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QUICK FIX RECIPES
This blog is for the harried cook, busy families, beginning cooks, anyone who needs or wants to get a simple meal on the table in 30 to 60 minutes. FORGET FEEDING YOUR FAMILY FAST FOOD AS A REGULAR DIET. Save fast food for an occasional treat and feed your family quick, healthy meals at home! Some recipes are original and some are ones I have collected over the years and found to be practical and tasty.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
QUICK AND EASY PEANUT BUTTER & FUDGE PIE FROM KEEBLERS
Saturday, March 14, 2026
HEARTY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE
8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces
3 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
1 can (10 1/4-oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup 2% milk
1 med onion, chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup Swiss cheese divided
1 can (4-oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp steak seasoning
1/2 tsp dried basil
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, milk, onion, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, mushrooms, peppers, mayonnaise, steak seasoning and basil.
Drain spaghetti and add to the chicken mixture, toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Yield: 6 servings
Friday, March 13, 2026
CREAMY SEAFOOD PASTA
This recipe is from the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest in 2004.
16-oz uncooked linguine
1 can (18.5-oz) Progresso Traditional New England clam chowder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2-lb uncooked deveined peeled large shrimp, tail shells removed
1 package (8-oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
4 medium green onions, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired
In a 5 to 6-quart Dutch oven, cook linguine as directed on package. Drain well and return to the Dutch oven, cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a blender, place clam chowder, milk, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and the garlic. Cover, blend on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook shrimp, mushrooms and onion in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until shrimp turn pink.
Stir in pepper flakes and soup mixture; cook until hot. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
Pour over cooked linguine in Dutch oven, tossing gently to coat. Top individual servings with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings
Thursday, March 12, 2026
TORTELLINI SALAD
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 pkgs (9-oz each) small cheese-filled tortellini, cooked, drained, cooled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic salt
Steam broccoli until crisp tender.
Steam spinach until just wilted.
In a large bowl combine broccoli, spinach, red pepper and tortellini; toss well.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, lemon juice, sugar, and garlic salt; blend well.
Pour the dressing over the tortellini and vegetables in the large bowl and toss to coat well.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
LOUISE FRANKS' DEVILED EGGS (from Fannie Flagg's Can't Wait to Get to Heaven)
1 dozen hard-cooked eggs
1 5-oz jar pasteurized Neufchatel cheese spread with olives, or pimiento-flavored
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced sweet pickles
2 tablespoons minced sweet onion
1/2 tsp salt
Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Mash yolks; blend with cheese spread and mayonnaise. Stir in remaining ingredients. Fill egg whites. Yield: 3 dozen
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
TROPICAL LAYERED PUDDING
2 packages vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
2 regular cans pineapple chunks (drained, saving 1 cup of juice + juice to coat the bananas)
4 bananas, sliced and dipped in the pineapple juice to retain color
1 cup pineapple juice (saved from the pineapple chunks0
1 package vanilla wafers
Prepare pudding as directed using the 3 cups of milk and the 1 cup of pineapple juice as a substitute for the 4th cup of milk. Layer as follows: Vanilla wafers, bananas, pineapple chunks, pudding.
I suggest garnishing the pudding with some vanilla wafers around the edges and/or sprinkling a bit of coconut over the top.
Monday, March 9, 2026
S0-SIMPLE LEMONY CHICKEN SOUP
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups cooked orzo
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Sliced lemon for garnish, optional
Coat a large with nonstick cooking spray. Add the celery and carrot and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes.
Stir the chicken, orzo and pepper into the pot and heat through.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs and lemon juice together. While whisking constantly, add broth mixture to the egg mixture. Stir back into pot and add parsley and lemon, if using.
Yield: 4 servings
Friday, March 6, 2026
PORK BURGERS WITH PEPPERS AND MUSHROOMS
1 lb ground pork (not sausage)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
8-oz fresh sliced mushrooms
4 flat breads
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Slice half the peppers into rings and set aside. Chop the remaining peppers.
In a bowl, combine the chopped peppers, pork, 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper. Shape mixture into 4 equal patties.
In a large hot skillet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cook the patties over medium high heat for about 12 minutes, turning once. (Internal temperature should reach 160 degrees.) Transfer to a plate and cover.
Wrap breads (your choice, I prefer sandwich thins) in paper towels and cook in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds. For the sauce, combine the mayonnaise, the remaining Worcestershire sauce, and some black pepper, if desired. Place the burgers on the breads top with the pepper mushroom mixture. Pass the sauce for individuals to add the amount they prefer.
Thursday, March 5, 2026
CUBE STEAK HAYSTACKS
1 package hash browns with onions, cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons shortening, melted in a large skillet.
6 beef cubed steaks, cook in the melted shortening for 3 to 5 minutes per side over medium heat; remove from skillet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt to season.
Spread 2 teaspoons catsup over the top of each steak.
Top each steak with 1/2 cup of the prepared hash brown potatoes and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese.
Return the skillet to the heat, cover and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes until cheese melts.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
ONE POT CHICKEN SAUSAGE, SPINACH AND RICE
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
2 tbsp olive oil
12-oz fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
1 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups roughly chopped baby spinach
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
In a small bowl, mix garlic, oregano, salt and peppers. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large, lidded sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned and crisp, 2 to 3minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, add rice. Cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the spices and broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy, 14 to 16 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking to prevent sticking.
Add spinach, lemon juice and soy sauce and stir until spinach is wilted, about a minute. Turn off heat and return sausage to the pan. Mix well and spoon into 4 bowls for serving.
Yield: 4 servings






