Help needed: using what we already have

[lizallen]

Hi everyone. I am trying to use the foods my family already has without having to buy much else. I probably do need to go to the store for fruits and veggies but I don't want to buy much else. I eat mostly vegan foods and my family does not so it's hard for me to be very creative. I'd love any meal ideas based on the foods below.

Frozen foods: ground turkey, hash browns, sweet potato friends, ravioli, corn on the cob, corn kernels, beef burritos, precooked grilled chicken strips, ground beef patties, steaks, individual chicken potpies

Pantry foods: spagetti noodles, sticky rice, brown rice, quinoa, boxed julien potatoes, stove-top-stuffing, enchilada sauce, soup, canned tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, crackers, cereal, oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes, nuts, baking stuff, canned pinto beans, dry adzuki beans, pizza crust, pretzels

Fridge foods: eggs, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, plain yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, cooked squash, jarred roast red pepper, condiments

Thank you so much for any ideas/meals/meal plans you can think of. It would really, really help me.

[womenswisdom]

www.supercook.com

[Meal-Planner]

Here are some dinner ideas for your family based on the ingredients you currently have:

-Spaghetti:  noodles, browned ground turkey, tomato sauce, tomatoes, (add Italian seasoning if you have some).  Set aside a serving for yourself before adding the turkey to the sauce for the rest of the family.  Top with some fresh grated parmesan cheese. 

-Ravioli with tomato sauce (and seasonings if you have some), top with cheddar cheese and bake in oven

-Egg casserole:  Combine eggs, milk, hashbrowns shredded into small pieces, & cheddar cheese; bake in the oven.

-Beef burritos, sweet potato friends, and corn with melted butter (add an herb such as basil if you have it)

-Hamburgers and corn on the cob

-Steak and julien potatoes

-Stir-fry with chicken strips, red peppers, and quinoa

-Chicken & Stuffing with mashers:  Cut up some chicken strips into small pieces and mix it in with the stovetop stuffing.  Serve mashed potatoes on the side (add some cream cheese and sour cream, stir thouroughly until cream cheese is melted – these 2 additions make mashers extra creamy and tasty)

-Pinto Beans and Rice:  Saute 1 chopped onion (if you have one) and stir it in with ¾ cup ketchup, 2-4 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp salt, & ¼ tsp pepper.  Then stir in 3 cups of cooked brown rice and 2 cans of pinto beans (drained).   Transfer to a greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Happy Cooking!  ~Lena 

[WorldsBestMom]

Chicken and stuffing with mashers sounds delicious.