...keeping my life and family stitched together

They may not all be homemade, but here are some other ideas for quick meals.

Frozen Pizza. Add a salad or side veggie for added nutrition. Or don’t. Because sometimes you just need some pizza. :)

Lunchmeat Sandwiches. Easy, portable if needed, can make the night before too.

Breakfast! One of Em’s favorite pre-training meals this winter was a half-bagel with cream cheese and a scrambled egg. Takes about 5 minutes or less to prepare, gives her some protein. We’ve also cooked up some scrambled eggs and sausage links ahead of time and then stored them in the fridge. Only takes a minute to reheat. Even if cooked fresh, eggs take only a few minutes. Add a side of fruit.

Salads. Make some hard-boiled eggs, and cook some chicken in advance (or even used canned) to add some protein. And bacon. Bacon keeps in the fridge really well, to add to salad or sandwiches. Everything is better with bacon! All your veggies can be chopped and stored ahead of time. Even the lettuce. We chop and store ours in Mason jars in the fridge. It really works to keep it fresh much longer! And it’s all ready to go so making up a salad is fast.

Quesadillas. I make these up really quickly using caned chicken. Spray your skillet with cooking spray. Place first tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle your shredded cheese of choice on the tortilla. Sprinkle on some ground cumin, or whatever seasoning you might like. Next add the chicken (and/or veggies, or whatever meat you choose). Add a little more cumin if you like. Top with another layer of cheese, and the second tortilla. Heat in pan over medium heat until cheese melts and the bottom tortilla gets crisp. Flip it over and do the other side. Remove to plate and cut into triangles (I use a pizza cutter). Dip in taco sauce! You could make these in other flavors besides Mexican too. A Pizza-dilla is WONDERFUL (use mozzarella cheese and sausage/pepperoni, then dip in tomato sauce!).

Canned Soups. Get the good ones that you don’t have to add water to. Great for those early Spring or late Fall nights when it’s cold!

Homemade Soups. If you make up a big batch of soup, freeze it in small portions! It can be stored in containers or freezer bags.

Tagged as: Freezer Meals

{ 0 comments }

This recipe was adapted from the one in the Betty Crocker Cookbook (circa 1978). But my dad changed a lot. These aren’t much like the enchiladas you get in a restaurant, but we love them!

Ingredients and equipment:
1 pound ground beef
1 packet of taco seasoning
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (we usually get a Mexican blend)
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (if available…I rarely have this in my pantry so usually omit it!)
3-4 small onions, diced
1/2 to 1 green pepper, diced
Jalapenos, diced (optional)
Tortilla shells (I prefer the smallest “taco” sized, but you could use any size you like. We usually use flour, but you could use corn)
Cooking spray
13X9″ baking dish
2 large skillets

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Skillet 1: Spray pan with cooking spray, and toss in 2/3 of the onions. Add green pepper and jalapeno too. Cook until softened. Add can of tomatoes and sauce if desired.
At the same time –
Skillet 2: Brown ground beef with 1/3 of the onions. Once meat is browned, drain grease. Mix in taco seasoning (do not add water). Add sour cream and a handful of cheese (up to 1 cup).

Spray the baking pan with cooking spray. Add a few spoonfuls of the vegetable mixture to the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. This helps keep the tortillas from sticking.

Once all meat and vegetables are cooked, microwave a few tortillas for about 15 seconds to soften them (makes it easier to roll). Add a spoon of the meat mixture, and roll the tortilla. Place in the bottom of the pan, and press to flatten (and distribute the meat evenly in the tortilla). Repeat until the pan is full and all of the meat mixture is used. Stack tortilla rolls if necessary.

Pour the remaining vegetable mixture over the tortilla rolls and spread evenly.

Top with cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Allow to cool, and cut into serving-sized squares. Wrap in plastic wrap and place squares in freezer. Once frozen solid, store in freezer bag.

Tagged as: Freezer Meals

{ 1 comment }