Friday Playdate » Blog Archive » so easy even I can do it

Filed Under pretty things on February 10, 2009

A while back, Chris developed a rating scale for her recipes at Ordering Disorder. She called it the Susan Scale, and explained it like this:

A lot of times I will be telling Susan about something I have made for dinner and she will ask if she could make it. And so I have developed a Susan Scale, which rates the difficulty of meal preparation from a 1 to a 5. 1 means that it is easy enough for Susan and small children to accomplish. 5 means that Susan should just admire the photo and consider ordering something similar next time she goes out to eat.

Do you see why she is my friend? There’s a woman who totally gets me.

Last night I made Parmesan garlic chicken, which was proof to me that the people at Kraft also totally get me; it was quite literally the easiest thing I’ve ever made, and superdelicious. What I am learning is that the best thing about Kraft’s iFood Assistant is that the recipes are both foolproof and easily improved on. Let’s take the Parmesan chicken as an example, shall we?

The gist of the recipe is this (download the app if you want the full directions): you mix grated Parmesan cheese, Italian dressing mix, and garlic powder in a bowl, roll chicken breasts in it, and bake. SO DAMN EASY. And it made my house smell fantastic, which I hear is an added benefit of cooking.

However … because the recipe called for a package of salad dressing mix (the powdery kind), it was a little salty. Wade suggested that next time we might double the cheese and the chicken, or halve the dressing, whichever seemed easier.

And that’s when I really fell in love with this recipe system.

The iFood Assistant is the perfect cooking app for nervous cooks. Everything is both delicious and easily tweaked; these are recipes that you can serve to your friends and family with confidence, and that you can also alter to fit your tastes and needs. We made a meatloaf a while back from the app’s recipes, and while it was a big hit, it was twice what we could eat; next time, I will mix it all up and freeze half.

See? SO EASY.

I don’t often say that cooking is easy (see above, Susan Scale) but I’m really feeling that way this week. I am SO confident, in fact, that I may actually start cocktail hour BEFORE I start making tonight’s dinner.

I know! Imagine.

Up for grabs today, to make your dinner hour more pleasant, is a $50.00 American Express gift card, compliments of Kraft. Tell me what your favorite last-minute, super-easy, always-delicious dinner option is. And yes, cheese on a toasted bagel counts — I am not one to judge. Contest closes at 6:00 am CST tomorrow morning.

And tomorrow I’m giving away another iTunes gift card! Because the fun just never ends around here.

Thanks to the people at Kraft for providing the iTunes and AmEx gift cards for the winners, and for hooking me up with the Kraft iFood app.

178 Comments so far
Leave a comment

I just downloaded the IFood Assistant to my Iphone - very excited to use it.

My favorite easy, go to recipe is chicken fajitas. I throw chicken breasts, sliced bell peppers (red, green and yellow) and 3/4 of a bottle of fajita marinade (Wegmans brand!) into the crockpot in the morning before I leave for work. You come home to tender, juicy chicken already cooked to perfection! Easy, easy!

MMMMM - that parmesan chicken sounds fabulous.

My easy go-to meal is omelettes with everything we have leftover in the fridge (veggies, shredded cheese, lunchmeat) and toast.

My favorite super easy dinner is to cook tortellini in chicken broth, ladle it up as soup and pair it with a sandwich of whatever is on hand.

I’m very intrigued by the iFood Assistant… I might need to check it out!

Quick, go-to recipe: Bean & Cheese Burritos, since I almost always have the ingredients in the house.

A Grilled PB&J; just make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and put some butter on the outside and grill it the way you would a grilled cheese sandwich. The peanut butter gets warm and gooey and the bread gets that yummy, buttery crunchiness. My 2 year old son LOVES these and calls them, “Buddy-Jelly Sandwiches.”

Now I know what we’re having for dinner tonight!

This iFood Assistant sounds awesome… too bad I don’t have an iPhone.

Favorite go to meal… french dip subs… as long as I remember to put the roast in the crock pot in the morning.

Our go-to meal usually happens when I forget to thaw something. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Nothing fancy, just kraft singles on bread and campbell’s tomato soup made with milk. Extra good with white cheddar cheez-its in the soup.

I was very sad to learn that the iFood app only works on iPhones and not the iPod touch

I am notorious for forgetting to set out meat to thaw for dinner, so we have lots of recipes with ground beef since you can throw it in the pan frozen. I love to toss in whatever I have on hand into the meat (Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, Tabasco, etc.) and serve it over bread. It’s our variation of sloppy joes. It’s different every time and ALWAYS so yummy!

Our go to quick meal is pasta and marinara sauce from a jar. Sometimes we get crazy and add in extra spices to the sauce.

My goto meal is chicken pesto pasta. A box of pasta, I like rotini, a jar of pesto and cut up chicken, onions and mushrooms all sauteed together. Mix it all up and it’s a hit everytime.

The kids love breakfast for dinner as our quicky-go-to-meal. Breakfast burritos, pancakes, sauteed potatoes, they just love it. Quesadillas using whatever meat is leftover from last night is a winner, too.

