Help--- I HATE TO COOK

[disykat]

To avoid eating out, keep a list on your refridgerator of meals you have ingredients for. I try to make my grocery list with several meals where I actually have to thaw meat and several very quick meals (frozen meatballs with canned sauce, microwave baked potatoes with canned chili, things like that). That way when I'm feeling irritated with myself for not having planned a meal I can grab something quick for that night and set the meat out to thaw for the next night. I think learning to eat at home is less about cooking (it's pretty easy to toss fish or chicken on the grill) than it is about planning ahead.

I also brown extra hamburger for the freezer and cook an extra chicken breast to put on salad for lunch, etc. I get tired of cooking sometimes, but I get much more tired of planning meals and doing the shopping effectively so I don't have either nothing in the fridge or rotting vegies that I bought too many of!

 

[PixieDust32]

Now you guys are making me hungry.

 

[jenwolgey]

$30 a year, is it really THAT good?

For me, www.savingdinner.com is really worth it. The worst part of cooking for me is the planning...this does all the planning for you, you even get a shopping list. Also, there are choices for many different plans-for those that like the crock pot, you can get an all crock plan, there are several others-vegetarian, frugal, etc. There are sample menus on the site if you want to look before you leap. You could also do the 3 months for $9.99, then just rotate and re-use the menus. That is what I do, and it works great. Dinner becomes a no-brainer, I just have to check the menu to see what I am making that night. Also, if you think about it, the $30 is only one or two restaurant meals for 2 people, and it is worth so much more! HTH

 

[buddy&wooz]

quick chicken parmesan-brown the chicken breasts on both sides on stove top, put in caserole with a jar of spagetti sauce. cover with foil for about 20 minutes. remove foil and cover with cheese. return to oven until cheese melts. cook up pasta while chicken is cooking.

I do this but I avoid the first step of browning on the stove- bread the chicken and bake it till almost done, then add the sauce, heat another 15-20 minutes- add cheese, heat till melted.

If you like the chicken really crispy this won't work, but everyone here seems to like it and I have one less pot to wash!

Keep the ideas coming- I hate to cook, too, but really need to spend less money on eating out and wasted food.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Oh a lot of these sound soooo good.

 

[weregoingtodw]

One of my good girlfriends introduced this to me, and it's SO easy:

In a large skillet with a bit of oil, brown some thin pork chops (you can use boneless or bone-in, just be sure to get the thin kind). Once they're browned, add a can of cream of mushroom soup (I use the Healthy Request one) and 1/2 c. milk. Let the pork chops cook for 15 minutes or so until the gravy thickens & the pork chops become tender. Serve with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes, add a veggie and dinner is done!

 

[bananiem]

How about cooking some pasta, adding spaghetti sauce, and some garlic bread? You can get a salad in a bag too.
I second the George Foreman grill. Pork chops (marinate or put on a rub) in 6 minutes, burgers in about 7, you can even make grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Now they have the ones that the grills go in the dishwasher!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

While I love to cook we have dietary issues (and a picky kid) now which prevent me from making things that are "different" so cooking has become boring to say the least. Also the "what do you want to eat" has become boring.

#1...Leftovers are a great. When I cook we eat the leftovers the next day. This makes for great savings as well as time management.

#2...I make things that can be versatile. Example...I made a box of elbow macaroni and then put it in the fridge. You can add a little butter and cheddar for Mac & Cheese, plain butter, chili for chili mac, or Mayo for macaroni salad.
This was lunch yesterday.

#3...Veggies & fruits. We have now incorporated this as part of most of our diet. We have raw & cook some, depending on time and what we are cooking.
I realized that I didn't have to cook everything. We aren't to big on salads, but we do love some raw carrots, broccoli, celery, etc...

I feel for you. I hate the planning...don't mind the cooking. Can't win I guess.

 

[princess pooh]

I just started cooking because we were spending way too much on take-out and caterers. I get most of the recipes from Rachael Ray or the Everyday Food magazine. I couldn't be bothered with anything except quick and easy stuff. I also started meal planning so I know exactly what I need from the grocery store each week. We also have frozen chicken burgers and microwave meals in case we're both too tired too bother.

 

[Crankyshank]

I would highly recommend Cooking Light's super fast suppers. Very easy and quick recipes

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...104-2067061-7684715?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

also something very good and very fast (aside from the suggestions mentioned all ready)

- put 2tsp of olive oil in a baking dish
- add chicken breast
- cover in salsa
- cover dish
- cook 40min at 375
- add 1/2 a pkg of shredded cheese
- cook 15min more
- serve over rice

you can also bread the chicken, substitute diced tomatoes for the salsa and cook it that way. Very simple and it's very good.

 

[dmslush]

Spicy Chicken Noodles:
Boil whole wheat noodles (or whatever kind your family likes (also, I cook one pound of noodles because we are a large family)) cook and cube several boneless, skinless chicken breasts. When the noodles get done, drain them and add the chicken. Dump in a jar of cheese wiz, add a packet of chili powder, stir and serve.

