Fast, Easy and Inexpensive Meals!

Take frozen (or fresh) chicken breasts and put 2-3 in a ziploc bag. Put ranch, italian, or honey mustard salad dressing in with the chicken. You can either put back in the freezer or pull out to thaw in the refrigerator. To cook (once thawed), spray a large enough piece of aluminum foil with a cooking spray and then wrap each marinaded piece of chicken in the foil to make individual packets. Cook about 7 - 10 minutes. You can also put summer squash and such in a packet with some butter or olive oil and cook the same way. Everything comes out moist and fast! Or, cook up some rice to go with it.

Another favorite for me, is making mini lasagnas and then freezing them. You can also make a large pan of it, cut up and freeze each piece. My 16 month old loves it! I put beef and sausage in mine to add flavor. I don't precook the noodles and it only takes as much time to brown up the meat and assemble into layers and then about 45 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese. Then add salad and bread and your meal is complete!

Meatloaf is also an easy one to make and freeze.

If you like soups, Shore Line soups are great and easy! They come in a pouch of dried ingredients and you just add water! They are yummy and take about 20 minutes. I recently found them at Menards (of all places) for under $3. I also saw them at Cub for $5.

If you can spend part of a day on the weekend to prepare some of these dishes and then freeze them, you can really save yourself some time. You may want to ask a friend to go in on with you and you split the cost and time preparing them. You'll also get some of her family favorites!

Have fun and good luck!

Here's an easy one, my 18 month old loves it. Put 3 chicken breasts (one 20oz package) in the crock pot, top with a jar of your favorite salsa and cook on low 6 hours. When the chicken is tender shred it apart with 2 forks and serve on tortillas with whatever you put on tacos. (lots of cheese for the kids!) The leftover chicken you can freeze.
I also like The Sneaky Chef recipes. (WWW.Sneakychef.com) The website has a few free recipes, my kids love the "Brawny Brownies", little do they know, they are eating fruits and veggies :)
Also, whenever I make Mac N Cheese for the kids, I add some pureed carrots (or baby food carrots), they don't even notice.
Here's a website with tons of freezer recipes. http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/oamc-freezer-make-ahead

Don't give up on the veggies, she may surprize you one day!
Good luck!
L.

On the subject but with a twist... I don't know how to cook for only a few ... so I freeze a lot. I'm always creating a new soup or turkey or other meat loafs, salmon loafs, quiches, fratitas in mini muffin tins to freeze and pull out what i need whenever. For example, I have a huge oven and hate to use it for a small amount so using 4 two dozen each mini pans, i make 96 of anything at a time. They are perfect little snacks or several for a small meal with sides.

Sooo, i have just gotten involved with 'food saver' systems to avoid freezer burn and reseal effectively. The 'food saver' name brand can get spendy so for 'container' storage, would say that I've just found a hand, non-electric pump that extracts the air. pretty cool ... I found them on HSN and they are fabulous - 10 containers - various sizes for $30. pn sale ... now $40.

Just search for vacuum food storage when in their site.

I also make a ton of yogurt if anyone interested in easy ways ... turn it into yogurt cheese to substitute or cut sour cream, mayo etc. and freezes beautifully ... let me know if interested and I'll get you the info ... ta ta and God bless all, M

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...

Throw some cubed chicken breast, a jar of salsa, a can of beans, some chicken broth and some frozen corn into the crock pot. Let it cook all day. Easy and my 20 month old loves it (but then again she loves her fruits and veggies). We also add a few spices (cumin maybe some garlic) and an onion. You can freeze this and heat it up at a later time.

As a family of almost 7 plus a daycare of 12 I understand the need for quick and easy but something different. I also have a picky eater who is now 9.
My rules regardless of the age is: This is what I made eat it or don't. They tend to eat it especially if everyone else is eating, I don't force feed but I do require that they have at least one bite, b/c on the 7th try they might decide they like it.

I don't buy spagettios or much mac & cheese b/c #1 it is more costly #2 the kids gets hooked on the sugar and artificial stuff it contains. If I buy ravioli it is the frozen kind from freezer section w/no sauce.

Easy meals at my house are homemade french bread pizza which is amazingly easy - 1 loaf of bakery french bread cut into 1/2 - 1 in slices, spagetti sauce and toppings of choice, bake @ 400 til warmed through.

I also make a lot of one dish stuff: tuna & noodles, tater tot casserole, bicuts and a veggie/chicken gravy type sauce - 1 can cream of, 1 can milk, veggies & meat, simmer til hot, spoon over open biscuts.

Chicken- Usually on Sat or Sun I will cook 6-8 chicken breasts in broth in the crock pot for 6-8 hours then shred it and put in ziploc freezer bags then I just take out what I need and add to casseroles or make bbq for sandwiches..alleviates the need to defrost all day and then cook, etc.
This can be done with any meat, beef, pork, chicken, turkey.
I also will cook all of the above whole in the fry pan w/ a little olive oil and make chicken strips w/out breading for the kids or for chicken parmesan.
Then all I have to do is cook the sides, ie. veggies (frozen), fruit in season, pasta, potatoes, rice. etc.