Every mom I know has a couple of go-to dinners; the kind you don’t have written down because it is so easy you can actually remember it in your head. Usually these meals are comprised of 5 or less ingredients, and can be made with staples that you normally keep in the fridge. These meals are critical to have in your recipe arsenal for those crazy nights when there is barely time to breathe, much less prepare a healthy meal.
I am interested in learning about YOUR go-to dinners. Send one in and you will be entered to win a new, 2009-2010 momAgenda or myAgenda Desktop day planner (you get to choose)!
Here is one of my favorite go-to dinners, try it, it is easy and delicious (my husband loves when I make it; I feel like I am taking a shortcut because it is so easy!).
Here it is:
Chop 4 links of chicken sausage (I like Al Fresco brand) into bite size pieces. Place into a roasting pan with 2 sliced red peppers and 1 sliced onion. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 oven for 45 minutes. Done!
I chop up a few chicken breasts, coat the pieces in 2 egg whites and then your favorite mexican spice blend. Cook the pieces in a nonstick skillet over medium heat about 8 minutes. Serve over salad greens with sliced avocado, and add salsa (who doesn’t have a half-empty jar in the fridge?) for dressing. Toss in a handful of crushed tortilla pieces for crunch and a small dallop of sour cream. Yummy and perfect for a dinner on the patio!
I always keep some chicken frozen, already cooked in the freezer. I buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco (or the grocery) and take it off the bone, use some that night and freeze the rest. For quick dinners, take out the frozen chicken, thaw in microwave and stir together with sour cream, one can cream of chicken soup, poppy seeds and salt and pepper. Then crumble crackers and place them on top, drizzle with butter if desired and bake at 350 til bubbly. Fast, easy and my boys love it!
I call it “Creamy Mushroom Peas”, and it is my go-to meal, because it uses stuff that I normally stock in my pantry: sauté a can of mushrooms until they are nice and golden brown in a bit of butter or margarine. Add a bit more butter and add a tablespoon of flour. Cook the flour to make a “roux”. Add milk or cream, and keep stirring. Add frozen peas, salt, pepper, and the secret ingrediant, nutmeg. Add any other leftover veggies you might have in the fridge. Add any leftover cooked chicken you might have in the fridge. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles. My daughter loves this! If there are any leftovers, she likes to bring it for lunch in her thermos.
Our go-to meal is what my husband calls, “Southwest Chicken”. It is a variation of Chicken Alfredo, but better.
Cook in skillet 4 chicken breast, While they are cooking I chop some green onion (1/2 cup) and tomato (1 cup), I also bring a pot of water to a boil with some oil in the water. I also heat up in sauce pan a jar of Bertolli Alfredo Sauce. The pot of water is to cook noodles (I use linguine). Once chicken is done I cut into bite size pieces. I cook pasta according to package directions, drain and the add the Alfredo sauce. Once everything is done I plate the noodles with sauce, place some chicken on top, add tomato and green onion, then sprinkle with Paprika. Kid’s love it. Doesn’t look bad on the plate either. Really quick.
Great for a dinner when you are on vacation at the beach. I say that because that was our go-to meal at the beach this past weekend. I knew that would get tired of seafood!
You will need:
1 envelope Onion Recipe Soup Mix
Small bottle of Russian salad dressing
Half a jar of apricot jam
4 good size boneless/skinless chicken breasts (just cook longer if using bone-in)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine soup mix, salad dressing, and apricot jam into microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 5 minutes until melted. Place chicken in baking pan. Pour glazed mixture on top of chicken. Bake for 45 min to one hour or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.
Quick & easy homemade spaghetti sauce:
3 cloves garlic
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
basil
sugar
Heat olive oil in pan, add minced garlic cloves. When heated, add both cans of tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat & sprinkle with basil & sugar. Serve with your favorite noodles.
Nanie’s Chicken Casserole:
1 bag of Broccoli cuts (thawed)
2-3 Chicken Breasts cooked and cut in bite size pieces.
2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cans of Mayonnaise
Shredded Cheese
Crushed Corn Chips
Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×12 pan with cooking spray. Place broccoli in the bottom of the pan, layer chicken pieces next. Mix the Cream of Chicken soup & Mayo together and spread over chicken. Cover top with Shredded Cheese and crushed Corn Chips. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes or until bubbly.
“Lazy Sunday Chicken”:
Frozen Chkn Breast, Tomatoes from your pantry and any other veggies (ie. corn, beans, peas etc…) tomato soup, mushrooms, any frozen veggies you want to get rid of tomato juice cook in crock pot… serve with rice or noodles!