1. Frozen Chicken Breast: It’s best to buy it in bulk then separate and freeze. Thaw in cold water or the fridge before you use.
2. Pasta: Whole grain if your family will east it, pasta is a great vehicle for all kinds of sauces and veggies.
Eggs: Who says a meal has to have meat? Eggs are a great base for all kinds of filling dishes: think omelets, frittatas and breakfast for dinner.
3. Sweet Potatoes: The great thing about sweet potatoes is that they keep forever and you can make them sweet or savory depending on how you prepare them.
4. Canned Tomatoes: They’re a terrific and easy base for tomato sauces and they’ll cook down to make a great sauce for fish or poultry, too.

IF all else fails, order out!

There are many recipes which incorporate instant oatmeal into the ingredients. These recipes include muffins, cookies, crisps, and crumbles. Instant oatmeal can also be used to make mouthwatering oatmeal bread, or it can be added to homemade pancake recipes to flavor and thicken the batter.

One of the beauties of instant oatmeal is that because instant oatmeal comes in so many flavors — such as brown sugar, strawberry cream, apple, blueberry and others — all recipes may have numerous variations in flavor.

While creating these delicious recipes, one must not forget the health benefits in every cooking creation that includes instant oatmeal. Instant oatmeal contains whole grains, which are essential to a healthy diet. It also contains antioxidants and is useful for reducing cholesterol, keeping your heart healthy and is quite filling, which helps to curb the appetite.

Recipes can be found online as well as in heart healthy cookbooks. So pick up some instant oatmeal and instantly you can create healthy, delicious alternatives that won’t need a spoon.

That last bit of spaghetti sauce has new life when spread on toasted Italian bread, topped with mozzarella and a snip of fresh basil, and broiled to bubbly perfection.

Rice, with a bit of chopped up leftover meat and veggies, becomes fried rice. All you need to effect the transformation are a bit of oil and soy sauce and an egg. For a change of pace, make porridge. Add broth to a soupy consistency, chop up some leftover meat, and cook slowly over low heat until you have a thick, savory dish. If you can throw in some thinly slice oyster mushrooms when you add the meat, so much the better. Generous amounts of salt and pepper add flavor.

Leftovers from that Thanksgiving dinner make a great shepherd’s pie. Mix stuffing, chopped turkey, and the leftover vegetables with some gravy. Top it all with a thick layer of the mashed potatoes, sculpted into whirls and peaks. Dot your masterpiece with butter, sprinkle a bit of paprika, and bake at 350 until the potatoes have a golden brown crust.

A little creativity makes the old into something new.

Ramen Noodle “Popcorn”

Take one package of your favorite flavor and crunch up the pasta into small bits right in the wrapper. Then pour in the desired amount of seasoning packet and shake. You can also eat them plain.

Ramen Noodles with Olive Oil and Spinach

This quick and easy variation is really taste. Make one pack of noodles per directions, drain off all water, add seasoning packet, a splash of olive oil, and a handful of spinach. Mix it all together and enjoy.

Mix and Match Ramen Noodles

This is kind of like setting up the toppings like a salad bar. Ramen Noodles go great with just about anything from grated cheese to ground beef to pinto beans to hard-boiled eggs. Depending on how many people are dining, make at least one package of noodles per person. Set out the toppings, seasoning packs, bowls, forks, etc., then everyone can mix in whatever extras they choose.

While traditionally Italian, fillings are only as limited as your palate. Any pizza topping or sandwich filling is perfect as a calzone. Here’s a favorite recipe for a sandwich-turned-calzone, delish served with an Irish lager, stout or ale:

Rueben Calzone (serves 2)

1 8 oz pkg refrigerated or homemade pizza dough
pound corned beef
cup rinsed/drained sauerkraut
lb shredded Swiss
4 tablespoons Russian dressing (bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
1 beaten egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Roll dough into rectangle
Spread Russian dressing onto of rectangle
Top dressing w/corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss (forming a “mound” )
Fold over second half of dough, pressing over the “mound” and press/pinch edges to seal
Brush top with beaten eggsprinkle with caraway seeds
Place on pre-heated pizza stone or baking sheet
Bake 12 – 15 minutes or until top is golden brown

Serve with additional Russian dressing for dipping

Calzones make the perfect stuffed bread meal! Choose your “pizza toppings” and put them on the inside of the dough, bake and enjoy!