Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Hi ladies ...I was wondering if you could share your favorite quick and easy recipes. I work full time and most days I don't walk in the house until 6 or 6:30pm. So by the time I prep and cook - we don't get to eat till 7:30 so I'm looking for something quick but healthy. I am just so sick of making the same old things week after week. I could really use some ideas! Thanks

Message edited 2/3/2012 10:25:41 AM.

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

I started a blog just for these types of recipes. I need to update it more often and I am going to try and take more pictures and post at least 1-2 times a week. Check it out.

Dinner for the Working Mommy

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

I like to make a crockpot of veggie chili and freeze some for nights like that where you just can't be bothered with prepping and cooking a whole meal.

The other night I cut potatoes into wedges, put some olive oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne on them, and baked for about 20 mins (turning once). While they were in the oven, I heated up some chili (added chopped mushrooms to it) and made a salad.

Once the baked fries were done, I topped them with the chili and some lowfat cheese...salad on the side. Easy peasy! DH said it felt like he was eating junk food :)

Also, making a big batch of soup can stretch through the week. While its heating up, you can assemble salads or sandwiches to go with it.

Personally, I like to prep lots of veggies over the weekend (clean and cut them) and store in the fridge so salads aee easy to toss together during the week. And adding chopped fruit to salads is tasty and healthy :)

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

-Chopped Turkey with Fresh Herbs and Spices and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
package of chopped turkey, fresh poultry seasoning mix (in my supermarket they sell fresh rosemary, thyme and sage together), garlic powder, green peppers, onions, worcestershire sauce, sweet potatoes, orange juice

I cook up the ground turkey with garlic powder, and fresh sage, rosemary and thyme. I also season it with worcestershire sauce. I add in chopped onions and green peppers and cook until done.

For the mashed sweet potatoes, I bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave and then mash them together with a small dash of orange juice.

-Chicken Caesar Salad
chicken, spices for chicken (i use montreal chicken seasoning), lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, caesar dressing

Season the chicken, grill it and cut it up. In a bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons. Add the chicken and mix altogether with the caesar dressing.

-Pasta in a Meat Sauce (with or without Sundried Tomatoes)
cans of tomatoes, evoo, garlic, fresh basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, onion, spices for the meat, a package of chopped turkey (or beef), box of pasta, optional: sundried tomatoes

Cook the pasta. For the sauce, I chop an onion and saute it in some evoo and then add the tomatoes, and the spices. In another pan, I am cooking the chopped meat with some spices. When the meat is done, I toss it in the sauce and add sliced sundried tomatoes. I pour this into a big bowl with the pasta and coat the pasta in the meat/sundried tomato sauce.

-Chicken Stir-fry over Rice
brown or white rice, chicken, spices for the chicken (I use ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and black pepper), oil (i use a sesame/evoo oil mix), stirfry sauce (can be pre-bottled or you can make your own), package or frozen stir fry vegetables or fresh vegetables, (whichever you prefer/easiest & quickest)

I make the brown or white rice. As I'm doing that, I cook up the chicken in sesame oil/evoo mix and add the spices I listed above. When the chicken is cooked, I add the package of frozen/defrosted vegetables. If it is fresh, sometimes I cook them in a different pan so I have more control of how they get cooked and then toss them into the chicken pan. Once the vegetables and chicken are cooked and mixed together, throw in the sauce. I make my own using soy sauce, a dash of orange juice, a little hoison sauce, and garlic. Then you take this chicken/veggie/sauce mixture and put it over the rice.

-Lemon Pepper Chicken with Lemon and Garlic Broccoli
chicken, lemons, black pepper, evoo, broccoli, garlic

I marinate the chicken in lemon juice, lemon zest, black pepper and evoo. Then I grill it.

For the side, I cut up fresh broccoli (or use frozen) and add lemon juice, lemon slices and garlic cloves and microwave it in the oven.

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

That blog looks great!

Pulled pork in the slow cooker

Take a pork loin, add chopped onion, 3/4 bottle of BBQ sauce, some garlic powder and let cook for 8-10 hours.

Serve over rice or on rolls.

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Thank you ladies so much....I really appreciate everyone taking the time out to offer their suggestions. Can't wait to try these recipes!

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Tacos are the quickest dinner we can do around here. Or we get the rotisserie chicken from Bj's and make a nice salad with it.

I don't like prepping ahead because for me it just doesn't happen then we wind up ordering out.

Breakfast for dinner works. Also once in a while dh and I will have appetizers for dinner

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

I agree with tacos being very quick. I buy the pre shredded cheese and pre shredded lettuce so it is all ready to go once the meat is cooked!

I also make a 'salsa pizza' that is quick and easy prep. Cook 1 pkg ground turkey (of beef), add 1 packet of taco seasoning and 1 small jar of salsa and cook a few minutes longer. Layer one tube of Pillsbury Grands biscuits on the bottom of a baking pan (each biscuit has to be separated in half to cover the bottom) Cover grands with meat/salsa mixture and top with 1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes....its favorite in my house!

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Bruschetta Chicken

I cheat a little--I buy a big container of bruschetta and a bag of breaded chicken cutlets from Costco.

Put chicken on a pan, put bruschetta on top, pour a little balsamic vinegar and bake.

So easy and delicious!!

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

I find my best strategy is to keep my freezer stocked, so that I don't HAVE to cook a fresh meal every night. Stuff I make when time allows, and then freeze--

- Soups
- Chili
- Meatballs
- Meatloaf
- Breaded chicken cutlets. This is my #1 go-to item. You can heat them up with sauce and mozz for chicken parm, you can slice them over a bed of salad greens, you can put them in sandwiches or slice them and fill a wrap....

I also plan meals that will yield leftovers. I made BBQ pulled chicken in the crockpot the other day, and we ate it for two nights.

Like someone else said, breakfast for dinner is quick and healthy. We do scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, and some sort of fruit.

Another easy, healthy thing we do is just whole wheat pasta and frozen broccoli florets, tossed with garlic and olive oil.

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Re: Please share your favorite QUICK and EASY dinner recipes for all of us FTW ladies

Beef and Bean Burritos - (I use turkey)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1/2 jar salsa
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
shredded lettuce
garnishes
Preparation:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned, stirring often to break up meat. Drain well. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; simmer for 10 minutes. Add refried beans and some salsa. Heat thoroughly.
Wrap tortillas in foil and place in a 350° oven to heat for 10 minutes. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the ground beef mixture onto each tortilla; roll tightly and place seam-side down on serving platter lined with shredded lettuce. Spoon remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas. Garnish and serve with any of the following: shredded cheese, sliced ripe olives, chopped tomatoes, sour cream or guacamole, and more shredded lettuce. Burrito recipe makes 6 burritos.