Easy and Fast Meal Ideas

Thought I'd post some dinner ideas I use when I'm in a rush or I'm not feeling up to a lot of prep or I haven't remembered to defrost any meat. VERY rare is the time that we need to go get fast food instead of eating something we already have here.

If you keep cans of veggies your kids will eat and cans of fruit they like, it's easy to make a well rounded meal by just opening a few cans to serve alongside a main dish.

So....


FAST MEALS:

quesadillas (tortillas with melted cheese. I just tell the kids to make their own in the microwave. This is a good one for days that I'm sick.)

pigs in a blanket or pigs in a poncho:

wrap a hot dog and a little cheese in a crescent roll. Bake according to crescent roll instructions. Or, wrap a hot dog and a little cheese (and maybe a sliver of pickle) in a tortilla. Heat in the microwave to melt the cheese.

Breakfast for Dinner:

This is a great option. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, scrambled eggs, cereal if you're really desperate. I don't use it often because I like to save my breakfast food for breakfast, BUT, it's wonderful if you're sick or you just got home from a long day and you just want something in the tummies quick. Add fruit (canned or fresh) to make it more filling.

Add canned beans to scrambled eggs to make it ranchero style and it makes a lot more food. Serve it with toast and fruit.

Canned Soup over Rice:

Serving food over rice or pasta is a great way to make a little bit of meat and sauce fill up a family. I keep canned soup around (the little cans of condensed chicken noodle or even the fancy Campbells soups.) and then we serve the soup over rice and it goes a lot further.

Again, serve it with bread or crackers (soda crackers are good to have in your pantry for this) and canned fruit. If you use a soup with no vegetables (chicken noodle for instance), you can add a bag of frozen peas and carrots to the soup while you're warming it up.

Ramen and Canned Chicken:

Cook ramen according to directions. Add frozen peas and carrots (I ALWAYS have these in my freezer to add to stuff) and a drained can of chicken. Serve in a bowl topped with shredded cheese. Serve with fruit.

Now, don't go freaking out about how unhealthy ramen is. Think of how unhealthy fast food is. This is not going to be what you eat for every day. It's just for times when your alternative is fast food. At least with this option, you've saved some time and lots of money.

Smothered Burritos:

put refried beans and cheese into a tortilla (if you don't have as many cans of refried beans as you'd like -- my family of 7 uses 2, then mix one can of refried beans with one can of tomato sauce). Roll up the tortilla and place the burritos side by side in one layer in a 9x12 pan. Mix one can of roast beef with gravy and one small can of enchilada sauce. Pour it over the top of the burritos and top with more cheese. Cover and bake for 15 mins at 350 to soften tortillas. (if you're really rushed, cover and cook in the microwave until it's warmed through.)

4 Can Chili:

Use 2 cans of any kind of bean suitable for chili, 1 can of refried beans to thicken and 1 can of tomato sauce. Add a packet of chili seasoning or use 1/4th of this mix -2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano.

Just open everything, drain the beans, dump it all into a pot and heat it through.

You can add hamburger or chicken if you have it, but you don't have to.

This is also a good meal to take camping because nothing needs to be refrigerated.

French Bread Pizza:

Slice a loaf of french bread in half longways. Spread both halves with softened butter. Add garlic salt. Top with any toppings you might use on pizza. I like lunch meat ham or turkey with cheese and pineapple. This is a good use for just a little bit of leftover meat from an earlier meal in the week. Put under the broiler for 1-2 mins, checking after 1 minute. It will cook QUICKLY. Slice and serve.

Frozen Pot Pies:

I buy these when they go on sale and they are great for easy meals that the kids can make themselves. The newer ones can be cooked in the microwave, too, so they are ready faster.



I have tons more, but these are the ones I use most often.