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Fave Simple Meals

bcgal00

bcgal00

Say, "birdseed!"
Pollywog
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Nov 18, 2010
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Today I'm feeling run down with a virus or something and am just dragging my feet, feeling achy and have a sore throat. So for dinner I was craving chicken. A super fast, easy, throw-together kind of meals is steamed potatoes with tons of butter, salt and pepper, dark brown beans and baked lightly breaded chicken (I buy M&M's Chicken Grillers, it's a Canadian store). It takes me about 5 minutes to prep. I put the potatoes in the steamer, let them cook for 15 minutes and then turn on the toaster oven for chicken and the stovetop for the beans. Then it all cooks 20 minutes and is done. Easy peasy....and so simple and delicious!

What's your fave simple meal that you make?
 
oh chicken noodle soup
main ingredient is a rotisserie chicken from grocery store (already cooked an oh so juicy)
I pull all the meat off, toss in a big pot of water
I throw in a bag of mixed frozen vegi's
crumble up lasagna noodles
and chicken bouillon cubes 4-5
and celery seasoning if I don't have any in crisper!
bring to boil
then simmer until ready to eat...
delightful!
 
Baked chicken and veggies! Line a deep baking pan with foil (my stoneware baker is perfect for this) and leave enough to wrap over the top at the end. Throw a few (however many you need- they can even be frozen solid!) chicken breasts in, add some butter, and then throw in whatever veggies you need to use up from the fridge. Usually for us that means potatoes, carrots, and onions, and we include a TON because we love the veggies in this! Sprinkle with whatever seasoning you like- we've done everything from Cajun to rosemary- then use the remaining foil to close the whole thing up into a packet. Bake at 425F for about 45 minutes if your chicken is thawed, or 1:15 if it was frozen. May need less or more time depending on your oven- basically just cook until the chicken is done.

Soooo good! And healthy!
 
One pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta served with grilled chicken and veggies. Yesterday was pan cooked zucchini. Last week it was mixed veggies - corn, peas, carrots.
 
I love chicken dump/crock pot recipes. Literally anything you need to throw in... meat (frozen or thawed), veggies (frozen or fresh), some seasoning, and a small amount of liquid, such as dressing, sauces, or some water. We like salsa, Italian dressing, or barbeque sauce usually. Soy sauce sometimes.

Spaghetti is our most used recipe.
 
Salsa chicken is super easy: dump chicken, jar of salsa, bag of frozen corn, & can of black beans in crockpot. 30 minutes before serving, stir in a block of cream cheese. Yum!

Most of what I make is easy, though. :)
 
Tacos! or nachos or burritos. Cook the meat and layout all the "shell" options with lettuce, cheese, salsa. Done!

But the easiest ---> Fend for yourself :circlesthere are advantages to having older kids... Especially when daughter decides she wants something cooked and makes enough for all of us. :heartslub
 
BevG said:
Tacos! or nachos or burritos. Cook the meat and layout all the "shell" options with lettuce, cheese, salsa. Done!

But the easiest ---> Fend for yourself :circlesthere are advantages to having older kids... Especially when daughter decides she wants something cooked and makes enough for all of us. :heartslub
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If I tell my hubs to fend for himself....he'll pick up the phone and order food. Other than a sandwich, he doesn't cook. But I don't usually mind b/c then since I am the cook, I get to decide what we have for meals and if I ever don't feel like cooking, then we get take-out, order pizza, etc. I just find as I get older I like to spend less time in the kitchen so want simple (but healthy) meals. We love burritos and do have that often.
 
LeeAndra said:
Salsa chicken is super easy: dump chicken, jar of salsa, bag of frozen corn, & can of black beans in crockpot. 30 minutes before serving, stir in a block of cream cheese. Yum!

Most of what I make is easy, though. :)
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This sounds good. I would have it with rice and maybe some tortilla strips overtop. Yum! Thx for this.
 
We also make a quick, grilled wrap. Take a flour tortilla shell, spread your favorite sauce down the middle (mustard, sweet hot mustard, BBQ, mayo, etc.), lay on some deli or cooked meat, lay on cheese. Fold both sides over the middle (fold into thirds). Place fold side down in hot skillet with either cooking spray or oil. Grill until brown to your liking, flip and do other side. Done.

