Thrifty Thursday: Quick Meals To Have on Hand

Every get to dinner time and not know what to make?  I keep a meal plan for every night of the week but sometimes things don't go as planned. The first reaction for most families is to go out to dinner or order pizza.  I just had two of these days in a row so that I thought about what meals that I could make around the house since ordering out is not an option while trying to live on a single income. 

Are you looking for something healthier and more frugal??  This list gives you some ten minute solutions to have dinner on the table faster than takeout!!  What do you have in your pantry that you would make??

1.  Grilled Cheese and soup:  These are often ingredients around the house that can be used in a moments notice.  It makes for a yummy meal for the whole family.  The sandwich can always be customized to your family by adding ham, bacon, or tomatoes to the grilled cheese.  The soup can be as simple as tomato soup the family members can add goldfish crackers, leftover veggies or pasta.  It is a super quick meal and can also use leftovers

2. Mac and Cheese with corn bread:  We always keep emergency mac and cheese around the house. This time we had it with corn bread which was leftover from the other night but sometimes we have garlic bread and a nice salad to round out the plate.

3.  Breakfast for dinner:  Although this is one of my favorite meals, my husband is not the biggest fan of breakfast for anything other than breakfast.  It is a fun tradition to start to make Friday night pancake night or omelet night.  I think that the kids would start to look forward to it and it is a super frugal way to make a fun and filling meal.  A better reason to make chocolate chip pancakes since they are harder to justify at 8 am :)

4. Spaghetti with garlic bread:  We always have at least three different kinds of pasta around the house and a jar of spaghetti sauce to throw together this quick meal.  Also remember the Olive Oil Pasta recipe if you don't have the jar of sauce to make a quick gourmet tasting meal on a frugal budget!!  I have tried all varieties and they are all yummy with fresh rosemary, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and other spices added.  Plus, remember that you don't have to have fancy garlic bread... you can butter and put garlic powder or salt on a hamburger roll, hot dog roll, or bread.

5.  Fried Rice:  I have two different recipes that I often make for fried rice.  One is my mom's recipe for Simplified Fried Rice where you brown rice in a pan and add chicken stock/broth and simmer for 20 minutes.  This is a great side dish or mixed with leftovers to make a complete meal.  I also make Seasoned Fried Rice from already cooked rice that I fry in the skillet and add egg, chicken, and other veggies.  These are both ways to create a great filling meal quickly.

6. Tuna Fish, Cold Cut, or Meatball Sandwiches/Subs: The tuna packets of tuna and super easy to keep in the pantry and throw together a tuna sandwich or tuna melts for the family.  Cold cuts are obviously super easy to make if you have them in the house already but if you weren't planning on an emergency dinner, you might not have them.  Meatballs are something you can buy or make ahead of time and thrown them on a roll with some sauce and maybe a little shredded cheese.  You can keep bread and rolls in the freezer.  I make homemade rolls and freeze the rest in bags that we will be able to make sandwiches at any time which have come in handy more than once!!

7.  Make Ahead Meals:  This is a great idea to make meals to put in the freezer like taco filling, sloppy joes, brown rice, hot pockets, and other casseroles.  I am not great at always doing this but it makes for a super fast dinner.  I hope to be better about making some meals to have in the freezer so that on the nights that we are super busy, I can just throw something in the microwave or oven to have dinner on the table fast and easy!!  Do you make any make ahead meals??

8.  Planned Leftovers:  Make a pork roast one night and plan for BBQ pork sandwiches the next night.  Make a whole chicken and use the leftovers for quesadillas or pulled buffalo chicken sandwiches. Make tacos one night and use the leftovers to make stuffed hot pockets.  It is super fast to pull dinner together when everything is already cooked.

9.  Frozen Pizza or Frozen Meals:  It is always good to have a backup meal in the freezer.  I normally keep frozen pizza and a Chinese or Italian meal in the freezer just in case I forget to take out the meat for dinner or it doesn't defrost in time.  It is also helpful if unexpected guests show up for leftover lunch day :)  These can be purchased on sale with coupon for under $3 and will serve the whole family with the addition of salad and bread or other side dishes.

I tend to get cooking block when I get to the time of the day that I am super hungry and I don't know what is for dinner.  If I keep a list around, it helps to make it a little easier to pick when the panic sets in :)  I hope that this helps your family too!!  Let me know what other dishes you whip up out of the pantry in a jiff to make meals for your family.