Quick and Ea$y...?

[NanaRenan]

Just checking...

Is there room for quick, easy and/or economical recipes??

Our family favorites could hardly be called 'epicurian', but yet they get asked for time and time again.

[Ferd]

SURE! we all need a tips on food that dont cost much.

[Abigail4476]

Just checking...

Is there room for quick, easy and/or economical recipes??

Our family favorites could hardly be called 'epicurian', but yet they get asked for time and time again.

Actually, Nana, the recipe I posted from "epicurian".com is from their quick and easy section! :p Took about 45 minutes to prepare, from slicing to serving.

Also, very economical...the whole meal was less than $10. (to serve 6 with leftovers)

Don't let gourmet scare you away! :cool:

[Ferd]

Actually, Nana, the recipe I posted from "epicurian".com is from their quick and easy section! :p Took about 45 minutes to prepare, from slicing to serving.

Also, very economical...the whole meal was less than $10. (to serve 6 with leftovers)

Don't let gourmet scare you away! :cool:
Hey Abby, can you repost on this thread? It might be better to set up a few threads that are easier to search.

[Ferd]

This isnt a real recipe but it was way easy. you can have it done in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Bowtie Pasta (how ever much to feed your family)
Olive Oil
Garlic
red pepper flakes (to taste but start with no more than a quarter teaspoon unless you like it HOT)
Chicken Breast cut into thin bitesized peices.
Tomato paste


I put some Bowtie Pasta on to cook.

Then in a skillit, I heated some olive oil, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. wait about 5 to 10 seconds and add the chicken (dont let the garlic burn). Next when the chicken is completely cooked, add the tomato paste and stir to mix well. then when the pasta is cooked, drain pasta, reserve a cup of the liquid. add the pasta to the chicken and the pasta water to get the desired thickness.

yummy

[Abigail4476]

Reposted....

Ferd,

I made this soup yesterday from www.epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com/)

It is a wonderful winter meal!!!!

I countrified it and served it with cornbread instead of the suggested pumpkin seeds and cheese, but if I had had pumpkin seeds I would've done all three.

Green Chili with Pork

1 medium white onion, quartered
2 (3- to 4-inch) fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed and quartered, including seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lb ground pork
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14- to 15-oz) can white hominy (also called pozole), rinsed and drained
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Accompaniments: toasted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds; crumbled queso fresco or ricotta salata

Purée onion, chiles, and garlic with 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, stirring and breaking up clumps with a fork, just until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pot and heat over moderately high heat until hot, then carefully add purée (it will spatter), cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add pork, hominy, cilantro, and remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve chili sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: I doubled the recipe for our family of 6, and we have about 3 cups of leftovers.

[John Atkinson]

SURE! we all need a tips on food that dont cost much.
Wendy's dollar menu? Fed the whole family once for 8 bucks...:banana:

[Abigail4476]

I'm trying out another one of their Quick and Easy Gourmet meals tonight (Chicken & Biscuits)...I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm dubious of the biscuits since I always make buttermilk biscuits and these call for milk instead....

Speaking of biscuits...

Easiest (and best) Buttermilk Biscuits:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

3 c. self-rising flour
1 1/2 sticks butter
Buttermilk (about 3/4 - 1 cup)
Melted butter

Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, cut butter into flour (with a fork or pastry cutter) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk a little at a time, just until dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and pat to 1" thickness. (I never roll them out--be gentle with biscuits.) Cut with a floured glass.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. :cool:

These are great with sausage gravy and eggs. I always have honey and molasses on the table for the leftover biscuits.

Quick, Easy and Economical!!!

[Abigail4476]

The Easiest Chicken Casserole (And the best)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

This recipe is deceptively simple. Don't let that fool you--it's delicious!

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Ritz crackers, crushed (4 pkgs. to a box--use one pkg. of crackers--not a whole box)
1 stick butter, melted
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup


Preheat oven to 375. In a pan over medium heat, saute cubed chicken for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through (but not browned). Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Lightly salt and pepper.

In a bowl, stir together crackers and butter. Reserve 1/4 c. buttered crackers. Press the rest of the buttered crackers into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Pour chicken mixture on top of the buttered crackers. Top with remaining buttered crackers. Bake for 30 minutes.

