Read on for the cheat sheet for three great Semi-Homemade Suppers below!
“Honey, I’m home!” That’s a phrase we hear everyday. In good ‘ol ‘Leave it to Beaver’ fashion, our husbands come back home from a hard day’s work and our little ones cheer with delight. Daddy’s home! Let the good times roll. What? You’re not donned in your apron with perfect hair while you concoct a three-course meal in three-inch heels? What? You’ve been in PJ’s all day? And haven’t gone to the grocery store in weeks? Welcome to my world.
At a recent playdate my mom friends and I were talking about ways to make the most out of the remnants of our pantries and best avoid extended time in the kitchen. We came up with a bunch of ideas for low maintenance dinners. It may not be the meat and potatoes meal served a la 1960’s family sitcom television, but they are tasty, easy, and fit into our no-nonsense 2011 mom-schedules.
Meal Suggestions: Keep in mind, these meals are of the convenience variety. Sure, I can probably scrounge up recipes that would kick some of these meals out of the ball park, and some of these meals may be higher in sodium than if you made them from scratch, but sometimes, you just gotta get a meal on the table. Hope these suggestions help.
1. Redi Quiche and side salad: I always try to keep a redi-quiche (found in the frozen pastry section at the grocery store) in my freezer. Pull it out in the afternoon, and it’s thawed by dinner time. Make as-is in a store-bought pie crust (I like the pie dough from Pillsbury that’s found by the refrigerated cookie dough), or add in some extra goodies. I like to toss in thawed frozen veggies (my fave combo is artichoke and spinach), cooked meats, steamed fresh veggies, and cheese if you like. Voila.
2. Pesto Pasta: Whip up a packet or two of McCormick’s Pesto sauce (just add water and olive oil) and toss it with cooked pasta (whatever you have on hand), cooked shrimp, smoked sausage, rotisserie chicken, or keep it vegetarian with some Bird’s Eye (I like their Peas and Onions blend) or Green Giant veggies. Cook the veggies as directed and toss into the pasta and sauce. Top with Parmesan. Bon Apetit!
3. Marakesh Couscous (or Zataran’s Rice Mix) Dinner: I like to make this dish with Marakesh Mango Couscous (found next to the rice), but I have a friend that swears by the Zataran’s rice mixes. Cook the couscous or rice according to the package and pour into greased casserole dish. Top with a 1/2 can of drained and rinsed black beans (or whatever beans you have on hand), cooked and chopped meat if you prefer, thawed frozen corn (or whatever veggies you like), jarred salsa, and top with cheese. Place under the broiler until warmed through and cheese is bubbly. Serve with veggies and dip to keep it simple. Enjoy!
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