Quick dinner recipes for busy people!

It’s Murphy’s Law in action – You’re halfway through preparing dinner and then you open the pantry to discover that you are all out of one of the key ingredients!  So, what do you do?  You check out this cool substitution guide from Kraft.  They tell you how to make a substitution for just about everything, including:

• baking soda
• buttermilk
• eggs
• honey
• sour cream
• cooking wine

These might not be perfect solutions for the real thing, but in a pinch, they’re definitely better than a half-finished dinner!

Even though I’m a grown up, I still love tater tots.  So, when I came across this recipe, I had to try it out.  Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed, and you won’t be either!  This is a great recipe that everyone – young and old – will love.  You’ll need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 Tbs. seasoning salt (optional)
• 1 pkg. frozen tater tots
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese

Start by browning the ground beef in a skillet.  Once it’s browned, drain off the fat, then add in the soup, sour cream, and seasonings.  Blend it all together and then spread the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.

Next, sprinkle half the cheese on top of the meat mixture and then layer on the tater tots.  Bake it at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the tater tots are golden.  Remove the dish from the oven about 5 minutes before the baking time is complete and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Place the dish back into the oven and continue baking until finished.

This is a recipe that also allows you to make some healthy substitutions without sacrificing taste.  You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef, as well as low fat varieties of the soup, cheese, and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Real life has kept me occupied lately, and hasn’t given me a chance to post.  Fortunately, my friend Clair at Mummy Deals has graciously offered to help me out with a guest post.  She writes a great blog on living well while still managing to be frugal.  She always has great advice, and her post today about freezing meals is a great twist on the quick dinner recipes theme!

Ever stood looking at the cupboards wondering what to cook that night only to end up with MacNCheese?  In the busy world we live in, who has time to take the kids to school, work a part-time job, shop, do laundry and then have a healthy meal on the table that didn’t cost the earth?

Freezing is an excellent way to save money by buying produce that’s on sale and then freezing it for later.  You can also pick a day and have a cooking day where you cook a bunch of meals that you can freeze for later.  That way, when you get home after a long day, your options aren’t just frozen pizza or cereal.  You can offer much healthier fare.

Here are a few ways to freeze:

Casseroles

So you doubled your recipe and made two casseroles – 1 for now and 1 to freeze. But, you don’t want all your casserole dishes in the freezer, so what do you do?  Line the casserole dish with clear plastic wrap and then spray with cooking spray. Place your casserole in the dish, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours until completely frozen. Remove from the freezer and take it out of the dish. Then tightly wrap the food in more plastic wrap/foil, label and place back in the freezer.  When you’re ready to eat it take all the plastic wrap off, place back in the original dish, defrost and cook.

Fruits and Vegetables

I love to have fresh produce around and buy it on sale but I know we can’t eat that much before it goes bad so I chop it the way I’ll use it, put them on a baking tray and then in the freezer for about 2 hours.  Once frozen put them in a Ziploc bag and put back in the freezer.

Ice Cubes

Want to make fun ice cubes for drinks? Add a small piece of fruit (strawberry, cranberry, blueberry etc) to an ice-cube tray and then add water. Freeze and then serve in drinks!

This week I’m doing a whole week of tips and tricks on Freezing.  Come join me at www.mummydeals.org where you can win a copy of a great cookbook.

My bio

Originally from England, I’ve been amazed at how with a few coupons and a little know-how, you can get things you already use for really cheap or free.  My blog is full of frugal tips, easy recipes, encouraging stories and freebies.  A true Mummy in every sense of the word, I will help guide you on a frugal adventure that will have you saving money in no time!

Looking for a bargain or good deal?  www.mummydeals.org

Thanks to Clair for a great guest post!  Check out her blog for more great ideas!

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Since I’ve been talking so much about crock pots lately, it only makes sense that I give you a quick dinner recipe to try out in your crock pot.  This one will only cost you about 15 minutes of prep time for a delicious meal at the end of the day!  To get started, you’ll need:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup

Start by cutting up the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.  Add the chicken into the crock pot and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Next add in the three cans of soup.  Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Pretty simple, huh?  This recipe is great when served over pasta or rice, which you can prepare in about 10 minutes just before serving, and with your favorite veggies on the side.

Enjoy!