Favorite quick, convenience foods recipes? (ingredient, celery, pepper, garlic powder)

[claudiakm]

hi everyone i'm new to this site and wanted to let you in on my favorite pie recipe.

1 of those ready made graham cracker pie crusts
1 small container of any flavor yogurt ( i like my local store brand strawberry)
cool whip enough to mix w/yogurt to fill pie crust
you don't even need to let it chill to set. it's all set as soon as you fill the crust.

and for another option get banana flavored yogurt and put slices of bananas on the bottom or top. or w/peaches
or my grandkids favorite, vanilla yogurt w/m&m's on the top

[buckhead]

Easy TV Snack

1. Get a bag of Fritos and open it along the long seam, exposing the contents therein but maintaining some semblance of a a bowl with closed ends...this makes for easy serving and cleanup.
2. Dump a can or two of heated CANNED chili on top of the chips.
3. Dump some shredded (melted if desired) Velveeta or Cheez Whiz on top of the chili.
4. Place on a tray or coffee table, better yet on top of some newspapers, and leave the room until it is all consumed by the throngs of the taste-challenged vultures that descend upon it.

[MICoastieMom]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

You may have read the thread where I slaved over scratch recipes only to have them rejected for some instant pudding or coolwhip creation.
Seriously, who has some really good recipes using convenience foods? I'm keeping an open mind.

Sweetie, have you ever heard the expression about casting your pearls before swine? You need to bring your recipes and join my circle of eaters! LOL It never fails, we go to a pot-luck at church, or at school, or with the family; my dishes always come home empty. Much to the consternation of DH who won't get a midnight snack...... again!

I am not opposed to convenience foods. There are many families with such busy lives who utilize them to make semi-scratch meals. When my kids were little and busy with soccer and marching band, etc., we used them more than we do now.

I do think we have become more gloppy eaters over time. The more whipped cream, or sour cream, or melted oozing cheese the better. What's more inviting than a quesadilla or grinder with warm melting cheese? (Even I'm getting hungry!) It is the presentation!

A good deal of a food's appeal is not only its smell, but its appearance. I rarely leave even a sheet cake in the pan. It is always on a nice plate or foil covered boards from the baking supply store. When I walk in with that white bakery box, everyone thinks they are getting some special treat, and they are... just not from the bakery. The trays of finger sandwiches and the three-tiered plates of cookies, I take to the Bishop's tea at church are always the first ones gone.

I am not the only good cook at church, but because I take the time to tuck the rose buds and the pansies in amongst the cookies or garnish the finger sandwiches with herbs of make the ice ring for the punch bowl with fresh berries and mint leaves, my dishes disappear quickly. That is what visually draws people's eye first.

Sprinkle some fresh herbs or paprika on top of potato salad or deviled eggs to dress them up. If I am making bean salad, coleslaw or carrot salad, I tuck a few sprigs of parsley and maybe carrot curls or a radish rose for garnish. Even hot dishes like baked macaroni or baked beans are more inviting when spruced up with a little paprika and a carrot curl or two.

I grow a number of herbs, mints, and edible flowers (organically grown so they are food safe) for the sole purpose of garnish and decoration. Marigolds, pansies, violets, roses, nasturiums, and bachelor buttons are just a few common, non-toxic plants with edible petals. Many grocers in our area are now carrying organically grown flowers for salads, etc in the produce department.

Try some of your favorites again, adding some of those fussy touches. What is that expression about needing food for the soul? The eyes are the gateway to the soul. When the recipient sees the paper doiley under the stack of brownies, he knows that is an unspoken message that you think he is special and worth the trouble. Believe me, they will eat it up! No pun intended.

[eponabri]

Check out Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade... great and easy recipes.

Originally Posted by gentlearts

You may have read the thread where I slaved over scratch recipes only to have them rejected for some instant pudding or coolwhip creation.
Seriously, who has some really good recipes using convenience foods? I'm keeping an open mind.

[Cecilia_Rose]

Originally Posted by MICoastieMom

Sweetie, have you ever heard the expression about casting your pearls before swine? You need to bring your recipes and join my circle of eaters! LOL It never fails, we go to a pot-luck at church, or at school, or with the family; my dishes always come home empty. Much to the consternation of DH who won't get a midnight snack...... again!

