quick new meal ideas for a busy mommy...?

Question

It's monday and I'm getting ready to go grocery shopping. I have a five month old and not alot of time to come up with nice tasty and easy meals to fix for my husbands and my dinner. Any ideas besides the typical hambugers, hotdogs and tacos menus??? Im stuck in a rut...we eat the same things over and over because they're so easy...ideas please!!!

Answer 1

(1) Meatloaf (make it special by criss-crossing bacon on top
before putting it in the oven)
(2) Spaghetti with meat sauce
(3) Chicken cordon bleu (just chicken breasts stuffed with a slice
or ham and cheese) make it real easy by coating them in
shake and bake.
(4) Cod fish baked with a little lemon and butter
(5) Homemade Soup (try making mini meatballs with cornmeal
and taco seasoning in the mix, boil them in beef broth with the
remaining taco seasoning added, throw in some rice, a jar of
salsa and you have an incredible Mexican soup)
(6) Mac-n-cheese with ham-n-peas
(7) Lasagna (don't pre-cook the noodles just use a little extra
sauce, it works wonderfully. Also, make it with some of your
left over meat sauce from spaghetti night.

There, you have one full week. Hope some of the ideas work for you.

Answer 2

Leftover chicken rice casserole!

2 cups uncooked rice (I use instant)
1 stalk chopped celery
1/4 chopped onion
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water or chicken stock
cream of whatever soup (

Whatever leftover chicken you have

Melt butter and saute garlic, onion and celery until soft. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Toss rice, remove from heat and cover. Shred chicken. When rice is done (instant takes 5 minutes) toss the chicken in the rice. Add your soup and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated. You can add 1 cup of shredded cheese over everything in the last five minutes if you like.

I have a ton of make and freeze meals that are currently in my freezer (burgundy beef, sweet & sour meatballs, stuffed pepper stew, chicken & matzoball soup, turkey tetrazzini, stirfry). If you like, I'll email them to you. They're 'kid friendly' and quick to warm up during the weeknights. Or I recommend visiting a take and make place like My Girlfriend's Kitchen, Entree's Made Easy, etc. I've been a 'devotee' of those places for a long while (over two years) and if you look at cost per serving vs. time and prep the difference is literally maybe 25 cents difference. That's worth it to me to have different meals (as in things I don't make at home). for my family the cost is on average $120/12 meals that feeds 2-3 people.

Answer 3

I buy hamburger in big packages and fry it all up at once with onion and seasonings. Then I drain off the fat and package it in small batches and freeze it. Then when you get home you can just thaw it in the microwave and make spaghetti, tacos, taco salad, a casserole. You already have half the work done! I also will buy a cooked rotisserie chicken from the deli and have that for dinner with a veggie and then I cook up the carcass with carrots, onion and celery to make some lovely stock for soup the next day with the leftover chicken.

Answer 4

This is one of my favorite things to make!


Chicken Ritz Casserole

Ingredients:
5-6 chicken breasts, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar broccoli soup
about 1/4 soup can of milk
1-1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. cooked minute rice (1 c. prior to cooking)
dash salt and pepper
30 to 40 Ritz crackers, crumbled
Butter
Cooking Instructions:
Cook chicken and remove chicken from bone and cut up. Place chicken in casserole dish. Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour mixed ingredients over chicken. Top with crushed Ritz crackers; dot with butter. Bake at 350F. for 45 mins.



Here are some links to some other recipes that I use all the time.

Ground Beef Recipes

http://www.txbeef.org/recipes.php3?Ground+Beef


Quick, Cheap, Meals

http://www.quickeatsplus.com/



Cheap Meals

http://www.cheapcooking.com/recipes.htm


Good Luck!

Answer 5

Chicken and rice.

Get a rotisserie chicken and strip off all the meat and cut it up into chunks. Put it in a pot and add 4 dry cups of rice. Add one can tomato paste, 1 tablespoon each of crushed polaner garlic, polanar oregano and ground pepper. Cover with about 1/2 to 1 inch of water and stir thoroughly as you bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Answer 6

How about investing in a crock pot? Put the food on in the morning and by supper time it is done. Lots of foods you can make in it and complete meals. Also adding a lot of variety to your meals.

