I'm sure you've heard the old adage, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Fortunately my husband did not live by that rule, and he chose me in spite of my lack of domestic skills. I was a mere 19 years old when we married, and my idea of a fine dinner consisted of opening a can of Campbell's soup rather than a store brand. Lucky for my husband, I realized that we needed more variety and began to use the Betty Crocker cookbook that I received as a wedding present. Even though the cookbook was good, my lack of experience made dinner time success unpredictable. For many years, we had Domino's Pizza on speed dial for those nights when dinner was not edible. Fortunately my husband was patient, and eventually I got the hang of cooking.
I can't say that I love to cook now, but I do find some satisfaction in placing tasty meals on our table. I'm continuously searching for good recipes that don't cost an arm and a leg and half my day to prepare.
Over the years I have collected and developed dozens of low-cost, quick-to-prepare meals. I have begun to compile them in a cookbook form for my children, so they will have a head start on this cooking thing when they strike out on their own.
Here are just a few of our favorite recipes. I hope that you enjoy them. There are not many here yet, but I do intend to add to it as often as possible. If you have any low-cost, fast recipes you'd like to share, please feel free to e-mail me. Not only will I enjoy trying them out on my family, but I may be able to post them on this site later. I'd also love it if you'd sign my guest book to let me know that you've been here! See link at the bottom of this page.
Cheeseburger Soup
In a 3 qt. Saucepan, brown
beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, sauté' onion,
carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 T. butter or margarine until vegetables
are tender. About 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until
potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining
butter. Add flour; cook and stir 3/5 min. or until bubbly.
Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce
heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper, cook and stir until
cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.
Margene's Sugar Cookies
1 c. butter
Cream together first six ingredients.
Stir in last four ingredients. Roll into ball. Roll ball in
sugar. Dip tumbler in sugar and press cookie. Cook for 10 in.
at 375 ?. Makes 8 dozen.
Marinara Sauce
6 Cans Diced Tomatoes (about 16
oz. each)
Heat oil in a large pot over medium
heat. Cook galic and onions until soft. (stir frequently)
Stir in tomatoes and juice and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until sauce is thick.
Pizza Meatloaf
Make a cookie sheet meatloaf with
hamburg and egg. Spread it in a cookie sheet. Bake for
Ravioli Casserole
1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
I like to serve this dish with a
loaf of hot buttered garlic bread, and steamed and buttered sugar snap
peas. And for dessert.... hot Cherry Crisp! Yum. I seem
to have misplaced my recipe... when I find it I'll post it!
Meat and Potato Pie
1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup
Serving Suggestion: When I
make this, I usually add simple side dishes, like hot buttered corn and
some sliced fresh fruit.
Bubble Pizza Casserole
Chicken Macaroni Casserole
2 T. butter or margarine
Colorful Garden Salad
Taco Soup
Six-Can Slow Cooked Chili
1/4 C. Cornmeal
Salsa Pork Chops
Cinnamon Applesauce
1 Jar of Applesauce
Onion Roasted Potatoes
Enchilada Casserole
Peanut Butter Bars
1/2 lb. Ground beef
3/4 c. Shredded carrots
1 t. Dried basil
4 T. Butter or margarine
4 c. Diced, peeled potatoes
8 oz. American cheese (cut in chunks)
3/4 t. Salt
1/4 c. Sour cream
3/4 c. onion, chopped
3/4 c. celery, chopped (optional)
1 t. Dried parsley flakes
3 c. Chicken broth
1/4 c. All-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. Milk
1/4-1/2 t. Pepper (according to
taste)
This is our favorite sugar cookie recipe
ever. The recipe came from my mother and she got it from her childhood
best friend (and cousin) Margene (Maxwell) Reeves. Margene died in
the 80s after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis.
1 c. oil
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
4 c. flour
1 t. Cream of tartar
1 t. salt
2 eggs
(I didn't roll these into balls… rather
I used my small ice cream scoop, dropped scoops of cookie dough onto the
cookie sheet and then pressed them with the bottom of a sugar coated drinking
glass or a cookie pressed. That worked just fine and is easier and
faster than rolling into balls)
I figured out the cost of this
recipe as only about $4.00. (without factoring in the cost of spices)
And it makes so much, I freeze half.... so we have enough for 2 meals.
The diced tomatoes I buy at Aldi for just .39 cents a can, and I buy my
spaghetti noodles there also for less than a dollar for a 2 lb. box.