Thanks for the chance to win, Susan!

My go-to meal:
Chicken Breast Implants.

Chicken Breasts sliced to make a pocket and stuffed with feta cheese, rolled in some sort of bread crumb (ritz crackers!) and then baked to perfection.

I heart it!

My favorite go-to quick meal is the build your own personal pizza bar! I usually make these when it’s my turn to “cook” for my friends, and I think your kids will get a kick out of it too!

I like to use flatbread instead of actual pizza crusts because you can freeze them or use them for other dishes, with hummus, etc. Set up your ‘build your pizza’ bar with whatever toppings your family likes, (turkey pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms and green peppers are a must for my friends), pizza sauce and cheese and then everyone can make their own pizza. Put the pizzas directly on the oven rack and bake for about 7 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is browing) at 350! SO easy.

I love the Kraft Food & Family website and magazine for last-minute easy stuff that makes it look like I have an imagination.
But my go-to, no brain activity required recipe will always be spaghetti, salad and bread. Can do it in my sleep.

We love Mexican food, so our go to meal is tacos.

When feeling rushed or like we don’t want to cook we go the breakfast route - muffins, pancakes, or eggs…Ha!

my quick fix meal is jarred spaghetti sauce and browned jimmy dean breakfast sausage on pasta.

My last minute meal is black bean soup. 2 cans of black beans, some salsa and broth. Throw it all in a blender till smooth. Then heat. Super fast, easy and good.

Salsa chicken –
Pre-heat oven to 350. Cut up a couple pounds of chicken. Season with salt and pepper and taco seasoning. Saute in pan til almost done, then transfer to 9×9 pan covered in Pam. Dump jar of favorite salsa over chicken (Newman’s Own Peach is the best with this) and top with Mexi-blend cheese. Bake 10ish minutes, til cheese is melty and salsa goodness bubbly.
Serve over (brown) rice with sour cream.

A FAVORITE in my house.

Well, in reality, my last-minute meal involves pizza delivery.

BUT if I’m forced to actually cook something … Creamy Baked Chicken. It involves chicken, cream of chicken soup, swiss cheese and Pepperidge Farm dressing. Super easy and super yummy.

Chili!! It’s super easy and just cooks in the crockpot or if it’s really last minute, just boil it for a little while. But I think I may have burned my husband out on it.

I love easy dinners–my favorite is bbq chicken pizza. We make lots of pizza dough at once, then divide and freeze it for later. The only other ingredients are chicken, barbeque sauce, sauteed onion and cheese.

We love chicken fajitas…it’s pretty easy..and everyone gets to build them to their specifications…so no whining…perfect!

Fritatta - eggs and whatever leftover veggies, cheese and/ or cooked pasta I have in the fridge. Make some of those biscuits in a tube and a bag o’ salad and you’ve got a meal!

Tacos…so easy and I always have everything on hand.

My favorite last minute meal is pizza. I try to make it as healthy as possible(and by healthy I mean non-fattening, rather than meaning natural, organic products), so I use the Pillsbury Classic pizza dough in the refrigerated can…then top it with reduced-fat cheese, sauce, and veggies. Sometimes if I have some deli ham, I’ll include that as well. Quick and yummy!

We like to cook pasta with roasted veggies when we’re out of time. Add some soya sauce and voila.

I have two:
1. “Little pizzas” - where we use burrito shells instead of dough…they make wonderful crispy thin pizzas and the best part is everyone can make their own (cutting down on the “eewww, gross” factor of other people’s topping choices).
2. Tacos - Super simple with any left over meat.

I am bummed I don’t have an iphone, because this Kraft app sounds awesome. Oh, well maybe someday.

My go-to meal is fish and chips, from the freezer of course! If I’m feeling guilty, I’ll make a salad while the fries and fish are baking…but that only happens if there’s lettuce in the house.

Most of our dinners seem to be of the easy throw everything into a pot and let it cook variety. I’m on a big pasta kick so I’ll throw some water in a pot and while it’s boiling sautee sausage, and then throw sliced onions and peppers in the pan, let is cook for a few minutes and then throw in a can of diced tomatoes. Add a few spices (oregano and red pepper flakes) and let is all cook together while the pasta cooks. Toss it all together and you’re good to go.

Quesadillas on the Jorge Foreman grill with refried beans. If I’m getting fancy, maybe some rice, but I try not to make eye contact with fancy.

My stand-by last minute dinner is spaghetti - jarred sauce (with extra sauteed onions and peppers) and frozen meatballs. With bread and a spinach and mandarin orange salad. Quick, easy and the kids like it.

You are really convincing me that I need to get this iFood assistant. Which is saying a lot, since I’m anti-paying for apps on the iPhone.

My go-to recipe is probably Boca burgers and french fries. The Boca is tasty, healthy and quick and I just throw some of the frozen fries into the oven and then I feel like I’m indulging and I’m not really.

I don’t know if I’m eligible, but I hope I am!

