Easy Recipes - Houston,TX

Brown some chicken breasts on a skillet with some olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the chicken is brown add a can of roasted garlic campbell mushroom, let it boil. Serve this on a bed of rice or a bed of noodles. It is yummy and fast to make. I like to add some cilantro for flavor.

Elisa M

I made my version of goulash the other night. 1 pound ground beef, 2-6oz. cans of V8, 2 cups of water, 2 cups of elbow mac, chili powder, salt, cumin, and paprika.

Brown the meat, drain.
Add the V8, water, chili powder, salt, cumin, and paprika. (all spices are season to taste), bring to a boil,
Add the elbow mac, bring to boil
Boil until liquid is absorbed about 10-15 minutes.
serve

I love using the V8 because it counts as so many vegetables. I served it with salad.

Try some of these quick and easy recipe websites:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search?q=quick+and+easy
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/quickneasy/index.htm
http://easy.betterrecipes.com/
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?s_type=%2Frecipes.p...

Hope these help!

Roasted chicken w/ potatoes and carrots

you can do this w/ a 4 lb whole chicken or about a pound or so chicken parts, just do it w/ the skin on.
Mix 1 tsp sage, 1tsp oregano, 1tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt together and rub underneath the skin over all the chicken you have, that way you can remove the skin after cooking w/out removing the seasoning.
Get a pound or so of red or gold potatoes and quarter them
Add potatoes and a bag of baby carrots to a roasting pan, drizzle w/ olive oil and a little salt and oregano
Add chicken to the pan and roast in oven at 400 till done, usually takes an hour (chicken needs to be 165 degrees on the inside)

I can get this into the pan in 15 minutes or less, then the oven does the rest and it's a really yummy comfort meal.
Serve w/ a salad if you need your greens!

Hi Brenda,
I am a Team Leader for Wildtree All-Natural Foods. We are all about quick and easy meal preparation that is both delicious and healthy! You can visit www.melissajackson.mywildtree.com for tons of recipes that require only a few ingredients and minimal steps.

it literary takes 40 minutes. it's very easy and kids love it too.
1# ground beef (as much as you need to feed your family)
1 box Goya rice & black beans (or you can get zatarians rice and black beans, or rice and red beans, whatever you choose)
1 can diced tomatoes (15oz)
1 can corn (16 oz) with liquid (i usually use frozen peas
3-1/4 cups water (look in the box of rice and beans how much water to use. otherwise i use 3-1/4 because we like it a little liquid in our meals)

Brown ground beef, do not drain. Add all other ingredients, stir and cook on med - low heat for 20 minutes.
Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese if you want.

Corn muffins go very well with this. You can get the mix in the baking aisle. They only take about 15 minutes in the oven

Wow thank you ALL. I got so many quick great ideas.
Have one to share:
Layered Taco Dip (but can eat as a meal)
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp of beef boullion broth (I have used a packet of ramon noodle beef flavor, or liquid beef broth or even taco seasoning mix)
1 can of refried beans
1 can of green chiles
1 16oz container of sour cream
1 packet of Taco Seasoning
3-4 avacados cut & mashed OR guacamole
Brown meat, drain, then add green chilis and beef broth. Set aside to cool some. Mix refried beans with meat mixture. In a springform pan or I use a glass casserole dish, put the meat mixture in. That is the bottom layer. Mix packet taco seasoning with sour cream and layer that on top of meat mixture. Then add guacamole right before you serve. Garnish the top with shredded cheese, olives or whatever you like. I looks very pretty and delicious (esp if you use a springform pan). My pickest eater loves this as is or you can use tortillas or taco chips. I like it on a large leaf of lettuce as a wrap. I have also halved the recipe.

All of these are easy to make and will take 20 to 30 minutes tops!

You can make homemade pizza with biscuits. Open the can and press 3-4 biscuits in a 9 in cake pan for each child. Use already prepared pizza sauce. Then let the kids put on their toppings. I use what ever we have, lunch meat, left over chicken or taco meat and cheese. You can also use french bread sliced down the middle.

Tortilla wraps: Another one the kids can make their own. I fill the table with all the fixings, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles. They love it.

Sausage and onion and pasta. Stir fry link sausage and onions until the onions are tender and starting to brown. Prepare some spaghetti. Toss together with the meat and onions, add parmesan cheese. I will also add cabbage or spinach to the saute.

Tamale pie: In a large casserole dish. Put a layer of canned refried beans, then any leftover meat you have, chicken or beef, pot roast. Open a can of corn or green beans and put that on next. Then mix a box of corn bread according to directions and pour that on top of all the other ingredients. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 -25 min depending on your oven.

I dont like to make the same thing over and over again. I go to cooks.com alot.
Hope this helps!!

