Categories: Food & Wine

5 Cheap, Fast and Easy Recipes

As a housewife and stay at home mom, I am always looking for ways to feed a family on a budget. I am by no means a professional when it comes to cooking so quick and easy is the way to go for me. Here are five of my favorite cheap and easy recipes that even the pickyest of kids will love.

Zesty Chicken Saute
Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), defrosted if frozen
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Place all the powdered ingedients in a gallon-size zip lock bag, seal and shake to mix the spices.
Place the chicken breast between two sheets of wax paper and pound them with several whacks of a meat mallet or rolling pin so they are an even 1/2 inch thick.
Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the spices, seal it, and shake until the chicken is coated with the spice mixture. Set aside.
Heat the oil in an extra deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned on the first side, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, another 4-5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.

Chicken Rotini Toss
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 – 1 1/4 lbs. chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked, kept warm
Parmesan cheese

Cook chicken and onion together until chicken is no longer pink.
Add tomatoes and soup, heat to a boil
Add pasta, cook until pasta is tender
Season to taste
Add cheese over top and serve

Spaghetti
Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb cooked ground beef
1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
6 oz. spaghetti noodles

Cook beef as usual
Cook noodles until tender.
Heat tomato sauce and add all spices and worcestershire sauce. Once its heated add in cooked beef and mix. Then add mixute to noodles and serve

15 Minute Chicken & Rice
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom or crema of chicken soup (your choice)
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups minute white rice – uncooked

Heat oil in a skillet, add chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken.
Add soup, water, paprika, pepper, stir and heat to a boil.
Stir in rice and top with chicken, cover and cookon low heat until rice is tender.
Serve.

Chicken Quesadillas
Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
8 – 8 inch flour tortillas
Salsa

In a small bowl combine soup, cooked chicken, 1/2 cup of cheese, and jalapenos (if using them), mix together
Top half of each tortilla with 1/4 cup of chicken mixture, spreading evenly within 1/2 inch of edge. Moisten edges of tortilla with water, fold over, pressing edges to seal
Place on a baking sheet
Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.
Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and serve with salsa.