Fancied-up 'Cheat' Meals

SilverSage

Resident Crone
Come on. Admit it. We all do it now and then.

It's late. You're tired. Everyone's hungry. And you have to get food on the table. So you open the pantry or the freezer and make a quick supper out of a store-bought, prepared product.

You doctor it up. Dress it up. Garnish it. Plate it prettily.

Now take a picture and post it here. Describe it as if you just an old family favorite. Let's see if we can't give a little bit of recognition to those meals that we don't spend all day making.

:chef:
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
I'll start with my ravioli from Friday night. Come on ya'll. 'Fess up.

It was cheat night! I got in to the airport about 2 a.m., and by the time I got home and to bed, it was 3:30. I was so over-tired that I slept fitfully. So my favorite 'cheat' is frozen ravioli.

However, I do open a container of my own homemade marinara (frozen, too). Lay a bed of sauce in the bowl, add ravioli and top with some more sauce. Top with a grating of fresh parmigiano reggiano, a chiffonade of fresh basil and fresh ground pepper. (Did I use enough fancy words to make it sound like I cooked a gourmet meal? Huh? Maybe we can start a thread to make our quick and easy pre-packaged stuff sound like something special!:chef:)

Threw a loaf of bakery sourdough bread (also from the freezer) in the oven to crisp the crust while the sauce heats. Looks like I spent all day making a homecooked meal!
 

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RobsanX

Potato peeler
Super Site Supporter
I admit it! LOL! I make Zatarain's jambalaya in my rice cooker. I dress it up by cooking it with smoked sausage, and throw in a pound of shrimp to cook about 10 minutes before serving. I'll snap pic next time I make it...
 

High Cheese

Saucier
I used jarred tomato sauce for the first time in years the other day making a big pot of sausage pasta for my lunches. Was pretty good, but still a little too sweet for me.
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
Cooksie, that's great! Just the ticket for a quick meal that looks like you spent a lot of time making and stuffing those shrimp! It looks good enough for company!:clap:
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Cooksie, how do you do that one?

Great photo!

Lee
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Cooksie, how do you do that one?

Great photo!

Lee

I just cleaned the shrimp, slit them down the back so that they would lay flat, thawed the crabcakes, mounded the crabcake mixture on the shrimp, drizzled with a little butter/lemon, and baked them. The crabcakes were two that I had left over from a box of 6. Easy, easy
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
You're kidding! That looks like you spent a lot of time on those shrimp, Cooksie. (What temp would I bake them at?)
 
All types of frozen ravioli are a mainstay here for nice but quicky meals!

In fact, I have a package of Monterey's "Lobster Ravioli" in the freezer that I'm planning on using as an underpinning to a nice homemade "Lobster Sauce" from the frozen butter-infused remains of the MONSTER lobsters I cooked last week.

A bag of good-quality cheese or spinach & cheese ravioli in my freezer can make a quicky meal taste & look like restaurant fare. Just good sauce (tomato, olive oil & garlic, butter & herbs, etc.) good-quality grated cheese, herbs, a nice green salad - dinner in minutes.
 
Another favorite? Bagged "stirfry vegetables" - usually a mix of shredded cabbage, carrots, broccoli florets, whole snow peas, etc. A bag of that, a package of tofu (or raw chicken tenders cut into bite-size pieces), bottled Asian sauce or a quicky concoction of my own. Again - dinner in minutes, & healthy to boot.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
I often buy the Sam's take and bake pizzas and then fancy them up by adding lots of extra mozzarella, sliced fresh tomatoes, chopped green olives and fresh basil. I also brush the edge of the crust with a good olive oil before baking. I'm always shocked at how people rave about my pizzas. LOL
 
I often buy the Sam's take and bake pizzas and then fancy them up by adding lots of extra mozzarella, sliced fresh tomatoes, chopped green olives and fresh basil. I also brush the edge of the crust with a good olive oil before baking. I'm always shocked at how people rave about my pizzas. LOL

Oh gosh - I do that too. Walmart has really terrific "take & bake" pizzas. I buy the "Four Cheese", which is unbelievably covered in cheese, & then doctor it up with sauteed mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, you name it. What I REALLY like is that they've started putting them out in a smaller size as well as the big ones, so instead of buying the one big one, I can buy two smaller ones & do one in hubby's favorite turkey pepperoni or mushroom, & then do one in my favorite paper-thin onion slices & anchovies (which husband doesn't even want even TOUCHING his pizza - lol!!!).
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
LOL! I have just recently started buying several of the smaller ones rather than a couple of the huge ones for that very reason, BC. It gets everyone in the kitchen, happily slicing and dicing their way to their own perfect pizza.
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
Dare you to try dill pickle slices on your next pizza.. double dog dare you!!!!

I am big on packaged rice like Uncle Ben's Wild Rice or Rice A Ronis...
Saute some garlic, onion, peppers, celery, mushrooms, throw a hand of chopped
tomato in right at the end.. BAM! :) Works with other veggies... leeks, broccoli, etc.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Really, Kimchee? Dill pickle slices? OK, I'll try it. (Actually, I'll get one of my boys to try it first. LOL)

+1 on the packaged rice tip. I always have on hand some Near East brand Rice Pilaf. I will either add some veggies like peas and diced carrots, or maybe some sauteed mushrooms, or some leftover meat finely diced. It's really awesome.
 
Forgot to mention that I also always have a few boxes of Zatarain's rice mixes in the pantry (Gumbo, Jambalaya, Dirty Rice, Smothered Chicken, Yellow). With a few fridge/freezer additions & a green salad I can turn any of these into a nice zippy meal in about 25 minutes.
 

GotGarlic

New member
Our go-to spaghetti dinner is Classico sauce doctored up with ground beef, a small can of tomato sauce, sauteed garlic, onions and bell peppers, a bay leaf, and fresh basil from the garden when I have it.

I also keep a package of fresh pasta in the freezer for quickie dinners. I like the cheese or chicken and sausage tortellini, mixed with a cup of homemade pesto from the freezer.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Like some of you, I like using the bags of rice that can be nuked in 90 seconds, then add meats or whatever.. another favourite is the Green Giant bagged pasta/vegs with sauce, add some sauteed chicken strips, pork.. shrimp/crab or lobster meat.. yummy

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