(Did you notice how many times I mentioned "buttered"?) LOL!!!

I emphasized "Campbell's" because the soups are creamier, and I've tried the offbrands--because this recipe is so simple, it's important to use high quality ingredients. ONLY use REAL butter. Margarine or butter substitute will ruin this recipe. :cool:

Some recipes just can't be slimmed down. :rolleyes:

Normally using chicken breasts increases the cost of a dish, but because there are only a few ingredients, this is still a fairly inexpensive meal. We usually have broccoli and fried yellow squash with this casserole.

[Abigail4476]

One more...

Taco Pie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 box Jiffy mix
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 small can corn, drained
1 can chopped green chiles, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 small onion, diced
1 c. cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Brown hamburger in a large iron skillet. Drain. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 c. water to meat. Heat for a couple of minutes until sauce is thickened, then remove from heat. In a small pan, saute onions & red bell pepper until tender. Add onions, bell pepper, corn, green chiles and jalapeno to hamburger.

Mix Jiffy mix according to package directions. Spoon evenly around edges of the iron skillet (on top of the hamburger mixture). Bake according to Jiffy mix directions. (I think it's 18-20 minutes). A couple of minutes before cornbread is done, sprinkle top with cheese, then return to oven until cheese is melted and cornbread is lightly browned.

Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro.

(You can bake this in a regular baking dish--I like using the iron skillet so it's all in one dish.)

[Ferd]

Wendy's dollar menu? Fed the whole family once for 8 bucks...:banana:
KFC has chicken fried steak and 2 sides with a bisket for $2 on wednesdays. it aint great but it is cheep.

[Ferd]

Thanks Abby. can you add prep/cook times seeing this is the easy thread?

[Abigail4476]

Thanks Abby. can you add prep/cook times seeing this is the easy thread?

I Guesstimated. :p

[Margies3]

Here's one that my family loves (keep in mind that I am serving my husband, myself and also two teenage boys, so I have to make alot!):

Chicken Rice Dinner

2 boxes Chicken Rice-A-Roni (or Aldi's equivalent)
2-3 boneless chicken breasts
3-4 t. margarine

Cut the chicken into small chunks. Brown in the 3-4 t. margarine until just about done. Remove chicken from skillet.
Cook the 2 boxes of Chicken Rice-a-Roni in the same pan as you browned the chicken. When you get to the step where you add all the water and the flavoring packets, put the chicken back in the pan along with the rice, etc.
Put the lid on the pan and cook as per directions on box.
that's it. Enjoy.

Sometimes, for variety, I will use my food chopper to chop up a few carrots and throw them in at the same time as the chicken. Or broccoli is good that way too. Just make sure you chop up your veggies pretty small so they'll get done.
If you do that, you've got your entire meal in one pan. Those are my husband's favorite kinds of meals.

[seguidordejesus]

Abby, did you have another kid? Family of 6? :)

[IXMNU]

I'VE BEEN IN ONE OF THOSE SLUMPS WHERE I CAN THINK OF NOTHING TO FIX THAT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT I AM WANTING. i/VE NEEDED SOME NEW IDEAS. THANKS FOR THESE RECIPES I AM GONNA TRY THEM. THE TACO PIE SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER!

[IXMNU]

oh, sorry for all caps i didn't mean that

[Abigail4476]

Abby, did you have another kid? Family of 6? :)

My mother lives with us. :p LOL!!!!

[Esther]

The Easiest Chicken Casserole (And the best)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

This recipe is deceptively simple. Don't let that fool you--it's delicious!

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Ritz crackers, crushed (4 pkgs. to a box--use one pkg. of crackers--not a whole box)
1 stick butter, melted
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup


Preheat oven to 375. In a pan over medium heat, saute cubed chicken for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through (but not browned). Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Lightly salt and pepper.

In a bowl, stir together crackers and butter. Reserve 1/4 c. buttered crackers. Press the rest of the buttered crackers into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Pour chicken mixture on top of the buttered crackers. Top with remaining buttered crackers. Bake for 30 minutes.

(Did you notice how many times I mentioned "buttered"?) LOL!!!

