[Food] Let's post some fast, easy and cheap meals

[Homestyle]

I am into fast and easy meals these days. Too much time needed outdoors not inside cooking. My DH loves stuffed green peppers and it is a hassle to make, at least for me it is. I was in no mood to mess with a lot of cooking the day he asked me if I could make some so I came up with this method. DH raved about these peppers for days!

Prepare the bell pepper for stuffing. Stick in as many pre cooked pre frozen Italian style meatballs as it will hold. Pour in spaghetti sauce and bake. It took about 2 min. to make a batch!

I buy the big bags of frozen meatballs at Sam's Club and they are wonderfully for quick and easy meals when time is short and stress is high. I have stuffed squash, tomatoes, anything I could hollow out with the meatballs and added cheese, leftover rice, etc to make a very impressive meal.

Today I took leftover rice, added it to the skillet of some green onions and one cut up squash which all had been sautéed in a little oil, threw in some crumbled bacon left from breakfast, some ginger, a little sesame oil, and a raw egg. Stirred until the egg was cooked and tossed in some frozen left over salad shrimp ( or any cooked meat that was on hand). A little soy sauce and I had fried rice that my niece said was the best she had ever eaten.

Bottled grated ginger, soy sauce and sesame seed oil will last a long time in the fridge and if you have these few ingredients you will always have a great tasting Asian dish no matter what you add to the rice.

 

[PilotFighter]

Here is one:

Potato Soup

4 medium potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups water
1/4 stick margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 stalk of celery, chopped fine
Dash of black pepper

Combine potatoes, water, salt, celery and onions and boil until potatoes are well done. Mash potatoes to make thick soup. Add margarine, milk and pepper. Heat to a boil and serve. For extra flavor, I like to add cubes of a diced DAK canned ham.

Very cheap if you grow the potatoes yourself.

 

[pkchicken]

my favorite

pasta primavera

any pasta topped with cooked diced vegies , romano cheese olive oil and lotsa garlic.

simple but good

pk

 

[Sara Brimmer]

The name sounds awful, but it tastes great.


Slumgullion:

1 pkg. medium shell pasta, cooked according to directions
1 large (16 oz) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pound of hamburger or ground turkey
Some chopped onion (about 1/4 cup)

Break up the meat the same way you would for Sloppy Joes, thoroughly cook it with the onions, and drain well. Toss it in a big pot. Add the can of tomatoes and the cooked pasta.

Mix it all up, heat it for a while on the stove, and serve. Some parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top tastes great if you use ground turkey.

This serves four very generously, with plenty of leftovers. It freezes well.

 

[Amethyst]

This may not be fast, but it is easy and cheap! Ham and Beans amd Cornbread. Soaking the beans overnight cuts down on the cooking time. Drain the soak water to cut down on the gas.

 

[Ought Six]

Take a chicken breast, put lemon juice, thyme and black pepper on it. No salt is needed. Fry it over medium heat until done. It is quick, easy, low fat, low sodium, and *very* tasty.
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Melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan. Add a small handful of fresh sage leaves. Saute them on low heat until crispy, then remove and save the leaves. Salt & pepper a chicken breast and fry it over medium heat in the sage butter. Serve with the crispy sage leaves and pan drippings on top. This is one of the best chicken dishes you will ever taste.

You can do this with dried sage, but it is nowhere near as good. Sage is really easy to grow.
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Slice up a pound or two of kielbasa, hot links or other sausage into ~1-1/2" chunks. Slice up some veggies into fair-size chunks; onions, celery, potatoes, cabbage wedges, brussel sprouts, carrots, green beans, whatever. Put one of those stainless steel folding steamer baskets in the bottom of a large pot. Add a can of beer, a teaspoon full of salt and enough water to the bottom to bring the liquid up to the bottom of the steamer basket. Layer in the heavy veggies first (like potatoes and carrots), then the smaller veggies, then the onions & celery, then put the sausage pieces on top. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder, and some cayenne if you want to spice it up. Put it on the stove on high heat until it starts steaming, turn it down to medium, and let it steam for at least half an hour. Keep an eye on the liquid level, adding water to keep the pot from going dry and burning. When done, spoon it out onto a large serving platter.

The sausage juices drip down on everything else, and flavor it along with the beer. This is really easy, inexpensive, will feed a lot of people, and is very tasty. Since it is a one-pot meal, it saves on doing dishes, too.

 

[Homestyle]

Amethyst, Ham and Beans with cornbread sided with banana peppers and fresh sliced tomatoes is the ultimate feast! I would have this for Christmas dinner if the family wasn't so darn picky about holiday traditions!

 

[occupant]

We call this one "Polish Casserole" Not a casserole, but sure is easy and tastes yummy...(note, only 1 pan to wash!)
Cut 1 (pre-pack) Polish sausage, into sliced rounds, Brown and drain on paper towels.
In same frypan, saute 1 lg diced onion until translucent
Add to same pan, 4 medium sliced potatoes, brown well, then return reserved sausage slices to same pan.
Add 1 28 oz. can of Pork and Beans or Baked beans(or can chili).
Stir together gently until warmed through(approx) 5 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

 

[Flagwaver]

This is a hard thread to read when you're hungry!

Going to the frig.....

Cold canned sliced pineapple, grab the mayo - makes a great sandwich!

Or hold on. Cold canned salmon with cold canned 'maters and saltines. Ummm good.

Or better yet.....where's my stash of Hershey Kisses?

 

[booger]

Chinese Soup

Heat water, add boullion/stock, bring to a boil. Whisk in beaten eggs (about 1 egg per cup of water), bring to a boil. Add rice and cook until tender.

Add whatever flavorings you like. Eat plain as egg drop soup, only more filling with the rice. Add soy sauce. Add chili oil/paste and vinegar for hot & sour soup. Add meat or veggies if you like and have them.

Cheese Bread

Slice some old, crusty bread/rolls. Butter well, sprinkle with garlic (powder, diced, whatever), and top with a bit of cheese if you have it. Toss in the oven until warmed through. Can use ranch dressing, spaghetti sauce, etc for dip.

Chili

(Only quick if you keep precooked beans and meat around.) Throw a ton of beans and a little meat (hamburger, sausage, chicken, etc) into a pot. Pour enough tomato juice (or crushed tomatoes--what you have on hand) to cover. Add onions, garlic, chili powder to your liking. Warm through. Also good with corn added! Use refried beans to thicken if desired. Topped with cheese and/or tortilla chips is also good if you have them.

Oatmeal Snack

(It's not a meal but makes a very quick, very filling snack.) Pour some minute oats into a bowl, add some shredded coconut and a bit of sugar. Mix in just enough melted or room temp butter to moisten. Stir and munch. Can also add dried fruit, nuts, etc to your liking.