i need five dinners. so tired of coming up with meals. i need five. one, kinda nothing and fun

[seabeyond]

i cook monday thru friday... saturday and sunday is free for all or take out. but a not much cooking one, i will do up so it is in fridge for people to get. or heavy leftover for people to grab over weekend.

so... years of coming up with dinners and my people sayin... i dont know. i will try du...

just five meals.

thanks all

[redwitch]

1. Mexican lasagna

Saute spinach, black beans ( I use canned), onion, chopped tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt in a little olive oil.
Spread enchilada sauce on bottom of a lasagna pan. Add a layer of corn tortillas, some of the spinach mix, cooked rice,monterey jack cheese with jalapenos, some more enchilada sauce. Repeat the layers until it is all in the pan, top with the last of the sauce and cheese and bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Serve with sour cream and black olives. It is very yummy and you can cut squares of it to reheat for several days. Delish! Easy, tasty, and I actually got my husband to eat spinach!

[tigereye]

26. mmmmm, copying this..

[MiddleFingerMom]

2. Caprese salad

(edit to add this first part)
.
BTW, a little fun aside -- this dish has the the three
colors of the Italian flag.
.
.
.
.
.
This is my current favorite fallback option -- kind of a
nouveau comfort food for me.
.
.
I usually cube the fresh mozzarella and put the cheese on
one side of the plate and the tomato half-slices on the
other and sprinkle fresh basil on all.
.
.
Though it's light and fresh, it's also filling and really
satisfying as far as being a substantial meal. Some garlic
bread/toast would be a perfect accompaniment.
.
.
Simply cut the mozzarella into whatever form you prefer,
slice the tomatoes in halves. drizzle olive oil onto the
plate (that's the classic -- I can't have mine now without
a little bit of balsamic vinegar drizzled with it). Arrange
the cheese and tomatoes on the plate and sprinkle generously
with snipped fresh (VERY important -- not dried) basil --
and maybe a little black pepper.
.
.
I'm not a vegetarian, but this is a meatless meal that really
does it for me.
.
.
.

.
.
.

[Arugula Latte]

16. This is my favorite food. Period.

:9

[uncommon]

17. You can also put the same ingredients on a bagel for a slightly more substantial meal.

Soooooo good.

[driver8]

20. One of my all-time favorites!! n/t

[HopeHoops]

3. Tacos. Get the stand-up type corn shells and some flour tortillas if you have kids in braces.

Refried beans (quick & easy).
Chop onion, fresh tomatoes, spinach (iron for the women and girls), lettuce (some people won't touch spinach even though it is way better), and mushrooms -- all in individual bowls with spoons/forks.
Open a can of sliced black olives.
Have a jar of salsa & a jar of taco sauce available.
Open a tub of sour cream and put a spoon in it.
Grate some cheddar cheese or get a packet of pre-grated cheese if you feel lazy.

Yell, "DINNER'S READY - COME EAT BEFORE IT IS GONE!" Only do this after you've made your OWN taco - just to be sure you get one.

[marzipanni]

12. We like that, too. Lately I've bean "refrying" canned beans w/onions and garlic.

They taste so good compared to canned "already refried" beans.

[HopeHoops]

13. True, and you can also mix kidney, pinto, and black-eyed peas while doing that!

Good shit, Maynard.

[marzipanni]

14. Oops, I meant to say sauté onions

slowly 'til soft and caramelized, add garlic cook for a minute, add and mash 2 cans pinto, black or cannellini beans, with some of their liquid, and simmer.
(In case someone else hasn't tried this -it's really good- I would make it just to spread on tortillas)

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

4. Chicken Fajitas

are quick and easy to make. Cut chicken breasts into thin strips, cook in a skillet with olive oil, lime juice and ground cumin. Remove chicken stips and cook thinly sliced onions and green bell peppers with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, another squeeze of lime juice and dash of cumin. When your veg is done put the chicken back in the pan and warm it all up. Serve with warm flour tortillas, cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, Tapatio sauce...whatever floats your boat. Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.

