Quick Dinner Ideas

A. S

Lets see my Italian Chicken is simply chicken breasts or tenders dipped in Zesty Italian Dressing, coated with Italian Bread crumbs and baked at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Italian casserole. Boil 12 oz of pasta, fry a pound of italian sauagse. Combine in a 13x9 baking dish with one jar of spaghetti sauce, 2 cups of mozzerella cheese an sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at $350 until cheese is melted. (This is awesome reheated. so sometimes I make it on a sunday and freeze it to reheat midweek)

Chicken Fried Rice. I buy 2 Fried rice seasing packages (less than a $1 each), make 6 cups of rice in the M/W (15 minutes. M/W 1 cup of peas and carrots (6 minutes) Fry up a cup or two of Chicken (actually I use my George Forman) Follow directions on package including adding 2 eggs and soy sauce. I love this so much I don't get fried rice out anymore. I now have a stir fry pot which makes this dish easier, but used to do it in a regular skillet. Maybe 30 minutes tops.

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Hi A., One thing my kids always ask me to make, is "HOBO Dinners". It takes 10 minutes to put together, & while it is cooking we get homework or other things done.
Things you need:
Foil paper
1.Ground chuck (turkey or hamburger)seasoned w/salt, pepper, garlic powder
2.Sliced potatoe
3.Frozen or can corn
4.Onion (optional)
5. Pat of butter

Make a patty, place on a sheet of foil, slice potatoe, put on top of patty. 1 scoop of corn placed on top of potatoe slices, if using onion, 1 slice of onion on top of corn. Put a pat of butter on top of everything, salt & pepper the pile, wrap the foil up to make a pocket. Make one for everyone, place on a cookie sheet, bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes. This is FANTASTIC!!! You can even make this the night before and pop in the oven the next night.

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Here is one of my favorites - this is where everyone likes it. (I have 3 kids so it's hard to find something that everyone likes!) I usually double the recipe so I can freeze half of it for another time when i don't have time to cook.

**Hamburger Pie**

Brown 2 lbs ground meat (drain fat) along with 1/2 cup of chopped onions

Stir in a can of tomato soup (can be Tomato Bisque by Campbell's)
14 or 16 oz can of green beans (drain out water in it)

Put it in casserole dish

Top with mashed potatos (you can either get real potatos - peel them, and boil them, then drain water, mash it up, add salt to taste, and 1 or 2 tablespooon of milk to firm up the potatos) or use box mix potatos - about 2 cups to cover the meat mixture)

Then add shredded cheese on top of it (optional) - I leave half without cheese since one of my kids does not like cheese at all)

Enjoy!

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I love Mark Bittman. He is the author of How to Cook Everything. The link is a copy of an article he wrote
for the New York Times. It is how to cook 101 meals in
10 minutes or less.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?_r=1...

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A few staples in my house all simple and fast.

Taco Salad. Brown beef in pan with onions add salsa for flavor put over chips, lettuce, tomato, avacado etc...anything ypu have works..then I like to top with ranch. I have everyone build there own so they can put what they like on it.

Or red sauce enchilada's. Again one pound beef brown in pan with onions, add cheese and 1/4 can sauce (La victoria is pretty good I think its 14oz can) Take warm tortillas (la bandarita are the best from walmart) fill with beef roll and put in pan seem down.Cover with chesse... Put in oven 375 for about 20 min. I also like to add a little brown sugar to the sauce.

Or there is always BLT night in our house fast and easy.

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Hi this one works great at my house
Buy the orange foil package of Mahatma brand spanish rice
and make it in a pot on the stove according to the package directions but add chicken strips raw to it and an ENTIRE cup of ketsup put the top on turn the fire down and GO REST. This w a salad from a bag is the perfect family meal. EVERYONE loves it and asks how to make it. PS it can all be put in the crock pot in the morning on low and will be ready at dinnertime but the stove version only takes 20 minutes.