Anyway, my favorite super-quick meal is chicken salad sandwiches. I just do chopped chicken, lemon juice, mayo, dried basil, salt and pepper, on a croissant with tomato slices and lettuce. OH, its’ so good.

I’d have to say spaghetti - or variations thereof. We always have pasta in the house - and a jar of tomatoes, onions, garlic, etc. You can’t really make bad spaghetti..

We call our favorite no-plan no-fuss no-fail meal “nibble plate” and it’s just that. I put lots of little pretty bowls and plates on a lazy susan, and heap each one with something healthy that at least one of my picky children eats: chickpeas, olives, cheese, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, hummus, left over chicken. whatever we have in the house that someone might like to eat gets put out, and everyone makes a plate full of favorites. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, uses up left overs, and the girls think they’re getting away with something!

Another easy dinner is quesadillas - put refried beans, cheese, avocado if we’ve got it, and for the grown ups onion and jalapenos, in a tortilla and fry it in a cast iron pan. it takes a few minutes and tastes delicious.

I downloaded iFood Assistant onto my iTouch yesterday…passed the word along to two friends…we love it!

Fave last minute meal:

Polska Kielbasa with mashed potatos and cheese. Make up some instant mashed potatos. Cut the Kielbasa into quarters, then slice each quarter the long way and open each piece so it lays flat. Load it up with mashed potatos and your fave cheese on top. Pop it in the oven at 350 for 15 min or so…until the cheese is melted. YUM!

yummy! i’m downloading the app right now. it’s so smart to have it right when you need it - at the store! no need to print out a list or write one down. genius!

my favorite easy dinner is making breakfast. seriously - scrambled eggs, some toast, bacon perhaps, fruit smoothie. delicious and sometimes i think it tastes better at night!

Baked sweet potatoes (pierce and throw in the oven!) topped with black beans, salsa and cheese. Yum.

I make diet coke chicken. Chicken + can of diet coke + 1 cup ketchup = yummy!

My simple go-to recipe would have to be breakfast for dinner. I love scrambling eggs, adding in some cut up sausage links and sprinkling with cheese. So yummy and very, very simple!

Tacos. And here’s the brilliant part: I can either walk two blocks to the corner to pick up any ingredients I need (a can of refried beans, perhaps, or a package of corn tortillas or an onion) OR I can walk five blocks to the amazing taco stand and spend a couple dollars more to have someone else do it for me.

Black bean quesadillas, which just got a lot easier since I figured out you can use salsa rather than saute onions and peppers. Canned black beans and salsa, cheese and tortillas. About 7 minutes from lightbulb over my head to table!

Last night I made dijon chicken (which I learned from foodmomiac). Brown chicken breasts, take them out of the pan and saute a chopped onion, then put the chicken back in and pour a mixture of a cup of white wine and three Tbsp dijon mustard over the top. Bake it in a 475 oven for 30 minutes, flipping half-way through.

My go-to meal lately has been 3 Cheese Tortellini (just boil & drain) in alfredo sauce (jarred). Sometimes I’ll add some pureed roasted red peppers to the sauce.

Last minute dinner? Uh, that would be bowls of cereal. LOL
But I will admit to having Kraft mac and cheese in my pantry. My fall back in the winter has become black bean soup. I just use the cans of black beans, diced tomatoes, and maybe some corn or whatnot.

Tuna noodles.

Boil whatever noodles, add whatever frozen veggies on hand, drain. add grated cheese, and a can o’ tuna……Done!!!

Scrambled eggs with cheese, chives and salsa. And Avocado on the side. YUM.

Fondu!

I bake a sliced up Kielbasa in the oven.. throw some brocolli and cauliflower in my rice steamer (with vegi steamer basket) and I melt some smoked gouda and jarlesburg swiss in a small pot.

its fast, easy and delicious!

My last minute, oh my God I gotta eat cuz my blood sugar is in the toilet and I’m snapping at my husband because he’s eating chips too loudly is: Cheese quesadilla! I make it in my cast iron skillet so it gets nice and crunchy! Yummmmm…..

My easiest fallback meal is barbecued chicken. Put chicken breasts in a dish, pour barbecue sauce on them and bake. Definitely a 1 on the Susan scale.

Throw chicken on bbq, while cooking roast asparagus in toaster over (400 for 12 min), mix togther dijon mustard, chopped garlic, soy sauce and olive oil. Pour over everything. Delish!

Are you ready? EASIEST, BEST CHICKEN EVER. Grab some chicken cutlets, honey mustard, and a can of those French’s fried onion rings things. Lightly crush the onion rings. Dip chicken into mustard, then coat with crushed fried onion things, and bake uncovered until done. YOU’RE WELCOME.

I rub chicken breasts with Miracle Whip, sprinkle with rosemary and garlic powder and bake. The Miracle Whip keeps them moist and makes the skin brown very nicely. The rosemary adds an awesome flavor.

We’re last minute chili people. Sautee some onions with some spices (chili powder, oregano… whatever is around), throw in some canned crushed tomatoes and whatever canned beans we have around… maybe some browned ground meet if we have it, but if not we just go vegetarian. Quick, easy, healthy.

