Moms...or anyone, please give me some easy cheap recipe ideas for dinners.?

Question

I work full time and have very little time in the evening, I am trying to get some new ideas. Thanks!

Answer 1

You need to break out the crockpot! Or if you don't have a slow-cooker, go buy one! You can toss stuff in when you leave, then just heat up a side dish to go w/ it for supper! If you wind up going a little over on the cooking time while set on LOW, it's usually no big deal.
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Beef With Red Wine Sauce

Prep: 15 min., Cook: 6-9 hrs.

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (1.61-ounce) package brown gravy mix
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
1 cup red wine
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Hot cooked egg noodles or rice
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Place first 3 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Whisk together gravy mix and next 3 ingredients; pour evenly over beef and vegetables. Add bay leaf.
Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours, or LOW for 9 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Garnish, if desired.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
--Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2006
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Pulled Pork BBQ in Slow Cooker

3 pounds fresh pork shoulder, well trimmed
3 Tbsp. BBQ or Grill Seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground mustard

1. Place trimmed pork in 4-quart slow cooker.
2. Mix barbecue seasoning, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ground mustard until blended. Pour over pork.
3. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pork from slow cooker.
4. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker, mix and heat with sauce before serving.

--McCormick
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Easy Crockpot Beef Roast

1 chuck or rump Beef Roast (sized for your crockpot)
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Packet of Italian Dressing Mix
1 Packet of Brown Gravy Mix

Put roast in crockpot, pour water around the base. Sprinkle all 3 dry seasoning packets over roast. Cover and cook for 6-7 hours on low. Remove roast to cutting board and let sit 15 minutes; slice thinly across the grain (electric knife works best).

It makes great tasting gravy too, that tastes like you browned it and simmered it all day on the stove. Doesn't taste AT ALL like salad dressing!!!
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Thai Chicken (Slow Cooker)

4 large chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
1 T. ginger
3 green onions, sliced
1 (14oz) can coconut milk
1/2 to 3/4 t. turmeric
1/4 to 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 (8oz) can pineapple chunks, drained (save the juice)
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water (I used the juice from the pineapple)
Cooked rice
Chopped peanuts

Place chicken (season with salt & pepper) in crockpot and add ginger, green onions, coconut milk, turmeric & crushed red pepper. Cover & cook on low 5 to 6 hours, until chicken is very tender. Turn crockpot on high; add pineapple. In a small bowl mix cornstarch & water (pineapple juice); add to chicken mixture. Cook on high 15 to 30 minutes. Serve over rice and sprinkle with peanuts.
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You can also toss a whole chicken in a crockpot, set upon some balls made out of tin foil or canning rings and roast it dry. Season well, inside an dout. Low for 8-9 hours.

Also, you can toss a whole chicken, either left whole or cut up, into the crockpot and cover w/ 1 sliced onion and1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce. Low for 8-9 hours.

Answer 2

Spanish Rice-a-Roni, boneless skinless chicken breasts, fajita seasoning packet, salsa. Start the rice per instructions (brown rice w/ margarine and then add water, seasoning packet in the box and salsa), cut the chicken into chunks brown in a non-stick skillet with the fajita seasoning. Continue simmering rice with a lid on. When chicken is done, mix into the rice. When rice is tender and does not have excess fluid, you're done. I serve with corn or black beans. You can also add some sour cream or guacamole and lettuce and roll this into a great burrito.

Or you can bake chicken breasts on 350 degrees for about half an hour. Use a packet of Mesquite marinade seasoning (dry, do not prepare) sprinkle one side liberally, bake 13 min. Turn over, sprinkle liberally again, bake 13 min. Add your fave BBQ sauce, bake 4 more min. and take it out. This goes with a ton of different sides like yellow rice, black beans and rice (Vigo is the best for both), mashed or scalloped potatoes (you can use instant), other flavored rice, etc.

Another quick tip, cook for two or three days at once. It will make your life so much easier and it's not a lot of more work just magnify your quantity. You can always take extra meat, etc. and toss it into a wrap or a salad. Good luck!

Answer 3

I work full time and have 3 kids. My husband works out of town all week so there is no tag team to get things done. Quick, cheap and good for you dinners ;
V8 soup
2 lbs ground chuck - season, brown and drain, 1 pkg frozen veggies and 1 can of V8 (or store brand) Add your fav seasonings and serve with bread or rolls
Pot roast chicken
Chicken (my kids like drum sticks best), cut potatoes, carrots and onions. Throw in the slow cooker with some water and dry soup mix. Super tender, juicy and ready when you get home from work
For a fun twist on tacos, prepare your meat as directed and serve your taco fixings over Frito corn chips - kids love this
Chix fingers
Slice boneless skinless chicken breast into strips, dip in a mixture of egg/milk and coat with a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and a bit of season salt (sorry I dont measure anything!) then you can bake or fry these up.
Good luck! And if you happen to find more hours in the day let me know where I can pick some up too!!! :)

Answer 4

Tomato pasta dish:-
2 table spoons of oil
2 tin's of chopped tomatoes (any will do but plum are very nice)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
basil (either fresh or dried)
Chilli ( half a fresh one or half a tea spoon of dried chilli)
Seasoning especially black pepper
Pasta ( which can be cooked at the same time as tom dish)
Cheese/Parmesan


Dice and fry the onions in a little oil till soft, add the tin's of toms and garlic
add the basil and chilli, slowly cook for about 10 minutes add seasoning to taste and serve with pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or mature Cheddar.
NOTE;- add a little chilli at a time,too much chilli will spoil the dish. This is quick easy, very tastie, cheap and low in fat. Enjoy I hope??

