Cheater Enchiladas

Work Smarter, Not Harder 

Who remembers a time when they could sit & watch any TV show they wanted without

A) any distractions

& 

B) having cable (is that still a thing?)

I can remember the afternoons of the Food Network- 

Rachel Ray, Alton Brown, & my personal hero-

 Sandra Lee, of Semi-homemade Cooking.

I have previously mentioned the long line of

 cookingly challenged people  I am descended from, 

& it must be genetic. 

No ones gotten food poisoning lately, so that is an improvement.

Reheating is my game.

This magical creation comes to us, because I forgot to thaw out the roast for the crock-pot......

The crock-pot that is meant to make cooking easier- 

no muss, no fuss.

No lie, I struggle.

If I do manage to thaw the meat, 

I either forget to plug the darn thing in, or turn it on.

On those really special days, both.

Fortunately, I do plan meals for two weeks, 

& keep a stocked pantry....

which brings us to 

CREATIVE COOKING

& That, I excel at! 

Because it's stupid, never ending, freezing, arctic winter, 

I have been keeping the freezer full of quick & easy stuff 

the kids can eat 

(ie: blow through like starved wildebeest) 

on the never ending snow days. 

Also, I've received constructive comments 

that pictures are appreciated. 

So, in breaking with tradition, there will be food pictures.

 TO DO or TO NEED

1 can of enchilada sauce of your choosing 
Frozen burritos of your choosing
Cheese, also of your choosing
A baking dish 
An oven 
(though I wonder if these could be microwaved in a pinch?)

Step 1- put a layer of sauce into the bottom of the pan, before you put in the burritos.....

Step 2- Put the burritos back into the prepared baking dish.

Step 3- more sauce

Step 4- If you are using a glass baking dish, make sure the oven is cold. If you put a cold pan into a hot oven the glass can explode. Don't ask me how I know........

Step 5- AFTER putting your pan into the oven, heat to 375 & bake until burritos are hot & sauce is bubbly (potentially 35-40 minutes)

Step 6- Turn oven off & sprinkle your "enchiladas" liberally 
(or not) with your cheese.

Step 7- let rest in oven until cheese is melted (about 5-7 minutes)

That's it kids. 

Gourmet enchiladas.

They might not impress company, but they'll feed growing boys.

Cowboy Casserole- Delicious under $5

So we all know that things are better Quick, Cheap & Easy!

& This, Cowboy Casserole, is just that.

I'm now feeding 2 growing boys, one of whom is taller than me (5'7"!) at the ripe old age of 12, it's like feeding an army........& we need enough leftovers for at least one lunch.

For Under $5 you say? Yes.

ALDI

Aldi is my secret for feeding a male heavy family of 5.

If your grocery budget does not run to the Gourmet-

If you want want quality, affordable food-

If you need to feed bottomless pits-

  

Aldi!!

This is warm, & filling 

& I find that it stimulates dinner table conversation

(Cowboys! Native Americans! Hardship! Gun Battles! Oh, my!)

Cowboy Casserole

56 oz canned baked beans, any flavor (2 big cans, or 4 small cans) 

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

2 eggs

Honey

Spread undrained beans into a 11x13 casserole

Mix jiffy with eggs & good squeeze of honey. Add either the called for milk, or go dairy free & add same measure of water. Mix well.

Spread over beans.

Bake at 415 for about 45 minutes, or until corn bread is set.

That's it. Quick, Cheap & Easy!

ps- you can certainly make your own baked beans, & cornbread from scratch. Absolutely, & for possibly cheaper!

pps- I do not recommend going to any Grocery the weekend before thanksgiving without a big dose of patience & possibly a spiked coffee.  

Creative Cooking: Big Kahuna Pasta

*Friendly PSA, there will be no photos of any kind, featuring the actual recipe.

I am not that kind of cook, & this is not that kind of recipe*

**NOT suitable for brunches with prospective Mothers-in-law, or visiting dignitaries, try harder**

If, you are trying to get tasty food into hungry tummies, with minimal $, time & fuss, this is a winner, every time.

It's fairly safe to say that we have all been there, done that at one time or another.

Those times when the bank & the pantry have more cob-webs, than actual things you would like.

What I do like, is Pineapple, & that is always in stock!

Canned pineapple is an easy keeper & go to.

Quick, Cheap & Easy, just the way we like it around here.

I, seriously love the stuff, & am slightly obsessed with it......

When we go thrift-storing, the kids always know to look out for 

Kitschy Pineapple Chachkies 

They say it's a porcupine, but in this world, it's an armadillo

But, enough about that- 

The goal of this recipe, was to make wise use of the available resources, 

this will not win any awards for nutrition, necessarily,

but you can tweak it, as needed.

Remember: CREATIVE COOKING

Recipe

8-12 oz pasta 

1 1/2 c diced ham 

1 T bacon bits, per person

2 T shredded cheese, per person 

Crushed pineapple, drained (Save the juice for an after dinner cocktail!)

6 oz tomato paste

Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Onion & Garlic Powder, to taste 

As available, add in diced onion, bell pepper, or real garden tomatoes

Let's chat before we get on with the how-to's

Notice, the ingredients are pretty vague, & are really just suggestions.

Pasta- use up the odds & ends from those summer BBQ pasta salads, find it on sale to stock up, buy it cheap, buy it whole grain, whatever floats your boat.

The Ham- there are all kinds of ham available,  we use the turkey ham, & yes, I understand it is really just a big chunk of processed lunch meat. This most recent one I bought, was 2.25 LBS for $5.48, which for a single item is pretty expensive, but it is going to stretch for 4 meals ($1.37/meal avg).

So, yes we are going to be eating ham this week, plan ahead!

Bacon bits- if you have real bacon, fry it up (save the grease) & use it. Otherwise, these are a pantry staple. A little goes a long way, & can perk anything up.

Splurge on the good kind, it's worth it.

Shredded cheese- I know block cheese is a better buy, in the long run, but I cannot keep it in the house, which doesn't make it worth it to me. I buy a couple of packages of shredded cheese each pay day, & toss them in the freezer to use as needed.

Once again, a little goes a long, long way.

How To

cook your pasta in salted, please don't forget to salt, water, per package directions, drain

While that is going, dice your ham & any vegetables

open your cans, & drain the pineapple (save the juice!)

Toss your ham into a pan, with a smidgen of water (no oil needed), over medium-ish heat, til fragrant & maybe a little brown.

Add any veg, cooking until softer.

Pour in Tomato paste, & drained pineapple

Combine, & simmer until warmed through

Add sauce to drained pasta, & toss gently 

Serve into bowls, top with a pinch of cheese, & a sprinkle of magical-happiness (bacon bits)

This ray-of-sunshine is totally doable under, or right at $5

for a family of 5

Really, 2 parents, + a seriously growing boy+ a smaller boy + a girl, who picked out the pineapple

This will feed the masses, for sure