“What is for dinner?” The question that I hate most. That’s the one. Especially after a long day of answering a million questions and making a million decisions. And after a day full of exhibiting patience and grace with my students and their questions, this is the one that sometimes pushes me over the edge. And I lose my patience with my husband or my kids. Not fair to them. And, since I realized my hatred for this question, I put a plan in place to prevent it. I meal plan. Not meal prep- that is an impressive step I have not conquered. But I do plan our family meals. One month at a time. It’s not hard to do at the beginning of each month. It also reduces the stress of grocery shopping each week. I know exactly what I must buy for the week’s meals. But all that is for another day. This post is all about the easy recipes I use.
So, why do we need easy recipes? First, I am an awful cook. I am an intelligent, educated, strong, and independent woman. But I can hardly function in a kitchen. So, easy recipes are necessary. More importantly, though, I don’t have the time or brain function to do elaborate meals. Teaching drains the life out of you and I would rather spend my remaining energy on conversation or playing with my family. You feel me? So, here are a few of my favorites!
CROCK-POT Chicken Soft Tacos
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lb. package of chicken breasts
- taco seasoning packet (1 per pound of chicken)
- 24 oz. jar of Pace Picante Sauce
- tortillas
- toppings (shredded cheese, diced onion, guacamole, diced tomato, refried beans, black beans, corn, etc.)
DIRECTIONS:
- Place chicken, taco seasoning, and picante sauce in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred the chicken.
- Warm tortillas, create your tacos, and serve!
- Serve with tortilla chips, beans (refried and/or black beans), and rice.
VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
- stew meat
- can of Veg-All
- can of cut green beans
- can of diced potatoes
- can of Rotel
- can of corn
- Tony Chachere’s (or your favorite seasoning)
- salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Place meat in slow cooker. Season well.
- Dump all cans of vegetables into slow cooker. Add salt and pepper.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve with cornbread or crackers.
SHEET PAN PROTEIN AND VEGGIES
INGREDIENTS:
- protein of choice (catfish filets, chicken breasts, mahi mahi filets, salmon filets, etc.)
- fresh vegetable of choice (diced potatoes, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
- salt and pepper and any seasoning of choice
DIRECTIONS:
- Line a large sheet pan with tin foil.
- Clean and cut vegetables.
- Lay out the veggies on one side of the pan. Coat them in olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place the protein on the other side of the pan and season well as you like.
- Bake on 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes. (Potatoes may take longer.)
SHRIMP ALFREDO
INGREDIENTS:
- frozen shrimp
- angel hair pasta
- Tony Chachere’s (or your favorite seasoning)
- jar of alfredo sauce
- box of Red Lobster biscuits
DIRECTIONS:
- Prepare biscuits according to the directions on the box.
- Boil water for pasta. Sprinkle some salt into the water.
- Thaw the shrimp according to the directions on the package.
- When water is boiling, cook pasta according to the package.
- Place shrimp into a pan and season to taste. Cook on stove on medium for 5-7 minutes.
CHICKEN PARM SANDWICHES
INGREDIENTS:
- hoagie rolls
- frozen chicken patties
- marinara sauce
- parmesan cheese (we sometimes replace with mozzarella slices)
DIRECTIONS:
- Cook frozen chicken patties in skillet, oven, air fryer, etc.
- Cut the pattie in half. Arrange chicken on the roll. Add sauce and cheese.
- Serve with chips.
SPAGHETTI
INGREDIENTS:
- spaghetti pasta
- jar(s) of spaghetti sauce
- hamburger meat
- frozen garlic bread
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven according to the directions for your garlic bread.
- Put water in a pot to boil. Add salt.
- Brown hamburger meat in a pan.
- While meat is browning, cook pasta according to the directions for your pasta.
- Cook your garlic bread.
- Strain meat and add sauce to the drained meat.
- Strain noodles and add a bit of olive oil to avoid sticky noodles.
- Cut garlic bread and serve.
Potato Soup
INGREDIENTS:
- Bear Creek Creamy Potato Soup Mix
- toppings of choice (shredded cheddar, bacon bits, chives, sour cream, etc.)
DIRECTIONS:
- Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil.
- Whisk in soup mix. Reduce heat to Medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
(Pro tip: this is even better reheated the next day, which also makes a great lunch for school.)
CROCK-POT ROAST
INGREDIENTS:
- boneless beef chuck roast
- baby carrots
- new potatoes
- chopped celery
- onion
- salt, pepper, Tony Chachere’s, or seasoning of choice
- Sister Schubert rolls
DIRECTIONS:
- Wash and prep veggies.
- Place roast, veggies, and one cup of water in slow cooker.
- Season well.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Bake rolls in oven according to package.
"JUNK"
INGREDIENTS:
The great thing about this recipe is that you get to throw in whatever “junk” you have available or want to use. Here are my favorites to throw together.
- package of hamburger meat
- chunked Velveeta cheese (about 1/2 package for each pound of meat)
- chopped onion
- drained can of black beans
- Tony Chachere’s or your favorite seasonings
- tortilla chips
Other great options to toss in:
- drained can of corn
- sour cream
- salsa
- macaroni noodles
- etc.
DIRECTIONS:
- Brown hamburger meat in a large pan. Drain. Season well. Return to pan.
- Add cheese, onion, black beans, etc. to the pan and cook on low until cheese is melted.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
BURGERS
INGREDIENTS:
- hamburger meat or patties
- hamburger buns
- frozen bag of fries or see below for homemade wedge fries
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- cheese
- sliced onion
- pickles
- jalapenos
- bacon
- mustard, ketchup, mayo, barbeque sauce
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to the temperature for fries.
- If necessary, form meat into patties. Make them bigger than the size of the bun as they will shrink as they cook.
- Place fries on a baking sheet and cook according to the directions on the package.
- In a pan or on a grill, cook the meat.
- Serve on buns. Add your favorite toppings. Serve with fries.
FRIES
INGREDIENTS:
- small potatoes
- salt and pepper
- Old Bay or seasoning of choice
- olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Wash and dry potatoes.
- Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
- Toss potatoes on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Roast until crispy, about 25 minutes.
TACO POCKETS
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cans of crescent roll dough
- 1 lb of hamburger meat
- taco seasoning
- shredded cheddar
- diced onion
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven according to crescent roll directions.
- Brown the hamburger meat with onions in a pan.
- Drain the meat and return it to the pan.
- Add 1/2 cup of water and taco seasoning to the meat.
- Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Arrange the crescent rolls with two triangles still attached to form a rectangle. Lay out four rectangles onto a greased baking sheet.
- Place taco meat on each rectangle. Add shredded cheddar. Place a second rectangle of crescent dough on top of the meat and cheese. Seal the edges.
- Bake according to the directions on the package.
- Serve with chips and salsa.
CROCK-POT ROUND STEAK
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lb beef round steak
- 3 cans of mushroom soup (I don’t like mushrooms or mushroom soup, but trust me here)
- salt and pepper
- Sister Schubert rolls
- mashed potatoes (packaged or homemade)
- green beans (fresh or canned)
DIRECTIONS:
- Place round steaks, mushroom soup, 1 cup of water, salt, and pepper into slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Prepare rolls according to package.
- Prepare mashed potatoes.
- Warm or cook green beans.
- The soup makes a delicious gravy, wonderful over mashed potatoes and the roll.
As you may have noticed, I use a lot of pre-packaged food. I know it’s not the healthiest option, but with my limited cooking ability and lack of time and energy, it’s best for me. I hope you were able to find some new, easy recipes or got an idea for how to make your life easier by making it more efficient. For more ways to add efficiency, check out these posts:
