Some quick recipes one a budget while kids are on winter break?

I was wondering if any of you have some quick, cheap recipes to share that I can use while the kids are off school? With Christmas this week I'm on a tight budget for groceries. Any ideas? Lunch, snacks, dinner??Some quick recipes one a budget while kids are on winter break?
Hello! I wrote down my top 5 favorite snacks to make for my kids, they are simple and healthy, you can find them listed here -





http://www.ehow.com/how_4688798_cook-sna鈥?/a>Some quick recipes one a budget while kids are on winter break?
I have noticed that pasta, soups and stews go a long way to feed a family. Make some big pots of potato soup, chili, beef vegetable, and chicken noodle. Freeze quart sized containers and heat up as needed. My kids also make tons of kraft macaroni and cheese when they are off from school. It's cheap and filling, and they like it. I also make a big batch of spaghetti sauce and freeze the leftovers for cold day lunches or dinners. Finally, you can't beat ramen noodles for cheap and filling. To make them more nutritous, add a small bag of frozen veggies to them, or some sliced cooked chicken breast. Finally, find an easy bread recipe, and make bread with them. Homemade bread is yummy, and easy to prepare, especially if you have a bread machine.
Too lazy to retype this, keep in mind I gave this answer to a kid. So it is written like it is for a kid. Great way to entertain the kids and give them a snack.





Ask a parent to supervise your oven use.





Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. That means make sure it is empty and turn it on to 350 degrees and heat it up til the light goes off. Make sure you have an adult available to watch.





Easy PB Cookies


1 cup sugar


1 cup peanut butter (crunchy, smooth, lite, natural, whatever you have)


1 egg





Mix in a bowl really well.


Roll into balls the size of walnuts.


Place balls on a clean cookie sheet and make sure there is room between them to spread out while they cook.


Then place the pan in the oven and bake for 11 to 13 minutes until lightly browned. Very lightly.


Remove from oven and leave them on the pan for another 5 minutes. Then take a spatula and remove them from the pan and place them on a baking rack or a plate to cool. Enjoy.





If you want to be really creative and you have the stuff already in your kitchen, you can take a bag of choc chips and place it in a glass bowl that has no metal or plastic on it and microwave it 15 seconds at a time until melted. Stirring it each 15 seconds until it is smooth and warm. But not too long or it will burn and turn funny and gross.





Then take a fork in the chocolate and drizzle (drip it on the cookies while moving it quickly) chocolate over the cookies to make them look neat. Put on old clothes first and move anything that could be ruined by chocolate. And don't be too messy and clean up your own mess.
Dinner-tater-tot casserole.


you'll need celery, 1lbs ground beef, 1 can cream of celery soup, basic seasonings(salt pepper etc), 1/2 package of tater tots and grated cheddar cheese.





Preheat over to 350 degrees, meanwhile saute celery in a frying pan/medium heat with some oil until cooked and tender, set celery aside. Add ground beef and season to your liking. I typically put in salt pepper and garlic . When ground beef is cooked add celery back to the pan and add 1 can of cream of celery soup. combine mixture and heat through.





Grease a casserole dish and add contents of frying pan. Top with tater tots until it just covers casserole. Top tater tots with cheddar cheese and bake in a 350 over for about 20 minutes or until tater tots are cooked through, cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.





lunch- chili cheese dogs, soup and sandwhiches, spaghetti, PB%26amp;J taco(basic pb%26amp;J) only in a tortilla
Cucumber and Tomato Bits


Ingredients:


8 oz Package of Cream Cheese Softened


1 teaspoon Dried basil leaves


1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt


1/2 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper


1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder


1/2 teaspoon Granulated sugar


1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese


1 pint Firm cherry tomatoes


2 Medium firm cucumbers


Steps:


In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the filling ingredients. Set aside. Score the sides of a cucumber and cut teh cucumber into 1-inch thick rounds. Slice off the tops of the cherry tomatoes with a serrated knife and scoop out the insides with a melon baller. Scoop our seeds of cucumber with a melon baller, but do not cut all the way through. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a star tip, with the cream cheese. OR- fill a resealable freezer bag with cream cheese and snip off a small hole in the corner. Fill cavity of tomatoes and cucumbers with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture. Garnish with a small sprig of fresh dill. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately.


