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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Oct 19, 2016 0:56:59 GMT
Tonight I have a killer headache from allergies.
Last thing I wanted to do was cook, so I went to my "cheater" dinner.
TJ's gorgonzola gnocchi. It is cheap.. like $5 cooks in 7 minutes and serves 3. (there are 250 calories a serving so you an split it between 2.
I add some frozen cooked chicken and frozen broccoli. If I have fresh basil I add a little I top with fresh parm.
My daughter thinks I am a gourmet cook when I put this on the table. There is even enough left for her to take for lunch tomorrow.
Now I am not kidding myself that this is a healthy option. But the alternative is probably pizza or a burrito from a place like chipotle.
SO it is cheaper and I think healthier than those choices...
So what is your go to down and dirty cheap and quick dinner?
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Post by Rainy_Day_Woman on Oct 19, 2016 2:04:36 GMT
My go to is always chole. A can of chick peas, an onion, can of tomatoes and whatever vegetables I have to get rid of. You can put almost anything in it so it's perfect for not wasting produce at the end of the week.
I keep a jar of tandoori or butter chicken paste always on hand for when I don't want to bother with spices. Finish with some powdered coconut milk or yogurt stirred in and serve with instant rice. All together it takes 15 minutes.
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Post by padresfan619 on Oct 19, 2016 2:06:16 GMT
Costco orange chicken and rice.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 9:20:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2016 2:08:27 GMT
Tonight we are having hot dogs and tater tots.
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Post by bc2ca on Oct 19, 2016 2:26:58 GMT
Cheese tortelli from Costco with either pesto or a jarred spaghetti sauce and fresh spinach is so fast & easy.
I always have a bag of TJ's Multigrain Blend in the freezer for when I need a superfast meal. I usually add any leftover meat and fresh broccoli to the pan.
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633 
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Post by janeliz on Oct 19, 2016 2:29:44 GMT
Red beans and rice, for sure.
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Post by femalebusiness on Oct 19, 2016 2:37:31 GMT
I like to dice up potatoes, sliced weenies, diced onions and fry it really slow in butter until it is really, really brown and crispy. Sometimes I put green chilies in it too. Put it on a plate, top with cheese if you like cheese and eat it with warm flour tortillas. I like it with Pace salsa too. Not real healthy but soooo good.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 9:20:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2016 3:22:13 GMT
I like to dice up potatoes, sliced weenies, diced onions and fry it really slow in butter until it is really, really brown and crispy. Sometimes I put green chilies in it too. Put it on a plate, top with cheese if you like cheese and eat it with warm flour tortillas. I like it with Pace salsa too. Not real healthy but soooo good. I do this with sausage |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Oct 19, 2016 3:32:37 GMT
$5 fill up boxes at KFC. Hey, you said cheap and quick, not healthy.  |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 19, 2016 3:38:35 GMT
Pancakes. Or if I'm feeling just a little less lazy, waffles.
Back before I had my kid, if I was on my own for dinner a lot of times I would make myself a microwaved baked potato, dump in some butter, salt, pepper, sour cream and shredded cheese. These days we buy the precooked Costco bacon so I would probably chop up a couple pieces of that and throw it on there too. Definitely not healthy at all, but definitely fast and so carbolicious!
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oaksong
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Posts: 6,164
Location: LA Suburbia
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Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Oct 19, 2016 6:12:51 GMT
English muffin pizzas – toast the muffins – top with pizza sauce from a jar – add pepperoni, diced peppers, cheese – broil until bubbly.
