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Old 10-28-2016, 06:07 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,697,911 times
Reputation: 28555

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I came over here to post this thread, and I saw the other one at the top! No relation.

Anyway, over the past 2 years I have cooked a lot less at home. I live by myself, have lots of after work commitments during the work week and I get food at work! So basically it makes it is really hard to cook when you aren't sure how many days you'll be at home to eat it, and you don't bring leftovers for lunch!

Keeping a well stocked freezer is pointless. Buying more than snack-y produce is risky.

So these days, unless I am cooking for a special occasion, I take short cuts to make something if I am cooking a meal at home. It is cheaper to take shortcuts with stuff from the salad bar, selectively pre-chopped stuff and even some prepared foods. You can get smaller quantities!

Today I am home because I have a cold, and I really wanted chicken soup! I don't love canned chicken soup - the veggies are over cooked and there is not enough meat! So I decided to get a few groceries to compose my own soup.

What I bought:
pre-chopped mirepoix
salad mix with baby chard, kale and spinach
boxed low sodium broth
cooked shredded plain chicken from the fresh foods section
quick cooking farro

At home:
poultry seasoning
marsh peppers
olive oil
salt and pepper

I sautéed the mirepoix in olive oil with the spices. I added the broth and farro to simmer for 10 minutes. I added the chicken for a few minutes to heat through. I added the greens for 1 minute to wilt.

The result: spicy chicken and faro soup with greens! More veggies and more chicken than packaged. And it was semi-homemade.

Later this weekend I'll make an asian inspired version > swapping the poultry seasoning for some soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic and jalepenos!

So share your "semi-homemade" recipes.
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Old 10-28-2016, 06:14 PM
 
Location: Left coast
2,320 posts, read 1,850,975 times
Reputation: 3261
I make killer sphagetti sauce- using prego as a base--
i sautee onions, hot italian sausage, alittle crumbed lean ground beef and sometimes little thick peppered bacon, and pesto if I have it (the Costco Kirkland brand is really good), then add the prego and simmer on low for at least 20 minutes- Viola- great sphagetti sauce-

you can add what ever chopped veggies you have on hand and feel like adding as well- like mushrooms, zucchini, etc...
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Old 10-28-2016, 06:43 PM
 
5,346 posts, read 9,799,822 times
Reputation: 9773
I make a delicious appetizer with store-bought hummus (either Sabra or Boarshead) and naan. I heat the naan in a little olive oil in a hot skillet. Then I spread hummus on the naan, top with diced red onions, diced black olives, and diced roasted red peppers. Then sprinkle some fresh herbs on top and cut into pieces.
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Old 10-29-2016, 06:54 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,128,573 times
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3 things come to mind: an appetizer using mayo and parmesan cheese adding chopped green onions and spreading on either small pieces of rye bread or your favorite cracker and sticking broiling for a couple of minutes til eveything melts together. Serve hot or cold.

corn chowder: frozen corn, chicken broth,either canned or I make my own, chopped chilies, canned, a little diced onion and spices. cook slowly. I like to use a small crock pot. Before serving place the soup in a blender so it becomes creamy. You can add some chopped chicken to make it a little tastier and more of a meal.

Strogonoff casserole; left over steak cut in small pieces: mushrooms, fresh or canned; diced onions, a mixture of sour cream and canned mushroom soup. noodles; mixed noodles with the other ingredients. Heat in over about 30 minutes. You can use chicken and chicken soup or other meats as well. Also can do a cheese sauce instead of canned soup.
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Old 10-29-2016, 08:59 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,128,573 times
Reputation: 49244
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita View Post
3 things come to mind: an appetizer using mayo and parmesan cheese adding chopped green onions and spreading on either small pieces of rye bread or your favorite cracker and sticking broiling for a couple of minutes til eveything melts together. Serve hot or cold.

corn chowder: frozen corn, chicken broth,either canned or I make my own, chopped chilies, canned, a little diced onion and spices. cook slowly. I like to use a small crock pot. Before serving place the soup in a blender so it becomes creamy. You can add some chopped chicken to make it a little tastier and more of a meal.

Strogonoff casserole; left over steak cut in small pieces: mushrooms, fresh or canned; diced onions, a mixture of sour cream and canned mushroom soup. noodles; mixed noodles with the other ingredients. Heat in over about 30 minutes. You can use chicken and chicken soup or other meats as well. Also can do a cheese sauce instead of canned soup.
btw:the corn chowder has milk or 1/2 and 1/2 as well.
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Old 10-29-2016, 10:08 AM
Status: "Mistress of finance and foods." (set 15 days ago)
 
Location: Coastal Georgia
49,979 posts, read 63,301,795 times
Reputation: 92434
I never make pasta sauce from scratch anymore. I sauté ground beef or Italian sausage, dump in a jar of any good sauce, 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1 can of diced tomatoes. Sometimes I add herbs, but sometimes there's enough flavor without it. In a half hour, it's done.
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Old 10-29-2016, 10:55 AM
 
5,014 posts, read 6,548,436 times
Reputation: 14061
I dont' make my own pie crusts anymore. Pillsbury refrigerated rolled crusts are my go-to. An easy chicken pot pie is some leftover chopped chicken, a bag of mixed frozen veggies thawed in the microwave, one of the pie crusts parbaked in a 9-inch pie plate, and a quick homemade bechamel with celery seed in it, mix the chicken, veg & bechamel and dump into the pie crust, and then top with a package of premade mashed potatoes (Bob Evans or similar). Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
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Old 10-29-2016, 12:53 PM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,128,573 times
Reputation: 49244
Quote:
Originally Posted by weezycom View Post
I dont' make my own pie crusts anymore. Pillsbury refrigerated rolled crusts are my go-to. An easy chicken pot pie is some leftover chopped chicken, a bag of mixed frozen veggies thawed in the microwave, one of the pie crusts parbaked in a 9-inch pie plate, and a quick homemade bechamel with celery seed in it, mix the chicken, veg & bechamel and dump into the pie crust, and then top with a package of premade mashed potatoes (Bob Evans or similar). Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
I don't do my own crust anymore either. I imagine many of us have turned to buying ready to bake crusts.
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Old 10-29-2016, 03:28 PM
Status: "Mistress of finance and foods." (set 15 days ago)
 
Location: Coastal Georgia
49,979 posts, read 63,301,795 times
Reputation: 92434
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita View Post
I don't do my own crust anymore either. I imagine many of us have turned to buying ready to bake crusts.
Alas, I can't give in to that. It isn't that the crust is not good, it's just too skimpy to make a pretty crust. If only it was an inch or two bigger.
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Old 10-29-2016, 03:40 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,263,329 times
Reputation: 53065
Pillsbury's refrigerated crust (not frozen) tastes similar enough and has a similar enough texture to my homemade crust that it's a worthwhile timesaver.
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