I am not opposed to convenience foods. There are many families with such busy lives who utilize them to make semi-scratch meals. When my kids were little and busy with soccer and marching band, etc., we used them more than we do now.

I do think we have become more gloppy eaters over time. The more whipped cream, or sour cream, or melted oozing cheese the better. What's more inviting than a quesadilla or grinder with warm melting cheese? (Even I'm getting hungry!) It is the presentation!

A good deal of a food's appeal is not only its smell, but its appearance. I rarely leave even a sheet cake in the pan. It is always on a nice plate or foil covered boards from the baking supply store. When I walk in with that white bakery box, everyone thinks they are getting some special treat, and they are... just not from the bakery. The trays of finger sandwiches and the three-tiered plates of cookies, I take to the Bishop's tea at church are always the first ones gone.

I am not the only good cook at church, but because I take the time to tuck the rose buds and the pansies in amongst the cookies or garnish the finger sandwiches with herbs of make the ice ring for the punch bowl with fresh berries and mint leaves, my dishes disappear quickly. That is what visually draws people's eye first.

Sprinkle some fresh herbs or paprika on top of potato salad or deviled eggs to dress them up. If I am making bean salad, coleslaw or carrot salad, I tuck a few sprigs of parsley and maybe carrot curls or a radish rose for garnish. Even hot dishes like baked macaroni or baked beans are more inviting when spruced up with a little paprika and a carrot curl or two.

I grow a number of herbs, mints, and edible flowers (organically grown so they are food safe) for the sole purpose of garnish and decoration. Marigolds, pansies, violets, roses, nasturiums, and bachelor buttons are just a few common, non-toxic plants with edible petals. Many grocers in our area are now carrying organically grown flowers for salads, etc in the produce department.

Try some of your favorites again, adding some of those fussy touches. What is that expression about needing food for the soul? The eyes are the gateway to the soul. When the recipient sees the paper doiley under the stack of brownies, he knows that is an unspoken message that you think he is special and worth the trouble. Believe me, they will eat it up! No pun intended.

I totally agree. A good presentation can make even the simplest food sought after. Every where I go my peeps fight over my burnt offerings cause I always make them look special.. I swirl my icing just so . I use special plates. I make edible posies, etc. I add extras like Marachino cherries.


For example I dont just take a pan of brownies. I bake them in an angel food cake pan so they look like a wreath. Or I use my Christmas tree pan. I never mix in the nuts. I put them all on top so they show up better. Voila . Simple brownies become Holiday chocolate fudge cake. Oh and I serve them on my spiffy plate with one of those paper doilies underneath.

[ToriaT]

Chocolate eclair cake

Chocolate Eclair Cake - Allrecipes

[HIF]

Originally Posted by buckhead

Easy TV Snack

1. Get a bag of Fritos and open it along the long seam, exposing the contents therein but maintaining some semblance of a a bowl with closed ends...this makes for easy serving and cleanup.
2. Dump a can or two of heated CANNED chili on top of the chips.
3. Dump some shredded (melted if desired) Velveeta or Cheez Whiz on top of the chili.
4. Place on a tray or coffee table, better yet on top of some newspapers, and leave the room until it is all consumed by the throngs of the taste-challenged vultures that descend upon it.

While there are many recipes on this thread that rank at the top- I believe that this one edges out even the the twinkie cake due to its thematic presentation.

[ivanabacowboy]

To the poster who repped me: yes it really is a dish someone considers food lol!

[HIF]

Originally Posted by ivanabacowboy

Twinkie Cake

Fill a 13-in. x 9-in. pan/dish with yep Twinkies. (Like 2 boxes.) Mix strawberry gelatin with the boiling/cool water according to package directions (I believe 1 large package, maybe 2-you want enough to cover the Twinkies). Dump it over the Twinkies. Refrigerate til set. Slather with chemical and sugar laden Cool Whip. ;-)

That would be me, Ivanabacowboy. It looks just like something that my family would go for, but I needed to be sure that it was for real- LOL!

[karibear]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Okay. This is right there w/ my "fake crab meat" recipe. The astonishing thing is, my family would probably not only eat it . . . they would like it.

Here's another one for fake crab. One of my former neighbors used to chop it up, mix in a bag of frozen [uncooked] peas, and enough mayo to hold it all together. Her kids thought it was the greatest dip for crackers or chips in the world.