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5 CHEAP, FAST & DELICIOUS MEALS THAT ARE BETTER THAN TAKEOUT
by Lori | Home Made Simple (IC: vlogger)
I love to help you with better-than-takeout meals as you travel on your
homemaking and frugal living journey. Springtime means a lot of busy activities
for most of our families.
I hope that these fast, cheap meals can help you to be able to get delicious
meals on the table for your family without taking a lot of time out of your busy
schedule.
Basil pesto ham sandwiches
1. BASIL PESTO HAM SANDWICHES
I think you'll love these sandwiches; they could not be simpler and more
delicious. I opened two packages of frozen broccoli, drizzled it with olive oil,
sprinkled it with salt, and baked it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. You'll
want to start the broccoli first so that it can be cooked while you're making
the sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS:
* 6 Rolls, sliced in half
* Basil Pesto
* 6 Ham slices
* 2 Tomatoes, sliced
* 6 Slices Havarti cheese
* 2 Cups spinach
* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
I got pre-made rolls and spread some basil pesto on each of the insides of the
rolls. I'm going to add a slice of ham, two slices of tomatoes, Havarti cheese
(or your favorite cheese), and a handful of spinach to each sandwich.
Heat a griddle with about a tablespoon of olive oil for about five minutes. I'm
going to place my sandwiches there, allow them to cook for about five minutes on
one side, and then flip them over. Cook them on the other side for about five
minutes, and they’re ready.
Taco salad
2. TACO SALAD
If you are anything like me, a weeknight is a perfect time to throw together
taco salad.
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 Pound lean ground beef
* 2 Tablespoons cumin
* 1 Teaspoon chili powder
* 1 Teaspoon salt
* 2 Tomatoes, diced
* 2 Avocados, diced
* ½ Head lettuce, chopped
* Tortilla chips
* Sour cream
* Shredded cheese
* Prepared salsa
DIRECTIONS:
Add lean ground beef to a skillet. Brown your ground beef and add the cumin,
chili powder, and salt while the ground beef is browning.
While your ground beef is browning, shred the cheddar cheese, dice tomatoes,
dice the avocados, and wash and cut some lettuce. After your ground beef is
browned, lay some chips on each plate.
Add about a quarter cup of taco meat on top of the chips, and then sprinkle on
some cheese. Add lettuce and tomatoes, and avocado. Top the taco salad with sour
cream and salsa.
Chicken fajitas
3. CHICKEN FAJITAS
This is a super easy, better than a takeout meal to get on the table. I wanted
rice as a side, so I cooked the rice in the Instant Pot while I was cooking the
fajitas.
INGREDIENTS:
* 2 Chicken breasts, cubed
* 3 Bell peppers, sliced
* 2 Onions, sliced
* 3-4 Tomatoes, chopped
* 4 Tablespoons olive oil
* 2 Tablespoons cumin, divided
* 2 Teaspoons chili powder
* 2 Teaspoons salt
* 6-8 Flour tortillas
* 2 Cups rice, prepared according to package directions
* Sour cream, salsa, and cheese for toppings
DIRECTIONS:
While your rice is cooking, chop up the chicken breasts and place them in a
heated skillet with about two tablespoons of olive oil. Add one tablespoon of
cumin. Add the chili powder and salt.
Stir your chicken together to get coated with the oil and the seasonings. While
your chicken is cooking, chop up the bell peppers and onions. Add the peppers
and onions to a skillet with about two tablespoons of olive oil and cook them
with the other tablespoon of cumin. Cook until the vegetables are softened. Add
the chopped tomatoes.
After the tomatoes have cooked for three or four minutes, add the chicken to the
skillet and allow everything to simmer together for about five minutes.
After everything has cooked together nicely, get a large flour tortilla, spoon a
hearty helping of the fajita mixture into your flour tortilla, and top with
plenty of cheese. Serve with rice.
Pork medallions and pasta
4. PORK MEDALLIONS AND PASTA
Next up is a meal that looks super fancy, but it is really easy. I started by
heating the water for my spaghetti first. I served this with Brussels sprouts.
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 Pork tenderloin, sliced into 1-inch rounds
* 4 Tablespoons olive oil
* 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
* 1 Tablespoon salt
* 1 Pound spaghetti, prepared according to package directions
* 2 Tablespoons butter
DIRECTIONS:
While the water is heating, I put together the Brussels sprouts. Pour out the
frozen Brussels sprouts, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, mix, and cook in
a 400-degree oven.
While those two things are cooking, I cut the pork tenderloin into one-inch
pieces. I have two skillets heated with some olive oil so the medallions are not
overcrowded. I will sprinkle some salt and Italian seasoning in each of these
skillets.
I’m adding a bit more salt and a little more Italian seasoning on top of the
pork, then it's time for me to add the spaghetti into my pot.
While the spaghetti is cooking, after about five minutes, I'm going to flip each
piece of pork over so that it can brown on the other side. After they've browned
on that side, I will move all of them over to one skillet so I can use the
seasonings in one pan to season my pasta.
In the now emptied skillet, I'm going to add two tablespoons of butter. Once the
butter is melted, stir the cooked spaghetti in the skillet to coat it with
butter and seasonings.
To serve, place the pork medallions on top of the pasta, scraping the seasoning
and juices from the pork skillet to drizzle on top. Serve with your vegetables.
Better-than-takeout meals
5. CROCKPOT VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
You have to begin this meal in the morning or around lunchtime to allow it to
simmer in the crockpot, but it's still a really quick meal to get on the table
with minimal effort.
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 Pound ground beef, browned
* 2 Packages of frozen mixed vegetables
* 3 Cans diced tomatoes
* 2 Cups water
* 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
* 1 Tablespoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. After it's browned, I will add that to my
crock pot, along with the rest of the ingredients, mixing to combine
everything.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. We like to have this soup with
crackers or cornbread. This is a nourishing quick, easy meal to put together,
especially if you've had some outdoor activities during the day and are ready
for a warm meal in the evening.
BETTER THAN TAKEOUT
I hope you enjoy all of these better-than-takeout dinners. They're all quick and
easy dinners we love. Please leave a comment below and let me know your favorite
fast, cheap meals for your busy weeknights.
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Published April 17th, 2023 8:45 AM
COMMENTS
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2 of 5 comments
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* Robert Moeller 3 days ago
Pork, Ham & Chicken Stink. Veg-Beef Soup, might better make Chili, aye Bozz?
lol
Like Reply
*
* Cso51108026 3 days ago
I LOVE "better than takeout" ideas - especially because we live about 20
minutes or so from town! Unless you're gonna actually eat in town, fried
fish? Tacos? None of it is wonderful by the time you get it home, anyway!!!
My daughter used to argue that it was cheaper to just buy half a dozen tacos
than to buy all the stuff you need to MAKE tacos... until she realized that
she got taco salad, enchiladas, nachos, or whatever out of all the
leftovers!!! lol
Your pork medallions look DELISH - did you buy a marinated pork loin? Our
grocer sells them (mesquite, Italian seasoning, black pepper, etc.), but I've
not tried them.... Thank you!! ~Chrissie
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