Cooking/recipe/quick good meal - im a student, on a low budget, not a great cook, recommend me something plz!!

i want to cook a really nice, home made meal, for my friends... completely from scratch, with nice ingredients, but something that i can actually make! im not great at cooking but id really like to spend some time and make a cracking dinner for us all :) thanks

Here's some quiuck & E-Z recipes.

COLA CHICKEN

(And more variations of recipe)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup catsup

1 12oz. can cola (pepsi, coke, etc.)

Put chicken in a non-stick pan.

Mix together catsup and cola, pour over chicken.

Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook 45 minutes.

(turning chicken a few times, while cooking...to prevent from

sticking to pan)

Uncover, turn up the heat and continue to cook until the sauce

becomes thick and adheres to the chicken.

It turns into the most incredible BBQ sauce. Yummmm!

You can double the recipe and use more pieces of

chicken....wings...would be ideal...add some hot

sauce....presto "Hot

Wings"!

I have used Ribs, just as good.

I tried this recipe with 'meatballs'....was equally

as good...served over rice.

I found another variation.....omit the catsup and add a small

jar of Salsa (any variety).

I have tried using Salsa (omitting the catsup....not).

You'd think a recipe with only '3' ingredients couldn't be

messed up....wouldn't you??

Well...while I was preparing to fix the 'Cola Chicken' recipe

using Salsa.....I was also trying to carry on a conversation with my

husband...(just proves...I can't do two things at once)....mixed

Salsa & Catsup (before I realized I was supposed to leave out

the catsup) & Cola........still turned out really tasty (to me)...might

be a little sweeter than some of you like.

I fixed chicken wings, (using the above recipe)

but...I added the spices from a MILD (I don't care for "HOT") Buffalo Wings packet...(the kind you get to bake in the oven).....I thought it was really good.....(but you/I can't find a 'bad' way to fix chicken).

Finally....!! I fixed the 'SALSA' chicken......that's good , too.

Another (bright)idea.....I thought of trying......replace the

catsup with a bottle of Shrimp Cocktail Sauce...and add a bag of (pop corn) shrimp.....!

Fixed the shrimp with cocktail sauce......eh...wasn't all that

great...was OK...probably won't be fixing it again.

Also tried beef stew cuts......that was pretty good.....I can see

myself making this again.

Served both over rice.....think the stew cuts would have been just as

good over noodles.

How about using the little cocktail weiners/sausages?

CRUNCHY ONION CHICKEN

1 1/3 cups French’s Original French Fried Onions

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 egg, beaten

LIGHTLY CRUSH:

Onions in a plastic bag.

DIP:

Chicken in egg

COVER:

With onion crumbs, press firmly to adhere to chicken.

BAKE:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken on lightly greased baking pan.

Sprinkle with additional onion crumbs, if desired.

Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Mushroom Chicken

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast (or any pieces you like)

1 can cream of mushroom soup.

1 can water

Place chicken in crock pot (or sauce pan for stove top cooking)

mix soup & 1 can of water together

pour over chicken

cook on medium heat until boiling then reduce heat and cook until chicken is really tender & falling apart.

Serve over noodles or rice or dressing....or???

CHILLI DOG CASSEROLE

1 pkg. (8) hot dog buns

1 pkg. (8) hot dogs (use more if you like)

1 can Chilli (15 oz. without beans, use more if you want)

1 small onion (chopped)

2 cups shredded cheese

mustard

DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat oven 350 degrees

In a 9" x 13" baking pan, break up hot dog buns (bite size) and spread in pan.

Cut up hot dogs (about 1/2" size) spread over buns.

Spoon/spred chilli over hot dog/buns.

Sprinkle onions over all.

Squirt mustard over entire mixture (don't spread...just make a few lines both ways across mixture)

Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

(Hint: If using extra hot dogs & chilli, don't add extra buns.)

"Canned Soup".

(My Way!)

Whatever cans of veggies I have, that I like, in cabinet it goes in the pot.....along with all the juices in the cans.

Cook on stove top or Crock pot.

Enjoy!

Canned:

corn

peas

carrots

gr.beans (any variety)

lima beans

wax beans

tomato (any variety)

potatoes (whole or sliced...or both whatever you like)

You get the idea....lol.

Also add a package of shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix).

You can even add a package of onion soup mix.

If it gets to dry and needs more liquids....add tomato juice...V-8...etc.

(I’ve not made this one yet)

EASY BEEF STROGANOFF

Ingredients:

3/4 lb lean ground beef

1 jar Heinz HomeStyle Savory Beef Gravy (12 oz Jar)

1 can mushrooms, drained (7 oz can)

1/2 cup sour cream

4-6 cups hot cooked noodles

salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a medium skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned and thoroughly cooked. Carefully drain liquids and return to stovetop. Stir in Gravy and mushrooms, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and serve immediately over hot noodles.

Preparation Time: 1-15 minutes

Cook Time: 25+ minutes

"Corny Beanie Weenies."

(from a country preacher in Mississippi…wife & 2 teenage sons)

Mix one can of good baked beans

We use a good sized can of beans (14-16 ounces, I think) and

get a kind that we like (maybe with brown sugar, onion, and bacon).

