Victoria Shearer - Quick, Cheap Comfort Food: 100+ Fresh Recipes for Meals in a Hurry

Published by Sellers Publishing, Inc.

Edited by Megan Hiller
Cover design and interior by Heather Zschock

Sellers Publishing, Inc.
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e-ISBN: 13: 978-1-4162-0781-8

Quick, Cheap Comfort Food text copyright 2011 Victoria Shearer. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form, by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of Sellers Publishing, Inc. e-books.

September 2011

Hey, Junior Julia. Its me, Mini Martha. You were my inspiration!

R ich, unpretentious, feel-good food. Thats comfort food. Whether its a taste memory from your childhood spaghetti and meatballs, mac n cheese, peanut butter and jelly or a guilty adult pleasure chocolate cake, a half-pound burger, a loaded baked potato comfort food is personal.

Maybe youre tired, youve had a bad day, or the world just doesnt seem like a very nice place at the moment. You might long for a taste of the peaceful times you remember growing up. You want to feed your family good, healthy, comforting foods, but you dont have a lot of time or money.

Quick, Cheap Comfort Food shows you the way, with more than 100 easy-to-make, inexpensive, comforting recipes. Cheaper and more nutritious than take-out or fast food, most dishes can be prepared in fewer than 30 minutes and all cost less than $4 per serving.

Some days you may wish you could just take something out of the freezer in the morning that you can pop in the oven after work or after a long day of kids and carpooling. In Quick, Cheap Comfort Food, youll also find recipes that you can make ahead, in fewer than 30 minutes, when you have some weekend time to putter in the kitchen. Simply freeze the dishes until you need them. The defrosted dishes will cook up in minutes, while you relax and put your feet up.

And because sometimes you simply want to come home at days end to the intoxicating odors of something cooking in the kitchen, youll find some slow-cooker meals. Load up the slow cooker in the morning and your meal cooks itself while you go about your life. Its ready when you are.

A well-stocked pantry and freezer are every cooks best friends, and at mealtime can make the difference between stress and solace. A complete inventory list at the conclusion of Quick, Cheap Comfort Food is all youll need to make every recipe in this book without having to make a special trip to the store. And armed with an arsenal of time- and money-saving tips, youll be able to share a world of nourishing food in a nurturing environment with those you love.

The scout motto: Be prepared applies to cooking as well as to life in general. Before you begin making any of the recipes in this book, take a couple of minutes to assemble all the necessary ingredients, measuring utensils, mixing bowls, cooking equipment, etc. You will be amazed at how much time and how many steps this simple routine will save you.

Youll find the recipes herein sprinkled with graphic icons, designed to provide you with useful information at a glance. Youll quickly see if a recipe can be made ahead or prepared in a slow cooker .

Weve figured the approximate cost per serving for each recipe so you can plan your weekly budget.

For each recipe, we have included actual prep time (hands-on time) and cooking time (hands-off time) to assist you in your meal planning.

Finally, a potpourri of useful tips includes suggestions for substitutions and innovations within each recipe, helping you cut time and costs even more.

Look for the detailed pantry, refrigerator, and freezer list in the back of the book. This comprehensive survey lists every ingredient youll need to prepare any recipe in this book, as well as necessary kitchen equipment and supplies. Youll find more time- and money-saving tips here as well.

This book Quick, Cheap Comfort Food is divided into nine chapters. Most of the recipes in Breakfast All Day are hearty enough to double as a quick weekday dinner. Out of Hand shines the spotlight on some great, speedy meals on the run, including sandwiches, burgers, brats, and pizza.

Super comforting on a cold winter day, Some Like It In The Pot focuses on soups, stew, chili, and chowder. Oodles of Noodles provides myriad pasta recipes, including some make-ahead and slow-cooker dishes.

When you want to serve something special to family or friends but you dont have a lot of extra time or money to spend on the task, When Company Comes provides applause-winning solutions. And if you want to put all the necessary food groups together tastefully in one dish, look no further than One-Dish Dinners.

Farmers Market highlights salads and vegetable dishes, while Side Shows rounds out the meal with potatoes, rice, beans, and breads.

And, of course, what is more comforting than dessert? Sweet Eats has something to satisfy every sweet tooth.

When asked what she considers comfort food, a friend stated: It depends on what needs comforting. Quick, Cheap Comfort Food has all the bases covered. Comfort yourself. Start cooking!

Hearty Fare for Any Meal