One of my favorite is my quick pasta dish, Ingredients are: Macaronni and cheese, ground beef, spaghetti sauce,and shredded cheese.
1.Boil Macaronni
2. Cook ground beef, Season to taste
3.Heat Spaghetti Sauce
4. Combine Ground Beef w/ Spagehtti Sauce
5.Add Mac w/ cheese to casserole baking pan or dish
6.Add Spaghetti Sauce and Ground Beef to dish (mix well)
7. Add 2 layers of shredded cheese on top
8. Let bake in oven for 20 minutes and whaaaa laaa!
Serve it with Garlic Bread/ salad and your kids will love it!!

This is very easy. Brown the meat and dump everything else in the pot. I use it as a soup, put in tacos or eat as a Frito pie.

Taco Soup:
1-2 lbs. hamb. meat (I use 1 lb. but the recipe calls for 2 lbs.)
1 medium onion - chopped
1 can hominy or corn (drained)
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1-2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 c. water
1 pkg. ranch dressing
grated cheddar cheese

Brown meat and drain, add all of the other ingredients, heat thoroughly then simmer for about an hour. Top with cheese. Serve with corn bread or crackers.

We have lots of recipes on our blog. They are all pretty easy since I'm a mom and not a chef, and because my writing partner is a dietitian, they've all been checked out for healthfulness. The address is www.welcomingkitchen.blogspot.com.

One easy meal, not expensive to make is a one pot meal.
#1
One to two pounds ground beef browned and drained
Add one chopped onion to beef cook til tender
Add one bad mixed frozen mixed vegetables
Add one med. can tomato soup mix in add a little over 1/2 of the can water
mix again and simmer til hot. Salt and pepper to taste.

# 2

1 -2 pounds ground beef cooked with onion, drained
Add 1 Large can green beans simmer til hot
Add 1 med. can tomato soup simmer
When hot add blobs of mashed potato's (can use instant)
Serve

#3

Cut up chicken washed and patted dry
Add to a baking dish
Add onion to taste
Add BBQ sauce
cover with foil and cook at least one hour

#4

Brown pork chops in small amount for oil
add onion to taste with salt and pepper
add about 2-3 cups of water cover and simmer til tender
when almost done add one bag (yellow rice with saffron)
simmer til rice is done can add a small amount of sour cream if you like

#5

Pinto beans with sausage in crock-pot
soak beans over night in water add enough water about 3-4 inches over the top of the beans season with onion,salt , pepper
Simmer all day in crock-pot
serve with corn bread

Hope that these help

"Pasta" Lasagna. My own fast creation. Make some rotini pasta - cook it until it is a little underdone. Then mix together 1 large can of diced tomatoes with italian seasonings, 2 tablespoons crushed garlic, portabella mushrooms sauteed in balsamic vinegar, then I add what I have on hand. We like yellow or orange peppers and frozen peas in our house. I have used spinach, broccoli, whatever. Layer it in a baking pan. Pasta, tomato creation, shredded mozzarella cheese, pasta, tomato creation, mozzarella cheese. Bake @ 350 until the top is browning, about 15-20 min. You should get a tall stool for your kitchen. You can do any chopping and prep work sitting down!

I absolutely love to cook, but with four kiddos in the house I don't always have time to make huge, time consuming meals. So, I have a few basic recipes/meals that I tend to use frequently.

You can always grill chicken breasts and season with salt, pepper and garlic. Serve with a salad, corn, green beans or whatever vegetables or fruits your family likes.

Another simple meal is to take chicken breasts, place them in a large saucepan, pour in a can of tomato soup and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cover and let it simmer over medium heat until the chicken breasts are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta according to directions and pour spaghetti sauce over and mix through. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Season to taste.

We also have breakfast usually once a week. I will scramble eggs, cook some bacon and/or sausage and fix either pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc. It's quick and easy!

I hope that helps. I know these aren't specific recipes, but thought I would give you some ideas for just simple, quick meals too. :)

Make it a great day!

I work full time outside the home so I don't have much time to make dinner.

I get hamburger and brown 5-6 pounds at a time with chopped onions. Then I put it in 5-6 quart size zipper bags and freeze it. Then when I want it for taco, spaghetti, pasta, soup, etc, I just pull it out and throw it in whatever sauce to thaw and its ready to go.

I also will put a bunch of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot all day with a packet of taco seasoning and then chop/shred it and use it for the same things.

it is not "healthy" but the whole family loves it and I make it when I'm short on time: Chili Mac: make 2 boxes of Mac and Cheese as instructed on box and then dump in 2 cans of chili and heat up. I serve with biscuits and green beans.

Good luck!!!