Pizza Casserole: (one of my coworkers made this, it is great!)
Brown some ground beef, mix in a jar of pizza sauce. Pour it in a casserole dish. Layer things like pepperoni, sausage, olives, onions, etc.. whatever you like on a pizza. Top with Mozzeralla cheese and bake. It tastes like pizza, but is a casserole consistancy. It was SOOOO good.

 

[malibuconlee]

Dole has those new salad kits. Asian Crunch is good with a grilled/pan fried chicken breast in it. Comes with the dressing in a pouch. Just coat a frying pan in olive oil and cook until the juices run clear (I admit, I always cut open chicken breasts to make sure they're done, especially the thick ones.)

I like the Wal-Mart spaghetti sauce. It's the Great Value Traditional sauce with the red label. I make it with the Great Value brand pork sausage. Blue label.

Brown the sausage in one pan while putting a large pot to boil for the spaghetti noodles. Once the meat is cooked thru, add the sauce to heat. Serve with a bag of ceasar salad and some frozen garlic bread. Only takes a few minutes to cook once the oven is pre-heated.

Goulash
A lb. of ground beef. Brown it, then add a can of tomato sauce. You can add in oregano if you like. Cook a cup and a half of macaroni noodles. Add together.


Chicken stew.

Cut up a package of chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Place in a crockpot with two cans of cream of chicken soup. Add in drained cans of Veg-all or other mixed veggies, canned green beans, canned sliced potatoes, and canned corn, whatever you like. Start it in the morning and it's ready for supper.

Keep a frozen pizza or two around so when you don't feel like cooking you at least have an option other than going out.

Those new Bertolli frozen meals are pretty good too. Only takes 10 to 15 minutes to heat up. They don't make a lot tho, may be good for those nights when it's just the two of you.

My DH has been working out of town the last couple of months. I've been cooking and freezing leftovers for him to take. He takes a cooler with the frozen food and an ice pack. Then he puts the food in the fridge/freezer in his hotel room. Makes it nice so he doesn't have to go out to eat all the time. Maybe do the same thing? Cook up a few things and freeze them? Then either he can take them with, or you can take them out and defrost.

I've been keeping things like the small promise containers, sour cream containers, cream cheese. Then I throw them in the dishwasher and I fill these so DH can just throw them away when he's done eating.

 

[tw1nsmom]

What kind of food does your family like? What kind of food do you get when you eat out?

 

[Ziva]

I don't cook either, good luck!

 

[laurajetter]

Here is an idea I was looking into just minutes before I read your post. I don't know if you've heard of it already, but it seems like you'd be the perfect candidate for it!

It is a trend of companies that allow you to select a dinner package and set up an appointment to go in to their facilities and make a whole bunch of homestyle, delicious meals that can be taken home, frozen, and then cooked as needed.

They do all the planning, shopping, chopping, and prep. All you have to do is go around to each station and assemble the meals following their simple directions. It takes anywhere from 1-2 hours to assemble the family meals. They give you instructions with each meal how to cook it at home.

I was just reading the description of how it works on Letsdish.net and it sounds awesome! Although the initial price appears a little pricey, they demonstrate that for the amount of food and servings you get, the price per serving is only $2 or $3 (or something like that) so it actually can save you money.

Here are a list of companies that all have this service. I found these from a quick Yahoo search, there are probably more! You will first need to check each website to see if they have a location near you.

www.dreamdinners.com
www.supersuppers.com
www.dinnersready.com
www.letsdish.net

Laura

 

[noseybuddy]

I hate to cook too. I just can't stand it. If I ever won the lottery the first thing I would do is hire a cook.

 

[can'twait]

Me too!!!!!!!

The Fanny Farmer cookbook is a great place to start. I swear, it teaches you to boil water, lol! Seriously, it has lots of basic recipes. Everything I've made from it has come out great. Sometimes I look up several versions of recipes on the internet and combine them into one that's simple, using ingredients I like.

I agree, it's the planning that makes the difference when you are pressed for time and money. I still haven't got that part down yet. I try to plan no more than 2 meals per week. We eat the leftovers or a can of soup or eggs or sandwiches the rest of the week.

 

[S. C.]

I really HATE, HATE, HATE to cook. I hate the whole process. I'd rather live off cereal than cook. However, my family doesn't feel the same way.

I'm the same way. HATE to cook! I'd rather do the clean up afterwards than to cook.

But i love to eat!

 

[TerriP]

Pizza Casserole: (one of my coworkers made this, it is great!)
Brown some ground beef, mix in a jar of pizza sauce. Pour it in a casserole dish. Layer things like pepperoni, sausage, olives, onions, etc.. whatever you like on a pizza. Top with Mozzeralla cheese and bake. It tastes like pizza, but is a casserole consistancy. It was SOOOO good.

This sounds so good. What temp for baking and how long does it bake???

 

[dmslush]

This sounds so good. What temp for baking and how long does it bake???

She baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes, until the cheese was all bubbly and browning. It will look just like a regular pizza when it is done, except that it is in a casserole.