4 nights of FAST fix dinners

Hey Peeps....Happy Monday!!!

Well, I've been in a quandary about posting the dinners from last week because I really didn't "cook". But I thought, heck...everyone gets to that point where life is busy and crazy and unpredictable, especially around the holidays.  So I'm giving you our dinners from last week.  We will just call them "almost home cooked" meals.  You can feed your family at home cheaper than eating out even if you get some help from the Cost of Co and the local Wally World. 

Dinner Uno
BBQ pork sandwiches and tater tots

First up, lets get those tots in the oven.  Yep folks let's bake not deep fry.  They are just as good!!!

Now we need to pull out our prepackaged pork from the Cost of Co.  It is really yummy too!  Just heat that up following package directions and then TA DA!!!!

Just plop that pork on a nice bun with some BBQ sauce and a few tots and it's dinner at home in a flash.

Don't stop now....it's dinner #2.  Taco Night!

First of all I need to get my ground beef going.  I add some onion and a can of green chili's to my meat and get it all browned up and crumbly.

See how nice that meat looks in just a few minutes.

Now grab that taco seasoning from the box or the big jug like I have and add it to some beef broth.  You can certainly use water as the package states but if you have the broth, go ahead give it a try.  I promise it gives it a deeper flavor than using just the water.

Just heat up a can of that good ole' Mexicorn and another can of refried beans.  I like the refried black beans, less fat just as tasty!

Now get out those taco toppings and make yourself a nice dinner!

I like to put my refried beans on the tortilla but hey, it's taco night so be creative and have fun!!

Moving along to Dinner #3, it's Tomato Basil Soup w/ Butternut Squash ravioli and rolls



If you want to make these rolls you do have to put a thought into it early in the day because they are frozen rolls.  I just grabbed a few out of the bag and plopped in my big iron skillet and covered with a towel and let them hang out all day so they could rise. If you forget, just grab some rolls on the way home or a nice loaf of crusty french bread.   Better buy two loaves in case you gobble the hot bread on the way home..oh wait, maybe that's just me!   Saving the day once again is the Cost of Co!! Yep, the soup and the ravioli are both from there. But you can use whatever variety of tomato basil soup you can snatch up at the store. Just heat up the soup and cook the ravioli per package directions.  I drained the ravioli then mixed in with the soup and served with those warm from the oven rolls!!  Seriously, does drive thru ever taste this good??!!!

Dinner #4 is a crock pot meal.  This is the second time I've made this dish and I have to say, we are growing quite fond of it and it's so simple to make.  Nothing like coming home to a fabulous smelling house and dinner almost finished.    I present to you Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice. 

List of ingredients:

1 lb dried red beans

package of sausage links, sliced (no breakfast sausage please)

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp creole seasoning

7 cups of chicken broth

The poor Tony Chachere's, I forgot it with the other ingredients.



Now let's get all of that into the crock pot then add those 7 cups of broth or water or a combination of both.

Once again I just believe the chicken broth adds a richer flavor over the water. Now because the hubster is from the good state of Louisiana... I slapped in a few shots of Tabasco sauce and my Creole seasonings were FULL tablespoons and the sausage was hot. We like it spicy at our house!

Pop that crock pot on low for about 7 hours and just before you are ready to eat boil up some white rice.Yes.....a little white rice every now and then won't kill you!!  Besides, the brown rice makes it taste a little odd. 

I have a little confession to make.....I just took that picture a few minutes ago and that whole bowl of stuff was stone cold!!!  :0)  Seems I forgot to get a picture when we were eating it!  It's all good in da hood!!!

Now, for an extra easy peasy treat I give you COOOKIES!!!!

Grab yourself a roll of peanut butter cookie dough (unless you are allergic then please don't make this), a bag of Hersey Kisses and some sugar.  Scoop the cookie dough out into balls, roll the balls in sugar and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Pull out of the oven and pop a kiss right smack dab in the middle of that hot cookie.    Easy and yummy!!!  Bake some for your family and then give them a big glass of milk with those warm cookies and waalaaaa you are now a Queen!!  

I really hope today's post has shown you that you don't have to fall victim to the drive thru to feed your family inexpensively an quickly.  And next time, I will try not be so hard on myself for making quick easy dinners either. 

Peace, Love and Yummies my little elves!!!