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Here's what I'm cooking tonight:
Spray a pan with cooking spray, and put in 1 can refried beans and 1/2 jar salsa. Stir and cook. Spray a second pan with cooking spray. Put in a large flour tortilla and cover with shredded cheese. cook 2-3 minutes, then cover half with bean mixture, put spinach on top, then fold the other half over. The cheese should make it all stick together. Cook until tortilla is slightly browned. Make one for each family member, serve with more salsa and a green salad. Enjoy!

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With 8 kiddoes, our evenings are very busy. I usually throw something into the crockpot. A piece of meat with some seasonings and some vegetables. Put a loaf of bread into the bread machine. Cut up a salad, put it in the frig. By evening dinner is ready and waiting.

Try--chicken/potatoes/rosemary/onion
ham/sweet potatoes
pork chops/italian dressing
roast/carrots/potatoes/lemon pepper/onion/garlic
You can mix up meatloaf and put it into the crockpot.

Experiment and see what works for your familiy. Hope this helps!

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All of my quick dinners have come from www.allrecipes.com They have a ton of great meals...some favorites though are:

Tuna Tetrazzini (this is my own way of making it)
-Bring a pot of salted water to boil (i just fill have of a large pot with water, then sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of salt into the water)
-Take a small box of spaghetti, break in half and put it in the boiling water. I like my noodles soft so I continue to keep the water boiling until it reduces to where the water is just covering the noodles.
-To that, add 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup--you don't need to drain the water. Reduce the heat and stir until it is well combined.
-Add 2 cans of tuna to the pot. Turn off the heat and stir until combined.
At that point, you can either eat it straight from the stove top, or toss it in a casserole dish, cover with some shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

I also love to make:
Shrimp & Cheese sauce over rice

-Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan.
-Once melted, wisk 2 tablespoons of flour into the saucepan. Keep stirring--this is the base for the cream sauce.
-After its been combined well, gradually add a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can's worth of milk to the flour mixture. As it heats, the sauce will become creamy be cause of the flour and butter.
-Once combined, add a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 4 oz. of velvetta.
-When the cheese is melted, toss in some peeled and de-tailed shrimp. Serve over rice.
You can also use the same recipe with chicken and/or turkey.

Both recipes usually take me less than 30 minutes. Enjoy!

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Hi A.,

I know us moms have this issue to deal with all the time. I actually found a good and easy recipe for chicken. Just put a whole chicken or chicken pieces in a baking or casserole dish, coat with lemon juice and sprinkle a tbsp of each salt, black pepper, and herbs de provence (can find at whole foods) an cook in the oven at 400 for 1 hour. The chicken comes out amazing!!! I kid you not. :) The skins is so crispy and the meat is very juicy. Then we serve it with rice that we cook in the rice cooker. You hardly have to do a thing. Let me know how it goes.

Good luck!

L. G.

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Do you like enchiladas? Buy a box of frozen tacquitos, top with a can of enchilada sauce or a can of Campbells Creamy soup and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 20-30 minutes and add a salad.
The family will think you've been slaving away.
Enjoy!

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Check out the recipe files at BHG.com. Lots of good ideas there.

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Pasta Casserole

Brown and season some ground meat.
Cook some pasta. (whatever you like, pasta shells, macaroni, ziti, etc)
Drain meat. Drain pasta.
Stir in tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce with meat.
Stir in cooked pasta.
Pour mixture into casserole dish.
Cover with monterrey jack/colby finely shredded cheese.
Cook in oven uncovered until cheese has melted.

My family loves it! Quick and easy for "during the week" meals. Even lasts for 2-3 days if you like leftovers.

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Check out this post.. (similar request by another mamasource mom)...
http://www.mamasource.com/request/10987220302794063873

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I say get you a crock pot (if you don't have one already) and get the book "Fix It And Forget It". Easy meals you throw into the slow-cooker before you leave the house, and the meal is ready when you get home. Genius!

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You can always prepare this ahead of time....