I too love the slow cooker, Here's one that has my family scraping the bottom. I take 4 chicken breasts, cover them with chicken broth, add a can of black beans and a can of kidney beans. Add one jar of green chili salsa and let cook all day in the slow cooker. At the end of the day you can take a fork and shred the chicken up so easily. I spoon it in to bowls and just before I serve them up I throw a hand full of tortilla chips and a hand full of shredded cheese. Its sooo yummy.
Good luck.

Taco Soup - 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 can corn, 1 can Ranch Style beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 pkg. taco seasoning, 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. Brown the turkey and add in all the other ingredients. No need to drain anything. You can substitute and use frozen corn if you like and even use fresh ripe tomatotes. The other is just quick and easy. This is good served by itself or with cornbread or tortilla chips.

I'd also encourage you to invest in a crock pot and then just goole for Crock pot recipies. You'll find it is a wonderful way to cook and save your self and still have great meals prepared and ready to enjoy.

Two super-simple recipes, with very little hands-on time:

Mix water and a packet of stew mix. Drop a 2-3lb roast in the crock-pot with a couple of cut potatoes, and some carrots and celery (leave in big pieces - cut once lenthwise, and then cut in two or three inch pieces). Pour the water and stew mix over it, leave it on high and forget it for four or five hours. After that, you can put it on low if you're not quite ready to eat yet.

or

1 can cream of anything soup (we use chicken)
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup rice
1/2 tsp onion powder (we use garlic powder)
1/4 tsp pepper
chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheese

-mix soup, water, rice, and onion powder in baking dish
-top with chicken breasts
-sprinkle w/ pepper (It's not going to look very appetizing at this point. I recommended this dish to a girlfriend, who got to this point, called me and said, "Are you sure?" After they ate, she called me back and told me it was perfect - it's a family favorite for them now!)
-cover, bake 45 minutes at 375
-uncover, sprinkle on cheese, bake until cheese is melted (5 min or so)

These involve a slow cooker:

Vegetarian red beans and rice:

soak one bag of red beans according to package directions.

Place soaked beans into the slow cooker along with an 8 oz can of tomato sauce and a small can of tomato paste. Add onion or garlic if you wish. Pour in enough water to cover. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Serve with rice. I put cheese on the top. You can also bulk this up with veggies of your choice.

Pulled pork w/ bbq sauce:

Place one pork roast into your slow cooker. Pour one bottle of bar-b-que sauce over the top. Toss in a bunch of little red potatoes. Cook on low until it falls apart.

I usually make sandwiches out of this.

Slow Cooker BBQ chicken:
-3-4 chicken breasts
-Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Toss them in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred the meat with forks and serve on hamburger buns with a bagged salad.

Chicken Tacos
-buy a precooked rotisserie chicken and remove all of the meat.
-corn tortillas
-fresh chopped cilantro
-1 lime
-1 large avocado

Warm tortillas in a skillet. Fill with chicken, top with cilantro, squeeze of lime and avocado. Healthy and easy!! Use the leftover chicken to make chicken salad for lunch.

Beef Taco Bake:
-1 lb ground beef
-1 pkt taco seasoning
-1 can low fat refried beans
-1 16 oz jar salsa
-2 c shredded cheddar
-flour tortillas or tortilla chips
sour cream (optional)
avocado (optional)

Brown ground beef. Add taco seasoning and follow pkt directions. Place in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Spread beans over the top, then salsa and then cheese. Bake at 400 until brown and bubbly on top. Eat in tortillas or eat it as a dip with tortilla chips.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes:
-Large potatoes (bake them first)
-1-2 lbs chopped beef from your favorite BBQ restaurant (pick up on your way home)
-steamed broccoli (you can use frozen)
-shredded cheddar
-green onion (optional)
-sour cream (optional)

Stuff the potato with all of these things.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

-3-4 lb beef roast of your choice
-salt and pepper to taste
-dried onion soup packet
-chopped carrot
-chopped potato
-chopped onion
-enough water to cover about half of the roast.

Dump it all in the crock-pot. Cook on low for 10 hours. It doesn't get any easier than this!

Breakfast for dinner!
Make a store bought quiche and serve it with a salad with plenty of chopped tomatoes.
Egg, bacon and cheese breakfast tacos with salsa and fruit
Biscuits and gravy:
-1 lb breakfast sausage.
-frozen biscuits.
-flour
-milk
Scramble sausage over medium heat (soak up excess grease). Add about 2T of flour and mix into the meat. Pour 1-2 cups of milk in and stir until it thickens. Put gravy over biscuits. Not the healthiest but yummy.

