wedding
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Post by wedding on Nov 4, 2018 16:53:35 GMT -6
You all know cooking is not my strong suit and not my favorite, but with Dhs job situation we need to cut our expenses and the takeout/eating out needs to be cut big time. And it’s for the best. We don’t eat until 7:30-8 at night because that’s when Dh gets home. Meals that can reheat to last two nights or double as lunch the next day are ideal.
Here’s what I have this week:
Taquitos (Dh is making them tonight)
Premade tortellini with premade sauce
Shake and bake chicken and roasted potatoes
Frozen pizza
Buffalo chicken and boxed Mac and cheese
Canned or frozen veg depending
Other things I can make:
Breakfast for dinner
Baked stuffed chicken (time consuming)
Baked ziti
Marinated chickens with stuff
Fajitas and quesadillas
Things I can’t make:
Beef. I almost always ruin it. I also hate touching it
My own sauces
Obviously our standards aren’t high. What other things can we do?
We have an instant pot but haven’t used it. I’m scared.
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mwhip
Opal
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Post by mwhip on Nov 4, 2018 17:08:42 GMT -6
Have you tried the water test in your IP? It made me much more comfortable with it. If you like hard boiled eggs, try them in it too, to get comfortable, and they're perfect in it! The IP is a huge help for me...put frozen meat in and it comes out perfect! Cause Im terrible about remembering to set stuff out!
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klong11
Ruby
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Post by klong11 on Nov 4, 2018 17:12:49 GMT -6
I do sausage and roasted veggies. Basically it's a sheet pan with zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, basically any veggies you eat. I've done broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms. Then on a separate pan I cut up sausages and cook them. Super easy.
We're doing black bean tostada's tonight. Refried black beans, tostada shell(crispy flat corn tortillas), lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese. Sometimes we add chicken and/or rice as well.
We've started doing hamburger helper, they also make chicken and tuna helpers, since you want to steer clear of beef.
Baking salmon is easy.
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guster
Emerald
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Post by guster on Nov 4, 2018 17:29:59 GMT -6
- Any kind of one pot/ even crockpot quinoa/ rice and beans. Add cheese and chopped onions before serving in bowls. You can easily serve it the next day in soft or hard taco shells with avocado.
I also sometimes take it the next day & add an egg and bread crumbs and turn them into burger patties to serve with salad.
- Black bean soup — I actually think they taste better the next day. Same thing with turkey/chicken chili. A big pot made on the weekends can be easy weekday dinners or lunches
-Any kind of tomato/red pepper bisque that they sell in a box (if you don’t want to make your own) with grilled cheese sandwiches (blts, too) or salad.
I don’t know if C will eat salad, but I buy the stirfry beef and throw it in a hot frying pan with the Montreal steak seasoning. It’s done in less than five minutes. I add it to bagged salad with a chopped egg, blue cheese, some walnuts and cranberries with balsamic vinegrette.
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Post by lahdeedah on Nov 4, 2018 17:45:38 GMT -6
You can do a lot with a rotisserie chicken by using it in different dishes. I sub it in a lot of recipes to save time. I usually use any extra meat for chicken salad or for M to eat on a day that he might not eat what I’m cooking.
I agree with using the instant pot. It can do so much. Start with easy stuff. I’m doing baked potatoes in it this week. Easy peasy. You can also use whatever marinade for your meat, then put it in the IP with some water or stock and in 20-30 minutes have really tender flavorful chicken, turkey tenderloin/breast, pork tenderloin, etc.
We all love grilled cheese and if I want to make it a meal, I’ll add in ham or turkey. Maybe a bag salad with it or soup.
Publix here does frozen pizzas BOGO every other week or so. I really like Digiorno Pizzeria collection supreme and Primo thin supreme. Digiorno is like $5 on sale and the Primo $2.50. Can’t beat that.
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Post by wineallthetime on Nov 4, 2018 18:27:29 GMT -6
You live my life. Here are my go to meals:
Tacos: just make ground turkey with taco seasoning and get the fixings to make tacos or salad
Skinnytaste chicken taco chili: we make in crockpot and often double the recipe and freeze some
Skinnytaste cheeseburger casserole (we use Turkey instead of beef). Can also be frozen.
Salmon. I just throw it in a ziplock with brown sugar, lemon and soy sauce, baked and served with some veggies
Birds Eye steam fresh veggie pasta with side dishes
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chrisy01
Emerald
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Post by chrisy01 on Nov 4, 2018 19:38:47 GMT -6
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chrisy01
Emerald
Posts: 11,007 Likes: 51,901
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Post by chrisy01 on Nov 4, 2018 19:40:43 GMT -6
One way to help cook food faster is to do some prep on the weekends. If a meal requires ground beef I cook it ahead of time and put it in the fridge or freezer. Like this week starter brothers had a sale on ground beef so I bought extra and froze it. It doesn’t save a lot of time but it helps with the stress of cooking.
I also freeze a lot of crock pot stuff so I just dump the stuff in and go.
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Post by peachsmama on Nov 4, 2018 19:45:01 GMT -6
I like grilled cheese and tomato soup (campbells tomato bisque) when it's cold and its quick and easy.