1 bag frozen broccoli florets (or use fresh)
1-2 lbs. chicken breast (cooked and cubed)
1 can cr. of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook broccoli, drain, and arrange in bottom of pyrex dish. Mix together cooked chicken, soup, and milk. Pour over broccoli. Top with cheese (as much or as little as you'd prefer) Bake at 400 for 15-20 mins. or until cheese melts. ENJOY!

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If you're eating in the car on the way to soccer... then cook turkey sausages or Italian sausages earlier in the day and stick on a bun. Bring baggies of carrot sticks.

It's a nice change from hot dogs.

Grilled cheese can be fast and gourmet if you use other cheeses (maybe Kraft for your daughter, Provolone for the adults)... and add a cup of Tomato Basil soup, ready made from Tom Thumb's signature line.

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Place a pork tenderloin in a crock pot and season with pepper and garlic.

Mix together Cream of Mushroom soup, Golden mushroom soup, and French onion soup.

Pour over the tenderloin and cook all day!

Is very very yummy! I use the sauce from the crock pot to put over either rice or mashed potatos, then do a salad or green beans as a side.

1 mom found this helpful

I have the same problem - but thank you GOD for the "net" I usually log onto www.epicurious.com click on "Recipes & Menus" scroll to "quick and easy" or click on "search recipes" type what your looking for and search away!!!

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 mom found this helpful

We grill at least 6 chicken breasts on Sunday night and use that in dinners for the week. (There's only my husband and I and an infant. You'd probably need to cook a few more.) We'll marinate it in a Ziploc with some Italian dressing and a little soy sauce over night, then grill it on Sunday.

We use that for stir-fry, quick fajitas, lunch wraps, etc.

Stir-fry: Slice up the chicken breast and saute in pan with some Wok oil. When heated up, dump a bag of the frozen stir-fry veggies from the frozen food section. Let it cook a little. Drizzle some stir-fry sauce on top and stir a little more. Cook until the veggies are at your desired softness. Season with sesame seeds or whatever. I serve this over rice.

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Hello! There are plenty of things you can do. It just depends on your time and budget.

Hormel has great pre-made meats (beef tips, meatloaf, chicken and gravy, etc). They are about $4-$5. You can put those in the microwave and then make a vegetable or two to go with it.

Hamburger helper is always a great help for me. Takes about 30 minutes or so. You could get a bag of salad to go with that.

If possible, you could also choose a day when you know you are going to be at home for a while, and make a couple of dinners for the week that day. That one takes a bit more time and planning, but if you made two meals in one day, then you could just heat them up later in the week.

Hope it helps!

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My favorite quick meal (that I keep around for those kinds of nights)....cut up one zucchini and one yellow squash. Cook them in a pan with a little bit of oil. When they are cooked, add your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce. While that is going on, cook your favorite pasta shape. This way, you are making sure you have veggies, but it takes no time at all. You could also throw in some mushrooms at the end with the squash for more veggies.... Just my personal stand-by.

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Baked fish with rotel on stop served over rice

I use frozen tilapia(sp?)and bake in the oven on 400- 450 for 30 minutes

Cook rice in the rice cooker or buy the Uncle Ben's microwave rice.

10 minutes before you take the fish out pour the rotel on top of the fish and finish the baking time.

Add a salad and you are done.

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here's a resource for you: www.savingdinner.com

I found it from www.flylady.net

it costs money, but it's very helpful (flylady is free though). she provides a grocery list and the recipes. she has recipes for freezer meals and crock pot meals. also, it's helpful for me to plan the week ahead so that I've got everything I need when I need to put it together without having to include a grocery store stop. that takes too much time.

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Beef tips! You can sautee these in olive oil and add chopped onions, bell peppers, salt, pepper and add a little fresh garlic. This is super easy and super quick. We eat this with can corn and flour/corn tortillas.