Fantastic Black Bean Chili


INGREDIENTS:


1 tablespoon vegetable oil


1 onion, diced


2 cloves garlic, minced


1 pound ground turkey


3 (15 ounce) cans black beans,


undrained 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed


tomatoes


1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder


1 tablespoon dried oregano


1 tablespoon dried basil leaves


1 tablespoon red wine vinegar





DIRECTIONS:


1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.





Shrimp Chili Cornbread Casserole


Makes 12 servings





ACTIVE TIME: 50 minutes





TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 40 minutes





EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy





Shrimp Chili Filling


2 teaspoons canola oil


1 large onion, chopped


1 medium green bell pepper, chopped


4 cloves garlic, minced


3 medium zucchini, diced (about 5 cups)


1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder


1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1 teaspoon salt


2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes


1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp (41-50 per pound; see Ingredient Note), peeled and deveined


1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro





Cornbread Topping


1 cup yellow cornmeal


1 cup all-purpose flour


2 teaspoons baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


3/4 cup nonfat milk


1/4 cup canola oil


1 large egg


1 tablespoon honey





1. To prepare filling: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in zucchini; cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 20 seconds. Pour in tomatoes and their juice; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Stir in shrimp and cilantro. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.


2. Preheat oven to 350掳F.


3. To prepare cornbread topping: Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk milk, 1/4 cup oil, egg and honey in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Drop by heaping tablespoons over the shrimp mixture.


4. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving


Tuna Pomodoro


Makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each





ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes





TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes





EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy





8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


1 tablespoon minced garlic


2 anchovies, minced (optional)


1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste


1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes


1 6-ounce can chunk light tuna, drained and flaked


2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil





1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.


2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add anchovies (if using) and crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds more. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Stir in tuna and cook until it is incorporated into the sauce and heated through, 2 minutes more. Divide the spaghetti evenly among 4 plates, top with sauce and garnish with basil. Serve hot.





Barbecued Chicken Burritos


Makes 4 servings, 1 wrap each





ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes





TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes





EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy





1 2-pound roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded (4 cups)


1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce


1 cup canned black beans, rinsed


1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed, or canned corn, drained


1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream


4 leaves romaine lettuce


4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas


2 limes, cut in wedges





1. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, corn and sour cream; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.


2. Assemble the wraps by placing a lettuce leaf in the center of each tortilla and topping with one-fourth of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm, with lime wedges.
cheesy rotini and tuna





1-3/4 cups tri-color rotini pasta, uncooked


2 cans (6 oz. each) white tuna in water, drained, flaked


1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained


4 oz. (1/4 lb.) VELVEETA 2% Milk Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up


1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S FREE or KNUDSEN FREE Fat Free Sour Cream


1/4 tsp. black pepper


Make It








COOK pasta as directed on package.





MEANWHILE, mix all remaining ingredients in 2-quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes; stir. Microwave on HIGH an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is heated through.





DRAIN pasta; place in serving bowl. Add tuna mixture; mix lightly.


Kraft Kitchens Tips





Serving Suggestion


To serve with a quick fruit salad, toss sliced banana, peeled kiwi and apples with orange juice and ground cinnamon.














for rice krispy treats :] yummy.





3 Tbsp. butter or margarine


1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz.) JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows


6 cups crisp rice cereal


Make It








MELT butter in large saucepan on low heat. Add marshmallows; cook until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.





ADD cereal; mix well.





PRESS firmly into greased 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely. Cut into 24 squares to serve.


Kraft Kitchens Tips





Size-Wise


Sweets can add enjoyment to a balanced diet, but choose an appropriate portion.


Use Your Microwave


Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 45 sec. or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 min. or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 sec. Continue as directed.


Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate Crispy Squares


For a great peanut butter and chocolate taste, prepare as directed substituting 1/2 cup peanut butter for the butter. Press cereal mixture into pan; drizzle with 1/3 cup melted BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks. Cool and cut as directed.
Grilled Cheese sandwiches are always a favorite. Use any cheese you may have in the fridge. Pizza bagels are good, too. My suggestion is to make a lot of pasta... it's inexpensive and kids love it. Try ramen noodles. You can get them for about .25.