food/meals in minutes type recipes?

[mykidsand_i]

OK, I am a troop leader for 8 girls. We desperately wanted to do our local meals in minutes, but things have changed for the worse there in my opinon. Meals in minutes is a place that is set up like a large kitchen with different 'work stations' where people can go to put meals together to bring home and throw in the oven/slow cooker/on the stove when they are too busy to make a meal for the night. It is a great concept. Everything is already preped and ready to go- all veggies are cut up, all ingrediants are there and the right measuring cups and spoons are set out. You prep a meal in a 'to go' type of thing like a large zip lock baggie is used for a meat that soaks in a marinade, those to-go baking tins are used for many things.

Our local meals in minutes has turned into more of a 'pick up meals' type of thing, and our girls wouldn't get to do any of the prep- so we decided to do it on our own. Three of us women want to set up our own little meals in minutes JUST FOR OUR TROOP one day- so the girls can come in, have everything preped, go by a recipe of how much is needed of each ingred. and put it together themselves. Our girls range from 6-9 years old. We would use the large zip lock bags, or to-go containers for them to take two or three meals that they've put together (with the help of leaders and a parent or two) home with them. The meals would have to be large enough for a family of 5 or 6 AND they'd have to cost under $10 a meal to make.

Anyone have any good recipes that I could use? We're looking for recipes that are a little bit out of the ordinary (no BBQ's, no spaghetti, no pizza), they need to be flavorful and something that lots of people like...I have a few ideas, but I'd like to get some more if you'd care to share with me! THANK YOU!!!

 

[Piglet843]

OK, I am a troop leader for 8 girls. We desperately wanted to do our local meals in minutes, but things have changed for the worse there in my opinon. Meals in minutes is a place that is set up like a large kitchen with different 'work stations' where people can go to put meals together to bring home and throw in the oven/slow cooker/on the stove when they are too busy to make a meal for the night. It is a great concept. Everything is already preped and ready to go- all veggies are cut up, all ingrediants are there and the right measuring cups and spoons are set out. You prep a meal in a 'to go' type of thing like a large zip lock baggie is used for a meat that soaks in a marinade, those to-go baking tins are used for many things.

Our local meals in minutes has turned into more of a 'pick up meals' type of thing, and our girls wouldn't get to do any of the prep- so we decided to do it on our own. Three of us women want to set up our own little meals in minutes JUST FOR OUR TROOP one day- so the girls can come in, have everything preped, go by a recipe of how much is needed of each ingred. and put it together themselves. Our girls range from 6-9 years old. We would use the large zip lock bags, or to-go containers for them to take two or three meals that they've put together (with the help of leaders and a parent or two) home with them. The meals would have to be large enough for a family of 5 or 6 AND they'd have to cost under $10 a meal to make.

Anyone have any good recipes that I could use? We're looking for recipes that are a little bit out of the ordinary (no BBQ's, no spaghetti, no pizza), they need to be flavorful and something that lots of people like...I have a few ideas, but I'd like to get some more if you'd care to share with me! THANK YOU!!!

I dunno if any of these are helpful - but its some ideas I thought of when I read this....

Burritos / enchiladas - anything rolled in a flour tortilla and topped with cheese in a foil pan and can be popped in the oven later and rewarmed. Fill it with cooked meat, beans, cheese, veggies...

Soups / Stews - cooked hamburger meat or chicken, beans or veggies, and some bread to go on the side - can be put in glad bowls and reheated in the microwave - Chili, Chicken Noodle, Beef and Veggie, Taco Soup, Potato Soup...

Chicken salad / Tuna Salad / Egg Salad and some white bread

A Hearty Dip and Nacho chips (I make a Beef and Bean and Cheese dip with some mexican spices - and serve it with nachos or even flour tortillas)

Stuffed Shells with simple tomato sauce - all in a foil pan - ready to rewarm later

Beef in Gravy / Turkey in Gravy served with white bread to make open face sammies out of - maybe a side of mashed potatoes in a container to go

Casseroles are boring - but a simple grilled chicken, rice and cheese casserole can be reheated at home and is good... Or a chicken spaghetti or a chicken casserole (the cream of soup kind topped with ritz crackers)

How about stuff rolled up in Crescent Rolls or Pizza dough - like calzones or crescent roll ups or a Stromboli - would just need to bake until dough is golden - as long as filling is already cooked...

If any of this sounds interesting - I have a bunch of good recipes - just let me know!!

 

[scrapquitler]

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Dinners...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264782506&sr=8-1

I've been to our local Dream Dinners a few times and really liked it. The founders of Dream Dinners have a cookbook, which seems to be what you are looking for (I might need to buy it for myself!)

