10 November 2010

Convenience Foods

I was chatting with one of Eric's aunts a few weeks ago about groceries, cooking, grocery budgets and the like. She doesn't have any kids at home these days, and she and her husband both work full time. Back when her household consisted of four sons, three of which were teenagers at the same time, she kept her grocery budget impressively low. Now that she is older she readily admits that she and her husband eat a lot of convenience foods.

I told her that we eat a lot of convenience foods too, only ours our peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Or peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Also baked potatoes, bagels with cream cheese, scrambled eggs, various fruits, and occasionally even pasta.

So what are your convenience foods? And I'm not talking 20-30 minute meals; I mean 5-10 minutes meals. Do you buy frozen, pre-made meals? Canned soups and stews? Chinese take-out or fast-foods?

10 comments:

Ana said...

When I think of convenience foods I think of takeaway or food that you buy - probably because of (dairy-like) convenience stores. But I think what you mean is quick and easily made up foods/meals - I refer to these as my "default meals".

Can't think of any 5-10 min meals really - perhaps a microwave stir-fry? Mmmmmm.

P1 Steven said...

Grocery store rotisserie chicken.. so many uses...

Packrat said...

Unfortunately, my husband loves frozen or pre-made meals, packaged cookies, donuts, etc. and often brings them home. (There are some things that a wife can only try to change. This has been an on-going "battle" for 35 years.)

Canned soups, chili, plain beans, and canned meats and fish are always in the pantry for lunches and emergency rations.

Lately, we have been eating out too much - pizza, deli chicken, hamburgers, Chinese, Mexican. With everything that has gone on this year, cooking and cleaning are things that I don't even want to think about.

Janssen said...

PB&J like you guys. And yogurt.

Angela said...

Cereal and more cereal.

Annie said...

Here is my Faviorate Recipe my Mother-in Law gave me •
15 Minute Meatloaf Muffins- and it is great to hid Veggies and to save for a later time
1 egg
1 lbs. Ground meat (beef is preferred but Turkey is healthier)
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire
½ onion (chopped)
½ cup of bread crumbs or quick oats
1 can condensed ABC vegetable soup
PREHEAT oven to 450
MIX all ingredients with a fork
Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spoon meat mixture into muffin cups (about ¾ full) and cook for 15 min
TOPPING mix ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar (to taste) and spoon for the last 5 min of cook time

Mariah said...

Fastest I can think of: tortilla pizzas, pesto and cheese on toast, grilled cheese, eggs any way, HONEY TOAST (big in our house, all times of day).

Little bit longer: spaghetti.
Quick things to throw on it: shallots and prawns (aka Midnight spaghetti), lemon juice with olive oil and parmesan cheese. You can put anything on spaghetti, the key is to mix the spaghetti and whatever goes on it in a warm pan before plating.

Ooo and bagels. We slice then freeze them when we get them.

Ana said...

I thought of a couple that I can recommend that are pretty darn speedy - chicken and corn soup which is a recipe I got from a tv show here called "Cool Kids Cooking" - it's basically cut up skinless chicken breast, can of creamed corn, stock and salt and pepper. Also you make a paste with cornflour to thicken it up. EASY.

Also super easy is drumsticks wrapped in bacon - wrap drumsticks with bacon, line tray with foil and arrange chicken - cook at 190 Cels. for 25 mins - no need to salt!! YUM.

Ana said...

EASIEST (don't know why I didn't think of this before) - cook pasta. Drain and stir in pesto that you made the night before. EAT! (all the while breathing in the intoxicating aroma that is PESTO)
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

La Yen said...

Mac and cheese, sammies, spaghetti, and chicken in the crock pot with some sort of sauce. All of these are my most convenient. Especially the pb&j!