TV dinners count?
10 minutes, I’m
Eating and five
Minutes more,,,
I’m cleaned Up.
I do that occasionally. The frozen Stouffers and other microwaveable dinners can be good and they’re only about $2. I can’t do that all the time though. I need some fresh things too. Besides, those are high in salt too so you shouldn’t eat that stuff nightly - but it is good and there’s a wide selection.
How hard is it to boil some pasta, mix in pesto sauce and pine nuts which you buy at the grocery store and maybe mix in some chicken you put in the oven and then cut up and mixed in? Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and there you go.
Or do the same minus the pine nuts but with alfredo sauce that you buy at the grocery store pre-made. Maybe use Tortellini instead of Spaghetti noodles.
Those are each 4-5 or more tasty meals for what? $12-15? You don’t have to do a lot of food prep either.
You can buy a pre-packaged Pot roast with all the vegetables and seasoning you just put in the oven on low temperature and cook for 4-5 hours on the weekend. That’s relatively cheap and delicious and its a good 4-5 meals or more.
Multiple posters have mentioned TV dinners. I ate a lot of them, pot pies, pizza, etc., until a few years ago, and it is true that taste-wise most have improved greatly since my college days.
However, the salt (sodium) content is usually atrocious. (Very high.) So, I’ve been cutting back, and when I use the last in the freezer now, I plan to buy no more. On the rare occasion pizzas with moderate amounts of sodium turn up, I may still buy one.
For similar reasons, I’ve cut way back on eating out, fast food, “Chinese” take out or buffet, etc.
Now with my wife working, though, the time crunch to prepare food, and clean up, is just a killer. (And I should get the heck off of here, I suppose.)
Open your favorite bottle of red, Argentinian or Chilean Merlot, Cab, or French blend.
3 lb Chateau Briand, sliced into thirds, sear and grill 5 (no more than 6) min per side. Let stand for 5 min.
In parallel, An ear of corn, slice 1.25 in of the stem, microwave in the husk for 4 min, pull out, squeeze corn cob out of the husk and butter (careful very hot). Microwave in corningware dish, 3 servings of frozen vegetable, say Okra for max 4 min, or fresh broccoli or asparagus, or even baked potatoe for 5 min in microwave in parallel with meat cooking.
1 package baby portobello mushrooms, washed, in small skillet over 1/2 stick of butter, place lid on top and slowly cook for simmer just before placing meat on grill.
Head of lettuce, your choice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ground oregano, Beau Monde seasoning, dash of raw sugar, mix by hand, set in fridge until ready to serve.
$100-$200/plate high end steak dinner in less than 15 min, at less than $15 in cost per plate.
One favorite is an old family recipe requiring ramen noodles and hot water and a seasoning packet.
Another time honored recipe requires only 2 ingredients: a microwave and a package of frozen burritos.