Crocker - Betty Crocker the Smart Dinner

Copyright 2017 by General Mills, Minneapolis, Minnesota. All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

www.hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-0-544-95459-5 (trade paper); 978-0-544-95451-9 (ebook)

Cover photos: BBQ Chipotle ChickenCheddar Sliders ()

v1.0617

GENERAL MILLS

Owned Media and Publishing Director: Amy Halford

Owned Media and Publishing Manager: Danielle Andrews

Senior Editor: Cathy Swanson

Recipe Development and Testing: Betty Crocker Kitchens

Photography: General Mills Photography Studios and Image Library

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

Editorial Director: Cindy Kitchel

Executive Editor: Anne Ficklen

Editorial Associate: Molly Ahuja

Managing Editor: Marina Padakis Lowry

Production Editor: Helen Seachrist

Cover Design: Tai Blanche

Interior Design: Tai Blanche

Interior Layout: Kelly Dubeau Smydra, Rebecca Springer

Senior Production Coordinator: Kimberly Kiefer

Bisquick is a registered trademark of General Mills, Inc.

Inspiring America to Cook at Home

Dear Friends,

Whats a smart dinner? Its an easy, no-fuss way to get a meal on the table while using up what you have on hand. Solving the dinnertime crunch while reducing food wastehow awesome is that? From one-pot favorites and meatless meals to even breakfast for dinner, youll find delicious recipes no matter what your evening has in store. Supper will never be boring with the likes of .

Take the stress out of meal planning with our , give easy-to-follow instructions for basic recipes like rice bowls and make-your-own pasta. You customize them by using what you have on hand. And look to the Way to Use tips with most every recipe that give you great ways to use up foods like tortillas, canned beans and fresh herbs.

So inventory your fridge and lets make dinner!

Look for recipes with these icons:

Quick fix 15 minutes or less prep

One pot Easy to make and clean up

Slow Cooker Dinners ready when you are

Make ahead Plan for those rushed nights

Getting dinner on the table isnt always easybusy lives and last-minute changes in plans can make you grab the phone for pizza delivery or head out for takeout. But dont fear: Look here for ways to make it simple to eat at home. It doesnt matter if everyone is eating at different times, if you need to make dinner ahead or if theres no time to cookyoull find plenty of great solutions to fit your needs. So now you can feel good about serving your family a home-cooked meal while using up what you have on handthats a winner, winner, great dinner!

Minimize Dinnertime Stress

Use these tips to help the dinner dash go more smoothly:

On the weekends, look ahead at the week. What nights will cooking dinner be difficult? Look for opportunities to make a meal or two in advance, such as slow cooker soups and chilies. When youre ready for dinner, youve got a big jump on the prep.

Rely on planned overs. That is, plan for leftovers. When you know there will be a night that people will be eating at different times, make a larger batch of dinner the night or two before so that the leftovers can be reheated on the hectic night. Store the leftovers in individual microwavable containers to make it easy for everyone to grab and reheat when they are ready.

Plan to make just one dish, then round out the meal with items you or another family member pick up at the deli.

Enlist the help of family members to get dinner on the table and clean up afterward. Not only does it spread out the work, but you get to spend more time together!

Grab-and-Go Customizable Pantry

Keeping your pantry stocked with items you use frequently will help on those nights when you need to whip something together. Below is a general guide: You can adjust it to your needs and familys tastes. As you make meals and find new favorite ingredients, make them staples for your own, customized pantry.

Meals can be whipped up quickly when you keep packaged goods like pasta and sauce, rice, soup and sauce mixes, broth, dried fruits and nuts on hand.

Favorite condiments can become secret ingredients to quick meals. Use ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce or salad dressings as sauce for pasta or rice, or to season meat before cooking. Try mixing a few together to create your own sauce.

Meats such as ground beef or turkey, pork chops, chicken breasts and shrimp are great to keep in the freezer for quick meals. Leftover cooked meats from the freezer are easy to reheat and add to pasta or rice dishes, burrito bowls, quesadillas or taco salads. Also look for frozen and refrigerated cooked chicken and meatballs and other convenience products to have on hand for the craziest of nights.

Frozen fruits and veggies make it easy to have them on hand without going bad (like fresh produce does) or to use when the fresh options arent in season.

Shop often for fresh fruits and veggies to have available for meals and snacks. Bagged salads, refrigerated potatoes and precut veggies make it a hop, skip and jump to having dinner on the table.

Dairy products like eggs, cheeses and sour cream in your fridge are great starts for simple dinners. Loaded omelets, quesadillas or grilled cheese make delicious, fast dinners.

Use Up What Youve Got

Your fridge and freezer might look bare... but take another look. Dinner might be just a few combinations of ingredients away.

Combine ingredients. If you dont have enough of one ingredient, look for things you can combine. Pastas can be combined and cooked together. Start cooking the types that take the longest to cook, then add the shorter-cooking ones later so they all get done at the same time. Not enough chicken for a meal? Add some shrimp from the freezer or a can of black beans from the pantry.

Get creative. Look for ingredients that could be used to make any of these standbys: stuffed baked potatoes, stir-fries, quesadillas, rice bowls, pasta dishes, pizzas or omelets. Keep in mind that not everyones dinner has to be the same. Customize them to each persons tastes and what you have on hand.

Do a fridge sweep. Before you go to the store again, do a sweep of what you already have and make soup. (Did you know that that is how restaurants get their soup of the day?) See for inspiration.

Go-To Dinners

On those nights when you just cant come up with what to put on the table, look to these last-minute ideas to solve the dinner dilemma.

Everyones Eating at Different Times

Have the food ready to reheat as needed.

Steakhouse Sloppy Joes,