[gvstn]

5. Quick Rick Casserole

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1 4oz. can mushrooms
7oz. pkg. elbow macaroni
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes (I sometimes use DelMonte with mild green chiles for a little added spice)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano

Brown ground beef, onion, celery and green pepper.
Remove from pan, reserve drippings.
Add macaroni to drippings and brown lightly.
Add beef mixture and remaining ingredients.
Cover tightly and cook slowly 30-35 minutes until pasta is tender. (If desiring leftovers I would cook 25-30 minutes because otherwise pasta will get too mushy for my taste in subsequent reheatings)

[gvstn]

6. Easy Chicken Pie

4 cups cooked or shredded chicken
2 ready-made pie crusts (I only use top crust)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream or celery soup
1 16.oz can mixed vegetables. drained
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (original recipe called for 1/2 tsp. but I find that too much)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place one pie crust in 9 inch pie pan according to package directions.
In large mixing bowl, combine chicken, soups, vegetables, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour into pie crust.
Top with remaining pie crust according to package directions. Cut a couple small slits in top.
Bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown.

****
A little messy for leftovers if you love a flaky pie crust but a simple way to use up leftover chicken and looks more impressive than the 10 minutes it takes to put it together.

[TK421]

30. That sounds pretty good, but can the onions be substituted for onion salt?

[gvstn]

34. It is just a casserole type dish with common ingredients

You can substitute or omit anything you like or don't like. I use more celery because I like it and sometimes an extra can of tomatoes. If you don't like onion or don't have it on hand you can always just skip it.

If you use onion salt rather than fresh onion I would use just a teaspoon or so and omit the regular salt. Maybe even use no-salt tomatoes or tomato sauce. It really depends on your personal taste. I know I've substituted garlic salt for garlic powder in a pinch but find it advisable to cut some salt elsewhere when doing so. I think onion salt or garlic salt are mostly salt rather than mostly onion or garlic powder.

[Arkansas Granny]

7. Here's one that my daughter uses a lot. You can use it as is for a side dish

or add meats and veggies for a main dish. It's quite tasty.

1 C. long grain rice, uncooked (not Minute rice)
1 10.5 oz. can beef broth or consomme
1 soup can water
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients in a two qt. casserole or baking dish. Cover tightly and bake at 350F for about one hour or until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.

I like to add sliced mushrooms and celery to the rice mixture and then lay browned pork chops on top before putting in the oven.

[yankeepants]

8. Easiest evah

I put chicken drumsticks or thighs in the crockpot with a couple, two, three bottles of barbecue sauce. Potato salad and a green salad in the fridge. Bye Bye, goin'for a ride.

They love it.

[spinbaby]

9. Easiest dinner ever

Beijing chicken

Stop at the grocery store and buy:

rotisserie chicken
flour tortillas
green onions
duck sauce

When you get home, arrange a bit of chicken, chopped green onion, and duck sauce in a tortilla and enjoy. Hardest part of the whole exercise is rinsing and chopping the green onion.

[yankeepants]

10. Hey wait I just posted the easiest dinner ever

OK I glossed over the making pot sal and green sal but you can always but thost at the deli.

[elleng]

11. Come on over to Cooking/Baking!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=236

[seabeyond]

15. i want you to know

i went looking for that forum yesterday. i didnt know it was under family//home. i looked and looked.

silly me

i couldnt understand why i couldnt find.

thanks. i will

[elleng]

21. Good; c'mon over!

(I understand difficulty in finding stuff here!)

[Kali]

22. when you find a forum you want to get back to there is a link at the top

that says "add to my forums" or something similar - click that and it will add it to the box of "my forums" just below the line of icons at the top of the "latest" page and maybe the top of the home page as well. (I hardly go there at all)

[RadiationTherapy]

18. Steamed veggies, pasta, pesto.

[Betty88]

24. That sounds good Im makin that tomorrow night thanks nt

[tigereye]

27. that's what we do for a quick meal

sauteed chicken pieces, steamed broccoli, rotini and pesto. Quite the favorite around here! And good crusty bread or a salad.

[Kali]

19. let me get this straight... you have sons (teens)

and you still have leftovers?:wtf:

seriously, I totally relate to the drudgery of coming up with meals every freaking day when really all the consumers care about are mass quantities - teen food should come in 50lb sacks like horse feed.

I have a friend coming next week who is much more of a foodie and it will be fun being around somebody who cares about flavors and ingredients as opposed to volumes!

[seabeyond]

40. i do. lol. none of us a huge eaters where we sit and eat in mass.

we probably consume little more times a day, then a lot a couple times a day.

my hubby is like that. he is the much better cook. it is a hoot serving something and watching him tell me what is in it. he walks in house and with smell can tell me what is for dinner. food just is not a big deal to me. i could take a pill three times a day and be happy with a little peanut m&ms for desert.

