Hello Internet Friends,
I’m looking for some quick and easy recipes. These are the type of dishes you can whip up in 30 minutes or less and they still taste great.
If you’re running late and dinner needs to be on the table quickly, this post is for you.
Please share your quick and easy recipes.
All the Best,
Ron Douglas
Here’s one of my favorite quick and easy recipes…
Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta
Easy and delicious chicken and bow-tie pasta with a white cream sauce.
Prep Time: approx. 10 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 30 Minutes.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 (8 ounce) containers chive and onion cream cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place chicken in a saucepan, and add water to cover. Boil 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then pull meat into shreds.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine chicken broth, red pepper, garlic, broccoli, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender. Stir in cream cheese until smooth. Mix in chicken and pasta until evenly coated. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.
A man after my own heart!
Actually…this isn’t uncommon for me so…I learned a long time ago to plan for it. It isn’t so much that I have quick recipes but…I do have a number of meals that…when I make them–I double them up and stick half in the freezer, then…when push comes to shove, I pop it out and its instant Stouffers a la me.
One of my favorites is Jeff Smith’s Chile Verde. I make a huge pot of it in the crock pot. We have it with tortillas and fixin’s the first night. I chill the leftovers and make enchiladas out of that–in the freezer it goes.
I do have a couple of recipes that go together quickly but…it seems inevitible…ESPECIALLY if there’s no time…I’m also likely to not have all the ingredients as well…so…the freezer is my best friend. :o)
Shrimp or Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Caesar Dressing Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
User Rating:
This recipe requires no cooking and is served cold, so it makes a perfect picnic in the hot summer months as well!
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1 pound jumbo fully cooked shrimp, from the seafood counter in market
1 rotisserie chicken, available in many markets
4 heaping tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons anchovy paste, optional (But it tastes better with it in. If you think you don’t like anchovies, try them in this sauce. They just taste salty and yummy!)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a few handfuls
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper, eyeball the amount in the palm of your hand: 1 teaspoon is equal to about 1/3 of a palm full
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, pour to the count of 4
Cut bottoms off the romaine and cut the heads in half lengthwise. Wash lettuce and separate the leaves. Let it dry in the dish draining rack while you prepare the rest of the menu.
Remove the tails from the shrimp and place the shrimp in a bowl or, pack for travel, if this is a picnic meal.
To remove the chicken meat from the chicken, cut the chicken breasts off first. Cut the legs and thighs off using kitchen scissors to help you. Slice the meat up on an angle. Arrange on a plate or in a plastic container.
Place mayonnaise, garlic, lemon, anchovy paste, cheese, Worcestershire and pepper into the blender and turn it on. Stream the extra-virgin olive oil into the dressing through center of the lid. When the oil is combined, remove the thick dressing with a spatula to a bowl or a portable plastic container.
Place lettuce on a serving platter or pack in large plastic bag or container to travel.
To assemble, spread dressing onto a lettuce leaf. Fill leaf with a large shrimp or sliced cold chicken, like a lettuce taco, and eat!
To pack for picnic, take the romaine hearts in plastic food storage bags. Pack the shrimp and cut chicken in separate bags and pack dressing in small plastic container
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I always leafy vegetables for a green salad, and always have a bottle of store bought dressing. It is also wise to have chicken breasts, cut open, so you toss them on the grill frozen… as they cook I add salt, pepper and dried herbs, mustard, soy sauce, bbq sauce, whatever you can get your hands on… I also cook enough marinara sauce and freeze it small freezer bags, and fix a quick pasta to serve on the side, for dessert, fresh fruit…
I also cook enough carne con chile and make burritos with flour tortillas, just rolled them tight, and to the freezer!!!. If late, first thing I do is get a cast iron grill on the stove, on low heat, and fix the burritos, next to each other, no overlapping, top with a piece of foil wrap, and leave them 8 minutes… turn and cook until golden on all sides…
or on my way home, my favorite, get a rotisserie chicken and fix tacos or tostadas spread with fried beans, lettuce, tomato, and green salsa…
[b]I keep a supply of boneless thin cut pork cutlets on hand that I get from my butcher and before I pack them up I use a marinade to pack them in zip lock bags.