Even if you don't have an Aldi near you, this should be an inexpensive
dish. It tastes fresh and is a nice, light meal. If you must,
you can add some browned ground beef, but I prefer it without.
1/3 c. Salad Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 T. Basil (I use dried)
1 T. Oregano or Italian Seasoning
2 t. Salt
1 t. Pepper
Pasta to serve noodles over (I
usually use spaghetti noodles or angel hair pasta)
(I have served this after only
1/2 hour of simmering and it is a little runny, but very good that way
too)
Serve over Pasta... we use spaghetti
noodles.
Add some oven-toasted Onion Bagels
and slices of a juicy orange on the side.
TUAC Friend, Cyndy, shared this
idea for a fast main dish with me. Thanks Cyndy!
about 25 minutes at 350.
Remove from oven and spread the "meatloaf" with spaghetti sauce and place
pizza toppings
over sauce. Sprinkle with
cheese and bake for about 15 more minutes. (You can also
add spices, fennel, garlic, etc.
to the meat "crust".)
We enjoy this dish which tastes
a lot like lasagna but is quicker. If you have an Aldi Grocery store
near you, it is also an inexpensive entree.
1 package (25 oz.) frozen cheese
ravioli, cooked and drained
2 C. (16 oz.) small curd cottage
cheese
4 C. (16 oz.) shredded mozzarella
cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Spread 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce
in an ungreased 13 in. by 9 in. by 2 in. baking dish. Layer with
half of the ravioli, 1 1/4 cups of sauce, 1 cup of cottage cheese and 2
cups of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with the
Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes
or until bubbly. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. (4-5
cups of any style cooked ravioli can e substituted for the frozen
cheese ravioli)
Here's a good old fashioned meat and
potato dish! When I was a child, my Aunt Sandy was featured in the
cooking section of the newspaper for this tasty recipe. My mom started
making it and it was a favorite of mine... so much so this is one of the
recipes I asked for when I set up my own kitchen.
1/2 c. Dry bread crumbs.
1/4 c. Chopped onion
1/4 t. Salt
Pepper to taste
1 lb. Ground beef
1 Egg
2 T. Chopped parsley
2 C. Mashed potatoes
(I prefer to make fresh mashed potatoes,
but you could substitute instant mashed
potatoes to make it faster.)
1/4 c. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Mix 1/2 c. soup and the ground beef, onion,
eg, bread crumbs, parsley and seasoning and press firmly in 9 in. pie plate
to form a sort of meat pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (or
until ground beef looses pink color). Remove from oven and spoon
off fat. Top with potatoes, the remaining soup and cheese.
Bake 10 more minutes.
Looking for something the kids will eat?
My kids love this dish, and it is easy enough that older kids could even
make it themselves.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce
2 tubes (12 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk
biscuits
1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
In a skillet brown the ground beef; drain.
Stir in pizza sauce. Quarter the biscuits; place in a greased 13
in. X 9 in. X 2 in. baking dish. Top with the beef mixture.
Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses.
Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for
5-10 minutes before serving. Yields 6-8 servings.
I'm not crazy about macaroni and cheese,
but my kids are. This recipe is one that we both like.... it's similar
to the good old fashioned macaroni
and cheese casserole, but with some substance. I always keep a bag
of
frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts
in my freezer (can buy pretty inexpensively at SAM'S Club or Aldi)
and it makes dishes that call for cooked
chicken a snap. I just pull out a few pieces, put them in a pan with
a couple cups of water and boil it
until the chicken is cooked through. (cut them open to make sure they are
white all the way through)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. light cream
1 1/2 to 2 c. chicken broth, divided
3/4 pound process American cheese, cubed
2 boxes (7 oz.each) elbow macaroni, cooked
and drained
3 c. cooked chicken
1 jar (2 oz.) diced pimientos, drained
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
Snipped fresh parsley, optional
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir
in flour until combined. Add cream and 1 1/2 c. of the broth all
at once; stir until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly;
cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat; add the cheese
and stir until melted. Stir in macaroni, chicken and pimientos, salt
and pepper. Add additional broth if needed. Pour into a 3 quart
baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until
heated through. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yield 6-8
servings.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with a garden
salad (like the one below) and a chilled jello salad. Yum!
1-2 Medium cucumbers, sliced
1 Medium tomato, sliced
4 Slices red onion
6 Fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 c. Torn salad greens
5 t. Vinegar
1/4 c. Vegetable oil
5 t. Sugar
1/8 t. Pepper
1/4 t. salt
2 T. Crumbled bacon
Large bowl: Combine first 5 ingredients
Small bowl: Combine vinegar, sugar, salt
and pepper and mix well.
Pour over salad and toss. Top with
crumbled bacon.
1 lb. Ground beef
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Tomato sauce or stewed
tomatoes, chopped
1 c. Water
1 1/4 oz. Taco seasoning packet
2 Cans (15 oz.) kidney beans, undrained
Toppings: Cheddar cheese, green onions
(sliced), sour cream, and corn or tortilla chips
Brown ground beef and drain off fat.
Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce or tomatoes, beans and water. Heat
until soup comes to a boil. Ladle into individual bowls and top with
desired toppings.
(we like cheddar cheese, sour cream and
corn chips.... mmmmmmmm!)
Serving suggestions: Serve with
a platter of fresh fruit slices and some hot corn bread with butter. (a
boxed mix, of course!).
If you have an Aldi in your town, this
recipe can be very inexpensive!
Need a really fast meal? Can't
get any simpler than this chili... all pantry items... but tastes closer
to homemade than just opening canned chili.
1/2 C. Barbecue Sauce
2 Cans chili without beans (15 oz)
10 3/4 oz. French Onion Soup (can)
1 t. Paprika
2 Cans of Tomatoes, drain, chop
(14-15 oz)
1 Can Chili Beans (15 oz.)
In a 3 1/2 or 4 qt. Crock Pot Slow Cooker,
combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover; cook on high setting
for 2-4 hours or until thoroughly heated. Or cook on low setting
for 8-9 hours.
For hotter chili, add additional chili
powder. If the little people in your house don't like canned tomatoes
(like mine) substitute tomato sauce. Also, I like to add an additional
can of Chili beans to stretch it a little further.
Serving suggestion: Serve with Ritz Crackers
topped with cheddar cheese slices, and some fresh sliced melon.
Enough pork chops for your entire family
1 Jar of salsa (unless you have a lot
of pork chops, then you might need 2 jars)
Yes, that's all you need for these easy
and tasty pork chops!
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil,
and spray the foil with a cooking spray. Lay each pork chop in the
bottom of the pan. If you have a lot of pork chops, prepare two pans
this way. Top each pork chop with a few spoonfuls of salsa.
Cover with foil, and bake until the pork chops are no longer pink.
(Pork chops vary in thickness, and some have bones... so I can't really
give you a time on this.... I usually bake ours 30 minutes, but you'll
have to be the judge on how long to do yours.)
Serving Suggestion: Cinnamon applesauce,
steamed sugar snap peas, and Onion Roasted potatoes. See recipes
below.
This really isn't a recipe, but something
I toss together now and again for a little something different.
The kids like it because it tastes
a little like baked apples.
2 t. Cinnamon
1 T. Sugar
Stir together in a microwavable
bowl. Microwave on high until hot. Serve warm.
2 lbs. red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
Combine all ingredients together in a
large plastic bag. Shake until the potatoes are coated. Empty
bag into an ungreased 13 X 9 inch backing pan. Cover and bake at
350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes
or longer... until potatoes are tender.
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
8 oz. Taco Sauce
1/4 c. Onion, chopped
4 oz. can Diced Green Chilies, mild
1/4 c. milk
1. c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 package corn tortillas (approximately
10 small)
In large skillet, brown ground beef with
the onion. Drain off fat. Add chilies, half of taco sauce and
all of tomato sauce. Heat through. IN a bowl whisk together
soups and milk. Add to skillet with the meat mixture and heat through.
Spray a 9 X 13 in. pan with cooking spray. Slice tortillas into quarters.
Put half of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan, then half of the corn
tortillas and half of cheese. Repeat layers, again ending with cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees until hot and bubbly. Approximately 20-3- minutes.
Serve topped with remaining taco sauce and sour cream, if desired.
Serve with tossed green salad, toasted
onion bagels, and Easy Peanut Butter Bars for dessert.
2 c. Graham Crackers
2 1/2 c. Confectioners Sugar
1 c. Melted butter or margarine
1 c. Peanut butter
12 oz. Chocolate Chips
Grease 9 X 13 in. pan. Mix first
4 ingredients. Pour into pan and spread out. Melt chocolate
and spread onto peanut butter mixture.
I would be honored if you would add this page to your bookmarks and sign my guest book!! If you visited one of my children's pages, please mention that when you sign my guestbook. It would please them so much!