[bif]

23. Here's an easy one that everyone loves

Boil some prepared ravioli. Heat up a box of roasted red pepper and tomato soup. Combine and serve with a salad.

[peacefreak]

25. Do you use a crockpot?

Hungarian Goulash

2 pounds Round steak -- cut in cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika
1 cup Onion -- chopped
1 teaspoon Thyme -- dried
1 Garlic clove -- minced
1 Bay leaf
3 tablespoons Flour
14 1/2 ounces Tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sour cream
1 teaspoon Pepper

Put steak cubes, onions, garlic in crockpot. Stir in flour and mix to
coat steak cubes. Add all remaining ingredients except sour cream. Stir
well. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours. Add sour cream 30 minutes
before serving. (HIGH 4 to 5 hours)> Serve over hot buttered noodles.

I also saute 8oz of sliced mushrooms in olive oil & add with the sour cream & let simmer that last 30 minutes

[tigereye]

28. here's what I posted in the C and B forum the other night

quick, easy and filling. The magazine I got it from called it "santa fe chicken" but I suspect that it bears little resemblance...


3/4- 1 pound skinless chicken breast, cut in bite sized pieces
1 medium onion (I used red onions from the farm share box)
1 green and 1 orange pepper (love the different colors!)
5-6 or more red or heirloom potatoes cubed - and then microwaved (so much easier) Best if potatoes are local, organic if available
1 jar or several cups salsa (I use organic black bean salsa, but any kind will do)
2 cups of cooked yellow or other corn
spices as you like, cilantro, chiles, etc.


Saute onions and peppers on medium heat til soft, add chicken, until all cooked through 5-7 minutes or til done
Add cooked potatoes on medium or lower heat for another 3-5 minutes
Add salsa and corn. Allow those to heat through on low heat for flavors to blend. It tastes even better the second day when reheated.

We have it with ciabatta or other crusty bread and make a salad if we aren't too unmotivated. :rofl:


I have made it with sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, and I suppose you could substitute salmon, beef or other meats.

[Redstone]

29. Go to a restaurant. What could be easier?

Redstone

[seabeyond]

41. lol. true. we are almost anti restaurant. 3, 4 times a year. something my kids would say,

thanks redstone

[Dr Morbius]

31. I LIVE for challenges like this.

There's pasta salad. Cut up a pound of bacon into 1/2" pieces before cooking, then brown and remove the bacon to paper towels in order to soak up the grease. Cook up a pound of rotini, or perhaps cavatappi. Cut up some tomatoes, some cucumber, some celery, some onions - whatever you happen to have and like. Cut up your favorite kind of cheese into chunks and toss this all together. Refrigerate in a massive bowl and after it's chilled, mix in your favorite salad dressing (or simply mayonnaise) just before serving. I love this with a spicy vinaigrette, myself.

Don't want to use bacon? Use spam. Or tuna, it's really tasty with tuna. Or cut up salami and pepperoni. Be creative.

----------------------------------------------------------

These are the four rules for basic pot-luck at my place:

First rule: if you want fast and relatively easy, think pasta.

Second rule: Campbell's condensed soups are your best friends. They provide great flexibility.

Third rule: watch your sodium levels. If you're using high-salt meats, like bacon or sausage, use perhaps 1/2 or 2/3 lb, instead of a full pound. Soup is salty, so your overall meal will be salty if you use too much bacon. Yes, there is such a thing as too much bacon.

Fourth rule: customize based on what else you got around.

A can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup, a can of diced tomatoes, a pound of pasta and a pound of some kind of meat and viola, we're eating and it tastes pretty good. The cream of mushroom mixes very well with a jar of alfredo sauce. The tomato soup with a medium can of tomato sauce, mixed with browned pork sausage and canned mushrooms makes for a macaroni casserole which is amazing. Now, the nice thing about this pot-luck thing is that it's quite easy to expand for lots of people, or for those who eat a TON of food, like teens. Instead of one can of soup, use two... and mix them up. Add diced tomatoes and alfredo sauce to a big jar of your favorite pre-made spaghetti sauce (and two pounds of meat) to create an interesting casserole. Yes, one can make one's own alfredo sauce, but if you want fast and easy, it's pretty hard to beat opening up a jar.