I love a good, clean out the fridge/freezer pasta. Take your dinner from last night-always cook a little more than you need, but not double-reincarnate it into a totally different meal and it won’t feel like leftovers! So I take some leftover chicken, chop it up, cook some bacon if I have some on hand (IF! Ha, ha!), mix in some veggies-frozen veggies are such a time/money saver, garlic, onion, salt, pepper. Cook it all in a skillet while the pasta boils. Mix it all together in a big pasta bowl, adding some parmesan cheese and pasta water to make a sauce. On special days when I have half & half/cream/ or the like on hand, I’ll throw that in too. Mmm, good!

Nachos. Sometimes loaded with all the tomotoes, onions, sour cream, cilantro and taco meat you can get. Sometimes just with cheese and prepared salsa.

I almost always have frozen marinara sauce in the freezer, occasionally I will grab a jar. Either boil some spaghetti or some frozen ravioli and add a salad for an entire meal.

Pasta tossed with butter and parmesan. My husband and I used to call this dish Naked Noodles because the noodles look like they don’t have anything on them, but now that we have children we call it Noodles with Butter and Parmesan.

Spaghetti. I make homemade sauce (usually), but keep a few jars on hand if I’m too lazy to press garlic and add spices.

Topped with CHEESE, of course

Sweet and sour chicken. cup of russian dressing, 1 cup apricot preserves, one pouch of onion soup mix. Mix together and add cut up chicken breasts. Bake for about 40 minutes, until chicken is done. I serve with white rice. YUM!

Vegetarian Chili! Brown some Boca crumbles, then add black beans, ranch style beans, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and a pack of mild or medium chili seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes and then eat w/ yummy toppings like cheese and sour cream! So easy, even my hubby can’t screw it up!

My favorite is macaroni and cheese, but today? Oh, today it is SO ordering pizza! At like 3:00. Shamelessly.

I like to have Italian. Getcheroni.

Does heating up a frozen pizza count? That, some wine and a movie from Netflix makes for a common dinner experience at my house.

Breakfast dinner. Oatmeal, eggs, sausage, pancakes, waffles or even cold cereal. Add some fruit. Voila, its dinner. And, of course, it is my kids favorite meal. Being busy with the kids activites, I’d say we have breakfast dinner once a week.

Super Nachos! Doesn’t get easier. So easy, in fact, that I can usually get my husband to make them. And, if he’s willing to cook, I hardly give a damn what we eat.

Our on the go dinner is usually bean and cheese burritos with a side veggie. My husband can always whip something together in 1/2 hour, so I am really lucky.

Another easy one that everyone likes is chili which really doesn’t take too long.

My favorite super easy and fast meal when I’m surprised with company is white rice mixed with creamed soups and chicken. It’s all dumped in one baking dish and then topped with shredded cheese about 10 minutes before you serve it. LOVE LOVE LOVE the shove it in the oven meals.

Embarrassing as it is to say….

My easy go-to meal is something out of a box, like hamburger helper.

Seriously easy to throw together when I get home from work? Honestly, hot dogs. BUT, if I think about it in the morning, I pull out my crockpot, throw a few FROZEN (yep, no work required) chicken breasts in, and dump either a) 2 cans cream of chicken soup OR b) 1 packet dry italian dressing mix & 1/3 cup of water…turn it on low for 10 hours, and I have a tasty meal waiting when I get home! I cook some Trader Joe’s brown rice medley to accompany, and sometimes broccoli or a salad. Both are verrrry tasty…the “B” option is slightly healthier, of course, and both are delectable as leftovers for the week!

Hands down, Breakfast! People almost always have eggs, cheese and toast in their house (and in the South, grits) and it makes me feel all warm inside and liking I’m breaking a rule to have breakfast…At Night!

homemade pizza! Its easy and my 2 year old helps. So I dont have to stay in the kitchen and she does not tear my house up. Its great for many reasons!

Jaime

Our fallback dinners are chicken with green beans (we usually have frozen chicken breast), spaghetti or potsticker soup (broth, frozen potstickers & spinach). Um, or take-out from down the street :-).

Turkey Kielbasa in Zatarains black beans and rice.

Does picking up a pizza from Domino’s on the way home count?

One-pot spaghetti! Kids love it and it works for drop in dinner guest. In a deep frying pan or dutch oven, brown the hamburger meat, drain, large can of spaghetti sauce, add one and a half cans of water to pan, season to taste and add spaghetti noodles. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Tastes like you slaved over the stove, you only have one pot to clean and is takes no more than 30 mins. start to finish.

My last minute meal involves browning Italian sausage meat (which I keep on hand in the freezer), drain off the fat, add a jar of spaghetti sauce (Bertolli or Barilla is best), and pour over cooked spaghetti. Tasty and fast!

If I have forgotten to take meat out for dinner then my back up meal is hot dogs in a bun with grilled cheese sandwiches. The boys like it when I forget. sigh

Breakfast for dinner is our easy meal. Pancakes (even ones not from a box) are super easy, as is bacon…

I swear by waffles from the waffle maker. We get a homemade meal, but they’re super easy! To dress them up, we dye the batter with food coloring.