You can also include veggies if you wanted. Just know that it will only cook long enough to melt cheese but not really cook any veggies or meat.

We also like to grill chicken salad and tuna salad sandwiches. Make the sandwich as usual and then grill like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.
 
Gonna save this thread for ideas! I like trying recipes that stretch my skills, but lately I need it to be fast and easy!
 
I like quesadillas as easy meals. Pull apart a store bought cooked chicken and put on one 8or9" flour tortilla. Add any cooked peppers you may have in the freezer or canned ones, slices or grated cheese and top with 2nd tortilla. Cook in an dry frying pan (cast irons great) or on a griddle on a medium heat. You want the tortilla to brown and the cheese to melt. Then put one on each plate and get your kitchen scissors and cut into wedges or just hold the circle and eat!

But...my easiest and one that I learned from a grade school friend. Tuna and mushroom soup over rice. True comfort food. Mix one can of tuna preferably in oil not water with a can of mushroom soup. NO water or milk. Heat that to bubbly and pour over cooked white rice.

Rice? 1 cup long grain rice, 2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and put on the lowest heat you have for 17 minutes.
 
LeeAndra said:
Salsa chicken is super easy: dump chicken, jar of salsa, bag of frozen corn, & can of black beans in crockpot. 30 minutes before serving, stir in a block of cream cheese. Yum!

Most of what I make is easy, though. :)
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Oh wow...that block of cream cheese would make most anything good!
 
BevG said:
Tacos! or nachos or burritos. Cook the meat and layout all the "shell" options with lettuce, cheese, salsa. Done!

But the easiest ---> Fend for yourself :circlesthere are advantages to having older kids... Especially when daughter decides she wants something cooked and makes enough for all of us. :heartslub
Click to expand...

We do FEND for yourself nights too and my family hates me for them, but a girl's gotta scrap doesn't she? Plus, it's not like I don't have a 6 foot wide pantry stocked from floor to ceiling, a full freezer in the garage and a food storage room in the basement. I just stocked up during the case-lot sales and I think I have over 20 boxes of cereal alone in there.

My easy meals consist of crock pot or freezer meals - BBQ chicken, French Dip, Roast and potatoes, Salsa Chicken, Taco soup. Another thing I like to do that makes for fast, easy meals is to make double of whatever I'm making and freeze it. I do double my funeral potatoes, casseroles and soups. I like to cook and freeze up the BIG packs of hamburger with taco seasoning, so we can pull it out of the freezer for an easy taco or nacho night. I usually divide the meat up about 1 pound to a bag and squish it flat so they stack nicely in the freezer. I love using Sam's Club rotisserie chickens for quesadillas, soups, sandwiches, casseroles...pretty much anything that needs cooked chicken. I also buy the mega packs of fresh chicken breasts when they're on sale, and have my hubby grill up the whole batch. I dice up and freeze, what we don't eat for dinner to use in my chicken recipes.
 
bcgal00 said:
Today I'm feeling run down with a virus or something and am just dragging my feet, feeling achy and have a sore throat. So for dinner I was craving chicken. A super fast, easy, throw-together kind of meals is steamed potatoes with tons of butter, salt and pepper, dark brown beans and baked lightly breaded chicken (I buy M&M's Chicken Grillers, it's a Canadian store). It takes me about 5 minutes to prep. I put the potatoes in the steamer, let them cook for 15 minutes and then turn on the toaster oven for chicken and the stovetop for the beans. Then it all cooks 20 minutes and is done. Easy peasy....and so simple and delicious!

What's your fave simple meal that you make?
Click to expand...

You mean aside from waffles or hot dogs? :D I make the Pioneer Woman's Oven BBQ chicken since I usually have all the ingredients and it's easy: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/oven-bbq-chicken/

Also, if we have left over chicken and bread, we'll make panini sandwiches -- combining some store bought pesto with mayo, slather on bread then cook it sort of like grilled cheese so the bread toasts in the pan, layered with (already cooked) chicken and provolone.
 
@dawnmarch my hubs doesn't like BBQ so the first recipe is probably not going to be a hit with him but the second idea is good. He loves sandwiches and we both like chicken so that might be something we both like. I love anything with pesto too.
 
I've never made a one-pan dinner but the days of turning the oven on are here and I'll have to try some of those @djp332. thanks!
 
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