Something is in the oven
By barbergirl28
Time to run to the Supermarket
When you are looking for somthing easy to cook, yet grocery shopping is something that needs to be done, the question comes up..."What to Cook?" I ran into this very problem and wondered what to do. I wanted to make something new; I wanted to make something edible; and mostly, I wanted to make something my family would enjoy. So....
Something is in the oven, and I am not quite sure what it is. Grocery shopping is a must, but there is so many things in the cupboard that must be used up. When push comes to shove, you got to make a meal for the family. Am I promising tonight we won’t be eating McDonald’s once my concoction comes out - nope! At this point I am not really sure if it is even edible or if it will taste good. We will see in about 25 minutes and then will be the test of time… to see if my family doesn’t get sick from food poisoning.
With only two chicken breasts left in the freezer (not enough to feed a family of five) I devised a plan and improvised a little on the way. I found a package of Broccoli and Cheddar soup mix (just add water) and some egg noodles in the cabinet. It’s bound to make something edible. I also found some Ritz Crackers and canned chicken. With some string cheese and parmesan cheese in the fridge, I came up with a plan.
I cut the chicken breasts in chunks and placed them on the bottom of an 8x13 pan. I sprinkled some garam masala and minced onion over the top. I cooked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I made the Broccoli and Cheddar soup mix and boiled the noodles.
Once the chicken was out of the oven, I crumbled up 1/3 of the Ritz Crackers over the top. I layered on half of the noodles and then spread half of the soup over the top. I then sprinkled some more Ritz Crackers on top of the soup mix. I added the canned chicken. And Sprinkled on some parmesan. I put the remaining noodles and soup over top. Then I decorated the top with the remaining Ritz crackers, added some more Parmesan and then I ripped off slices of the string cheese and placed it on top in a checkered pattern. Once completed, I put the whole concoction back in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. So I sit and wait, wondering if it is edible or not!
Dump Cooking
More Recipes to try...
Do you plan on trying this recipe for your family?
See results without votingSupper is done. The concoction is on the table, along with some green beans and bread with butter. We all sit and just stare, the 1 year old baby is the only one brave enough to dig in without so much of a hesitation. We all sat and watched. He seemed to enjoy himself, so we all joined in.
I was pleasantly surprised at my little creation. Not only did it actually look good, but it tasted good as well. The kids loved it and my husband agreed. My little boy ate it all and my girls even licked their plates clean. We do have leftovers, so what can I really say, another successful night of supper at home. Maybe I will have to add this to the list of family dinners everybody will eat!
Now by no means am I claiming to be a chef. Usually nights like these usually end up in the drive thru at McDonalds. But what can I say, tonight was successful. We all have full bellies and were pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. I could describe it as a cheesy noodle chicken bake, but honestly, if you want to experience it, you are going to have to make it yourself. I could give you a name for it, but it was never given one… so for now, I present “Something in the Oven!”
Comments
PS......wecolme to Hub Pages, I am no oldtimer here myself, but it is packed with interesting and helpful people. Hope you stick around a while :)
My husband lovingly calls me a "dump cook" because I look around and see what is in the refrigerator and pantry and create things as you did with this dish. I love making homemade soups and such. They are never the same because it all depends upon what veggies, etc., are in the refrigerator when I get the inspiration to cook. They usually turn out very tasty...but to repeat? Never! Haha! From what you just wrote...you are a similar cook. Keep it up! You will create some great meals and then do yourself a favor...write it down as a recipe. You may wish to repeat it in the future.
Peggy...It is funny that you say about writing it down... that is the main reason I hubbed about it. If it tasted good, I could always refer back to this hub. If not, well, at least it was a tasty tale of disaster and comedy all mixed into one.
Onegoodwoman... thanks for the awesome comment. Maybe I will have to try another dump recipe soon. And glad I can meet such a great support system here. This place is really getting addicting in away! :)
How'd I miss this one? All good chefs can improvise with what is on hand and it looks like you did a great job! I had to laugh at the image of everyone just staring until little Max was brave enough to dig in:)
I'll have to make a dump dinner soon!
I am not really sure if that is a good chef or just a sign of someone being really hungry. However, I give him kudos.. Max is a brave boy. But really, Eli should have taken the first bite! It's a man's duty! LOL
True - the man made the baby go first! Haha!
I wish I had the skill and confidence to use this method of cooking. Voting this Up and Interesting.
Those times when you just throw things together, really can produce some great meals. Although, they can also produce extra trash! ha ha. Seems like you struck gold with this one.
Thanks for SHARING.
It sounds to me that you are a wonderful cook! Only talented cooks with great imagination can come up with what is on hand, and create mouth watering dishes like that. Thanks for SHARING! Rated up and etc.
Great idea and this surely must have been a big hit at the family table. I couldn't help but think of "Mikey" in a commercial I saw once who would try anything and if he ate , everyone else would eat. I saw your hubby's name is Eli, my middle name is Elias and I bet he was as proud of you and your culinary skills and probably bragged about you next day at work, you know that what we husbands love to do, brag on our wives.
@Brett - I have to admit I have produced extra trash sometimes too... although occasionally that was with a recipe in hand. Luckily this one worked because I had nothing else in the house! ha ha!
@SanneL - Thank you for the compliment. My husband thinks I am a good cook too... as he says is evident by his growing belly! I got lucky on this one - it was very delicious but they don't always go this way. Thanks for stopping by!
@Fiddleman - Thanks for stopping by and I bet Mikey would eat this... lol
Yes, my husband's name is Eli. Ironically, he never liked the name because of the song Eli's Coming. And because when he was younger no one could ever say it right. It has grown on him though because now that there are football players with the name he doesn't get nearly as much trouble with it. I have always told him though that I love the name.
And Fiddleman - I can tell you are such a gentleman... I bet you brag up your wife all the time! :)
I love making up different things to cook... in the last 3 weeks I have made up 5 different dishes! 2 of which ended up at mom and dads because I had too many leftovers. Still they have all turned out really well. Every time I make something up I think it will turn out poorly, but really as long as you don't put two things together that shouldn't be together it really isn't difficult to make something yummy!
@Myth - It still amazes me that you love to cook considering you hate to eat. I go through phases about loving to make things up. Lately... not so much in the mood... I am in the mood to go out and eat... so we have been doing some good ole convenience food.... mmm... pizza! LOL
Sometimes the best creations come up from experimenting on what you have around you. I'm fairly easy to please and will eat anything -- you're welcome to "dump cook" at my house. Voting this Up and Interesting.
@alocsin - Thanks so much... glad you got this going. The only bad thing about dump cooking is it can be difficult to recreate the same meal twice! Ah... but I remember this one and it was mighty tasty!
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onegoodwoman 19 months ago
You are indeed cooking! That is a skill....to go to almost bare cupboards, take what you do have and create a meal to feed a family!
You are a cook..........chefs are about the "presentation". Even the pattern you made with the string cheese is creative!