Here's some help for those hectic evenings when, oops, you forgot to prepare a dinner. You haven't actually thought about dinner yet, and now you only have twenty minutes.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Cook instant whole grain or brown rice with 1/2 the recommended water and 1/2 chicken broth or cream of mushroom soup. Steam some broccoli and throw it in with grated old cheddar cheese.
Easy Veggie Soup
Cook a variety of frozen vegetables in chicken broth. Puree and serve with crackers or bread.
Interpretive Pizzas
If you have English muffins, great. Top them with tomato sauce or tomato paste, grated cheese, veggies, meat, etc. If you don't have English muffins, use bagels, buns, bread, or even crackers. Broil for about 4 min and serve with salad dressing as dipping sauce, if desired.
Bean Casserole
Cook instant or whole grain brown rice. Add a can of rinsed beans or chick peas. Mix in some canned corn and peas. Use spices or condensed soup to flavour it how you like (I suggest cream of mushroom soup with some added garlic and black pepper).
Tuna Salad Salad
Mix a can or two of tuna with one Tbsp. of mayo, one Tbsp. of yellow mustard, and 1 Tbsp. of ranch salad dressing. Serve on mixed greens instead of salad dressing, or for really picky eaters make it into a sandwich.
Scrambled Eggs
Scramble your eggs how you like them and serve for dinner. Some creative additions: diced tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, grated cheese, peppers, etc. Actually, any kind of eggs can be made in less than twenty minutes, so cook your favourite. Beans are a good side for dinner. With toast of course.
Homemade Subs or Sub Sandwiches
Who says dinner has to be a fancy affair? Get whatever bread or bread-type product you have on hand and pile it with favourite toppings. Kids tend to love cheese on anything. Try "leftover" sandwiches too. That leftover meatloaf may not stretch far enough for a full family meal, but if you serve it on buns with cheese and mayo it will. Or leftover chicken, beef, you name it.
The moral here is, use your imagination. If you have something in your fridge to use up, think of another quick way to make it into a meal. If you can mix some canned (but healthy) soup or veggies with other quick to prepare ingredients, try it out. It may turn into a weekly favourite. If it goes wrong though, don't worry. There's always takeout, and you have six more days in the week to redeem yourself.......
Another way to make your week nights easier is to take 20 minutes on Sunday and prepare some veggies and other ingredients. Chop up some onions, carrots, peppers, etc. Grate a bar of cheese and keep it in a sealed sandwich bag for quick toppings. Soak any beans or legumes you plan to use and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you cook them. Voila, more time for you this week! Enjoy!!!
I have a new favourite! Take 2 lb. of ground beef and throw it in the slow cooker with 4-6 cans or jars of tomato sauce. You can use diced tomatoes to replace some of the sauce for a heartier dish, and add whatever veggies you like. Cook on low for 8-10 hours and separate. It makes enough for at least 5 dinners (spaghetti, lasagne, meat pizza, whatever), and freezes really well. I got three huge meals of spaghetti and two lasagnes out of my first batch. Wonderful!
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