Last minute dinner for us - boxed Annie’s mac and cheese supplemented by spices, frozen peas or mixed veggies and sometimes even ground turkey. Probably our daughter’s favorite meal!

Thanks for the great giveaway opportunity!

I work full-time and am doing my master’s degree, so our dinners are ALWAYS last-minute and super-easy. Though we’re not vegetarian, I always have frozen veggie burgers on hand (Boca Burgers, the original vegan variety). I usually cook some frozen veggies to go with them and throw some chips on the table, and dinner is made in ten minutes. They don’t taste like “real” hamburgers, but they’re delicious with mayo and spicy mustard.

While I have been known to do a toasted bagel with cheese our current easy favorite is bean burritos - beans, seasoning, cheese, wrapped up and baked til warm. Easy and yummy!

My cold go-to is a knock-off Nicoise salad with no green beans or potato. I add garbanzo beans, white tuna and capers to Romaine lettuce, add some sea salt and pepper, way too much olive oil (but it’s good for my heart! No trans-fats! Blahblahblah) and balsamic vinegar and that’s it.

Hot it’s usually a stir fry, pre-cut chicken or beef strips and a random assortment of veggies. And balsamic vinegar again (which I’m kind of surprised I don’t put on my cereal.)

Waffles!

Frozen tortellini or ravioli with sauce (sometimes previously homemade and frozen, sometimes from a jar) and bread/rolls (usually homemade in the bread maker and frozen).

Although, that is seriously the extent of my cooking ability so that is less a ‘last minute go-to’ and more a ‘WOW I actually cooked SOMETHING’.

Noodles and Edamames (in the pod) with a tossed salad on the side. Yes my two boys (2 and 5) love Edamames (must be something about squeezing the edamames right into their mouth). Good thing they like them–since they barely eat enough meat in a month to qualify as one serving of protein.

spaghetti…I try to always have home-made sauce on hand in the freezer.

so funny that someone else said grilled cheese and tomato soup. that’s TOTALLY my go-to quick in-a-pinch meal. funny!

Our favorite last minute dinner is something we are actually having tonight, since I have a meeting. I make chicken pesto pizza with frozen dough, jarred sauce, and unbreaded chicken tenders I cook, from frozen, on the Foreman. It takes about 20 minutes to do it all. And everyone eats it.

Since I plan most of my meals, when we need an unplanned one (maybe because I forgot to defrost the meat, or something), we usually have scrambled eggs and toast. The kids love it because they get jelly! As part of dinner!

Favorite Go-To meal … either spaghetti and meatballs (with frozen turkey meatballs) or Trader Joes panko breaded tilapia. Did I have to say something homemade? Uh… I don’t have a quickie homemade meal!

Can I use the gift card to buy an iPhone?

my go-to meal is breakfast for dinner. Bacon, eggs, homefries, and fruit salad.

I always have frozen vegies, tomato sauce on hand. Saute onions and garlic, toss in the frozen vegies and tomato sauce. Vegie stew in minutes. Everyone thinks it is special. Also a good way to use up all the vegies in the fridge, throw anything in. Make some quick popovers and dinner is complete.

My favorite last minute meal item: Grilled cheese sandwiches (with Kraft American slices) and Tomato Soup. Yummy!

I see I am not alone in my love for the Breakfast Dinner.

The best part? My kids NEVER complain when they see pancakes!

Thanks for the giveaway chance. I feel like a winner already, just collecting these quick and easy ideas for dinners.

Tacos or quesadillas with guacamole. Or the individual sausage pizzas from Schwann’s.

I’m not the primary cook at our house, but when it’s up to me I often go the breakfast route. Pancakes it is!

I’m a comfort food craver, so grilled cheese and soup is my fave go-to dinner.

I can serve just about any protein to my kids if i also make my roasted potatoes.

Cube enough baking potatoes (you want about 2 inch sized cubes, don’t peel) to cover the bottom of the largest baking pan you have. Drizzle with some oil–any kind, really–and then toss with a mix of salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cover with foil, bake at 450 for about half an hour, then remove foil and let them get crispy.

Friday night dinner, though, is my favorite. We have homemade bread, cheese and fruit. Yep. That’s it. The kids get to eat on a blanket in front of the TV, my cooking is reduced to nothing, and they’re eating healthy food.

I have two easy dinner favorites.

One is pasta and sauce. Easy-peasy. Add a vegetable and maaaybe some garlic bread and you’re good to go.

The second is kielbasa. I bought a metric ton of kielbasa a couple months ago and then had to figure out what to do with it. So I tossed a ring (or two) on the grill. I turned it once and then served it with a vegetable. YUM!

Um I’m known around these parts as the Frozen Food Queen. I hate dinner - always have and always will!

Egg sandwich of some sort - maybe scrambled eggs on toast or in a wrap, maybe eggs over easy with a slice of cheese. Delicious, super easy and fast, minimal clean-up, and I can convince myself it’s not toooooo bad for me :).