My grocery store does fresh fish in oven packs. They'll season it and everything. You just throw it in the oven and it steams in the pack. Idk if you like fish but maybe see if yours has that. I can steam some broccoli in the microwave and put rice in my rice cooker and bake that fish and dinners done in 30 minutes. I do tofu for me.
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chrisy01
Emerald
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Post by chrisy01 on Nov 4, 2018 19:46:49 GMT -6
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tgrimes
Diamond
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 5, 2018 8:47:19 GMT -6
wedding We've started making big meals on Sunday that I can either just bake when I get home or reheat. This week we prepped shepherd's pie and a chicken broccoli casserole thing. It makes a ton of food and we can get at least 2 dinners out of each one. The kids want to eat as soon as we walk in the door so it saves me a lot of time. Give me a minute and I"ll link some really easy things to make.
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tgrimes
Diamond
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 5, 2018 8:49:16 GMT -6
Also, we have an instant pot. MH is the one that's been using it because, like you, I'm too scared. I've only done a couple things with his direction. I need to sit down and actually read the directions for it so it will be less scary, lol.
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mwhip
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Post by mwhip on Nov 5, 2018 9:00:45 GMT -6
Lol, guys, don't be scared of the IP! It's so easy and now the most used item in my kitchen!
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tgrimes
Diamond
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 5, 2018 9:16:55 GMT -6
Lol, guys, don't be scared of the IP! It's so easy and now the most used item in my kitchen! Maybe you should come to my house and teach me how to use it! |
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mwhip
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Post by mwhip on Nov 5, 2018 9:32:57 GMT -6
Lol, guys, don't be scared of the IP! It's so easy and now the most used item in my kitchen! Maybe you should come to my house and teach me how to use it! I'll book my flight and be down later today! |
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tgrimes
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 5, 2018 9:34:47 GMT -6
Maybe you should come to my house and teach me how to use it! I'll book my flight and be down later today! You can stay in the princess room. |
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jewels
Opal
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Post by jewels on Nov 5, 2018 9:52:20 GMT -6
wedding , like you, I am not a great cook. MH is, thankfully, but he's often away. This coupled with the fact that my 2 kids seem to like very different foods makes it difficult. Regular meals in my house are: 1) Breakfast for dinner... which is usually a combination of some of the following: eggs, frozen egg casseroles (we like the jimmy dean egg & vegie frittatas), frozen waffles, fruit, yogurt 2) pasta (I mix in spiralized zucchini for myself, but for the actual pasta I alternate between the boxed veggie noodles and frozen ravioli). I make a quick meat sauce which is literally just ground turkey with garlic and crazy janes mixed up pepper - I brown the turkey then add a jar of sauce. I do it light on the sauce and add more later b/c B refuses to eat pasta and just eats the meat, so this way it's easier. 3) EASY baked chicken - boneless chicken breast in a baking dish cover with orange juice, a bit of white cooking wine, and a splash of lemon juice. I've added and subtracted from that based on what I have, but the orange juice is important part. Season with whatever you like (Again I often use the Crazy Janes) and bake for about 40 minutes (depending on the thickness). Both kids LOVE that. I do a lot of frozen foods to add to meals - tater tots, steamfresh broccoli, etc
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tgrimes
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 5, 2018 10:57:24 GMT -6
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tgrimes
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 5, 2018 11:03:55 GMT -6
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Post by xolastunicornxo on Nov 5, 2018 16:20:12 GMT -6
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Post by mskatiep on Nov 5, 2018 19:29:05 GMT -6
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff www.julieseatsandtreats.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-hamburger-stroganoff/Just random quick meal ideas: Chili Pigs in a blanket Tacos Parmesan Chicken Soup and Sandwiches Big Mac Salad Egg Sandwiches Chicken Alfredo (premade alfredo) Spaghetti (premade sauce) Egg salad Sloppy Joes Frozen Lasagna Ribs in instant pot Meatloaf cups Egg roll in a bowl Chicken nuggets If you aren't into the instant pot, you could try some crock pot meals too. I love coming home to dinner made. |
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Post by dapostrophe on Nov 7, 2018 7:17:05 GMT -6
+1 to the instant pot. It doubles as a Crock-Pot too, so you can slow cook in it. I use this website a lot for both slow cooking and pressure cooking recipes: www.365daysofcrockpot.com/ |
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Post by peachsmama on Nov 7, 2018 21:12:34 GMT -6
I made the baked ravioli for dinner tonight and it was so good! I actually made 2 and threw one in the freezer. |
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tgrimes
Diamond
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 7, 2018 21:18:43 GMT -6
I made the baked ravioli for dinner tonight and it was so good! I actually made 2 and threw one in the freezer. It’s easy, right? |
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Post by peachsmama on Nov 7, 2018 21:42:39 GMT -6
I made the baked ravioli for dinner tonight and it was so good! I actually made 2 and threw one in the freezer. It’s easy, right? Super easy, and so good! I made a salad to go with it and instead just ate 2 plates of ravioli... |
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tgrimes
Diamond
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Post by tgrimes on Nov 7, 2018 21:45:30 GMT -6
Super easy, and so good! I made a salad to go with it and instead just ate 2 plates of ravioli... Lol. |
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