Cheating

[RonB]

No, not that cheating. I'm talking about when you don't want, (or have the time), to cook from scratch. This could be a main dish or a side dish. It could even be a desert. I'm talking about when you buy something that you cook from a box or package. It could be as simple as adding ground beef to a jar of Prego to adding a bunch of spices to a box of ?? Please name names if you can.

I'll start with something my dad used to make that I still make occasionally:

He used a package of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, (or black beans) and Jimmy Dean's Hot Breakfast Sausage, (in a tube). He would brown 1/3 of a tube in a saucepan the correct size for making the rb&r and then add the Zatarian's and cook according to the package directions. That was always a family favorite and has been both a family favorite, and a party favorite for me.

[Mosca]

I believe I have both of those right now!

[xaugievike]

Zatarains jambalaya mix is a vice of mine...

[ComfortablyNumb]

I used to moonlight at a recreation centre on the weekends, basically babysitting the building during events, which were mostly catered, so I got to know most of the caterers in the East Bay. Some of them made everything from scratch, days of advance prep and lots of work on the day of the event. There was one, Fritz's Quality Meats in Concord, CA that had a single menu. The meats were tri-tip and chicken. He brought several Weber kettles and started the chicken on the grill then moved it to the ovens. Then he did the tri-tip. As for sides, he dumped canned green beans and instant mashed potatoes into chaffing dishes to warm up. Store bought rolls and bagged salad. Staff was one cook and two wait staff. Cook would get the kettles going and the girls would get the sides setup. Serve when ready, then pack up and go. I thought he was the smartest caterer, kept it simple, quick prep, and easy clean up. Yes, he was cheating, but nobody noticed as the meat was so good it was all they focused on, in fact it made the bagged/canned sides taste better.

Then there was a hot blonde on the Food Network years ago, all she did is dress up canned foods. Can't remember name or dishes, just that she was a dish.

[Yno]

The hot blonde was Sandra Lee, and her show was Semi Homemade. It was sort of semi controversial. She was actually a Cordon Bleu trained chef and a talented home decorator. Here set changed on every show to match the food she was highlighting. And every show had a theme cocktail. Way to go, girl!

She is now living with Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York.

[ComfortablyNumb]

That's the one, obviously you have a better memory than I. Or paid more attention! ;-)

[HorseDoctor]

A comment about her taste all being in her mouth would probably be political so I won't mak one...

[Skip]

We just buy the envelopes of Spanish Rice. Tastes good and just the right amount for two of us.

[Nuke em]

Been craving rice lately. Got lazy after cooking from scratch 3 times last week....so I used 5 minute rice. I can really taste the difference

[Polarbear777]

Pressure cooker (instant pot) made me throw out my rice cooker. It can cook 7 cups (dry) of perfect _brown_ rice in about ~45 minutes (28 minutes at pressure plus the initial warm up time).

White rice is ~12 minutes at pressure so easily under a half hour.

[FireMan]

RonB , if it’s good, it’s good. Memories are sometimes the best of a meal.

Yno , whenever I see your avatar I feel I’m in the presence of royalty.

[Butchman]

The Kirkland pulled pork that Costco sells is rediculously good. All you have to do is heat up the boilin bag and it needs no sauce. I just shake my head when I eat it and marvel about the amount of time and effort thats required to make a dish that tastes that good.

[FireMan]

We’Re back to the meat in a bag thing huh? Don’t get me started.

[Baltassar]

I've been known to use the meat from one of those pre-cooked Costco chickens as an ingredient. You can make little crispy bits from the skin to sprinkle on top. Also, admittedly, we sometimes just eat the thing.

[JCGrill]

Bisquick for drop biscuits. Any brand of pizza sauce. And no, I don't think Bisquick is very good, but I'm not much of a baker.

[RonB]

That's all my mother used, so I like those biscuits.