Quick 20- Min Dinners for Busy Families

7 Fast Main Dishes to Stretch a Budget

Healthy meals for the family on the go are essential to our busy lives, but the planning and preparation often require time that busy working parents don't have.

With just a few simple ingredients, a hot main dish can be ready in 20 minutes with extra portions that can be frozen. Pick up seasonal vegetables and bread or tortillas and dinner is served.

Meal Planning Strategies

The secret to low cost, nutritious meals is incorporating good carbohydrates to stretch the amount of meat used.

Complex carbohydrates - such as beans, corn and potatoes - are digested slowly causing the body to feel full for longer periods of time.

Simple carbohydrates, such as white rice and pasta, have less nutritional value and are also often high in sugar and calories if eaten often or in large portion, but can still be valuable in stretching meals. To avoid additional weight gain with these foods, limit the amount of fat (butter, sour cream) in sauces and reduce portion sizes and frequency of consumption.

Designate a cupboard in the kitchen for storing staples such as canned tuna, pasta, spaghetti sauce and packaged bread mixes. Next, keep a supply of lean ground beef, chicken and turkey sausage in the freezer. All of these foods can help generate meals in a hurry when your family asks "What's for dinner?" and the refrigerator looks empty.

Main Dish Recipes for a Week:

Sunday: Tuna Bake

Mix canned tuna, a can of cream of chicken soup and grated onions in a large bowl. Add cooked elbow macaroni noodles then place the entire mixture in a greased microwaveable dish. Top with cracker crumbs and bake for ten minutes at a medium temperature.

Monday: Tex-Mex Chili Potatoes

Brown onions, garlic and ground beef in olive oil and add a can of pinto beans. Season with chili powder and cumin. Serve over hot baked potatoes and top with grated cheese.

Tuesday: Skillet Chicken Pie

Brown onions and chicken thighs in a skillet and season with thyme. Add frozen peas and carrots and cook for ten minutes. Prepare Bisquick dumplings according to the box and drop into the skillet on top of the chicken mixture. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Wednesday: Tacos

Fill warm corn tortillas with hamburger seasoned with chili powder and onions. Use chopped tomatoes, lettuce, onions and grated cheese for toppings. Serve with pinto beans and canned salsa.

Thursday: Spaghetti

Add browned hamburger, sausage and olives to spaghetti sauce and simmer. Serve over cooked pasta.

Friday: White Chili

Brown chicken thighs in a skillet. Add a can each of hominy or navy beans, cream of chicken soup and green chilies/salsa. Add a cup of water and cook for 15 minutes.

Saturday: Tamale Pie

Cook ground beef, pinto beans and corn. Season with chili powder and cumin. Mix up a package of corn bread and drop on the top of the mixture. Cover and cook for 15 -20 minutes.