Quick and Easy Recipes

By Linda Larsen, About.com Guide

The less time you spend in the kitchen, the more time you'll have for the rest of your life! These quick and easy, delicious recipes will help you feed your family well, with less time and less money. Convenience foods, five ingredient recipes, 30 minute recipes, crockpot recipes, and make ahead recipes are just some of the goodies you'll find here.

Appetizers and Snack Recipes
Side Dishes and Salads
Main Dish Recipes
Soups and Stews
Baking and Desserts
Start With ...

Seasonal Recipes
Five Ingredients or Less
Favorite Recipes
Breakfast and Lunch Recipes
Dinner Recipes
Inexpensive Meal Recipes

Appetizers and Snack Recipes

Appetizers can be a palate-teaser, or they can be the whole meal. Learn how to combine appetizers to make a fabulous party, along with my favorite recipes. And if you have a growing family, snacks are crucial to your day. Having healthy snacks on hand, or having a repertoire of quick-to-make snacks, will save the day.

Side Dishes and Salads

Side dishes include vegetables, potatoes, and rice. Salads include main dish salads, hot and cold, along with side salads from a simple lettuce combination to a gelatin salad. Many of these recipes can be made ahead of time, and they are all yummy.

Main Dish Recipes

The main dish is the centerpiece of the meal. But you don't have to serve a big chunk of meat. A main dish, or entree, can be a casserole, kabobs, a pie, or pizza. These quick and easy recipes cater to every taste. Your family will love them.

Soups and Stews

Soups and stews are not only delicious and nutritious, but easy on you. Most soup recipes, especially those cooked in the crockpot, just require you to put food in the pot and turn it on. These quick and easy recipes are delicious.

Baking and Desserts

Many people think that a meal isn't complete unless there's a sweet ending. Now, you don't have to serve a layer cake or homemade pie with every dinner. Many of these recipes take just minutes to make. And they're all delicious and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!

Start With ...

Start With ... is a collection of recipes that 'start with' one easily available, readily stored, and inexpensive ingredient, and builds main dishes, salads, soups, and desserts from that ingredient. This ever-expanding collection includes quick and easy recipes that are fast to make.

Seasonal Recipes

As the calendar turns, certain foods come into season, and our tastes and needs change. What is delicious on a hot summer evening just doesn't work on a cold winter's night. Then there's the holidays. You know what that means - cooking and baking! With these recipes, tips, tricks, and shortcuts, you'll breeze through the year easily, serving your family wonderful food.

Five Ingredients or Less

Yes, I know it's 'five ingredients or fewer' but that just doesn't sound right. All of these recipes use five ingredients or less, not including water, oil, flour, sugar, and seasonings. Everybody should have those things on hand! There are endless permutations of five ingredient combinations, from Five Ingredient Crockpot Recipes to Five Ingredient Chicken Stir-Fry Recipes. Stay tuned for dozens more!

Favorite Recipes

Everyone has their favorite recipes; these are mine. They include recipes my mother made when I was small, fabulous recipes from my grandmothers, and those which have become favorites throughout the years. You'll love them too!

Breakfast and Lunch Recipes

Breakfast and lunch may be the most challenging meals of the day. You can, of course, rely on cold cereal and canned soup, but what fun is that? These recipes and ideas, from make ahead breakfasts to crockpot sandwich recipes, are quick, easy and delicious.

Dinner Recipes

Dinner may not be the most important meal of the day biologically, but it's the most important socially. Your family should sit down to the table for dinner at least a couple of times a week. Families who do this have a better connection, and the kids are less likely to get into trouble. But you don't have to cook and bake for hours. These easy menus and meal ideas will get dinner on the table in no time.

Inexpensive Meal Recipes

These quick and easy recipes and menus will feed four people for under ten dollars. Using fresh foods, seasonal ingredients, and cooking quickly from scratch, these recipes will help you feed your family for much less money.