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Once a week, buy a rotiserrie chicken. Throw some frozen vegetables in a steamer (not the microwave, b/c it takes all or most of the nutrients right out of the veggies), and make some instant brown rice. A quick, healthy dinner. Another dinner idea - whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce (either lean ground beef or lean ground turkey) and Prego pasta sauce (we like Prego), and steamed frozen vegetables. Other ideas - turkey burgers, steamed frozen veggies, and brown rice. Hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,

Check out savingdinner.com. I'm serious. You'll find the help you need there. Leanne Ely is a licensed nutritionist and publishes books and e-books that get you through the rush of dinner.

S. Myatt

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Hi A.,

Here are a couple of things I do...

Quick Pizza

On a flour tortilla - put Pizza Quick Sauce, Cheese and any topping (we use pepperoni). Zap in the micro for 1-2 minutes.

I use Pilgrims Pride "Eat Well Stay Healthy" already cooked chicken breasts - they come in several flavors.

I also use frozen already cooked meatballs. They are great with bbq sauce and any side dish.

Good luck!

L.

1 mom found this helpful

hamburger helper, tyson chicken fillets or strips, chili dogs, and stouffer dinners are a very huge hit at my house.

check out Kraft Foods & Campbell Soups online - they both offer very good ideas. Also, Taste of Home.

Try cooking on the weekends, enough for the week, then freeze - you only have to pop into the oven to thaw & reheat. Add a quick salad and a canned veggie - and you have a meal in less than 15 minutes.

Save the fancy meals for the weekends.

We had 3 involved in sports & band. I would have a good healthy snack or meal waiting when they got home from school. they could eat and then we headed out to what ever event was going on. when we returned - a piece of fruit or yogurt usually satisfied the hunger.

Good luck

You can cook anything and everything in a crock pot. The meat comes out really juicy and the meal is ready whenever you are. Some things I cook in my crock pot are roast, brisket, pork chops with veggies or beans, stew, and smothered steak.

I use a slow cooker alot and that works great for us on busy days. You can put a roast,chicken or just about anything on in the morning and it will to ready when you get home. I also have a cookbook called Fix-it and Forget-it.

In an effort for my family to eat healthier and quickly, I precook all of our meat (cooking only 1 or 2 days a week,then add a steamed veggie (a bag in the freezer section,cooks in the mirowave in less than 5 min) and either a salad or fruit. We all eat together, it taste good and is healthier that all the fast food we were consuming. Cost less too.

In addition to the great recipes mentioned, you might try Super Suppers. They have great entrees and side dishes. You can go there and assemble the meals yourself at "stations" set up with all the prepared and pre-measured ingredients or pay a little more and they will do it for you. The ones we have tried are delicious. The ingredients are frozen so you can take them home and put the dish in the freezer until you need it or leave it in the refrig and just pop it in the oven. These are great options too when you are in a hurry and have grown up company coming for dinner. It tastes and looks like you spent a lot of time on it. :-D

A., I am a Homemade Gourmet Distributor and quick and easy meals is our specialty. You can email me directly and I will send you a copy of our latest catalog and quarterly magazine....no strings attached. Look it over and if you see something you would like to try, let me know. ____@____.com www.homemadegourmet.com/BETTY2212

Complete meals.i cant rember if it is dity moore or betty crocker.Anyway every thing is in the bow.put it all it a cooking pan po it in the oven and you are done.Makes enough for the whole family.And they are delcious.Should be at you grocery store.I get mine at walmart. We like the 3 cheese chicken and the fetticiene alfredo

It looks like you've gotten a lot of ideas so far (some of which I'll have to try!) I also like to cook chicken and ground beef ahead of time and freeze them.

When I'm in time crunch, I make the following to try to have some nutritional value in a hurry:

- Cook some boxed pasta/rice (I like Annie's Organic or Rice-/Pasta-Roni Natural)
- Sautee some chopped veggies (i.e., mushrooms, onions, tomatos or zucchini) and
- Add the cooked chicken or beef. (Sometimes I'll add a little fat-free sour cream or other sauce to give it a little more sauce, depending on the flavor.)