Fast meal suggestions:
Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes add a canned veggie for a side.

Hot dogs sliced into pork and beans, add a Waldorf salad as a side maybe corn bread too? It would take about 30 min to make.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Ice cream for dessert

Good steaks, fried quickly, nuked potato, frozen veggie

Chicken breast fried in a bit of butter.. then orange marmalade topping it and allowing it to heat up. Buttered rice , baby carrots with any kind of dressing for a dip (30 min)

Salmon patties, tator tots, stewed tomatoes

American spaghetti, deviled eggs, fruit cocktail

Goulash of tomato sauce, ground beef and pasta, green salad

Fish sticks, over fries (homemade or frozen)canned corn

Quick tuna casserole( made with boxed mac and cheese..a couple handfuls of frozen peas tossed into the water when you boil the pasta.. after draining toss in a can of tuna water and all, then finish up making the mac and cheese with the powdered cheese, milk and butter) Biscuits (bought or made with Bisquick) ((less than 30 min.))

I am sure there is more .. hope this helps.

kat

Answer 7

One of my fav quick and easy meals is to take 2 packages of Lipton Noodles and Sauce Stroganoff flavor and mix it with 1 lhb browned ground beef. HEat up some rolls or serve with bread and butter and a veggie of choice!

Answer 8

1/2 pound sausage or hamburger meat
1 cup uncooked macaroni(cook in lots of water)
1 can stewed tomatoes
cheese
salt and pepper if desired
Brown meat in frying pan. Boil macaroni until desired tenderness.
Drain macaroni and stir in can of tomatoes. Pour mac/tomato mix into casserole dish, add hamburger and mix.
Put cheese on top of mixture. Enough to cover top. Put in slow oven(250) heat through for as long as needed. But check to see it is not drying out.
Yummy

Answer 9

Baked Mac-sagna
1 lb. Macaroni cooked and drained
2lbs. Hamburger, browned and drained
1 large container large curd cottage cheese
1 large can gr. Pepper and mushroom spaghetti sauce
1 cup each cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

In large bowl, mix macaroni, hamburger, cottage cheese, sauce, and 3/ 4’s of each of the cheeses. Pour into baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly.


Over-Rice Dish
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 Lg. can tomato sauce or 1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can water
1 TBS prepared mustard
1 TBS Worcestershire
1/2 medium size onion chopped
1 small green, red, or yellow pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in heavy skillet. Add remaining ingredients and pour over meat in skillet. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 1 to 11/2 hrs. until sauce is thick. Serve with rice or egg noodles. Serves about 6
HOT DOG AND HAMBURGER PIE
1 pound lean ground beef
4 hot dogs , cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (15 ounce) can baked beans
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
4 slices processed American cheese
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake empty pie shell for 10 minutes. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned, stirring occasionally to crumble; drain fat. Stir in hot dogs, beans, ketchup, mustard, taco seasoning, and cheese cubes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Spread beef mixture into baked pie shell. Cut American cheese slices into strips, and make a lattice on top of pie. Bake for 5 to 10 minute, or until cheese is slightly melted.


Pizza Noodle Casserole
8 oz noodles, cooked,drained
1 pound ground beef
1 T oil
1 can mushrooms, drained
4 oz. pepperoni, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce
2 c cheddar cheese
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef in oil. Mix in mushrooms, pepperoni, pizza sauce and cheddar cheese. Put cooked and drained noodles in greased baking pan. Pour sauce mixture over noodles and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 - 45 minutes til hot and bubbly.


"Cordon Bleu" Manicotti
1 pkg (12) string cheese snacks
12 slices each deli sliced ham and chicken breast
12 manicotti shells
1 jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
shredded parmesan cheese

Roll ham and chicken slices around each string cheese snack and slide into mannicotti shells. Mix water with pasta sauce. Pour a little sauce into bottom of baking dish. Place Manicotti in baking dish and pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake covered with aluminum foil (or if baking with covered dish, cover with lid) bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until pasta is tender. Top with parmesan and serve.