 

[mykidsand_i]

Thanks! I like the burriots/enchiladas idea. They would be easy to put together for our troop ages- AND a lot of people don't realize how easy they are to make, so they always go out to a mex. rest. to have them. I could do them with a side of my 'mexican corn rice' maybe?

I think we'll do a mexican meal with burritos and I'll have flour tortillas, ground (alreay cooked) beef, cheeses and seasoning, some black beans (cheap, filling and full of good vitamins)...as far as my mexi. corn rice goes- I'm wondering how that should be done?

Can I have the girls prep it somehow and put it on the bottom of the pan and put the burritos on the top of the rice and bake them all together? How do I do that and make sure the rice is cooked properly? Any tips, ideas????

The girls and parents want to do a "friendship soup" each parent/girl is bringing a few canning jars and with our troop account funds I'll purchase a bunch of dried soup ingred...dried peas, beans, barley, onion flakes, alphabet soup noodles, seasonings, beef boulion powder...and we'll layer them nicely into the canning jars. All they'll need to do at home is add water, (meat if they choose to do so), and cook for an hour and it's done. I think that this will also be a good thing for them to 'keep 1 or two for their family to make and bring 1 or 2 to a friend or family member'...we can teach them two good lessons and make it look pretty- that may go over really well!

For our dessert the other leader is in charge of it- she decided to do "garbage cookies"...she's buying a bunch of different things that are good in cookies peanut butter chips, choc. chips, m&ms, nuts (no one in our troop has a problem with nuts) and she'll bring all of the flour, sugar, eggs and such. The girls can choose what to put in their cookies. They'll make two batches each and roll them out in long rolls (so they can slice them and lay them on the pan before cooking). We'll cover them with parchment paper, then put them in a big ziplock bag.

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

What about loaded baked potatoes? The potatoes are inexpensive and need to be washed, wrapped, cooked and topped. You can do a variety of toppings the girls can make and shred, cut, etc. Bacon, cheese, broccoli, sour cream, tomatoes, chives.

Chicken with stuffing. We make this all the time. It's so easy! 3 Boneless chicken breast, 1 can soup (cream of mushroom or chicken), 1/2 container sour cream, dash S&P, 1 box stuffing. Mix soup, sour cream, s&p. Pour into dish, add chicken. Add water to stuffing and put on top of chicken. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 400.

For the mexican dinner we make chicken in the crockpot and you could cook the chicken ahead of time. Just add chicken to salsa and cook for a few hours on high. Once done shred and return to pot. That way, it's already got tomatoes, onions and peppers for flavor. Yum!

 

[mykidsand_i]

Chicken with stuffing. We make this all the time. It's so easy! 3 Boneless chicken breast, 1 can soup (cream of mushroom or chicken), 1/2 container sour cream, dash S&P, 1 box stuffing. Mix soup, sour cream, s&p. Pour into dish, add chicken. Add water to stuffing and put on top of chicken. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 400.
. Yum!

This sounds really good! Can the chicken and everything be put together, then put into a fridge or freezer for a few days before cooking it? Or does it have to be cooked first? We're trying to get recipes that can be preped- frozen or put in the fridge that the parent can just pull out and bake or put in a slow cooker...if this recipe works for that, it may be a good option! it sounds yummy!!!

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

I've never tried to freeze it. I'm not sure how soup would hold up in the fridge. The chicken cooks in the soup and the stuffing gets steamed sitting on the top. It takes all of 5-10 minutes to set up. I've made it the night before, minus the stuffing. But it would be easy to bag the ingredients if they are going to make it later in the week. Like bag the chicken in ziplocks, leave the soup in the can, etc. I've sent this to friends before when they needed a quick meal.

 

[DMickey28]

What about a pan of lasagna? The girls could each assemble their own pan with the ingredients.

I think that sounds like a GREAT idea and probably a lot more cost effective than one of those places too!

 

[dizneygurl007]

I don't know if you still need recipes but I thought I would contribute something really easy. This corn side dish has 4 ingredients and goes wonderfully with chicken or pork. It freezes well also so it could be saved for a later date. Here is the recipe. (Warning it is not a low calorie or low fat but it is soooo good its worth the splurge.)
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1/2 cup butter

8 oz. package of cream cheese (Original is the best. The flavored kinds don't taste to great.)

3 cans of Shoepeg corn (It is very sweet corn usually found in the canned veggies aisle at your grocery store.)

As much chopped green chile as you want. (The heat in this dish is up to you.)

1 large pot

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Melt butter and cream cheese on medium heat. Wear an apron because it may spit a little. Once everything is melted (no big chunks), add the corn and green chile. Stir until everything is coated and hot through. This usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes on medium heat.


I hope this recipe works out for you. Let me know if you want other recipes. I have lots of cookbooks including one entirely for crock pots.