Hellobee Boards

Do you like chili? My mom's recipe requires browning ground beef and onions then just heatin up the rest of the ingredients in a big pot.

hmm... i haven't been cooking nearly as much as I used to but here are a couple quick, delicious go-to meals:

Chicken Marsala(my lower-cal version)
chicken breasts (or turkey tenderloins)
butter
onion
mushrooms
marsala wine
splash of cream if you feel like it

cook the chicken breasts ( i usually slice them thinner) in the pan with a little olive oil, take them out, then in the already warm pan throw in a little butter, sliced onions, mushrooms - cook until soft - then put the chicken back in, some marsala wine, and a splash of cream if you want (doesn't need, but it helps) -- i usually serve over rice, with some vegetable (salad or roasted brussels, or steamed broccoli)

we also do buffalo meatballs a lot. served over pasta, or we make meatball subs with sauce & melted mozzarella.

hmm, i'll try to think of some others....

@NovBaby1112: turkey pasta bake

All you need is pasta of your choice ( penne, or spirals work well)
Ground turkey ( beef or chicken work too)
shredded Cheese mix
pasta sauce
spices

Cook the pasta
Then brown the ground meat, add spices
when its cooked at your pasta sauce
mix in cheese
then add in cooked pasta
cover with more cheese and bake til its brown

My favorite quick meal is a version of pasta that I made up myself. It relies on some prepared foods, though, so it depends on how you feel about that.

-I chop 1 zuchinni and 1 squash into teensy, tiny bits and sautee with some olive oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes

-Then I add whatever meat I want (if I'm doing meat---sometimes we keep it all veg). For this I sometimes buy frozen meatballs (Target has a good organic version) or sometimes buy chicken cutlets and brown them beforehand.

-Add the meat of choice to the sauteed veggies. In a seperate pot, boil your pasta of choice--I prefer angel hair.

-For sauce, I either use the "lite" version of alfredo sauce that comes in a jar http://www.classico.com/light-alfredo-sauces/light-creamy-alfredo-pasta-sauce.aspx or I make a quick creamy pesto sauce using the Knorr packet and skim milk: http://www.meijer.com/assets/product_images/styles/xlarge/1003855_17071_A_400.jpg But the trick with the sauce is so use very little.

-We like spice, so I always add in some "Kickn chickn" spice, along with garlic powder.

-Toss it all together with some halved grape tomatos and enjoy. My husband doesn't even like zucchini or squash, and he really likes this.

OK, I know this may look intimidating, but I promise it's not hard, and the directions are easy to follow, and there's a HUGE flavor pay-off. I sometimes leave out the chicken if I want something vegetarian, and often skip the jalapeno (because I never remember to pick them up) but if I have them I throw in a little can of drained chilis (that you can get in the Mexican food aisle).

It's got a kick, but I don't think it's particularly spicy as is (I add more chili powder to mine).

http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2012/10/spicy-black-bean-chicken-enchiladas-with-pumpkin-sour-cream-sauce/

ETA: I also make a lot of sweet potato/butternut squash or (canned) pumpkin pasta. I peel, cube, toss in a little olive oil and S&P and roast the sweet potato or squash (or just boil or microwave or steam them). Mash/puree. Heat a bit of garlic in a bit of oil in a saucepan, add in a bit of sage and garlic, mix in the sweet potato and a little bit of stock if you want, then stir in a little bit of heavy cream (until it's at a consistency you like). In the meantime, boil some pasta. Reserve a 1/4 cup or so of the pasta water. When finished, mix in reserved water into sauce. Toss everything together, and top with parm cheese. E loves it.

Ooooo and this one!!

http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2009/06/garden-recipe-chicken-delight/

i also love using my crock pot. my easiest crock pot recipe is only 3 ingredients: chicken breasts, a jar of your favorite salsa & a can of black beans. i usually put it on low all day while i'm at work and then the chicken shreds really easily. serve with tortilla chips. you could also top with sour cream or shredded cheese. YUM!

Do you like fish? It is SO easy and quick! I buy frozen fish fillets, and defrost them the day I plan to use them. Put any rub on them (or a little salt and pepper, lemon juice, anything really), heat up some oil in a pan (olive oil, coconut oil, butter whatev) then cook 4 minutes each side. I usually serve it with quinoa and a salad.

@NovBaby1112: Here it is!

-1 pound lean ground beef
-Half of a yellow onion, chopped
-1 can of Bush’s chili beans, mild sauce (or off brand equivalent)
-2 cans of red kidney beans
-1 can tomato sauce and 1 can of water OR
-1 can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, and a dash of water OR
-1 can tomato paste and 2 cups of water
-3 teaspoons of chili powder
-1 tablespoon of salsa
-1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

Drain the kidney beans and rinse them in cold water. Brown the ground beef and the onions; drain the grease. Combine all ingredients in medium to large pot and heat to low boil. Serve with corn muffins or over spaghetti. Serves 4.

We're actually having this for supper tonight

We have a super quick recipe we made up and has been a favorite since. This recipe isn't exact but it's very easy to add/subtract to it.

You'll need:

Greenbeans (enough for two people)
Chicken Sausage
Garlic (one or two cloves)
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
Red Chili Flakes (optional)
Rice Pilaf

Cut the chicken sausage and greenbeans into bite size pieces.

In a pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two and then add the chicken sausage until slightly cooked (but not browned). Add the greenbeans, salt & pepper and chili flakes and stir, then turn down the heat, cover the pan and cook until the greenbeans are cooked to your preferred consistancy. Once the green beans are cooked, I turn the heat back up and give everything a few stirs and get the chicken sausage brown.

Serve over your favorite rice pilaf!

Mine is a chicken pasta salad.
1 box of pasta (rotini or bowties)
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 cup mayo
salt, pepper and dried cilantro to taste

Mix it all together and refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled.

Acckkk I should not have looked at this thread. YUM!!

@swurlygurl: It's a good base to add to a lot of things. I came up with it when I had opened a jar of pesto for a pasta salad, and had a ton left over.

I also found you can freeze it in ice cube trays and then use it to flavor pasta sauce or pan sauce for chicken. It's really versatile if you think of it as a seasoning instead of a spread!