Favorite Quick Meal - and tips

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-13-2005
Favorite Quick Meal - and tips
14
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 4:26pm

Rose and Cat came up with the idea to start a thread about favorite quick meals - especially since school is coming up.

I love quick meals - so I jumped on their idea to create such a thread. Looking forward to sharing and hearing all the answers!

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Avatar for myprecioustwo
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 5:13pm

I love to order a family pack of drumsticks for the kids and make them on the weekends for the kids to get home and either eat it cold or warm it up in the microwave. If I warm them up in the microwave, I usually serve it with a vege and/or a salad and then add some rice that I premade as well.

Goes quick and easy.

Another idea is my crockpot. Stick some beef& pork, carrots, pototaoes, onions and lots' of herbs, etc and then let it stew all day so when I get home, it'd done and I serve it with fresh bread. Kids love it as well.

I also make a dish that Germans love to eat. It's with egg noodles, hamburger meat, bacon and two eggs.

First make the noodles, then make the bacon, take the bacon out of the pan and brown the hamburger meat, add the noodles to it and the bacon and egg over it. Mix it all up and serve it with tossed salad. Girls love it and they are VERY picky eaters.

It's called Farmers Breakfast. Another version is with green onions, left over boiled potatoes and sausage/hotdog. Same concept, add a egg and wahlah, the kids love it.

I premake: red chicken enchiladas; spagetti sauce/lasagna.

But I really need some other ideas! Soo look forward to it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-08-2006
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 8:20pm

My all time favorite invention is the...

CROCKPOT!

I bet you thought I would say microwave, huh?! ;-)

I love my crockpot, and since in my family someone is always raising some type of edible animal, I just grab whatever's handy, toss it in frozen, add carrots, potatoes, corn, onions if I have them... whatever I have, basically, with a couple cups of water, and leave for work.

Presto-chango, when I get home 8-10 hours later, there's a wonderfully aromatic home cooked meal waiting for us. No thought, no measuring, no WORK, and yet I don't feel guilty because my children are actually eating a real meal that I did make, sort of.

Beyond that, I don't cook a lot, really. My "best" meal for when I have time is Lasagna, but that's such a rarity I can't tell you the last time I made it.

Moody, so not a gourmet


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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2007
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 11:11pm

My kids LOVE my Hawian chicken. This sounds wierd but it is good:

Roast chicken breasts fro about 20 minutes in some broth. Mix together: chunk pineapples wth their juice, whole berry cranberry sauce and lipton onion soup mix (just the mix don't add water). Pour the whole mess over the chicken and cook until the chicken is done (I use a meat therm.) It is really easy - if not quick but you can do other things while it's cooking. I serve it with brown rice. I bet I could do it all in the crockpot but I never have.

Love the Crockpot!!!

I like to spend Sundays cooking a few meals that I put in the fridge for the week.

Oh - veggie casadillas! Sandwich between to tortillas some shredded chedder and mont. jack cheese, some diced red and green peppers, diced scallions. Throw it on the skillet a few minutes on each side - serve with mango salsa! (got leftover chicken, pork chops or steak in the fridge - throw it in. I've even tossed on a chopped up leftover hamburger)

Fun thread - can you tell I LOVE to cook?

Avatar for mhash
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 11:31pm
Throw brown rice in the rice cooker with some flax seeds. Stir fry broccoli, onions, peppers and whatever other veggies I have on hand with some teriyaki sauce. Maybe shake some sesame seeds on top.
Avatar for myprecioustwo
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 9:19am
Give me more CROCKPOT IDEAS! :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2006
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 10:40am

Ok - I am a total dunce in the kitchen but I want to give your Hawaiian Chicken a try. So I have to roast the the chicken for approx 20 mins (on what temp? 350?) before I pour the pineapple and cranberryies over it to cook a while longer right? I have to check because I have made some pretty crazy mistakes in the kitchen!

Rose ( who thinks her girls would love this!! pineapple and cranberries in one meal!)

Rosecolouredspecs
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 11:07am

I am the queen of quick dinners. We almost never eat out. It is too expensive and really not very healthy for the kids.

Crockpot things: You can season a whole chicken and put it on low to roast for the entire day. Come home and mash potatoes and whatever veggie you want and make the gravy. All on the table less than 30 minutes after getting home. Then you have the leftover chicken for other meals during the week. 1) I make a bisquick chicken pot pie sometimes (chicken, cream of chicken soup, carrots, peas bisquick crust serve with a salad) my kids love it. 2)Roasted chicken and rice soup. Saute carrots, celery, onions, clove of garlic in 2 TBLS of olive oil (and a package of mushrooms if you like) until onions are translucent, add 1/4 cup of flour, cook about 3 minutes, add 2 cans chicken broth and whisk, and 2 cups cut chicken, simmer 15 - 20 minutes (while cooking make one package of Uncle Ben's Original White and Wild rice) When veggies are tender add one can evaporated milk until heated through, stir in rice and serve. It only takes about 30 - 40 minutes. Less if you cut and do veggies the night before. 3) Chicken casserole

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff (sp?) - 1 lb stew beef, 1 can cream of mushroom, 1 can mushrooms, 1 cup water and 1 beef bullion cube, cook on low all day. Stir in Sour cream when you get home and boil noodles and whatever veggie you want. Usually ready in 20 minutes.

That is a good start...

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2006
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 3:24pm
Ummm.....YUMMMMMMYYY - Definitely giving these a try too!!! I would love more if you have more!!!
Rosecolouredspecs
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2007
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 4:01pm

That's right. Roast the chicken at 350 for about twenty minutes - depending on how thick the breasts are. You want it partially cooked before adding the fruit mixture or the mixture will burn before the chicken is done.

I also recommend lining the pan with foil. This is a very messy clean up meal otherwise.

good luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2006
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 4:25pm

Thanks!!!!!! Can't wait to try it!

Rose

Rosecolouredspecs

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