Do you ever have those weeks when life just happens? Boy, we do! Even the best of menu plans can’t possibly account for times when life throws a curve ball.
To counteract the craziness, I like to keep my pantry and freezer stocked with several meals that can be made in a pinch. I try to keep some frozen browned ground beef and cooked, cubed chicken in my freezer to help with quick meals. I also try to keep a good supply of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses in my freezer. Here are some of my favorite quick meal ideas.
Five Can Soup
1 can Progresso Minestrone soup
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can mixed vegetables
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 15 oz. can white corn
Mix it all together without draining anything and heat. You can even throw this in the Crock Pot for a few hours or all day. Sometimes we add some browned ground beef or cooked chicken to it.
Cheesy Pasta
3/4 box of Piccolini pasta (or whatever you have on hand)
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1 can Hunts pasta sauce (or whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Tonight I cooked up 3/4 of a box of Piccolini pasta until it was al dente. Mix in the rest and heat through.
Pizza
Crust:
1 c. warm (not hot) water
2 T. light olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Mix ingredients in order listed in bread machine. I use my bread cycle, and my machine beeps when dough is ready. You may have to consult your machine’s book to know when yours is done. In a pinch, you can just knead the dough by hand for five minutes. Place dough on pizza pan sprayed with oil, and spread the dough to cover the pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Add sauce, toppings, and cheese. Bake another 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.
If I have pitas or English muffins on hand, I’ll use those in place of homemade crust.
Chicken Wraps
1 can refried beans
1/2 c. salsa
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1 c. cheddar cheese (Mexican blend is good too!)
12 flour tortillas
Mix refried beans, salsa, and chicken. Divide the mix among the tortillas. Roll each tortilla, and place seam side down in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Grilled Cheese & Soup
You can’t bypass the old stand-by! I like to keep several types of canned soups in my pantry so that we can use them in a pinch.
What are your favorite meals to keep on hand? Do you have any advice for making meals in a pinch?
I’m sharing this post at:
:: Tip Me Tuesday hosted by Tip Junkie
:: Tasty Tuesday hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam
:: Works for Me Wednesday hosted by We Are THAT Family
:: I’m Lovin’ It Fridays hosted by Tidy Mom
:: Finer Things Friday hosted by The Finer Things in Life
I am definitely trying to work more out of the freezer and pantry, as I just recently completely reorganized my pantry. What a difference that will make! Thanks for your great recipes and linking to TMTT.
Three cheers for organization! 🙂 I need to do that too. Thanks for hosting TMTT.
Good tips. Now I feel like eating grilled cheese and tomato soup. 😉
I would love it if you’d link this up on my blog carnival Family Time Tuesday!
Janice
We keep all the ingredients for Honey Baked Lentils in stock for those times when we are too busy to cook something elaborate but can wait an hour for it to be ready! It’s great when we get home from a trip about an hour before dinner and have no fresh food in the house.
A quick meal that works with almost any vegetables, fresh or frozen, is this hot pasta salad.
Thanks for the ideas!
Great tips as always Jen! I love those “go to meals”.
Thanks, Shelly. They’re great for busy nights!
These are great. It can be so tempting to order out on some nights, but these are so easy and budget friendly. I am putting them near my take out menus to remind me.
GREAT idea Sue! I need to restock my pantry with a few things so that I’m prepared to make these. But you’re right that it’s soooo tempting to do take-out. Glad this helped!
If I have leftover pasta, I put it in a jar to keep it fresh. So now I have all these dinky little amounts of pasta. I’m definitely making your “Cheesy Pasta” this week! Thanks for sharing these recipes. Cooking from the pantry is the best!
Great idea on the leftover pasta Clare! Enjoy your Cheesy Pasta! 🙂
I love these ideas! This is often how I prepare dinners, in an effort to avoid a trip to the grocery store. Something I seem to always have ingredients ready for is quesadillas.
Thanks for sharing – love your blog!
Ooh quesadillas! Great on-hand option. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!