Ground Turkey Stroganoff
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 cube chicken bouillon, crumbled
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1 can (stems and pieces) mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the egg noodles in the pot, cook 6 to 8 minutes and drain.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the turkey and onion in the skillet and cook until turkey is evenly brown and onion is tender. Mix in the bouillon. Stir the cream of mushroom soup and water into the skillet. Cook and stir until heated through. Stir in sour cream and mushrooms, season with salt. Serve over the cooked egg noodles.


TATER TOTS AND BEEF
1 lb. ground beef
1 sm. onion (diced)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Tater tots

Brown ground beef and add onion. Cook until onion is clear. Put in bottom of 1 quart casserole. Cover with mushroom soup. Top with tater tots. Bake 350 degrees until tater tots are brown.


Chicken Savannah
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 slices cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C dry white wine
1 cup seasoned stuffing mix, crushed
2 to 3 T butter, melted
parsley (optional)

Arrange chicken in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top
with cheese slices. Combine soup and wine; stir well. Spoon
sauce over chicken; sprinkle with the stuffing mix. Drizzle
butter over crumbs; bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Garnish
with parsley.

BAKED RAVIOLI
1 pound ground beef
1/2 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli
1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Drain grease, then stir in the spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Arrange 1/2 of the ravioli over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese over the ravioli. Repeat layers, ending with the last of the sauce on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top before serving.

Answer 10

"Parmesan Crusted Chicken" - 4 servings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tsp. Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

Combine mayonnaise and cheese; spread on chicken. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 425* - 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.


"Spanish Rice Dinner" - 4 servings

1 lb. ground beef
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can cut green beans; drained
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce

In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 40 minutes or until rice is tender.


"Mac 'n' Cheese" - 4 servings

1/2 cup milk
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
3 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese; divided

In blender container, combine milk, cottage cheese, onion, Parmesan, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; stir in macaroni and 1/4 cup of the cheese.
Transfer to 1-quart baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350* - 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until edges are bubbly.


"Peppy Provolone Slices" - 4 to 6 servings

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough; thawed
8 oz. sliced pepperoni
8 oz. sliced provolone cheese
1 cup sliced jalapeno pepper rings

On a greased baking sheet, roll out dough into a 15x12" rectangle. Place half the pepperoni lengthwise in two rows down center third of rectangle; top with half the cheese and peppers. Fold one side of dough over filling; top with remaining pepperoni, cheese and peppers.
Fold remaining dough over filling; pinch edges and ends to seal. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve warm.


"Baked Garlic Green Beans" - 2 servings

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 garlic clove; minced
Dash pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans; thawed
1 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. butter; melted

In small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Add beans; toss to coat. Transfer to greased 3-cup baking dish. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and butter; sprinkle over beans. Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.


"Peachy Chicken" - 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can sliced peaches; undrained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 envelope onion soup mix
Hot cooked rice (optional)

In large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil and butter; remove and keep warm. Add peaches with juice, brown sugar, orange juice and soup mix to skillet; stir until combined. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes.
Reduce heat; return chicken to pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice, if desired.


"Rosemary Pork Chops" - 4 servings

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. dried rosemary; crushed
4 boneless pork loin chops

In a large resealable bag, combine first 4 ingredients; add pork chops. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate 3 hours.
Drain and discard marinade. Place chops in greased 11x7" baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear.


"Campbell's One-Dish Chicken & Rice Bake" - Serves 4

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked regular white rice
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In 2-quart shallow baking dish mix soup, water, rice, paprika and pepper; place chicken on rice mixture. Sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper; cover and bake at 375* - 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.


"Souper Simple Mac 'n' Cheese" - Serves 4

1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/2 soup can milk
1/2 soup can water
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

Mix soup, milk and water in saucepan; heat to a boil. Stir in pasta; cook over low heat 10 minutes or until done, stirring often.


"Broiled Garlic Chicken" - 4 servings

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Garlic Mushroom Soup Mix
3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In medium bowl, combine soup mix with oil; add chicken and toss to coat. Broil until chicken is no longer pink.


"Swanson Simple Seasoned Pasta" - Serves about 6

2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans Swanson Seasoned Chicken Broth with Italian Herbs
3 cups uncooked corkscrew pasta

In saucepan, heat broth to a boil; stir in uncooked pasta. Simmer gently over medium heat 10 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally.