Pretty sure we aren't the only family to have limited time to spend preparing dinner. However, we prefer eating at home most nights, so we have some recipes that are quick and easy to prepare that we try to keep ingredients on hand for to make time in the kitchen minimal.
These five easy dinner recipes will take you 15 minutes or less to prepare. You probably already have everything you need on hand to prepare a few of these simple meals even. Add these easy recipes to your monthly rotation for those days you need something simple and quick to prepare.
| Pulled Pork |
What you need:
- Pork tenderloin or pork roast
- Bottled Italian dressing
What you do:
- Line your slow cooker with a liner (pro tip!) and place the pork inside.
- Shake the bottle of dressing and squirt some in there. I don't measure - I just give it a few squirts - about 2 Tablespoons.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Serve on rolls or buns for sandwiches, with tortillas with salsa and cheese, with potatoes and a salad, or even wrapped in lettuce with some other toppings for lettuce wraps.
| Chili |
What you need:
- 1 12-16 oz. package of ground turkey or ground beef or leftover chicken (cut up)
- 3 15 oz. cans of kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 2 packets of chili seasoning (we prefer Lawry's)
- Water
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
What you do:
- Brown the meat and add the chili packets, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and about 1 cup of water (to desired thickness).
- Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes and serve.
| Spaghetti |
What you need:
- 1 12-16 oz. package of ground turkey or ground beef
- 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 2 packets of spaghetti seasoning (we prefer Lawry's)
- Fresh mushrooms or can of sliced mushrooms (optional)
- 1 package of pasta
- Water
- Parmesan cheese
What you do:
- Add water to large pot and set to high to boil. In a large skillet, brown the meat and add the spaghetti seasoning packets, tomato sauce, and 1/2 to 1 cup of water (to desired thickness).
- Add the pasta to the boiling water following directions on package. Once the pasta is finished, drain and serve with spaghetti sauce.
- Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
| Chicken and Rice |
What you need:
- 4 pieces of boneless/skinless chicken (we use breasts)
- 2 cups of rice (white or brown - brown will take longer to cook)
- 1 can of cream of chicken soup
- 1 can of chicken broth
- 3 cups of water
What you do to make in your oven:
- In a large casserole dish, mix together the soup, broth, and water and stir in the rice. Add the chicken and cover with foil.
- Bake at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Brown rice will take longer than white rice. Check the liquid at about 45 minutes. You want it to absorb most of the liquid, but don't want it dry. Add a little hot water if it looks like the rice is cooking too fast and absorbing all of the water. Toward the end of the cooking time, remove the foil.
What you do to make in your slow cooker:
- Follow the same instructions as above, but add to your slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the rice and chicken is cooked.
| Breakfast Scramble |
What you need:
- 1 tube of sausage (I used pork)
- 2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- bag of frozen hash browns
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- Optional: onions, peppers, bacon, ham, tomatoes, etc. Anything you want to add, go for it. Using spicy sausage would be good also.
What you do:
- Brown the sausage. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray or use a liner. In the slow cooker, mix hash browns, browned sausage, cheese, and any other ingredients you choose.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and eggs and pour over the mixture in the slower cooker. Mix it in.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Eat as is and topped with additional cheese, or serve on tortillas with guacamole and/or salsa.