Cheese omeletes with sourdough toast and sausage. I always have these items in my house and it’s a huge winner every time. I try to schedule “breakfast” for dinner at least once a week!

Happy Hour.

Tuna fish casserole, crescent rolls, some sort of green-type vegetable. YUM! Comfort food at its finest!

Spaghetti - using sauce from a jar. We have a great little bakery around the corner, and I try to swing by there for fresh bread to make garlic bread. I found a yummy garlic bread recipe on allrecipes; it’s super easy, and makes a throw-it-together meal feel like more of a treat. (We also usually only eat half the loaf of garlic bread, so I’ll freeze the other half for the next time I’m making spaghetti).

breakfast burritos:
microwave a couple of potatoes, nuke some bacon, scramble some eggs. wrap in tortilla! stand back as ravenous children storm into kitchen.

Breakfast is my favorite go to meal: cheesy scrambled eggs, skillet toast and some fresh fruit. Always yummy and quick!

Meatballs…. It is easy, good, and my picky husband actually likes it!

I guess cereal or ice-cream doesn’t count.

Roasted veggies - potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc. cut up, mixed with olive oil and rosemary, and stuck in oven.

And maybe some gluten-free mac + cheese.

And then maybe some cereal or ice-cream!

Season some chicken breasts with Penzeys seasonings - I like Ozark or Northwood and then cover with a mixture of apricot jam and honey mustard. Bake for about 35 mn @ 375.

Spinach quiche- eggs, shredded cheese, spinach. Mix everything, throw in a greased casserole dish in the oven. Serve with homemade potato bread & a side salad!

Is it wrong to say that Steak and potatoes is that meal for me? I happened to have bought a case of steaks from a door to door meat salesman (I know, crazy right?) and so just grabbing a couple and thawing them out is easy. And then I make crash hot potatoes (can be found on Pioneer Woman’s site and are a total 1.5 on the Susan scale I’m just sure) and then I microwave frozen veggies. I also use Pioneer Woman’s method for cooking the steaks indoors. In the summer or in nice weather though I would grill them outside. (I guess today would be considered nice weather since Oklahoma is in the 70’s this week)

Enchiladas - whatever meat I have, whatever beans I have, etc.

[…] isn’t as big of a secret to people who actually cook. But since I like to keep things on the Susan Scale, I’ll tell you anyway. When using your rolling pin, only go in one direction. Don’t go […]

Oh, iPhone envy!

My favorite easy recipe is to throw carrots, a large head of brocoli, and a large head of cauliflower(both chopped) into a steamer (for me its a large pot with a steamer basket). Then slice some turkey kielbasa over the top and steam until desired “done-ness” is reached (very technical cooking term, there). Then mix up some soy sauce with some asian chili paste, heat in microwave for 15 seconds, and pour onto veggies. It’s like a mini-Asian steamer with stuff I usually have on hand. It takes no time and is delicious and (relatively) healthy!

Best ever Chicken Quesadillas:
3 chicken breasts cut into bit sized pieces
Butter
1 can Rotel Tomatoes with Chilies
Flour Tortillas
Lots of Cheese
Melt butter in pan, cook chicken just until colored on outside, then add Rotel.
Once chicken is done, place chicken on tortilla and add lots of cheese and maybe Jalopenos and put another tortilla on top.
I use a flat griddle to cook the Tortillas until golden brown.
Serve immediately.
Quick and easy!

I personally like leftovers in a quesadilla as an easy dinner.

Ikea meatballs (we keep several bags in the freezer), orzo pasta and frozen veggies. We eat this probably once a month. Everyone eats, everyone’s happy. Done.

Quesadillas–tortilla, shredded cheese, whatever veggies and meat you have on hand. Even better, add in the frozen cooked shrimp from the grocery store.

Tofu with rice and broccoli. Yum Yum. We toss cubed tofu with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp sugar. Bake for five minutes at 350 (I think…), flip and bake for 7 minutes more. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli. Voila. Nutrition!

Okay Susan,
I’m just going to bookmark this page of your blog for my “cookbook”. Cause I’m all about the go-to meals. Of course, if my husband isn’t cooking, then it is automatically a go-to meal!!!
My favorite go-to meal are cheesy-chicken croissants. Cook and shred chicken breasts (or use the chicken in a can. Unroll croissants and add chicken and cheddar cheese then wrap. Bake at 350 until golden brown. Top with warm cream of chicken soup and serve with salad!!

Frozen Pizza - Jack’s Original Supreme. We really need to start cutting back on these, but the corner store keeps having such great sales on these stinkin’ pizzas!

Gluten free pasta with butter and parmesan cheese. Yes, I am that lazy.

Good cheese and red wine!

So I assume Kraft is paying you to write these posts? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, bit I don’t think you ever said that and I usually associate this blog with your personal, rather than promotional, posts. Because you sure are giving the Kraft app the hard sell…

Chicken and pasta. Super easy and the kid loves it.