Also, for a quick tuna casserole:

- Cook Rice-a-Roni Natural Cheese Rice Mix
- Saute chopped mushrooms, onion and zucchini (or other veggies to match your family's tastes)
- Mix cooked rice, veggies and 2 cans drained tuna and place in casserole dish.
- Top with grated cheese and/or Ritz cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter.
- Bake at 350 for 20 -25 minutes.

Hi A.-
We often make a big batch of Spaghetti and meatballs sauce on Sunday and the leftovers are great for a couple of meals during the week-plus you can even freeze some. Also, Tacos are a big hit in my house and it's super easy and quick. We just pick up the Ortega kit and the fresh meat and vegetables. Yum....
N.

Crockpot is good, and also 30-min meals have some good ideas; though I can never do it in 30 minutes. Keep it simple but filling.

Crock pot!!! There are so many sizes to choose from. and enough cook books to choke on, but I am here to tell ya, it is a God send! "the new creative crock pot book" from Rival, came with the large oval size ($19.99, with a bonus mini crock, great for hot dips!)Hope this helps!

A., I can't let this post go by without responding. I am a Homemade Gourmet distributor and meal planner. I would love to assist you with your meals. With our 4Meals in 4Minutes products, you can have healthy, great tasting meals in your freezer, ready at all times to pop into the crock pot, put in the oven or on the grill. You make these meals ahead of time so there is no guess work and no question as to dinner ideas. If this sounds good to you, please contact me. I'd love to help you! ____@____.com a blessed day!

The NEW 29 minutes to Dinner from The Pampered Chef is awesome and you really can get dinner in 29 minutes. I am also offering Power Cooking Shows right now where I teach you and your guests to make the base for 3 meals. You will enjoy one and then you ( the host) are left with 2 in your freezer and everyone has the recipes that they need for a "power cooking" couple of hours once a week that leaves you with several meals...If you are intested in hosting a show like this...give me a call. ###-###-####. C.

Hi, the crockpot is a wonderful part of my morning routine. I set it in the morning & it is ready between 5:30 & 6 pm. There are a ton of recipes out there, just google easy crockpot recipes. Since I started cooking in the crockpot, we have saved 250.00 a month on not going out to eat, & I have started losing weight since it is healthier. Hopefully this will help.

Super Suppers in Allen is great! Very affordable. We get 12 half orders for about $114. And they are tasty! (We get half orders because they feed 2-3 ppl., which is all we need.)

Do you have a crock pot? You can put a roast (even frozen) in it on low hear and pour a small jar of picante sauce over it with a little water and let it cook all day. Or put a timer on the outlet and let it cook for half that time, to be done when you come home and you will have a great southwest pot of meat. Cook your veggies and make some salad and you are done!
You can also use chicken or pork.

Hon, it sounds like you need a Rachel Ray cookbook. Or you can go online and get a vast number of her 30-minute Meals.

Hi A. -
My favorite quick meal is pasta with chicken. I buy the Pasta Roni Garlic and Olive Oil pasta (takes 10 minutes to make) and the frozen chicken fajita strips warmed up in a skillet with olive oil (takes around 10 minutes to make). Put the pasta on a plate and cover with chicken strips. I'll usually add a salad (the bagged type, of course) and/or garlic bread depending on how much time I have.
U.

I need help on this too but mainly becuz i don't like cooking at all. I have a 4yr old and i cook cuz i have to not cuz i want to.

I have the solutions you need! I was having the same issues with dinner several years ago myself. A friend told me about Homemade Gourmet mixes and how easy they were. I was sold right away as we tried several of the meals. All you have to do is add the wet ingredients, plus you can make 4 Meals in 4 Minutes ready for the slow cooker! Visit my persoanl website at www.homemadegourmet.com/Kathy3080 or just give me a call and I can help you with some great quick healthy choices!
K. ###-###-####

Have you ever tried Homemade Gourmet? We have lots of quick and easy meals solutions. I'd be happy to help you with your meal planning. I've probably got 50 recipes that you can prepare using a crock pot.

