What's for Dinner (Part 4 of 4)

Better Than Drive-Thru

Instead of driving through McDonald’s or explaining to your husband why your family needs to eat out, why not have a few really quick recipes that can be made in only minutes. Or, plan ahead and get out your crock-pot!

Here are a couple of mine:

Border Bowl (sorry Taco Bell)

Place in order in large microwave-proof bowl

1 can beans (Ranch, black, kidney, or refried)
1 pkg. pre-cooked ground beef
season with 1 tsp chili power, ½ t. cumin, sprinkle with salt or garlic salt
1 can corn, drained
2-4 cups cooked brown rice (use Minute Rice if you’re in a hurry. Add the same seasoning as above to your rice as it cooks)
grated cheese (I like Colby or Mexican)

Cover your dish with plastic wrap and microwave until hot – usually about 8-10 minutes. While it is warming, prepare lettuce, as you would for a salad, or even slice a head of iceberg. Set your table with a bowl of tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, dressing of choice, jalapenos, guacamole. You get the idea.

When serving, some of my family prefers making soft tacos from the Border Bowl. Others of us prefer mostly salad using salsa as our dressing.

This recipe is requested by my family often. If this would be too much food for your family, leave off the corn, or use less rice.

Another easy one:
Chicken Stroganoff

Chicken breasts or boneless thighs, enough to feed your family
2 cans fat-free cream soup (chicken, celery, mushroom or a combination)
1-16oz carton low fat sour cream
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Pre-cook your chicken (I use bone-in breasts. The cost is cheaper and the skin comes off easily before cooking and the bones are easy to remove after cooking. I do this in a covered, non-stick skillet with just a small amount of water added) When the chicken is just cooked through, remove from skillet and set aside to cool if you are removing bones. Shred chicken when cool.

Add your cream soup to the same skillet with the dry onion soup mix. Heat the mixture adding just enough water to make a nice thick gravy consistency. Add the chicken and stir in the sour cream. Keep your heat low so the sour cream doesn’t separate. Heat through and serve over brown rice, mashed potatoes, or grits. Yum!

There’s always Spaghetti. Use one of those frozen zip-locks of cooked hamburger, open up a can or two of spaghetti sauce (add onion, bell pepper, garlic, carrots, etc. finely chopped in your food processor—your kids will never know!). Cook some pasta (try the whole grain version—it tastes just the same but adds extra fiber to your meal), open up a bag of salad mix or make one of your own, and, voila, almost-instant dinner!

Save time and money by having a plan!

Have any really quick recipes to share?