One caveat: stay away from long skinny pasta like linguini or spaghetti. They don't work well with creamy sauces. Cavatappi (corkscrews), rotini (springs), rigatoni (fat short tubes), farfalle (bow ties): these are all fine. Have fun with it.

The following combinations have been found to work extraordinarily well, all with one pound of pasta:

cream of shrimp soup, alfredo sauce and two cans of tuna
cream of mushroom with roasted garlic, alfredo sauce, and ground beef
cream of onion, La Preferida Cheddar Cheese sauce, and bacon
cream of celery, diced tomatoes, onions, sliced and fried hot dogs

----------------------------------------------------------------

And there's always soup. Doesn't take a lot longer to make a big batch of soup as opposed to a small batch.

[PADemD]

32. Mexican Casserole

My Mom used to make this quick and easy recipe.

Crumble 1 pound of ground beef in a frying pan and fry until done. Add 1 each red and green pepper, chopped into small pieces and 1 small bag of frozen corn. Mix well. Add 1 can of tomato sauce, a little sugar, and McCormick's All Purpose seasoning. Simmer and serve.

[Mopar151]

33. Steak sandwiches/subs

Use leftover grilled/broiled steak - 6 oz.+/person. Chop up sweet peppers, onions (use more if thy are sweet like Vidalias), and mushrooms to your liking.
Start the veggies sauteeing, then slice your (medium rare)steak up as thinly as possible. cold helps, as does a very sharp knife.
Add slices into the vegies, and saute.
Split a sub roll or peice of French bread. Put some cheese on the spread-open roll, and broil until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Load the steak/veggie mix into the roll, top with more cheese. Stick it back in the broiler for a few sec., until the top cheese is melted.
These are good with chicken as well....

[cherokeeprogressive]

35. Breakfast for Dinner.

Two eggs, bacon, homemade hash browns, and biscuits with butter and honey.

[seabeyond]

42. my hubby wont let me... ok.... not a matter of let or not, but something about growing up

breakfast for dinner must have been HUGE no no. we did a lot in our house. hubby doesnt get it. i do that when he is out of town or something.

odd, huh?

[cherokeeprogressive]

46. I think I can understand, kinda.

My parents weren't very well off at all and breakfast for dinner is relatively inexpensive as far as a meal goes. Heck, my mom used Bisquick to make the buscuits because of how much cheaper it was than a sleeve of Pillsbury biscuits.

My Dad was never happy with breakfast for dinner and it was only a few years ago that I found out why.

I still feel like it's a treat though!

[grasswire]

49. don't knock bisquick!

American families had hot biscuits, dumplings, shortcakes, impossible pies of all kinds savory and sweet, coffee cakes, and lots more just because that box was in the cupboard. I personally regret the tuna shortcake that was popular one year. But the hash rollups were good!

[cherokeeprogressive]

54. There is a box of Bisquick in my kitchen and an unopened one in my pantry.

In fact, people have been known to put things on top of the dumplings I make with it to keep them from floating away.

My point was only that I recently found out WHY my Mom cooked breakfast for dinner once a week.

[grasswire]

36. lots of good eats at eatingwell.com

From the Eating Well magazine. Bright, fresh foods for families.

Oh hey -- Rachel Ray has a new TV show where she makes five suppers on one day. Might catch that on the Food network.

One of our favorite EZ meals is a huge stir fry made with all kinds of veggies, several packages of chicken ramen noodles, diced chinese BBQ pork, and cashew nuts. I use sesame oil, garlic and grated fresh ginger for the seasoning as well as the packets from the ramen noodles. I like to use bean sprouts, cabbage of any kind, carrots, peppers, peas or pea pods, green beans, onion, broccoli, whatever. A handful of sesame seeds sprinkled over top makes the dish perfect. Serve with rice or not.

Hmm...when I was feeding two teenagers and three adults one of the favorite easy meals was a faux chicken divan. Cooked chicken breasts cut in chunks, steamed broccoli spears, put into a baking dish and topped with cream of chicken soup mixed with mayo, curry powder and lemon juice. Top that with cheddar cheese and bake until bubbly and savory yummy. I serve that with an apple salad and blueberry-cornmeal muffins.

Hey....how about getting a quesadilla maker (about $19) and putting out all the fixins and letting everyone make their own?

[HEyHEY]

37. weenie bits!

Put a hotdog in a tupperware container, and throw it in the microwave till it explodes.... spread on toast.

