Does anyone else ever feel like there is no time in the day? I always feel like there is no time in the day. I work full time, write, and freelance, not including spending time with my family and craft for resale. So, I have put together a few simple recipes that can help save time for the busy person on the go.
Roasted Chicken Crock Pot Dinner
So this recipe is simple enough, even if you forget to thaw your chicken.
I will usually thaw the chicken the night or the day before. But if you forget, throw it in frozen as long as it doesn't have the bag of giblets inside it.
Spray your crock pot.
Place cleaned whole potatoes in the bottom of your crock pot with seasonings and butter.
Please note I have a larger crock pot, and everything fits. If you have to cut your potatoes, that is okay because you're stacking everything.
Top the potatoes with canned or fresh green beans or carrots and 1/2 of a sliced onion.
On a plate, season all sides of your whole chicken.
Place in the crock pot, breast side down.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours until chicken has cooked thoroughly.
With minimal prep work, you get an easy dinner.
***
Chili Mac
This recipe is super simple, and what I call it is a one-pot wonder.
2- boxes of cheap Mac and cheese
1- can chili of your choosing
Milk
3- tablespoons Butter
Shredded cheese
In a pot, empty your Mac and Cheese pasta and powder mix to the pot
Add 1 cup milk add enough water to cover the remaining pasta
Add any other spices you like
Add butter
Cook on medium-low until pasta is slightly aldente
Add a can of chili to the mixture (Whichever chili you like.)
Cook the mixture on low until it thickens
Add cheese and mix
Top with sour cream, extra cheese, or whatever your heart tells you
***
Easy Chicken Quesadillas
1- Bag Shredded Cheese
1- bag 8-inch soft tortillas
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup salsa
1- drained can of shredded chicken or 1 cup shredded chicken
2- teaspoons taco or fajita seasoning
(You can add anything to the mix that you would like, such as cooked onions or peppers, beans, etc. Just remember to add extra cheese.)
Spices of your choice
In a bowl, mix the following items: cheese, chicken, salsa, and spices, and mix well.
You can add extra cheese or beans if you wish.
Preheat a skillet on medium heat.
Add mixture to half the tortilla shell and fold over.
Place in skillet and cook till golden on both sides.
Serve with the condiments of your choice!
***
Easy French Onion Soup
4 Cups Beef Broth
4 Tablespoons Butter
6 Cups Of Sliced Onion
2 Cubes Beef Boullion
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
4 Cloves of Garlic minced
Croutons
Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Get the crock pot again because you are cooking this all day low and slow.
Mix your onions, minced garlic, cornstarch, and spices.
Let the cornstarch coat all of the onions.
Add the mixture to the crock pot.
Add Beef Broth and Bouillon
DO NOT MIX
Add Butter
Throw the lid on and cook low and slow.
Let it cook for 4-6 hours.
When the onions are soft and cooked, add the soup to an oven-safe soup bowl.
Add soup top with croutons and cheese
Put under a broiler till the cheese is melted and has formed a crust.
Serve with a sandwich or have the soup by itself.
** Traditionally, this recipe is served with a big piece of crusty bread sitting in it to soak up the broth and topped with cheese, but who has time to worry about cutting the bread and toasting it? Croutons work as well, and people usually have them in their homes.**
**
Stuffed Sandwiches
This dinner is where you will want the leftovers!
My kids loved this recipe, and it is also great to make for potlucks or get-togethers.
2 Loaves French or 1 Loaf Cuban Bread (Need 4 feet of bread)
1 Bottle of Creamy Italian Dressing
2- 1 Poundpackages- Cheese of your choice, Cut slices in half
1 -1 Pound Package of Salami
1-1 Pound Package Ham
1-1 Pound Package Turkey
1 Package of Baby Spinach
1/2 Sliced Onion Thin
1/2 to 1 whole Pepper Sliced Thin Or 1- jar of sweet sliced peppers
1-2 tomatoes cut into bite-size pieces (Or one can of flavored or diced tomatoes drained)
Foil
*you should have leftover meat and cheese for later.*
Preheat your oven to 325-350 degrees
On two baking sheets, Cut foil big enough to wrap your sandwiches
Cut bread to open in a v shape (if it breaks, no worries, you're going to wrap it in foil anyway)
On both sides of the bread, liberally spread the creamy Italian Dressing- You want this to be slightly damp with the dressing.
On the bottom of the bread, place one row of each cheese
Layer your lunch meat
Add Another Layer of Cheese
Add tomatoes, peppers, and spinach in layers
Top with onions
Add another layer of cheese.
Now, you close the sandwich the best you can and wrap it tight with foil.
Once wrapped, put your pans in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. You want them to melt the cheese and be hot throughout the sandwich.
Take out of the oven and sit for 5 minutes
Cut into 1-2 inch slices
Can store leftovers if there are any in the fridge
Serve with chips, Salad, French Fries, Or Fruit!
These reheat so well the following day.
***
Ultimate Breakfast for Dinner Casserole
1- can bake and eat biscuits (Or homemade)
1- dozen eggs
1- package sausage (need 1 cup ground up)
1- package ham cut into cubes (1 cup)
1-package bacon cooked and crushed
1- bag hashbrown potatoes
1- onion chopped chopped
1- bell pepper chopped
1- bag of shredded cheese
2- packages of gravy mix
Milk
Salt, Pepper and Powdered Garlic
Butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take 1- 9 by 13-inch pan and 1- 8 by 8-inch pan and butter both pans
Layer of the hashbrowns in the pans, and you should not go above halfway up the pans
Mix the meat, vegetables, and half the cheese. Reserving some of the sausage to add to the gravy if you have more than a cup
Spread the meat and vegetable mix in both pans
In the same bowl, you had the meat and veggies in scramble all 12 eggs
add a little milk and seasonings (You can add seasoning of your choice)
pour mixture over meat and potatoes
DO NOT MIX
Make Gravy mix per the instructions
Take Biscuits cut up into fours and spread over the top of the pans
Take gravy and pour over the biscuits
Take both bans and cook in the oven until the egg mixture is baked and not wiggly in the middle.
Check your biscuits to make sure they have cooked through as well,
Cooking time will take 25-30 minutes.
Top the pans with the remaining cheese and cook until melted.
Serve and Enjoy
Depending on the size of your family, you may have leftovers that will hold for 2-3 days in the fridge.
You can switch out the meat and veg to your preference, but remember some vegetables may release moisture during the cooking process, so make sure you account for that in cooking or pre-cook them.
***
Pork and Peaches
Get That Crock Pot Out!
1 Pork Loin or 6 Pork Chops
2 cans peaches in syrup(You need the syrup do not drain)
1/2 onion sliced thin
1-3 Apples Cut up (I always add three because of the flavor contrast)
Cinnamon
4 Table Spoons Brown Sugar
Garlic Powder
Salt Pepper
Beef Or Vegetable instant gravy pack
Serve over Mashed Potatoes, Noodles or Rice
In a crock pot, add peaches, apples, onion, gravy pack, spices
Mix to combine
Add pork
Coat the pork in the mixture
Cook Low and Slow for 4-6 hours
Be prepared for the pork to fall apart or be very tender.
I hope this helps with a few quick night dinners!
-Angie
No comments:
Post a Comment