Answer 5

PEPPER STEAK FETTUCCINE costs about $10.00

1 1/4 pounds boneless beef round steak (1/2 inch thick), cut into thin strips
1 medium green pepper, julienned
1 medium onion, julienned
2 tbsp stick margarine
2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can ( 4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pkg (16 oz) fettucine
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. In a lg. skillet, saute steak, green pepper and onion in margarine until meat is not longer pink. Stir in next five ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until meat is tender.

2. Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Top with steak; sprinkle with cheese
Yield 6 servings.

Answer 6

Sloppy Joe Pizza

Sloppy Joe's can be made a day or two in advance, just use your favorite receipe or this one

3# ground beef.
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp beef base or two desolved beef cubes
Garlic powder to taste.

Brown meat with above ingredients, drain grease. Add 1 large can tomato sause, 1/4 cup sweet relish, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar to the meat. Stir and cook until thickens, usually 1/2 hour.
You can have this one night then the left overs can be used for the pizza.

1 can of tube pizza dough
1 8 oz package shreaded cheddar cheese
3-4 hot dogs or cheddarwurst sausage (hillshire farms) cut up
Green onions
Green peppers
(Onions and peppers are optional)

Spread dough on pan occording to directions on package. Cook for 7 minutes. Spread Sloppy Joe mixture (I heat it for 2 minutes in micro to make it easier) on crust, top with hot dogs/toppings and cheese, return to oven until crust is brown.

The kids will love it and you have 2 easy meals. I serve it with their favorite veggies or an easy pasta dish.

Answer 7

Pizza is cheap to make - it's fast - and kids love making their own.

Taco night w/ all the fixings

Crockpot meals - let the crockpot do the cooking for you while you're at work and when you get home all you have to do is serve it!

chicken breasts cut into chunks - brown in a pan w/ oil, sprinkle w/ curry powder and add a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cook until almost done then add a bag of frozen green beans. Serve with rice.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Hi ... I also work full time and have a family to feed. Here are a couple of my standard weeknight dinners.

1. Chicken marinara w/ Spaghetti, garlic bread and salad
Cube a package of chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper. In a saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or any type of veg oil). Sautee the chicken until half cooked. Smash 4-5 cloves of garlic with the flat side of knife and add to the pan. Sautee until the garlic begins to get light brown. DO NOT BURN. Add one can of crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and a tablespoon of dried oregano. Let simmer for 20 minutes. In the interim, boil your pasta, make your salad and heat up your garlic bread. If you want to skip the garlic bread, just warm up a loaf of Italian bread and serve it with butter and a some of the marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

2. Store bought roast chicken .. sauteed broccoli with garlic and buttered egg noodles. We use the leftover chicken for the next day's chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.

3. Taco night ... You can buy the taco dinner kit which my grocery store regularly runs 2 for $5 specials on. Add ground meat, shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheese, chopped tomato and sour cream. THe kids will have a blast building their own tacos.

4. Speaking of build your own ... Build your own baked potato is always a hit too. Bake the potatoes and put out the toppings.

5. In a deep skillet sautee a chopped green pepper, small chopped onion and a half can of chopped tomatoes. Add cubed chicken breast, sliced mushrooms (could be canned) and a package of frozen green peas. Add 2 boxes of Goya yellow rice, enough water to cover by 1/2 inch deep and simmer until the rice is tender, stir occasionally. Serve with a salad.

6. Almost instant lasagna ... buy fresh ravioli in the fridge section .. layer them in a lasagna pan with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. By using the fresh ravioli, you omit the pasta and riccota. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. You can prep this dish the night before and just pop in the oven when you get home.

Let me know if you're interested in other dishes .. if you tell me what your kids like, I can give you more ideas.

Good luck.

Answer 10

My friend takes a box of kraft macaroni and cheese and prepares according to directions. To that add, 1 lb. cooked and drained ground beef.(Season the meat to your taste. She uses seasoned salt and pepper.) Then stir in 1 can diced tomatoes drained. It is yummy and cheap. You could add a vegetable tray or salad. Maybe a can of beans.
Another alternative is sausage. If it is fully cooked all you have to do is slice it and top with bbq sauce and heat. Serve on hamburger buns with french fries or chips.

Answer 11

Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken

Lightly season about 2 lbs. of chicken wings.

Bake @ 350 degrees until brown.

Coat with one bottle Kraft Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

(Optional) Top with thin sliced onions.

Bake for an addtional 15-20 mintues.