I emphasized "Campbell's" because the soups are creamier, and I've tried the offbrands--because this recipe is so simple, it's important to use high quality ingredients. ONLY use REAL butter. Margarine or butter substitute will ruin this recipe. :cool:

Some recipes just can't be slimmed down. :rolleyes:

Normally using chicken breasts increases the cost of a dish, but because there are only a few ingredients, this is still a fairly inexpensive meal. We usually have broccoli and fried yellow squash with this casserole.

This sounds delicious! :yeah:

[Ferd]

This sounds delicious! :yeah:
you know what I want from you.

[Ferd]

this is in my other thread but it fits quick and easy

Great Sloppy Joes (from that oversmiling Rachael Ray)

4 strips of bacon cut into half inch pieces
1 medium onion
2 celery ribs
1 red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 ½ lbs lean grnd beef
¾ cup ketchup
¼ cup worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns


In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes; push to the side of the skillet. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve on the toasted buns.

[Deonna]

I can't say these are the most nutritious recipes but here's our family's quick, easy, economical recipes:

Egg Fu Ramen:
Add eggs to Ramen while it is cooking. Drain and add butter and seasoning.

Poor man's Chicken Noodle Soup:
Cook elbow noodles (or spaghetti). Boil cooked meat (such as a little hamburger or chicken) and chicken bouillon cubes with noodles. Serve when done.

Tuna Noodle Casserole:
Egg noodles (cooked then drained). Stir in a can of cream of mushroom & a can of tuna (drained). Can add peas if you like.


Ok, not as fancy as Abigail's and Ferd's but they help feed a family on a tight budget.

[Inspired-Eyes]

Looking for a good cabagge roll recipie that someone has actually used and cooked.

[Deonna]

Looking for a good cabagge roll recipie that someone has actually used and cooked.

I'm trying to get my neighbor to teach me. She made cabbage rolls for Christmas and they were DELICIOUS!!! I'd never had them before then. I asked for the recipe and she tried to explain but said she'd have to show me. She's from Romania so she has trouble translating the recipe into English words.

[Inspired-Eyes]

Looking for a good cabagge roll recipie that someone has actually used and cooked.


I got one! Here ya go!

Cabbage Casserole

1/2 head shredded raw cabbage
1 cup raw rice
1 can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. raw ground meat
3/4 cup of water
salt
red pepper
diced onions
diced bell pepper
fresh garlic


mix together


butter a casserole dish and cook at 375 for 2 hours , COVERED

:spin:

[bro jack]

Sister Abigail,
Your chicken casserole was delicious. I do not normally like casseroles, this one is an exception.

Thank you,
Bro jack {Yes, I do the cooking in my family...got a problem with that :)}

[NanaRenan]

Taco Soup

1 lb. hamburger, browned, drained and crumbled
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
1 package of Taco seasoning
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Put all ingredients in a pot and add 3 to 5 cups of water, per your preference. Bring to a boil. Reduce fire and simmer for 20 minutes.

Can be made in a crock-pot.

Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread. Garnish with sour cream or guacamole. Chopped fresh cilantro is nice, too!

[MGTMom]

The Easiest Chicken Casserole (And the best)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

This recipe is deceptively simple. Don't let that fool you--it's delicious!

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Ritz crackers, crushed (4 pkgs. to a box--use one pkg. of crackers--not a whole box)
1 stick butter, melted
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup


Preheat oven to 375. In a pan over medium heat, saute cubed chicken for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through (but not browned). Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Lightly salt and pepper.

In a bowl, stir together crackers and butter. Reserve 1/4 c. buttered crackers. Press the rest of the buttered crackers into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Pour chicken mixture on top of the buttered crackers. Top with remaining buttered crackers. Bake for 30 minutes.

(Did you notice how many times I mentioned "buttered"?) LOL!!!

I emphasized "Campbell's" because the soups are creamier, and I've tried the offbrands--because this recipe is so simple, it's important to use high quality ingredients. ONLY use REAL butter. Margarine or butter substitute will ruin this recipe. :cool:

Some recipes just can't be slimmed down. :rolleyes:

Normally using chicken breasts increases the cost of a dish, but because there are only a few ingredients, this is still a fairly inexpensive meal. We usually have broccoli and fried yellow squash with this casserole.


I made this tonight....it is SOOOOOOO good