest sauce is premade, whether it's from a jar or homemade that has been made in a big batch and frozen. I haven't mastered homemade Alfredo so I keep a few jars of that in the pantry for quick meals.
• Vegetables are the same as above--whatever's quick and easy.
• Meat--quick=brown ground meat and add sauce; quicker=premade meatballs, throw in pan with sauce to heat up; quickest=leftover sliced chicken breast

Panini or grilled cheese with or without soup

Scrambled eggs + toast + fruit

Waffles + turkey sausage (our favorite is Jones brand) or turkey bacon

ETA: Quesadillas --sometimes just cheese, other times +refried beans and/or leftover meat

Edited July 10, 2017 by meena

[Cosmos]

I haven't read every post in detail, but I don't think these have been posted yet. These are all 15 minutes of prep time, though the first one has a longer cook time.

 

Roasted Potatoes and Sausage: Cut up potatoes, onions, and peppers and spread on a large baking sheet. Cut pre-cooked sausage into bite-sized pieces (we like Al Fresco Chicken Sausage and stock up when they are on sale). Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. We also add banana peppers. Roast at 400 for about 45 minutes, turning occasionally.

 

Pasta with tuna: Cook a pound of pasta, adding in a bag of frozen peas near the end of cooking time. Drain into a colander and put the pot back on the stove. Pour in some olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Then add 2-3 cans of tuna fish. Add the pasta and peas in, toss together, and serve with parmesan cheese.

 

Panzanella: My favorite in the summer. Takes less than 15 minutes. Cut up 1/2 pound of good crusty bread like ciabatta, 3 tomatoes, 1 small cucumber, red onion, handful of basil, 1/2 pound mozzarella, a few handfuls of good kalamata olives. Toss with a balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious!

 

Mexican Tomato Lime Soup: Fills a junk food craving while not too terrible for you and super easy to make. Saute garlic (2-3 cloves) with 2 tsp cumin. Add a can of tomato juice, juice of one lime, and some tabasco. Add fresh cilantro if you've got it. Heat until piping hot. Then serve with some crushed tortilla chips and shredded monterey jack cheese. Avocado is good too.

[GailV]

Tortilla spread with pizza sauce and pizza cheese, possibly other toppings (I like power greens and chopped onion).  Toaster over for 8 minutes on about 425, cool a bit, roll up and eat.

 

Tortilla spread with hummus, thinly sliced cucumber, perhaps tomato.  No cooking required.  Roll up and eat.

 

Tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa.

 

Leftover grilled chicken cut into slices (or the bagged grilled chicken slices from Trader Joes), avocado, lettuce, a spiced up can of black beans, sauted peppers and onions if I'm feeling fancy, cheese, sour cream; place on table with tortillas and let everyone make their own.  Can also use beef, or shrimp, or go vegetarian.

 

Or pile greens on tortilla, add grilled chicken strips, other salad ingredients including Caeser dressing, roll up and eat.

 

If tortillas become scarce we might starve.  

[KungFuPanda]

Chicken tenders . . . dipped in ranch dressing . . . dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs . . . drizzled with olive oil . . . baked.

 

I'm eating it now along with some pesto pasta. I made enough that I can repurpose it as chicken parm tomorrow. I avoid complaints by repurposing leftovers. While I was dealing with a package of chicken breasts, I cut about 2 lbs into kabobs and mixed up the NYT schwarma marinade, but I added yogurt.

 

Thanks to these recent threads I seem to be out of my rut. I picked up the McCormicks shrimp scampi seasoning, some pasta, and frozen shrimp that is peeled and deveined, but also raw. That'll be two grill dinners some other day. I'll just have to cut some veggies and skewer it all. I picked up cous cous to go with it. I like to make it with chicken broth, almonds, and dried apricots.

[goldberry]

I finally caved and bought a kitchenaid stand mixer for the SINGLE purpose of shredding chicken breasts.  BEST PURCHASE EVER.  I hate dealing with meat, touching it looking at it, anything other than eating it.  I poach 6 chicken breasts at a time now and shred them in the mixer.  I barely have to touch them.  Then freeze in baggies for recipes.  

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I finally caved and bought a kitchenaid stand mixer for the SINGLE purpose of shredding chicken breasts.  BEST PURCHASE EVER.  I hate dealing with meat, touching it looking at it, anything other than eating it.  I poach 6 chicken breasts at a time now and shred them in the mixer.  I barely have to touch them.  Then freeze in baggies for recipes.  

 

Um...what? Is there some special attachment for this? Or special hook/paddle? I hate hate hate shredding chicken, it takes me forever. And I have a lovely Kitchenaid just sitting around looking for jobs to do. 

[medawyn]

Um...what? Is there some special attachment for this? Or special hook/paddle? I hate hate hate shredding chicken, it takes me forever. And I have a lovely Kitchenaid just sitting around looking for jobs to do. 

 

Just your regular paddle - I love this trick!  It shreds quickly and evenly.  I keep bbq chicken and salsa chicken in my freezer most of the time, and I always cook bunches at once and throw it in the kitchen aid.

 

This paddle:

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/kitchenaid-reg-burnished-flat-beater-for-5-quart-artisan-trade-and-5-quart-tilt-head-stand-mixer/1013724490?skuId=13724490&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_kitchenelectrics_online&product_id=13724490&adtype=pla&product_channel=online&adpos=1o3&creative=43742642989&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQjwy4zLBRCOg6-4h6vs3cUBEiQAN-yzfpQROwqSbse1NUTLeL6trMHtsXR3koajqJw7MJ1a5fQaArvf8P8HAQ

[Annie G]

 

 

If tortillas become scarce we might starve.  

Same here. 

 

 

Dd used to love to come from from college for the weekend so she could eat food that didn't involve a tortilla.  Even a grilled cheese sandwich was a treat because she usually didn't keep bread in her apartment - tortillas have a much longer shelf life.  She was sick of quesadillas but a grilled cheese...an indulgence!

[goldberry]

It's the coolest thing!

 

 

DH would shred for me since I hated it.  It took him FOREVER prior to the kitchenaid.

Edited July 10, 2017 by goldberry