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 19, 2016 6:33:13 GMT
Like yours ktdoesntscrap, mine is also a pasta recipe. Quick and easy, either carbonara or a similar recipe that DSO whips up if he's in a hurry - it has onions, mushrooms, bacon, cream and parmesan. Sometimes we will substitute the bacon for chorizo or salami, it really depends on what is in the fridge. Another one is breakfast for dinner - egg and bacon on toast. If I want to "fancy it up" I will do avocado, chilli and goats cheese mash with a poached egg on top. Yum, my tummy is rumbling now! |
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azredhead
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,755
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Post by azredhead on Oct 19, 2016 6:33:51 GMT
We do a what we call poor man pasta carbanara (Sp? I know I'm butchering it lol!) but we do what ever spaghetti noddles we have. Then brwn some butter. Sometimes cream depending on the mood. Then it's throw whatever in the skillet. green, onion, bacon, Ham or chicken ,.. then the cheeses parm and or mozzerella depending on what you like. I really like it because it's whatever we have on hand and whatever we feel like cooking or adding. You can make it fancy or not so fancy. Most of the time it's just brown butter with the parmasean with the green onion and bacon simple simple. AussieMeg yours sounds similar to ours!  |
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Post by lucyg on Oct 19, 2016 7:37:09 GMT
Last night I made chicken and cheese quesadillas. Diced chicken, shredded cheddar, a few spinach leaves and salsa, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla and heated through in the microwave. With already-cooked chicken on hand, it was a 5-min meal. The kid loved it and says he wants it again. I also do the microwave baked potato thing with the same toppings as the PP posted above, plus leftover cooked broccoli if there's any. Sometimes I saute whatever aging veggies are in the fridge (zucchini, spinach, various onions, bell pepper) and add to scrambled eggs. Top with shredded cheese. Serve with toast or whatever bread you have around. If you have chicken or any cooked meat, you can combine stock or broth (homemade or boxed), fresh or frozen veggies of your choice and any other ingredients you like, plus noodles, rice, potatoes, etc., seasonings and maybe a little tomato paste and/or lemon juice, and you'll have a nice pot of soup in less than half an hour. And sometimes I just open a can of baked beans and feed him that alongside baby carrots. Hey, it's food. |
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Post by peasapie on Oct 19, 2016 8:58:44 GMT
A package of frozen mini raviolis and a package of creamed spinach. Cook both and combine. Top with Parmesan cheese. Add leftover chicken if desired.
Costco manicotti - jar sauce bottom of pan, add manicotti, more sauce. Bake 45 mins.
I always keep arborio rice and boxes of chicken stock in the pantry to make risotto. I add in whatever I have on hand -- frozen shrimp, zucchini, leeks, etc.
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Post by anxiousmom on Oct 19, 2016 11:19:40 GMT
Red beans and rice, for sure. Mine is black beans and yellow rice. Not totally quick because you have to wait for the rice, but SO easy because I all I have to do is open a can of black beans, cook the rice, plop the beans on top of the rice sprinkle with cheese and onions and call it a day. I also do this with black eyed peas and white rice. Cook rice in chicken broth, mix in black eyed peas and call in a poor and lazy man's version of hoppin john. |
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Post by Scrapbrat on Oct 19, 2016 11:33:36 GMT
I have a couple. First is chicken fried rice, which is my first choice assuming I have any amount leftover cooked chicken and leftover rice in the fridge (which I often do). I add whatever vegetables I have in the fridge so it's a good fridge-cleaner-outer, too. For some reason, I like to serve biscuits with fried rice, so including the time to preheat the oven for the biscuits, the whole meal is about 25 minutes.
Second is frozen breaded chicken patties and/or frozen (homemade) black bean patties. DS adores the chicken patties, and I usually opt for black bean, but I almost always have buns on hand so it's an easy, 10 minute dinner when I serve the sandwiches with fruit on the side. The chicken patties also make a pretty good 10 minute chicken parm when we're in the mood! I have no illusions about the healthiness of these patties, though -- in fact, in my house, they are affectionately known as "chemical patties" because we're pretty sure they are mostly made of not-real ingredients.
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happymomma
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,078
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Post by happymomma on Oct 19, 2016 13:48:36 GMT
We are at the stage of life where we often have "old people suppers" these days. Lol.
A can of soup and a sandwich.
If I'm having a bad migraine day early in the day I'll often throw some frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot with a can of chicken broth, a package of Lipton soup mix, some carrots and potatoes and let it cook all day. Simple, decently healthy and takes minimal effort.
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Oct 19, 2016 13:48:39 GMT
Like yours ktdoesntscrap , mine is also a pasta recipe. Quick and easy, either carbonara or a similar recipe that DSO whips up if he's in a hurry - it has onions, mushrooms, bacon, cream and parmesan. Sometimes we will substitute the bacon for chorizo or salami, it really depends on what is in the fridge. Another one is breakfast for dinner - egg and bacon on toast. If I want to "fancy it up" I will do avocado, chilli and goats cheese mash with a poached egg on top. Yum, my tummy is rumbling now! Your breakfast sounds delish. |
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Oct 19, 2016 13:51:24 GMT
Lots of great ideas on this thread.
I am lookng for quick and easy way more often than I probably should.
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Post by Monica* on Oct 19, 2016 13:59:06 GMT
Foil packet dinners -- like those campfire "hobo dinners". I always have the ingredients on hand (baby smokie links, onions, potatoes, baby carrots, seasonings, etc) and the prep time is super fast. They do have to bake for 45 minutes, but there is ZERO cleanup -- just throw the foil away. They are also good for families with people coming home at different hours like mine. I even make a vegan packet for my daughter.
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Post by JustKim on Oct 19, 2016 14:15:31 GMT
tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich
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