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Imagine that!
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by Deborah Dove
Before I had children, I vowed that when I was a parent my children would do no more than one activity at a time. We have fudged on that stance occasionally (after all, I reason, the soccer season is really only two months), and for the first time in a while, I have realized that this fall my children are signed up for only one activity each. Unfortunately, with my daughter’s ballet class meeting Mondays and Wednesdays, and my son having football practice Tuesdays and Thursdays plus a game on Saturdays, I’m still not going to be home much! Luckily my eight-month-old isn’t interested in extra-curricular activities just yet.
However, for my waistline, my pocketbook, and the health of my family, we can’t eat out every night of the week as we rush from one practice to the next. Right about now, I need a nice supply of quick and simple recipes—recipes that require a short list of ingredients that I preferably already have on hand.
On an intellectual level, I know that just because a recipe has an ingredient list as long as my arm doesn’t mean it will be difficult, or even especially time consuming. After all, adding five or six herbs or seasoning isn’t so bad. But save the herb roasted chicken and the cream cheese lasagna for the weekend.
When I’m scrambling to get dinner on the table, homework finished, the baby fed and my son’s football cleats on (six-year-olds aren’t known for their prowess with shoelaces), I need a recipe that has the fewest possible ingredients. If I just have to throw six things together, I reason, I just might be able to swing it.
Does my plight (maybe even my life) sound familiar? If so, don’t give up on a home cooked meal. Peruse the following recipes, each with six ingredients or less, and you’ll have dinner on the table in a flash. See you at the ball field!
Ranch Chicken
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into strips or tenders
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 packet dry Ranch dressing seasoning
In a large Ziploc bag, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar and Ranch dressing mix. Mix gently in the bag. Add chicken, seal the bag and shake to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.
Remove chicken and place in shallow baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Broil in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until done, turning chicken over halfway through cook time.
Gooey Turtle Bars
1/2 c. butter, melted
1-1/2 c. vanilla wafer crumbs
12 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels
1 c. pecan pieces
12 oz. jar caramel topping
Combine butter and wafer crumbs in a 13x9-inch baking pan; press into bottom of pan. Sprinkle with chocolate morsels and pecans. Remove lid from caramel topping; microwave on high one to one and a half minutes or until hot, stirring after 30 seconds. Pour over chocolate morsels and pecans.
Bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes or until morsels melt; cool in pan on a wire rack. Chill at least 30 minutes; cut into squares.
Make Ahead Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
6 Kaiser Rolls, sliced
1 lb. deli honey ham, shaved or thinly sliced
12 slices Swiss cheese
Butter or margarine
Spicy brown mustard
Butter both sides of rolls, then spread each side thinly with mustard. Place 2 slices of ham on bottom of each roll; top with one slice of cheese. Repeat. Place top of roll on each sandwich and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes or until hot.
*Sandwiches can be prepared in advance and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake.
Easy Crock Pot Pork Chops Two Ways
2 butterfly pork chops, trimmed
1 can Campbell’s French Onion soup
Cooked noodles
Or
2 butterfly pork chops
1 can Campbell’s Italian Tomato Soup
Chopped onion
Chopped green pepper
Cooked rice
Place pork chops in crock pot. Pour soup over pork chops and top with vegetables, if applicable. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Serve over noodles or rice.
Cheese-Stuffed Meat Loaf
1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1 jar chunky garden style pasta sauce
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 c. plain breadcrumbs
2 c. (approx. 8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/3-cup pasta sauce, egg and bread crumbs. Season, if desired, with salt and
pepper. In 13x9-inch baking or roasting pan, shape meat mixture into 12x8-inch rectangle.
Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups cheese and parsley down center leaving 3/4-inch border. Roll, starting at long end, jellyroll style. Press ends together to seal. Bake under cover 45 minutes. Pour remaining sauce over meatloaf and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake additional 15 minutes or until sauce is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
*Mold meat mixture onto waxed paper to make rolling easier.
Cheesy Ranch and Bacon Mashed Potatoes
1 1-oz. package Ranch dressing mix
1 c. sour cream
1-3/4 c. milk
1 22-oz. package refrigerated mashed potatoes
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c. shredded cheese
Whisk together first three ingredients in large bowl. Stir in mashed potatoes. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes. Stir in bacon and cheese. Serve.
Lemon-Berry Punch
1/2 c. lemonade drink mix
4 c. cold water
2/3 c. cranberry juice, chilled
1-1/2 c. Sprite, chilled
In a pitcher, combine lemonade mix, water and cranberry juice. Stir in soda. Serve immediately.
BBQ Chicken Packets
4 sheets heavy duty aluminum foil
1 c. barbecue sauce
2 c. frozen whole kernel corn
1 c. chopped green peppers
20 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast (a little over a pound when trimmed) or 4 5-oz. chicken breasts
Center each chicken breast on a sheet of aluminum foil. Top each breast with 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1/4 cup chopped peppers and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce. Bring up the sides of foil and double fold ends to form a packet, leaving enough room for heat to circulate inside. Grill 14-16 in covered grill or place on a cookie sheet and bake in oven at 450º for 18-22 minutes. |