There are several kinds of good baked beans.

and a package of Oscar Meier Weiners (all sliced up).

with a can of whole kernel corn (drained)

Any way, heat up these three ingredients, and serve with brown bread

(maybe toasted ?) and a glass of milk.

It doesn't get any easier than this, and is suprisingly good!

P.S…..Might put ingredients ina casserole dish and top with corn muffin mix.

POT ROAST

Your choice of beef (to fit crock-pot)

1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix

1 pkg. dry Brown Gravy mix

1 cup water

Put beef in pot.

Mix together all the dry mixes….then add water …pour over meat and cover & cook on high 4-6 hours.

Until meat is tender.

The first time I mad it I didn’t have the Italian Dressing mix….so I added a pkg. of Onion Soup Mix….I have to say I liked that better.

If you use more water you might want to add more Brown Gravy mix….to make a thicker sauce. Was gonna add

potatoes and carrots…but never got around to it.

E-Z Cake Recipes

NO EGGS, NO OIL, NO WATER .......JUST 1 12oz.SODA AND MIX.

WHITE CAKE MIX………………………………..7-UP OR STRAWBERRY SODA

CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX.......CHERRY SODA (BLACK FOREST)

ORANGE CAKE MIX….ORANGE SODA

PINEAPPLE MIX….PINEAPPLE SODA

SPICE MIX…..ROOT BEER SODA ETC

POUR CAKE MIX IN BOWL

ADD SODA USE LOAF CAKE PAN

BAKE 350 DEGREES AS BOX SAYS.

(PREPARE PAN WITH SPRAY)

Your choice of frostings or use cool whip.

E-Z Candy

(All recipes are mixed the same.)

Melt ingredients, seperately in microwave until runny.

Mix together and pour into serving dish.

Chill until firm, cut & serve.

Chocolate Fudge:

16 oz. container of Fudge Frosting

1 bag of Chocolate Chips (any flavor you like)

Peanut Butter Fudge #1:

1 small jar Peanut Butter (18 oz.)

2 bags of Peanut Butter Chips

Peanut Butter Fudge #2:

1 small jar Peanut Butter (18oz.)

16 oz. container of White Frosting

Marshmallow Nougat:

1 small jr Marshmallow Creme

1 bag White Chocolate Chips

1 tsp. Almond Flavoring

1 small bag Chopped Nuts

(I've made this without the flavoring & nuts....I want to try

rolling

into balls and dipping in a chocolate coating....sounds good to

me.)

I've doubled all the above recipes. The Marshmallow Nougat

recipe...doubled and added a container of white frosting (had an

extra one....so thought....why not!)

I use a double boiler..(prefer the double

boiler)...add chips in first ...then rest of

ingredients.....saving

nuts and flavorings for last.

CAKE MIX COOKIES

White Cake Mix

2 Tablespoons water

2 eggs

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts

powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients, except powdered sugar.

Drop batter (about a teaspoon per cookie) into a bowl of powdered sugar.

Roll in sugar until it is an approximate shape of a ball.

Place ion a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees about 18 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cool on wire racks. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

(Use any flavoring or cake mix you desire.)

Kreamy Kool-Aid Pie

1-(6 g) package un sweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix

1-(14 oz.)can sweetened condensed milk

1-(8 oz)container Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, thawed.

1-(9 inch) Graham Cracker Pie Crust (or Cookie crust)

Cool Whip for top (optional)

1. In a medium bowl mix Kool-Aid and condensed milk, thoroughly.

2. Fold in Cool Whip.

4. If desired, spread more Cool Whip on top.

5. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours.

I’ve used: Strawberry…Cherry…Lemon-lime (Key-Lime Pie)….Lemonade (Lemon Pie…might add some yellow food coloring for a more lemony look.)

A casserole and a salad is good and a pretty simple meal:

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

3 cups diced, cooked chicken

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar

Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with a ready salad from the vegetable section of the market and either cut fruit or a nice dessert from the bakery. Good Luck!

Olive Garden Alfredo Fettuccine

MIght want to double recipe !

1 pint heavy cream ( I used half and half)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder, add in more to suit your taste if you prefer

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces fettuccine, cooked and drained

In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted, and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer this for 15 - 20 minutes over low heat.

Toss pasta lightly with sauce, coating well. Leftovers freeze well.You can cut up some pre cooked chicken breast in this if you want to

Serve with a salad, warm bread or garlic toast

Spaghetti Bolognese. It requires ground meat (preferably beef or a mix of beef and pork, chicken makes it a bit complicated since you have to attend to it more while browning it) and not too much cooking skill. To make the meat sauce, I first brown the ground meat. Then add chopped onions, green/red/yellow peppers, garlic (I use big enough pieces so they flavor the sauce but I can fish them out before serving). I let this cook for a few minutes then add store-bought spaghetti sauce. Some people add a splash of milk at this point. I do it if I remember. Let the whole thing simmer for 25-30 minutes. For the last 20 minutes, in a separate pot, add spaghetti to boiling, salted water and cook until al dente (around 12 minutes).

Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

There should be good spaghetti Bolognese recipes online. It's not overly complicated and doesn't take more than 45 minutes in total.

Home made soups, chilis, etc, with sides of salads or vegetables. Always rewarding and healthy. Look up recipes online.

Pasta

buy tomato paste and a sauce and add fresh cut up veggies and make some meatballs

its fast and its hard to screw up