Cheap, Easy and Fast Dinners

My favorite fast meal since I was a kid: spaghetti and meatballs made with worchestershire sauce, barbeque sauce and cream cheese. 4 ~2.5 inch meatballs cook in a covered glass dish in the microwave in about 3 minutes (turn meatballs in the middle - you want the red gone, but don't overcook til they're hard).

We also do quesadillas constantly -- stirfry whatever meat (usually chicken) and veggies are in the house in one pan. Season with garlic, salt, pepper, whatever. Each of us combines that with tortillas, rice, cheese and salsa as we see fit.

Another tip is to buy your meat at Costco. It's half the price and twice as good.

I have this great slow-cooker recipe book. (101 Things to do with a slow cooker by Stephanie Ashcraft) I rely on it heavily. Most of the recipes are really easy. For example, my friend was talking to me about this very thing and I told her that day I had put in the crock pot, pork-chops with italian dressing. That's it!! It was so delicious and EASY. There are many others like it. Then you can just make some noodles or rice on the side, veggies and you are set. The thing I like the most is that being a working mom, the main course is done by the time I get home from work. It takes a lot of stress out of the day.

WE have a couple of favorites..
Stuffed potatoes, we use the rotissere chicken at Sams $4.88 each, we shred the chicken in a bowl and add our favorite BBQ sauce, while we are doign that the potatoes are in the microwave cooking. When they potatoes are done, we cut them in half, pile on the chicken and sprinkle on the shredded cheese, bake until that cheese melts and we are done. You can substitute for veggies which Ido sometime also.

Another is a bag of frozen veggies, meat of your choice (we use chicken) pasta just about any kind works and a little italian salad dressing. It is easy and works great for left overs.

Grilled sandwichese are a favorite too, chicken with mushrooms, or steak and onions

This is really not complicated and was one of my family’s favoites. I got this recipe from the wife of the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco who lived next door to me. Her family was on a tight budget because they were paid in pesos and the dollar was very strong. It’s her mother-in-law’s invention.

Casserole Dona Rosa

2 lbs of boneless pork spareribs diced.
Juice of half a lemon
1 diced clove of garlic
1 large chopped onion
2lbs of zucchini cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup (or small can)of corn
1 diced green pepper
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 (4 oz) can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 (4 oz) can of jalapeno chilies
grated jack cheese

Marinate the pork for a little while in the lemon juice then saute in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, onion, zucchini, corn and green pepper.
Saute a few minutes longer over high heat,stirring.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the tomato sauce. Add to pan and stir a few minutes. Stir in the jalapeno chilies. Move to a casserole dish and top with cheese. Heat in the oven until bubbly.

You can use Mexican Pato sauce (spicy tomato sauce) in place of regular for a bit (a lot, actually) more zip.
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D.

I am dealing with the same problems! I finally broke down and bought a decent crockpot (my old one could have set the house on fire) and am loving how easy it is. Most recipes call for a meat, a veggie, and a some kind of liquid. (condensed soup, bbq sauce) It is only a few ingredients and you can easily throw it all in the pot in the morning on low and it will be done when you get home. My favorite one is 4lbs chicken (I used drumsticks) with 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce. On low for 8 hrs. That's it! The best fall off the bone chicken you've ever eaten. Just add can of veggies and your set. I also used the leftovers on rolls with cheese for sandwiches. Too yummy!!

For good pulled pork, just use can of coke (yes, soda), package of onion soup mix, small bottle chili sauce. On low, all day. Again, leftovers on rolls with cheese.... yum.

Goodluck!

One of the most difficult issues we have every week is trying to put food on the table. We can easily go through the motions at times and get in the car and drive our lovely little ones from school to gymnastics and back to home but to create a meal at the end of the day, that requires planning and thought...who has time or energy for that!

I am a foodie through and through but not every meal can be gourmet and if it was, my kids would never eat! So I try and use fresh local ingredients that are in season to prepare delicious meals to keep my kids sitting at the table. Well, my oldest is 4 so I pretty much have to tie him down to his chair to keep him seated but you know what I mean.

Please check out my Market Menu each week for what is on sale in our local grocery stores and a listing of great menu ideas that you can make for your family.

It Takes a Village...
Where Dallas Moms go for Food, Family and Fun

http://www.ittakesavillagedallas.com/It_takes_a_village/M...

Do you have a gas grill? At walmart you can buy 10 lbs of chicken quarters for $5. Usually there's about a dozen in the bag. I take them home and freeze them separately. Thaw them in the sink during the day and throw on some salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and put them on the grill 5-6 min per side 2 times. Pop some potatoes in the microwave for quick and easy "baked" potatoes and steam some broccoli, smother the veggies and taters with cheese, yum. What's great about grilling is that there isn't alot of clean-up. Slap on some bbq sauce at the end of grilling, pair up with corn and a salad for a different meal. You can do all this with pork chops too and they usually cook faster if they are not really thick.

Being a single mom working full time, going to school, and trying to eat right I can sympathize.
I have made my own "poor man's beef stew" and it turned out great! I took a pound of stewing beef and coated it with flour and salt and pepper. I browned this in a skillet with a little bit of oil (I prefer olive oil but whatever oil you have works). I then drained and used some water to deglaze the pan. Since you said you are not a "good" cook I don't know if you know what that means. If not here goes :-)...just put in a little water (1/2 cup or so) in the bottom of the pan and while it is warming, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and get up all the litlte baked on bits of beef. It will loosen with the water. This is great flavor and so you don't want to lose it. Add this to the beef. Then in a big pot I place the beef, some cut up potatoes scrubbed and diced, and a few cans of beef broth. I then throw in whatever canned veggie I have on had. It's realy yummy with corn or green beans. Make sure the veggie is drained before you throw it in. Take a little cornstarch or flour (1 tsp) and a little water and mix until blended (should be easy to pour) and add in to thicken the broth. Once the potatoes are done you are ready to go. The entire thing takes about half an hour and is very yummy and inexpensive. Add in some bread or rolls on the side and it's a meal that any "meat and potatoes" man will enjoy!