Main Dishes
Crescent Pepperoni Rolls
Crescent rolls, pepperoni (turkey OR pork depending on your preferences), string cheese (I use light), and garlic powder. Doesn’t get much easier (or faster)! Awesome for late nights or long days when “20 minutes or less” is your mealtime slogan. I personally use Pillsbury “Big and Flaky Buttery” (or some word combination of those three attributes) rolls. For a dipper we use ranch instead of pizza sauce since we ALWAYS have that on hand! If you don’t have garlic powder here’s what you can do: Melt a tablespoon of butter and sprinkle garlic salt in it. Stir, then brush over the rolls when they come out of the oven!
*Note: If your family doesn’t really consume cheese like it’s the most important food group on the planet you don’t have to spring for a large bag of string cheese. They usually sell them in singles right next to the bagged version. Just buy 4 of those (or 1 for every 2 rolls you’ll be making).
Pizza Casserole
Great to use up those pepperonis leftover from making the crescent rolls (and they keep for a long time in the fridge so it isn’t like you have to enjoy eat pizza themed food two nights in a roll. I have made this two ways – the second way to accommodate an unexpectedly slashed budget thanks to our dog needing $700 in medical bills – and both are fantastic. The first was as recommended in the blogger’s original recipe and the second was cutting out the hamburger meat. I actually think I prefer it without hamburger…though that may be because when I order pizza I am that really unadventurous person who insists on ordering “just a cheese pizza”. I will eat pepperoni pizza but I have to pick the pepperoni off, eat it, and then I’ll eat my cheese pizza. But that’s a whole different subject entirely.
Mozzarella Pizza Bread
MOAR PIZZA OM NOM NOM! If you’re under a strict budget but have mouths to feed this is perfect to combine with the pepperoni rolls! To get 2 nights worth of stupendously easy meals you can buy a 2 c. bag of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, 1 can crescent rolls, and 1 loaf of bread. You can make the crescent rolls by sprinkling mozzarella cheese in them but to me it’s much less satisfying than a huge chunk of string cheese =D This recipe calls for French bread but I adore the softer texture of Italian bread! For an extra unhealthy kick I melt a tablespoon of butter, sprinkle in a little garlic salt, and brush it over the bread when it’s out of the oven. Tastes just like pizza crust!
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken
This stuff is the best. The best. We’ve experimented with several flavors and brands of sauce! So far we’ve done Sweet & Spicy Chipotle, Hickory BBQ, Honey Mustard, and Spicy Honey. We liked the Chipotle the most out of all of them but really it’s all good! And super SUPER easy. I recommend using a crock pot liner so you don’t even have to bother with scrubbing the crock pot after dinner. Just pull it out and throw away…perfectly suitable to a busy family <3
Oh and btw I was very apprehensive about what kind of sauces I could use. To save you guys the hassle look in your condiment aisle where they sell ketchup, ranch, hot sauce, ect. Look for bottles of sauce like this (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kraft-Barbecue-Sauce-Honey-Mustard-Barbecue-Sauce-18-oz/10295781). But you can use any brand (like Sweet Baby Rays or Kraft) and flavor you think you’d like!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Another “dump and go” crock pot recipe! This has not failed me once and I’ve made it several times…in fact 2x in one week at Seth’s request! We both love this soup. The dumplings are super nice and fluffy! And I’m not big on the extra labor of cutting an onion so half the time I don’t use it…stills turns out awesome!
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Fried Rice
This tastes just like the restaurant. I promise. I knew I’d picked a good one when Seth’s eyes rolled back in his head at the first bite. And when he went on about it well after we were done eating. This is a Johnson family favorite! For the rice I just use the Great Value brand (and I make it on the spot…not a day later like it recommends) and I always omit the onion. I seriously hate cutting an onion and feeling like I’ve been pepper sprayed. 3 CUPS IS A LOT OF RICE. For just us 3 I make 2 cups and we have plenty leftover! It reheats perfectly <3 It might look like a lot of work but it’s really not! Anyone who likes Chinese should just try this once…you’ll never order take out again!
Lasagna Roll Ups
I make this instead of “bonefied” lasagna because…we’d waste a lot if I made a whole dish. Plus this is a lot neater to serve and it’s fun for Abigail to try and spear it on a fork. The first time I made it I made several errors and changes (I bought ‘oven ready noodles’ by mistake, browned up my turkey with good ole cooking spray instead of oil, forgot my garlic clove, didn’t have Oregano, AND omitted the red pepper since Seth and Abigail don’t appreciate spice). It STILL turned out yummy! Oh and btw in case you buy oven ready noodles like me do this: boil them for 8 minutes! Then they’ll be good to go =D
And here’s a quickie favorite that I have in one of my books:
Creamy 3-cheese Pasta
1 box elbow noodles
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 package (8 ounces) shredded 2-cheese blend (any blend of 2 cheeses)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Blend the soup, milk, and cheeses in a bowl and stir in pasta. When well blended pour into a casserole dish.
Bake (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
1 box elbow noodles
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 package (8 ounces) shredded 2-cheese blend (any blend of 2 cheeses)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Blend the soup, milk, and cheeses in a bowl and stir in pasta. When well blended pour into a casserole dish.
Bake (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
I have plenty more recipes were that came from but this should hold down the fort for now! Enjoy! And I’ll try to update more regularly ;D A lot has been going on around here…I have so much to talk about I don’t know where to begin!
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