What Should I Make for Dinner?

Need a meal that is quick and easy? Need something that can be served in shifts? Need a dish that you can "time" baked in your oven so it will be hot and ready when you get home?

Quick & Easy

Stuffed Personal Pizza!

I've done this many times when the 5 of us are going in all different directions.  I still want everyone to have a hot & fresh dinner so I tried this.  Plus, you can personalize them to everyone's tastes!  I have also made them ahead of time and placed them in the refrigerator until they need to be cooked. This was given to me by my friend Betsy and I have used this recipe for years/

click here to print recipe

Pizza Dough

1 cup of warm water

1 Tbsp (packet) of yeast

2 Tbsp white sugar

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

dash of salt

3 cups of flour

Fillings

1 pkg of Mozzerella Cheese

1 can of Pizza sauce

Other fillings desired

Mix water and sugar in a bowl, add yeast and disolve completely.  Add oil and salt.  Add 1 cup of flour at a time and mix well until forms a firm ball of dough.  Split dough into needed portions.  Roll out each portion intil flat and round and the desired size contain all your fillings. Place on an aluminum sheet covered cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. 

Add desired fillings.  Close and press a fork around the edges.  Brush with an egg wash.  Poke a few fork holes onto the top of your "stuffed" pizza.

Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes.

 

My husband came up with this brilliant recipe and the kids love it!

Burrito-Enchiladas

click here to print recipe

1 pkg of frozen Burritos (I use the Cederlane ones from Costco-12 in a package)

1 can of Echilada sauce ( I use Old Elpaso)

1 pkg of shredded cheese-Mexican mix

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In a pyrex dish, spray bottom with non-stick spray. (The size of the pyrex dish depends on how large of meal you want to make.)

Pour enough enchilada sauce to just cover the bottom of dish.  Line up burritos inside the dish.  Pour remaining sauce over burritos.  Sprinkle cheese over the sauce. 

Spray a sheet of tin foil with non-stick spray, place that side down and cover burritos.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until completely cooked through.  Enjoy

What do I do with these leftovers?

Have left over potatoes?

Make Potatoe Knishes!

                                click here to print recipe

This was a great idea given to me by my sister-in-law.  She said they were easy and her family (with young kids) loved them.

    • Any left over potatoes
    • Margerine
    • Salt
    • Puff pastry sheets

Thaw puff pastry.  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Scrap out the center of the potatoes and mash up.  Add margerine and salt to taste. 

Cut puff pastry into squares at the size desired.  Place a spoonful of the mashed potato mixture into center of square.  Fold over and seal all edges of knish.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.  Enjoy!

Have left over chicken in the frig?

Make Chicken Fajitas!

click here for recipe

These are the best thing I have found to finish up left over roasted or soup chicken.  This recipe helps out with that dried out or tasteless chicken.

    • 1 package of Fajita seasoning
    • Left over chicken cut into strips
    • Bell peppers sliced(red, green, yellow, or orange)
    • Red onion sliced
    • 1 package of tortillas


Follow directions on the back of the season package.  Accompany this with a side dish of rice and a salad, and you have a healthy meal that saves money by using up the left overs so they won't be wastefully thrown out.

Enjoy!

 

Make Chicken Pot Pie
(Can be used with turkey too!)

Click here to print recipe
 

Here's another easy and resourceful way to use up left over chicken.  All 3 of my kids loved it and that is saying something!

    • 1 can of Veg-all
    • 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms (You can use canned mushrooms too.)
    • 1/2 cup diced onion
    • 1/4 cup margarine (non-dairy)
    • 1/3 cup flour
    • 1 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 2 cups hot water
    • 3/4 cup non-dairy creamer (I used rice milk to keep it all non-dairy and less fat)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp ground sage
    • pepper
    • 3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
    • 2 unbacked pie crusts (I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets.)


Preheat oven to 450 degress.
Thaw puff pastry and place one in pie dish that has been coated with non-stick spray if not using ready made.  Keep 2nd one to cover pie.

Saute' mushrooms and onions in margarine until soft.  Add flour and combine well.  Gradually add bouillon and creamer stirring constantly.  Add salt, sage, pepper to taste and continue cooking until mixture is bubbling and turns thick.  Stir in chicken and veg-all. Pour into pie crust and place 2nd pie crust as a cover and crimp edges and cut 4 slits in top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

Make Chicken Pot Pie
(Can be used with turkey too!)

Click here to print recipe
 

Here's another easy and resourceful way to use up left over chicken.  All 3 of my kids loved it and that is saying something!

    • 1 can of Veg-all
    • 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms (You can use canned mushrooms too.)
    • 1/2 cup diced onion
    • 1/4 cup margarine (non-dairy)
    • 1/3 cup flour
    • 1 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 2 cups hot water
    • 3/4 cup non-dairy creamer (I used rice milk to keep it all non-dairy and less fat)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp ground sage
    • pepper
    • 3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
    • 2 unbacked pie crusts (I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets.)


Preheat oven to 450 degress.
Thaw puff pastry and place one in pie dish that has been coated with non-stick spray if not using ready made.  Keep 2nd one to cover pie.

Saute' mushrooms and onions in margarine until soft.  Add flour and combine well.  Gradually add bouillon and creamer stirring constantly.  Add salt, sage, pepper to taste and continue cooking until mixture is bubbling and turns thick.  Stir in chicken and veg-all. Pour into pie crust and place 2nd pie crust as a cover and crimp edges and cut 4 slits in top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

Don't have an ingredient? Look here for an easy substitute.

•Baking powder: For each teaspoon use 1 teaspoon baking sodahttp://food.ivillage.com/cooking/baking/0,,39zn,00.html?nlcid=in|12-16-2008|# plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
•Brown sugar: For 1 cup: use 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses or dark corn syruphttp://food.ivillage.com/cooking/baking/0,,39zn,00.html?nlcid=in|12-16-2008|#.
•Buttermilk: For 1 cup: use 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup and let stand five minutes, or use 1 cup yogurt.
•Chocolate: For 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate: use 3 tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon butter. For 1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate: use 1 ounce unsweetened plus 1 tablespoon sugar.
•Heavy cream: For 1 cup: use 2/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter.
•Eggs: For one large egg: use 1/4 cup cholesterol-free egg product (keep some in the freezer for emergencies like this).
•Egg yolk: For one yolk: use 2 tablespoons cholesterol-free egg product.
•Flour: For 1 cup all-purpose flour: use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour. For 1 cup self-rising flour: use 1 cup all-purpose plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and * teaspoons salt.
•Honey: For 1 cup: use 3/4 cup sugar + 1/4 cup liquid.
•Milk: For 1 cup: use 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water, or keep dry, powdered milk on hand and mix according to directions.
•Sour cream: For 1 cup: use 1 cup plain yogurt.
•Sugar: For 1 cup granulated: use 3/4 cup maple syrup plus 1/4 teaspoon soda and reduce the liquid by 3 tablespoons, or use 1 cup light brown sugar (packed) or 2 cups powdered sugar.


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