When I come home, they are defrosted and then I grill or broil them, depending on the season. They can be served with sauteed veggies like peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, shredded carrot, snow peas and then served over rice.
Another of my favs that requires a bit of prep beforehand is steak teriaki on a stick. Have the butcher slice up the meat for you and the night before skewer the meat on wooden picks that have been soaked in cold water for about a half hour. Place in a glass baking dish and cover with teriaki sauce and leave covered the the fridge during the day. if desired you can add cherry tomatoes, pieces of onion, pepper, or mushroom to the sticks before grilling. Add a salad, corn on the cob, maybe some potato salad picked up on the way home and viola![/b]
There are many weeknights that I am pressed for time and I whip up simple but flavorful dinners. One of my family’s favorite is bean burritos. This is a recipe I concocted myself and my family and friends always ask for seconds.
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
approx. 8 large flour tortillas (you may use more)
1 small box tomato paste (approx. 6 oz)
1 small onion diced
1 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter
1 8oz container sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. ground cumin
2 cups cheddar cheese cubes (you may substitute another type of cheese if desired)
To make cheese sauce: Saute onions in butter and cumin in a large saucepan until tender. Temporarily remove from heat and add flour and sour cream and mix until blended. Place pot back on medium heat and pour in chicken broth and whisk together. Add cheese and cook until broth is hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. While the cheese sauce is cooking, mix the refried beans and tomato paste together in a bowl. When the cheese suace is ready, add 3 ladels full into the bowl of refried beans and mix together. This is the filling for the tortillas. Fill each tortilla with approx. 2 -3 large tablespoons of the bean mixture. Be sure to put the bean filling on one side of the tortilla and then roll it up starting from the side with the filling. Place rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan. Tortillas lay side by side in the pan. Pour remaining cheese sauce over the rolled tortillas and bake at 375 degrees for approx. 6 - 8 minutes or until hot. You may garnish the burritos with salsa, sour cream and green chilies. Enjoy!
Here’s one of my quick recipes:
MICROWAVE LAZY DAY LASAGNA
3 c. hot water
2 c. pasta sauce
2 pkg. macaroni and cheese dinner mix
1 lb. ground beef
½ c. butter or margarine
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
½ c. milk
In a microwave-safe bowl, crumble ground beef; cook on HIGH for 5 to 7 minutes, until beef is no longer pink; set aside. In another large microwave-safe bowl, add the hot water and the macaroni. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once after 4 minutes. Stir in butter, milk and cheese sauce packets. In a microwave-safe dish, layer ½ of the macaroni and cheese dinner; top with pasta sauce, ground beef, remaining macaroni and cheese dinner and the Mozzarella cheese. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
This is a favorite among the kids and all their friends!
CROCK POT NACHOS
2lb block of velveeta cheese
1lb of cooked taco meat (hamburger with taco seasoning)
1 jar of chunky salsa
Nacho chips of your choice
tomatoes
onions
lettuce
sour cream
cut velveeta in small peices and combine cooked taco meat and chunky salsa in crock pot on high stirring occassionally until melted.
When cheese is completely melted, pour a serving size over chips and add toppings of your choice!! Kids and husband truly love this one!!
To speed this up, while cooking the taco meat i melt the cheese in the microwave or oven then place in the crock pot when meat is ready.
I always cook quick and easy. I cook most nights, specially now that we are on South Beach Diet. I have some favourites. Before SBD, I really liked a recipe that a friend made and then I went on to improve. It’s a pasta with artichokes.
For 2 people
200 gr of pasta (I prefer fetutine)
100 gr prosciuto
1/2 jar of artichokes in olive oil (or other oil)
1 medium onion
some milk
30 gr of pinolli
Chop the artichokes and leave them in milk (milk enough just to cover).
