taste of home website has some great idea's.
one meal i like to make when i don't feel like cooking is beef strognoff. boil some egg noodles. i buy the stew meat so it's cut up already and will cut some of the bigger pieces down. cook the stew meat and some onions with a little butter (takes about 5-10 mins) then mix in the same pan a can of cream of mush. soup and some sour cream until its creamy and some salt, pepper and little garlic powder mix it together with the noodles and its done with in 15 mins.
for baked chicken i will mix can of cream of chicken, a little milk some mixed or calf. veggies and rice put the chicken in it and bake until chick is done. i sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top and bake until the cheese melted. hides the veggies for the little one.
shepard's pie is another quick one. brown hamburger mix in green beans, a can of chopped tomatoes (juice and all) top with instant potatoes (they work better than real ones for some reason) place slices of cheese on top of the potatoes (i like velveeta the best but any works) and cover it until the cheese is melted. takes about 15-20 mins start to finish.
chicken alfredo~ you can buy the jar's of alfredo sauce, i usually use one jar of that and mix in a package of cream cheese (gives it more taste) cube up the baked chicken add veggies and spaghetti noodels. add spices to your taste.
another one the kids like is, cube baked chicken add the garlic aflredo sauce add cherry tomatoes and medium shells and its done.
spare ribs, put it in the crock pot in the morning on low add the bbq sauce then and let it cook all day. before its done make baked beans or something to go with it.
roast in the crock pot mixed with potatoes and carrots add some water and let it cook all day.
ring bologna ~ boil for about 10-15 mins (its already cooked so it just needs heated up) what ever side you choose. my kids like "dirty" potatoes with it.. potatoes, mushrooms, onions and peppers (when i feel like it bacon) splash a little oil on it and bake in a cake pan for about 30 mins until the pot. are tender. you can even do it in a frying pan, it doesn't take as long.
chicken chow mein~ cook the chicken and dice it up. buy the can of sweet and sour chicken, mix it all together and heat it up, serve it over rice. if you don't want it pre mixed out of a can you can buy the bamboo shoots, water crests, chunk pineapple, sheredded carrots and boil pineapple juice and add corn starch stir until its as thick as you like it.
we also will have "snack night" once or twice a month where i will make one of these
~pigs in a blanket,
~blt hot dogs ( wrap the hot dogs with bacon bake for about 40 mins, then on the bun add tomatoes and lettuce),
~nacho pinwheels ( buy crossant dough in the tube, spread out the intire roll pinching the seams together, in a bowl mix taco seasoning, shredded cheese and cream cheese spread onto the dough and roll it up into a log, with a string cut into 1/2in slices and bake as directed serve with some salsa)
~bagle pizza's one half of the bagel they spread the pizza sauce and put on their toppings and bake until the cheese is melted
~sloppy joes or cheese burgers and french fries
then simple sides like chips, apple sauce, canned fruit, something simple that pretty much just has to get opened and served no cooking with it. this is when i also will make a cake, brownies or cookies durning the day or they will get ice cream, kinda like get the "junk" meal all done at once since they don't get things like this very often.
my kids even like grilled cheese sand. and tomato soup all year.
stuffed tomatoes, peppers or mushroom are another idea and the kids can help stuff them.
really any meat you can cook in a crock pot.. add a little water cook on low and they are usually so tender and juicy and will fall off the bones. plus you can start it in the morning when your not sick and it will be done at night so you don't have to spend alot of time in the kitchen. its horrible to cook when your not feeling well!