Pasta with Brown Butter Sauce

- 1 lb fettuccine or linguine pasta
-steamed broccoli or asparagus
-cooked chicken breast or shrimp
- 1 stick of butter (not margarine)
-1/4 tsp ground thyme
- Parmesan cheese (shredded)

While your pasta is cooking, place the stick of butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Do not walk away from it. Add the thyme once the butter is melted but not finished. Stir constantly until it takes on a nutty smell and it is brown like peanut butter. Once it gets to this point, it will burn VERY quickly so dump it into a cool dish or pan (just get it out of the hot pan fast). Place the steamed broccoli, shredded Parmesan cheese and chicken or shrimp over the drained pasta. Dump the butter sauce over and toss! Gourmet meal in no time! This is actually an authentic Italian sauce.

I use www.allrecipes.com- there is a category for Easy or Quick and Easy. The recipes are all rated by the start system, so you know if it's a "winner". The comments will sometimes let you know if you need to change anything with the original recipe - for example, don't use as much lemon as called for, or cook time shouldn't be quite so long, etc.

Also, I use www.supercook.com a lot, too. You put in what ingredients you have in your fridge/pantry, etc. then the site will spit out recipes you can make with what you have. It's a lifesaver on those nights when I didn't plan ahead at all.

I've learned that a good sandwich for dinner is ok. I always had the mindset that I needed to have a main dish, veggie, rice or potatoes, etc. With being so busy with my kids activities, we have to adapt. Last night I made reubens with a lettuce salad. I modified the reubens for the kids, making theirs without kraut. Everyone was satisfied and it was super fast and easy.

Good luck! (Oh yeah, I use the crockpot A LOT fall through spring!)

I love my crock pot. :D It makes cooking so much easier. I'm making cubed steak for dinner

4 or 5 cubed steaks
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Can of cream of mushroom soup
can of mushroom pieces
can of beef broth
onion-chopped

Dredge cubed steaks in flour. Salt and pepper the meat. Brown in a few TBSP of EVOO.
Put meat in crock pot.
Brown onions in the same skillet
Add to crock pot
Add broth, soup, mushrooms to crock pot, stir
Set on low for 8 hours.

Serve with potatoes or rice.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onions
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (8 oz.) mushrooms, undrained
1 can (10 oz.) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c. sour cream
Cooked noodles
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Brown meat and onions, pouring off the grease. Add flour, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat, uncovered. Add soup and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and noodles (use amount according to personal taste). Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings. If desired serve noodles separately and each can spoon on stroganoff to own taste.

kraftfoods.com or cooks.com have great, easy recipes.

I just found this recipe and thought it was yummy and super easy:

16 oz. egg noodles
1 32 oz. box low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water (and more as needed)
1 roasted chicken (from grocery store)
2 onions, chopped
garlic (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
8 oz. grueyere or swiss cheese, grated
4 bags mixed frozen veggies

bring stock and water to a boil. Add noodles and cook as directed. Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic. Remove meat from the chicken. Defrost two bags of veggies in the microwave. When the noodles are tender but not mushy, stir in onion, garlic, chicken and grated cheese. Stir until cheese melts and forms a sauce with the broth. Removed half of the noodle/chicken mixture to a bowl to cool in the fridge. Stir the defrosted veggies into the remaining noodle/chicken mixture. Serve.
Once the other has cooled, stir in the remaining two bags frozen veggies, put in a zip lock bag and freeze for later use.

My life-saver is the crockpot! I'll send you some recipes via private msg.

I will think some more but in general the oven is your friend. You can use a premade pie shell and pour in some eggs and cream or cream soup (half a can)- usually four eggs and any ingredients your family likes...along with Cheese shredded or get the slices of swiss and just cut across them to form shreds. Use kitchen scissors- these save time. There is something about an oven baked meal that make the flavors just pop and all the time it is baking you get to sit. These "quiches" can be made so many different ways. I also love to either take a few pieces of fish (frozen tilapia is good) or boneless chicken or even ground beef, put it in the middle of a piece of foil and dump some frozen veggies on top. Season or dash on some worchester sauce or soy sauce or kechup, seal up the foil packet and bake at 375 until done. No dishes to wash. We called these "cowboy dinners when the kids were little.
I use Lipton's Vegetable soup packet as a good "cheat". A half to a third of a packet gives any dish a great boost.
Hamburger - Rice Soup...can be made with any easy to drop in meat. Pot of water boiling and salted...maybe 6 cups..or use part chicken broth if you have it, drop in meat, stir in a cup of rice, and pour in a can of crushed tomatoes. Let cook 30 minutes on a slow simmer (you don't have to watch it- maybe stir once) season to taste. My husband's family would have this for breakfast on cold Missouri mornings.
I also rinse thoroughly and add canned beans to many of my recipes. There are many different varieties and they are no different tasting from freshly cooked once they rinsed of that yucky thick stuff and are in a soup or stew. They add interest and protein.
God Bless you and good luck.
Leander Granny

crock pot recipes!!! sitting at a bar stool or table for prep work might help too. i cant cook so i will just leave you with that!