Easy Meal Ideas

Ragu and Noodles

Get a jar of pasta sauce (my favorite is Ragu Chunky Garden Style) and serve with any type of noodles, but egg noodles are especially good. You can also brow ground beef or ground sausage to go in the sauce.

Potato Bar

Bake potatoes (350 for around an hour, scrub, poke, and bake, wrapping in foil is not necessary, or cook in the microwave). Serve with heated canned chili, cooked broccoli (chop and cook in a covered dish in the microwave for 5 min), and grated cheese, or other toppings (sour cream, bacon, etc.)

Crunchy Tacos

Taco shells, ground beef, canned refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup/salsa

Homemade Burritos

Soft tortillas, refried beans, cheese

Breakfast Burritos

Soft tortillas, sausage, scrambled eggs*, hash browns*, cheese, salsa (or ketchup), tomatoes (optional)

*For scrambled eggs, crack eggs into a small dish, stir with a fork/whisk, pour into hot, oiled/sprayed skillet, and cook until done. You can buy the has browns frozen, or bake potatoes, then shred when cool enough and heat through in butter or oil.

Easy BBQ Chicken or Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot

Put 2-4 large THAWED chicken breasts in the Crock Pot with some BBQ sauce on low for around 8 hours. (If you use chicken breasts that came frozen in a bag, they will be smaller and you'll want to use 4 or more.) Shred with forks at the end of cooking time and add more BBQ sauce. Serve on buns.
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Put a pork roast (really any kind of cut, like a pork shoulder or whatever, but not pork chops because that would be weird, but I guess it could work, but you should just bake those in the oven or cook them on the grill) in the Crock Pot with some BBQ sauce on it. Cook on low for around 8 hours. Drain off the liquid into a can to dispose when cooled. Shred with forks and add more BBQ sauce. Serve on buns with additional BBQ sauce if desired.

French Toast

To make French toast for one person, crack an egg or two in a wide-bottomed bowl or pie dish or something similar, whisk it and add a little milk and stir that in. Add some spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (or Allspice as it has those kinds of spices in it already, or pumpkin pie spice). You can also add some vanilla if desired. Dip the bread (both sides), even stale bread, into the mixture, and cook on an oiled/sprayed hot skillet/pan. Serve with syrup.

Biscuits and Gravy

Brown a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage (it's the best!). Once cooked, stir in 1/4 C flour.  Gradually add 2 1/2 C milk. Cook until it comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on biscuits, either homemade or those that you bake from the refrigerated section in the grocery store. (From All Recipes)

Cream Cheese Chicken in the Crock Pot

4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 stick of cream cheese

1 pouch/envelope of Italian dressing powder mix

Put everything in the Crock Pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or so, or high from 4-5. Stir up when done, and serve on rice.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

 From Jennilyn Woolf

1/3 C (3 oz.) cream cheese

1/4 C green salsa

1 T fresh lime juice

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t garlic powder

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T chopped green onions (opt)

2 C cooked, shredded chicken (can use canned)

1 C shredded pepper jack cheese, or Mexican blend, or cheddar

6 inch corn or flour tortillas

2 T oil (can use the cooking spray instead)

Nonstick cooking spray

Kosher salt (regular salt will be fine)

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in microwave for 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Stir to combine, then add cilantro, green onions, chicken, and cheese.

Wrap 3-4 tortillas in a damp paper towel (or clean, damp towel) and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. If the tortillas crack when rolled, use damper towels and increase the microwave time.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mix in the tortilla and roll it up.

Place seam side down on baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with some Kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends get golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes and serve with (opt) sour cream, guacamole, salsa. Makes approximately 16 corn or 12 flour taquitos.

Taco Soup

 The first time we ever ate this was at Jeff and Janae Stevenson's house when we lived downtown Salt Lake.

1 T oil

1 4 oz. can diced chiles

1 medium onion, chopped

4-6 C chicken broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (I like it with diced stewed tomatoes)

10 oz. frozen corn (or a can of corn, drained)

2 15 oz. cans of beans, drained and rinsed (black, white, or kidney)

1-2 T Mexican/taco seasoning

Dash of chili powder, optional

Sour cream, optional

Chips

Cheese, grated

Saute the onions in the oil over medium heat until tender. Add everything else except for the last three ingredients, and heat until boiling. Simmer 30 minutes. Serve with the sour cream, chips, and cheese on top.

Macaroni and Cheese

 I think this is what Grandma Johnson used to make for the family and is what Mom always made for us.

1 3/4 C uncooked noodles

2 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 t onion salt

1 1/2 C milk

Soda crackers

Butter (maybe 2 T cut into little pieces)

Cook the noodles, drain. Stir noodles together with the cheese, onion salt, and milk. Put in a casserole dish. Sprinkle crushed soda crackers on top. Dot with some butter. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Bacon Basil Avocado Pasta

 

8 oz (1/2 standard box) bow tie pasta

2 medium avocados, chopped

6 slices bacon cooked (425 in oven in tray with foil or parchment paper for 15? minutes, or fry in skillet)

2/3 C chopped fresh basil

2 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil (other oil will do)

3 cloves garlic (I like the kind that comes pre chopped in a jar from the store)

1/4 t pepper

1/8 t salt

1/2 C shredded parmesan

Cook pasta according to directions. In a large bowl combine the avocados, bacon, basil*, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. (Put in a serving dish if you want), then sprinkle with cheese. Serves 4. *Don't let it sit around too long or the basil will wilt and look gross.

Kielbasa

 Cook some ground sausage in a large skillet until done. Drain off fat into foil or a heat-proof disposable container, throw in garbage (not in sink) when cooled. Add 1/2 to 1 head of largely cut up cabbage. Cook with sausage until done. Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (off the old Western Family chocolate chip bag)

 2 1/4 C flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 C butter

1/2 C sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

2 t vanilla

1 egg

1 bag milk chocolate chips (we like the Guittard giant milk chocolate)

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. In a larger bowl cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mix well. Add chocolate chips, mix well. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes. Makes approximately 3 doz.