Pasta and homemade pesto. Dump the ing. for pesto in the blender, chop some tomatoes, and if you really want to get fan-cay, you can toss in some chicken or shrimp. It can come together in the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta.

Thanks, Susan!

Super easy always delicous dinner option? Hamburgers and steak fries. Yummy and easy.

I think the Susan Scale could also be called the Shanon Scale!

My new Go To meal is Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts. While pasta is boiling, roast cut up broccoli and walnuts that have been tossed in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. When finished mix pasta, roasted broccoli and walnuts and parmasean cheese all together in a bowl. Done!

Omelettes, frittatas, scrambled eggs: anything egg-based. These are all quick, easy, and everyone in my family likes them. If I go with scrambled eggs, my 8-year-old will happily cook them herself, with a little supervision. Easy peasy!

Whole wheat pasta, vodka sauce, caprese salad, Pinot!
Since at any given day you will find all of the ingredients for this in my house, even if you don’t find much else, it is our last minute dish! And we are never sorry!!!

I love meals that can be complete in one pot…so casseroles are my friend for last minute ideas. Last night I made a tater-tot casserole (you can find it on kraft.com) that my dd and dh liked. That tells me something!

BLT sandwiches with nice fresh tomatoes and a cup of soup on the side–maybe tomato. If we have any leftover meat–baked chicken, meat loaf, pot roast–we eat that with some microwaved vegetables on the side.

The actual “recipe” I go to in a pinch is pasta tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary and shaved parmesan. My roommates in college thought I was gourmet when they smelled that cooking. Sometimes I’d even get crazy and cook some chicken with it!

However, my true go-to for any meal is an old family recipe. Don’t judge me for this until you’ve tried it. Peanut butter and ketchup on toast. Seriously, try it. It’s awesome but the ratio has to be just right. Also, I have no children or husband depending on me for proper nutrition so it’s easier to get away with this.

My favorite easy dinner option is actually breakfast. Omelets or scrambled eggs or waffles (not all three, in case you were wondering.) It almost makes me feel like I took a night off.

Like so many here, my last minute (and often first minute) meal is mac and cheese. Some hippie brand, with the boiling water and noodles dumped over frozen peas in the colander, and sliced hot dogs that I’ve sauteed (I am so fancy) mixed in.

It’s called Hubba Hubba, and my kids ask for it by name.

Quesadillas all the way!! I did just discover Classico’s vodka sauce, though, so from now on - kids get quesadillas, Mama and Papa get scrumptious pasta!

I mix refried beans, black beans and frozen corn together and then cover (cover being a relative term depending on my mood) in shredded cheese. Then I throw it in the oven (at 350) for anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Then I have taco goop or nachos goop. Toss on some lettuce/sour cream/salsa, and you’ve got pretty much the best thing, easiest thing, ever.

It’s practically a negative -1 on the Susan scale.

My favorite last minute easy recipe is having my husband make omelettes!

O’brien potato hashbrowns (found in the frozen section of the grocey store) + shredded cheddar cheese + scrambled eggs

Serve with toast or throw it in a flour tortilla

1. Grill slices of eggplant brushed with olive oil on a grill pan.
2. Place on thick slices of Italian bread.
3. Spread with 2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste and 2 Tablespoons goat cheese.
4. Add a few basil leaves.
5. Top with another slice of bread, spray with olive oil spray, and grill sandwiches or press in panini maker.
Yummy Italian!!

But Susan, this is what cooks always do: adjust to the ingredients/plans/equipment/number of people they have. I’m kind of sorry that it took an internet site to show you that, but I am happy you have found it out. Cooking isn’t hard.

Black bean and chicken quesadillas. Easy! Dinner’s on the table in about 15 minutes. Rather than buy precooked chicken strips, I save money by roasting a whole chicken at least once a week. It feeds my family of four for at least 3 meals (roast chicken, chicken soup, casseorles…).

1 can black beans, drained
1 can refried beans
1 can hot green chillies
cumin (to taste)

stir all this up together and use for burritos, quesadillas, whatever.

It is just a few more steps than refried beans straight from the can, but adds some interesting texture and flavor and feels much more “homemade” without actually having to “cook” anything!

This sounds so bad, but tastes so good…

Broiled, bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed hot dogs with fried potatoes.

Well, if it’s “fancy” it’s actually Garlic Parmesan Chicken (our recipe does not call for ranch dressing) and steamed asparagus. If it’s been a really long day, microwave popcorn with extra butter.

Nachos, baby. Whenever I make tacos or fajitas, I make extra meat filling & freeze it. Then on lazy night, um Tuesday, I throw some of it, some cheese, black beans if I have them on some tortilla chips and put them in front of the TV. Occasionally, there’s some homemade guac, salsa & lime sour cream with that. Sometimes, just beer.

I don’t have an iThing to put the app on, though I have a laptop,a mobile phone & a(n otherwise useless) Palm z22. Does anyone know of a similar app online??

ok — I will admit — pancakes — I make the best ones, even sometimes adding blueberries instead of chocolate chips.