K.
###-###-####

A.~
I feel your pain..running with extra activities really pinches the family dinner hour. Please let me share Homemade Gourmet with you. I started selling this about 5 years ago b/c I was purchasing so much from my friend. It really helps save me at dinner time. Also, I have make and take nights once a month that I'd love to share with you also. Would you send me your address off line so I could drop off a catalog and info to you?

Thanks
A.

I'll put another kudos in for Super Suppers. You can look up each month's offerings on-line too for nutrition information. We've found that meals for our family come in at less than even a fast food meal out and we're eating at home! They generally offer an option where they've prepared the meal for your freezer if you don't have time to go do that part either.

I love my crock pot cook book. There is everything in there. I use to think of it as soups/stews only. Now it rules the kitchen.

Use a crock pot. You can prepare meals earlier in the day or even a couple of days earlier, and the meal is ready to eat when you walk in the door. Beef stew or a pot roast are good ones, and there are plenty of crock pot cookbooks. You might also want to make some type of casserole (lasagna is a good one) on a weekend and freeze it, then pop into the oven and voila! you have dinner. It really just takes a change in behavior . . . take the time to plan a week (or even two) ahead, and you'll be able to put a home-cooked meal on the table most nights. My family is also active, and my husband and I work full-time, and we made this behavior change about 4 years ago and it has worked great! And saves money, too . . .

Crockpot!! i just tried a roast with 1 cup of soy sauce and one can of beef broth cook on med/high all day! serve on hoagies!! the crock pot is my life saver!! i put all kinds of stuff in it the night before!!

Do you have a crock pot? if you do a roast there are lots og things you can do with the meat! bbq sand, tacos, put it on biscut pizzas! let me know and we can start there!

you could purchase a roasted chicken at your grocery store. make a quick meal with some pasta or rice and your favourite veggie. you could also make salads with the left over chicken. or you could make fluatas by shredding the chicken and rolling it up in a corn tortilla and fry it up a little or bake it, add your favourite salsa, a small side salad, avocadoes and a little lime.

you could also try making meals in a crock pot. there are a lot of recipes if you search online. i've not tried one yet but it seems so easy to just pop everything into a crock pot and when you get home, the food is ready!!

best wishes and happy healthy eating!!

We love spicy food in our home. I've found if you cook your chk brst in the oven at 375 for 15 min. (or until done) in Jap Juice and season with Chile powder, season salt, garlic salt and Cumin, they are delicious. Then cook your whole grain rice, once done, add 3/4 milk and a "Cheesy Taco" season packet. Mix real good - makes the rice very yummie.

Put some rice on your plate, put the chk brst right on top of the rice and you can add melted cheese, some hot sause, fresh tomotoes, sour crm - just what ever you would like.

It's fast and good!

Also, if you want to add some beans or cut up chk brst and buy some tortilla's - you can make chk tortillas. Very easy and filling.

I am a Pampered Chef consultant, and we have some new power cooking recipes. You start with ground beef or turkey base, and you can make five different recipes like Beef Stroganoff, Italian Hoggies, and Sloppy Joes. I will be glad to e-mail them to you. Just e-mail me at ____@____.com also have a new cookbook with meals in 29 minuets or less. Hope to hear from you.

Tyson makes a roasted chicken that is located in the section by the lunchmeats, etc... It is vacuum packed and is able to be frozen for up to 3 months. Put it in the oven (after thawing, if frozen) for 35 min and it's done and as tasty as the rotisserie chickens you buy from the deli. My 4 and 1 yr old even eat it...and they're very choosy!

I go to kraft.com. They have saved me more than once, and you can sign up for weekly e-mails. They have new ideas and quick reciepes.

We like Dream Dinners in Fort Worth. Try it!