Cheap Meals in Under 30 Minutes
Quick and Easy Dinners for Busy Families on a Budget
Do you need a quick, but balanced meal in a hurry? Try some of these dishes that can be made in under 30 minutes.
Families are busy these days. With many moms and dads both working and kids in several after school activities, dinnertime is often whatever comes through the fast food window. Not only is this type of eating out less nutritious, it can also be a burden on your wallet. The good news is that you can cook a healthy meal for your family. With a little creativity and planning ahead of time, you can prepare a good, healthy dinner in under 30 minutes that won't break your budget. Here are some great suggestions.
Pasta
Pasta has endless possibilities and with jarred sauces you can have an almost gourmet meal in minutes. Try some of the frozen ravioli or fresh tortellini topped with jarred Alfredo sauce. Boil a pot of spaghetti and zap some frozen meatballs in the microwave. Add a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce and you have a quick and easy meal. You can round out a pasta meal by using bagged salad. Make "breadsticks" out of hot dog buns pulled in half, and topped with butter and garlic powder. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes.
Rotisserie Chicken
Most grocery stores sell pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. This is nutritious, inexpensive and yummy. You can pick one up at your grocery store for under $10.00 and feed your entire family. Make a box of macaroni and cheese and you have a complete meal. You can also use this same chicken for other recipes. If you like chicken wraps, pull the chicken off the bone and add to tortillas with fresh vegetables. You can also add this chicken to soup recipes, pasta recipes and add barbeque sauce to make barbeque chicken sandwiches.
Crock Pot Meals
On a particularly busy day, your crock pot is your best friend. You can make just about anything in these pots. One great idea is to buy large baking potatoes. Wrap each one in foil and pierce a hole in the side. Put the potatoes in you crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours. When you get home, simply set out baked potato topping such as butter, bacon, sour cream, cheese or even chili. This makes a great meal that even kids will eat. A precooked ham is also great in the crock pot. Simply wrap it in foil and let it cook on low all day. When you are ready to eat, just take it out and serve.
Pizza
Homemade pizza has several advantages over the local pizza chain. For one, it is cheaper. It is also healthier and you can add any topping your choose. Most grocery stores sell pre-made pizza crust, or you can buy pizza crust mixes that are easy and good. Add your favorite toppings, or let everyone in your family make his or her own. Top with cheese and simply bakes for about 10 minutes. If you don’t have pizza crust on hand, you can make mini pizzas using leftover hamburger buns or English muffins. Top with pizza sauce (or plain tomatoes sauce), pepperoni and cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted.
As you plan out your family menu, keep in mind that there are many things you can do to save time and money in the kitchen. For example, buy hamburger meat in bulk from your local warehouse store and cook it as soon as you get home. Package it in quart size zipper freezer bags and freeze. Whenever you need hamburger meat for tacos, or other recipes, simply pull out of the freezer and defrost.