Toss last nights leftovers into oven-safe skillet (works with taco meat, spaghetti, sloppy joes, stir fry, potatoes, pretty much anything).
Heat.
Beat 6 eggs. Pour over heated leftovers, top with cheese and bake the whole mess in 350 degree oven for 20 min. and you have a frittata.

My easy go-to meal is tacos. So fast and I usually have what I need on hand.

My favorite easy dinner is to have breakfast. Sometimes it is pancakes. Sometimes it is biscuits and gravy (from a pouch). But breakfast foods are so easy and everyone in my house LOVES them.

My quick and dirty dinner is kielbasa and jambalaya. The kielbasa has to be from Azman’s though, nothing else will do.

SPAGHETTI!!!

I have a few last minute go to meals - pancakes, spaghetti (w/jarred sauce & ground beef, mixed veggies or salad & bread), or nachos (w/refried beans & melted cheddar) - we always have salsa & jalepenos on hand for toppings, and usually have avacados to make guacamole.

Trader Joe’s orange chicken. YUM.

the pioneer woman’s steak bites have recently become a favorite at our house. my boys love them and they take less than 10 minutes to make.

Guess what I would use that gift card for? It would go towards my IPhone (our ITouch, not sure which just yet.) That is all

Our favorite easy meal is quesidillas. We use butter spray on flour tortillas, shredded cheese maybe some rotisserie chicken shredded up, guacamole and good salsa. Get it crispy on both sides in a pan and slice up with a pizza cutter. Sometimes my 6 year old wants his creation, Ham & Cheese quesidillas. The ingredients are always on hand and the kids gobble them up!

The easiest thing is breakfast for dinner!

Creamed Hamburg (1lb lean ground beef, one can cream of mushroom soup, one onion, and some mushrooms). VIOLA! Even the kids will eat it over noodles!

grilled cheese and canned soup!

Our favorite easy meal right now is sloppy joe. Not the manwich kind. We take a pound of ground beef, brown it, then mix in 1/2 bottle of bbq sauce, 1/4 cup of ketchup, and a squirt of mustard and sserve it up on buns. You can add sauteed onions if you want, but totally not necessary.

Our easy meal is quesadillas with a side of pinquitos. The quesadillas turn out great in a cast iron skillet.

My favorite last minute/no groceries meal is frozen waffles, topped with blueberry sauce (frozen blueberries and a little bit of water, cooked)and whipped cream. Not exactly healthy, but always yummy and it’s easy to keep the ingredients on hand.

Brown rice, canned black beans, cheddar cheese, and salsa (fresh from TJs). Eat with tortillas or chips. You can also add avocado if you happen to have one and sour cream if it isn’t moldy already. Yum.

Taco Salad!!

Brown some ground beef. Get “salad in a bag”, salsa, doritos and cheese. Mash up the doritos and mix all together. I suppose you could add more stuff but we are super picky in my house.

East waffles,bacon,eggs and a fruit smoothie. Why not have breakfast for dinner?

Easiest and tried and true- Breakfast for dinner. We also branched out and tried a super easy no-cook lasagna from Southern Living (I think). It was super easy and super awesomely delicious…I need to go find that recipe again.

If I’m getting home from work late, I make chili. It’s easy to get both it and cornbread from cabinet to table in under half an hour, and it’s pretty healthy. Plus then I have leftovers ready to go for lunch the next day.

My go to meal is hauling out some frozen pesto cubes from the freezer (pesto made last summer and frozen into ice cube shapes) boiling some pasta, and steaming whatever vegetable I can get my hands on to throw in….broccoli, beans, peas..you get the idea. A slug of applesauce and we have almost all the food groups. If you add pine nuts you may get a little protein…a little I say. Ouila! Dinner is served.

My easy dish is marinaded chicken boobs. I throw enough chicken for myself or myself and a guest in a ziptop baggie, squirt enough Catalina salad dressing in there to coat, squirt lemon juice from the plastic lemon in my fridge, a bit of water to thin the dressing, salt and pepper. Close the baggie and squish everything together to mix. Let it sit for 20 minutes, or use frozen chicken and let it thaw in the marinade. Heat up the grill pan, and throw the suckers on there til done. Yummy and easy! (They taste even better if they’re a little burnt.I know this from experience.)

fish and salad. So easy.

Pancakes! Always a quick favorite in our house.

My favorite go-to meal of the moment is as follows:

Brussels sprouts - drizzle olive oil in a pan, cut sprouts in half and place flat side down in the oil. Cook until they turn bright green and are soft.

Polenta - get the instant kind and it’s water plus mix plus milk. Heat and stir (easier than oatmeal)

Shrimp - I buy cooked and peeled shrimp from Trader Joe’s and keep it in the freezer. I take out as many as I need and throw it into a pan with garlic and olive oil until they are warmed through.

When the polenta and sprouts are done, I grate a little bit of cheese over the top I use a microplane).

RSS feed for comments on this post.

TrackBack URI

Leave a comment

Content

Categories

Admin