When people think of dinner they often think of big, warm meals that paints the evening’s ambiance with a certain coziness and comfort. The next thought however is of dread because preparing dinner often takes a lot of time and effort, which is why people settle with eating out.
However, you don’t have to confine your dinner meals to fast food chains or a recipe that takes a life time to cook. There are tasty thirty minute dinner recipes that don’t take much effort or ingredients to deliver that much-aspired homeliness that only a home-cooked meal can offer. Here’s a few below:
Barbecued Shrimp Served with Pecan Rice
Ingredients:
- (2) tsp. olive oil
- (1) cup onion – chopped
- (2) cups white rice
- (3) cups of chicken broth
- (.5) cup pecans – chopped and toasted
- (2) tbsp. parsley – chopped
- (.5) cup steak sauce
- (6) tbsp. cider vinegar
- (6) tbsp. ketchup
- (6) tbsp. brown sugar
- (3) tbsp. bourbon
- (2) tsp. hot pepper sauce
- (2) lbs. medium shrimp – shelled and deveined
Directions:
- Over medium heat, begin heating oil in a pan. Add in the onions and cook for 3minutes until they are tender brown. Add in the rice and cook for 3 minutes until it is golden. Lastly, add in the broth and let this come to a boil.
- Cover this, lower the heat, and then let the broth evaporate until you get tender, golden rice. This will take roughly 20 minutes.
- When ready, take it off the flames and then stir in the parsley and pecans for a few seconds.
- In a separate bowl add in everything but the shrimp and blend them for a few seconds. Then add the shrimp to the mix and toss so you get evenly coated shrimp pieces. Grill them for 3 minutes to 5 minutes until you get both sides nice and even.
- Add the shrimp on top of the rice and serve. This recipe is good for 4 servings in total.
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Ingredients:
- (6) oz. fettuccine – uncooked
- (2) cups broccoli – frozen and chopped
- (10.75) oz. cream of mushroom
- (.5) cup milk
- (.75) cup parmesan cheese – grated
- (3) cups chicken – cooked and cubed
- (.25) tsp. pepper
Directions:
- Begin by preparing the fettuccine according to package instructions. This often involves boiling fettuccine for roughly 15 – 20 minutes.
- During the last 5 minutes of the first step, add in the broccoli. Let it finish and then drain out the water.
- Take a large skillet and place it over medium-heat flames. Mix the fettuccine-broccoli blend with the cream of mushroom, milk, cheese, chicken, and pepper. Cook this for roughly 5 minutes.
- Dish is good for 4 servings and is best when served hot with buttermilk biscuits.
Tex-Mex Lasagna
Ingredients:
- (5) flour tortillas – 10 inch
- (15) oz. tomato sauce
- (15) oz. black beans – rinsed and drained
- (1) cup whole kernel corn – frozen
- (.5) cup green onions – chopped
- (8) oz. four-cheese blend
Directions:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 400 Degrees F. While doing this, prep a 3-quarts baking dish (rectangular) with your nonstick cooking spray. Set this aside for later.
- Now take the tortillas and cut them into four quarters. After cutting, take 6 tortilla quarters and fill the bottom of the dish. Keep the cut sides of the tortillas against the edge of the baking dish.
- Layer this with a third of the tomato sauce, cheese, onions, corn, and beans.
- Repeat steps #2 and #3 two more times and then cover the whole baking dish with foil. Bake this initially for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and then continue to bake for an additional 3 minutes to melt the cheese.
- This is good for 6 servings and is best with salsa and sour cream.