[hfojvt]

38. 5 dinars? Isn't that about a nickel?

My favorite easy dinner is to make a cup of rice and mix in a 15 ounce can of beefaroni or raviolios or spaghetti and meatballs. Very cheap and easy to make.

[ChoralScholar]

39. Fish Tacos

Rubios Fish Tacos
12 cod or favorite whitefish fillets (, 1-1/2 oz ea.)
Rubio's Fish Tacos

12 cod or favorite whitefish fillets (1-1/2 oz ea.)
12 tortillas, corn, as thick/fresh as, possible

BEER BATTER
1 cup flour
1 cup beer (Rubio's uses Old Milwaukee)
1 garlic powder, pepper to taste

WHITE SAUCE
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain ogurt

SALSA
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
6 tomatoes, ripe, peeled, seeded and, diced
1/2 onion, minced
2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped, stems removed
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 oil for deep frying

GARNISH
1 head cabbage, green, shredded
1 lime, cut into wedges

[seabeyond]

43. i have never had fish tacos. i hear about them. people like them. i have never tried one

something just wrong.

but i need to give this a try. hubby likes them.

[SwampG8r]

52. i am so LOL at this whole exchange nm

[seabeyond]

44. thanks all.... way more than a week. i appreciate it. such clever idea.

especially those that have an idea, but whatever can be added to make different.

thanks

[seabeyond]

45. here is an easy pasta dinner for others looking at thread.

bottle of spag sauce
mozzarella cheese
bag of frozen cheese filled tortellini

cook noodle

a little sauce on bottom of casserole dish.
cooked tortellini
rest of spag sauce over it
shred moz cheese generously over all

cook 45 min at 350.

serve with salad and bread.

[MiddleFingerMom]

47. I LOVE red sauce and pasta, but something about red sauce and tortellini...

.
.
.
.
.
...just doesn't work for me.
.
.
.
My favorite is to have them in chicken broth with maybe
some chopped green onion and frozen peas.
.
.
.
Fast, light, easy, delicious.
.
.
.

[cwydro]

48. Lol, bumping this up so I can

copy the recipes tomorrow.

I made some fantastic barbecued pork chops tonight...nothing fancy though...we had them with peas and corn on the cob.

Still yum.

[Rabrrrrrr]

50. Shift key broken?

[seabeyond]

55. no. but i do have some problems with my C and M keys.... why? nt

[SwampG8r]

51. if you didnt get what

you need drop me a pm
i have what you need
just tell me what you have to work with

[seabeyond]

56. i will remember that

damn, if i didnt have such a horrible memory, lol. there are times i want specific recipes. but now... just some ideas. i am savong this thread. could last me a while

[SwampG8r]

58. some of these recipes are damn nice

easy and with a nice presentation
i have a paella recipe that works with anything and its served out of one big pot
easy clean up and family friendly

[OffWithTheirHeads]

53. So, my question, before I answer is do you like to cook, or

do you find it to be a chore? If you like to cook, I have lots to offer but if you think cooking is drudgery I don't have much. My daughter in law is not into cooking or, I guess for that matter, the sensual delight that food can provide. Her idea of Spaghetti is 1. cook some noodles. 2. Pour hot Tomato sauce over the noodles. 3. Serve.

I, on the other hand, can spend an entire day on Spaghetti starting with the early morning shopping and I will enjoy every minute of it from selecting the ground meats to grating the fresh Parmesan to making the Garlic Bread. But that's what makes the world go round. You say Potato, I say Pommes de Terre.

[seabeyond]

57. hate it. hubby is more like you. i have recently gotten comfortable using knife to chop veggies

i have gotten better over the years. using fresh products like garlic. and adding because it sounds like it will go well in a recipe. but no... i do not have a love of cooking by any means.

i want the easiest and fastest that looks like i did the work.

but i can certainly appreciate you talent.

so no, i doubt i want your recipes, thank you. lol, i can only imagine the work and effort and understanding.

:toast:

[proteus_lives]

59. I'm a single guy so simple and quick is the name of the game.

I have this great pasta-cooker and I usually end-up cooking pasta, cooking some chicken in the oven and throwing in some microwaveable Greent Giant veggies.

I also like the cheap skillet bags from the g-store. Veggies, pasta, meat and you cook it up on the stove-top for 10 minutes. Each bag feeds two people.