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I know..we are all supposed to spend hours on making dinner and make everything from scratch. Well, a lot of things are made from scratch in this house but listen, sometimes I just get tired and I feel like if I make one more dinner I'll scream. So, on days I don't feel like going the extra mile I cheat and open up some cans of beans, doctor them up, and make my self look good. I'll make some cornbread (maybe a box of jiffy), fry some pork chops, make some instant potatoes, and ta da it will be a gourmet meal!
So, for the beans it will take about 3 cans of Luck's beans (I really needed to use these, the best by date on the bottom said 2019- Shh, don't tell anyone). Anyway these go in the crockpot because like I got to make it look real, plus they taste better when they are cooked longer. Is that a dent in one, no..it's a shadow. Whew! Oh yeah, cover up the bean cans in the trash so no one will see.
Then I add some bacon fat that I saved in the refrigerator. Today I had about 1 1/2 tsp in my jar. Then I put the crockpot on high for about 4 or 5 hours. Believe me they taste just as good as homemade!
Another cheat that I can think of: When the kids were growing up I also used to make "homemade" bread from the loaves of bread you buy in the freezer section. Had them fouled for many years on that one.
Those frozen loaves are something to think about too if your area ever runs out of bread. They would also make a good item for your stockpile (like for blizzards..brr).
How do you cheat on dinner or what's going on in your neck of the woods?
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Love your cheats and your sense of humor! :)
ReplyDeleteI get so tired of cooking.
My latest cheat is Aldi red bag chicken. I think it tastes like chick-fil-a. Bake and slap it on a bun, and I'm done.
We have snow and ice, so I think it will be a chicken and dumpling night
Oh I'm going to look for that red bag chicken. So glad I asked what you guys cheated dinner on! Thanks Kathy.
DeleteI'm going to have to look for this! I love Chik-fil-a.
DeleteThat red bag chicken is the bomb! Delicious!
DeleteFrozen biscuits and already made pie crusts. I know how to make both and used to all of the time. Then my contact allergy with flour got worse and I stopped. Instant mashed potatoes all fancied with lots of butter and either cream or canned milk. I have the same problem with potato skins that I do with flour. And I am not ashamed to use canned beans either. Ann
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try frozen biscuits..they didn't appreciate the can of biscuits yesterday like they should have. Yeah, I've been cheating on dinner for a week now. LOL. Sorry to hear about your allergy and I'm glad you found a way around it.
DeleteMy husband asks occasionally for canned biscuits. That's mostly what my MIL fixed when he was growing up. Ann
DeleteLuck's black-eyed peas and rice are a cheat meal here. I sauté onions and green peppers and then add the peas and a few drops of Frank's hot sauce and then simmer for 30 minutes while the rice machine makes the rice and cornbread bakes in the oven. Yum! I always have a variety of Luck's beans on the shelf for quick meals.
ReplyDeleteRead that recipe to the husband and he loves the sound of it! Me too! Thanks! Can't wait to try it.
DeleteYes...I keep lots of cheats.
ReplyDeleteWe like the little cocktail weinies roasted in the oven served with fried eggs, apple slices & a few fresh veggies.
I make 'homemade soup' with one can of broth, one can of meat &one can of mixed vegetables...beef broth & canned beef or chicken broth & canned chicken. I also like to add frozen meatballs to a can of Progresso cream of mushroom soup. The large can, add a small can of sliced mushrooms...love that!
Most of our every day meals are pretty fast & basic anyway. Soups are the main meal I cheat on.
My husband really likes roasted hotdogs too. Preheat oven to 400'. Slice the hotdogs...not all the way through, just to break the skin. I line them all up, run the knife across all of them...making short slits all the way down. Then turn each one & do it again. Keep turning until they have short slits all the way around them. The more random the better.
When you roast them they pop & get a good sear in each slit. It is very close to grilled hotdogs - so good. Especially in a cast iron skillet or grill pan.
good fast ideas for dinner ..I love your idea on the hotdogs..sounds so much better than boiled in the winter! When the grandkids were little and we were exhausted, we survived on hotdogs I think.
DeleteI do "doctor up" Bush's Original Baked Beans to taste more like homemade by adding a bit of ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and bacon grease. Sometimes even crumbled bacon. Easy "baked" apples by cutting up apples, adding brown sugar or maple syrup & cinnamon. They cook quickly in the microwave. You can even serve for dessert with ice cream, but I usually serve as a side dish. another "bean" side is 1 can of black beans plus one can of corn in pan. Add garlic salt and cumin. Simmer. OK--time for supper!
ReplyDelete