survival mode food

[esperanza]

It appear we're going to be in survival mode for a while, maybe another month, maybe the whole semester. I have VERY little time to get dinner ready, and I need something dh can take with him when he leaves at 1:45 pm. I get home about 11:30 am and can't really do much cooking then. He is zero help in getting food ready. I've been trying to do crock pot food, and that's been working pretty well. I need some other ideas.

Dh's diet restrictions aren't helping. He really can't eat much dairy, and tons of my go to recipes and recipes that freeze well have dairy. No beans either. This is all relatively new that it has to be so extreme, and I don't even know what to make.

I hate spending a lot of money, and I do want healthy, but I'm accepting that we may need to just buy some super easy to prepare food. We don't have a Costco or Sam's membership. We do have a TJ's, though we hardly ever go so I'm not sure what they have. Help. Ideas of what I can get that is super easy to cook, no dairy/beans, not too expensive? Dh eats a lot and having leftovers is a bonus. He really likes meat but the meat I buy is also expensive.

[MegMarch]

I would get subscriptions to the various meal delivery services that send all the ingredients you need for 3 dinners for 2 people.

Most are $$ but they have great introduction prices so as long as you pause or cancel your subs after the first box, you wouldn't be out much. I have a Blue Apron freebie invite if you want it. I don't get anything for you signing up, they just want people to offer friends a free delivery as word of mouth advertising. If you want, PM me your email address and I can send the invite.

My go to quick meals are:
premade pizza dough with sauce, cheese and leftovers for toppings

baked potatoes with leftovers for toppings

Seeds of Change brand brown rice and quinoa with diced chicken or turkey and veggies as a casserole

Applegate Farms turkey sausage (it's precooked, heat and eat, lower fat so no splattery mess) with eggs and toast

Take and bake pizza

Pot roast (I use leftovers on toast or under pie crust)

Roast chicken (buy the ones without giblets, less work, less gross) with veggies (I do onion, baby carrots, those little potatoes with red or blonde skin) and just do oil, S&P and maybe some garlic or lemon juice. Prep the night before and pop in the oven. Takes longer to cook than the other stuff, but no work the day of.

Tacos and pasta. Brown your meat for both on pasta night. Divide, season for tacos and refrigerate that half, use the other over pasta with jarred sauce.

[ValiantJoy07]

My dairy free quick meals take 30 minutes or less

Can get you any recipes that sound good...

Pakistani Kima (stir fried ground beef, cinnamon, curry, salt, ginger, onions and chopped carrots served over rice)

Chicken fried rice (boneless chicken thighs, onions garlic, soy sauce or coconut aminos,curry powder, sugar, salt all stir fried together and them simmered for 20 minutes) some frozen veggies thrown in for 5 minutes at the end.

Beanless chilli with sweet potatoes and white potatoes instead of beans great croc pot meal. I call it sweet potato chilli hash I invented it.

Crustless quiche. A dozen eggs well beaten, a tsp salt, a cup of two of shredded carrot, two shredded potatoes, some peppers garlic -whatever veggies you have that sound yummy can be thrown in, we've done Apple's, onions, and potatoes..kale and bacon, leftover caramelized onions with well chopped kale and potatoes - amazing!!) all in a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 365 for 35-40 minutes...prep takes 10-15 minutes.

ooh we love baked potatoes topped with taco fixings (ground beef, fried onions, avocado) or topped with scrambled eggs scrambled with onions and spinach, or hamburger bbq and fried onions (well stir fried).

We find stir fried onions add a cheesy texture to meals that are usually cheesy.
More later I have a spread sheet full of easy meals that fit the bill.

[2sunshines]

Omelates.
Hard boiled eggs. Egg salad sandwiches.
quick hamburger skillet -- you can use almost anything in this. I shred and fry potatoes, add in onion, ground beef, and whatever veggies I have on hand.
Does he like salads? You could do a variety of salads -- green salads, cabbage salad, pasta or potato salad. All of which can be made in bigger batches and kept in the fridge.

[Mother of Sons]

Pierogi and dumplings take time to put together but if you freeze them they make a very fast dinner.

If you freeze browned hamburger it takes minutes to beat it up with some sauce and boil noodles

Same for tacos, fajitas, burritos etc.

Even things like hashbrowns can be cooked ahead and frozen.

Pizza is another. Make crusts and freeze them. Freeze sauce in ziplock bags and diced toppings on another. Pizza doesn't have to have cheese. We ate it without for years and didn't really miss it.

[ViolaMum]

Originally Posted by esperanza

We do have a TJ's, though we hardly ever go so I'm not sure what they have. Help. Ideas of what I can get that is super easy to cook, no dairy/beans, not too expensive? Dh eats a lot and having leftovers is a bonus. He really likes meat but the meat I buy is also expensive.

TJ's has some decent frozen turkey meatballs. I find things like that are fairly versatile - meatball subs travel well, mix into mashed potatoes, can be added to pasta, etc. I like to keep components for meals (broth, meatballs, pesto, pureed squash, soffrito, marinara, wonton wrappers) in the back of the freezer for those days when I just.don't.have time.

Trader Joe's has things like chicken sausages, meatballs, and spanakopita triangles that can help to fill those gaps. Oh, their Indian simmer sauces are pretty good, too. If it's not too much dairy, they also have shelf-stable pesto-filled pasta (and sometimes squash filling). If you eat fish, they sell odds and ends of cod and haddock at a significant discount that are great in soups and stews. (Simmer cod in a soffrito and you've got a yummy soup chowder in about 20 minutes.)

[Barefoot]

I do a big roast meat one day when I have time. The following day we have slices on sandwiches, that night I mix it with gravy and leftover roast veggies (sometimes I do more if there aren't enough)
The following night I add that mix to freezer pastry in a pie dish and we have roast leftover pie.
3 days from 1 meal.

[twoplustwo]

[mamacat]

I agree that TJS has a lot of frozen better quality foods.My husb fav is beef and broccoli. Do you have a Luckys Market where you are? They have delicious healthier preprepared foods and specials each day

[Trixie]

we love stir fry. You can use whatever meat you have leftover or can find for cheap. Add vegetables. I season with coconut aminos but you can use soy sause, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Serve with rice or noodles. Always a hit in my house.
Tacos or spaghetti are also cheap and easy.