Chop the onion and fry them gently in a bit of the oil from the artichokes. Add the artichokes with the milk and let it simmer a bit (3 to 5 minutes). In the meantime, cook the pasta according to instructions. Shred the prosciuto (or cut in thin stripes). When pasta is cooked, combine it with the artichokes and onion, mix in the prosciutto and sprinkle with the pinolli. It tastes very good and make a nice change.
The other recipe I like and it’s very simple is a Thay fish. Any fish fillets will do (sometimes I use Tuna, sometimes salmon. sometimes any white fish). Season fish with 1 garlic clove, 1 chili, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, juice from 1 lemon. You can cook the fish in a steamer or grill it. Either way, After the fish is steamed/grilled, throw over them the marinade and sprinkle with chopped cashew nuts and spring onion. You can serve with rice, couscous, or even green leafed salad.
2 cups minute rice, prepared
2 cups beef or chicken broth, your choice
2 jars Old English cheese
2 cans condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can of chunk chicken breast (about 10 ounces, more or less to liking)
pepper to taste
small diced onion - optional
4 ounces sliced mushrooms - optional
Prepare the minute rice using the broth instead of water for added taste. In a large mixing bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Place mixture in a glass 9X13 baking dish and bake at 350 for about 22 minutes.
This can be topped with diced tomatos, freshly grated parmesan cheese, parsley or any other garnish for added color and flavor. Hope you enjoy.
MY HUSBAND’S FAVORITE !!!
QUICK & EASY CROCKPOT RECIPE
8 chicken thighs
1 package onion soup mix
1 small jar russian salad dressing
1 small jar apricot jam
Put jam, dressing, soup mix in crock pot and mix well. Add chicken and coat. Cook in crockpot on low. When you get home from work make some minute rice and supper is ready !!![/b]
Sorry, don’t really have a quote, but would love to get the “Jeff Smith Chile Verde” recipe from you. Thanks.
:roll:
DO YOU DRAIN THE CHICKEN BROTH BEFORE ADDING THE OTHER INGREDENTS OR DO YOU MIX EVERYTHING WITH THE BROTH AND VEGGIES?
Hi! I have just started doing this and am excited to be a part of the group! I am a military spouse who struggles with meals because sometimes he is home at 6pm and sometimes 9pm so I am armed and ready to cook when he calls and says he is on his way…but LOVE this website for some great, wallet and time friendly meals…
I don’t know the author but do enjoy reading the site each month for her ideas and suggestions!
ENJOY!
With my life, 30 min or less is the norm at my house. I keep a few staples on hand and then mix whatever I feel like to go with it. Cook a 12-16 oz package of pasta (egg noodles, bow ties, etc). When they are finished I add a family size can of cream of mushroom soup. to that I add some kind of meat. It could be a pound of ground beef that has been browned, diced chicken breast, diced pork loin, or even canned tuna or chicken. Then I add a frozen veggie that has been thawed. It is usually a 16 oz bag of broccoli cuts, green beans, or peas. If necessary, thin down with some milk to make it saucy. Add some salt and pepper to taste, maybe some canned mushrooms and/or olives, and voila, a quick and easy meal. If you want to make it look nice in a casserole dish, spray an oblong casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour in the casserole. Cover with crushed butter cracker crumbs. Bake in a 350 degree oven until warm throughout (usually about 20 min) Serve it with a nice green salad and biscuits or bread sticks and it is a meal.
ingredients: 1 29 oz can sliced,drained,juice reserved/16oz pkg peach gel./118oz pkg yellow cake mix/1/2 cup butter/1/2 cup water----directions:preheat oven to 350—place peaches in bottom of 9x13 pan.sprinkle peach gelatin over peaches. sprinkle dry cake mix over gelatin. cut up butter and distribute over cake mix. pour 1 cup reserved peach juice and 1/2 cup water over the top.----bake in preheated oven for 60 min., or until top is browned.(VERY GOOD!!!)[/b]
this is the first time i did this and I didn;t get the name of the recipe down. if you have’t figured it out,it is “quick peach cobbler”.