Easily Prepare Your Own Pre-Packaged Meals At Home

Don’t you just love to grab a box, throw it in a pan, and have dinner ready! Well, of course, a convenient meal is a must with a busy family. Having a supply of ready-to-go meals in your pantry is a convenience, to be sure. But, the expense is way beyond most family’s budgets. So, what are you supposed to do when your hungry family comes running through the door after a hectic day of activities?

Having convenient meals on a tight budget is possible. Creating homemade meals that begin with pre-packaged mixes is one step to replacing those expensive store-bought boxes. By making several homemade versions of your favorite ready-to-make boxed meals, you will save money and be able to choose your own healthy ingredients.

When you walk through your grocery store aisles, you’ll be amazed at just how many of those pre-packaged meals can actually be duplicated at home. You can quickly and easily create “easy meal” counterparts in your own kitchen, using a few basic ingredients.

There are several classic dishes that are easily recognizable by most people, and just as easily duplicated. Let’s just take a look at a few of these dishes for which you can create a ready-to-go mix that’s easy and delicious.

Red Beans and Rice Mix: A traditional Southern dish, you can just add the beans to the cooked mix, or you can add other ingredients to create a real Cajun meal. Consider adding sausage, seafood, ham, chicken, vegetables, and the like to make jambalaya. Anything goes with this mix!

Suggested mix ingredients: 1 cup long grain brown or white rice, 1 tablespoon dry onion flakes, 1 tablespoon dry celery or celery seed, 1 tablespoon dry green pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup bacon bits. This is the basic dry mix suggestion, but you may want to experiment with some of your own ideas for ingredients. Use the rice cooking instructions, then add your beans, and any other ingredients you have choose.

Rice & Roni Mix: Another classic boxed ready-to-cook dish. Make this dish as you would typically the store-bought version, or add diced chicken, meat, and vegetables to fill it out a bit. This mix creates a one-dish meal that can be easily improved upon to fill up your family’s tummies.

Suggested mix ingredients: 3/4 cup long grain brown or white rice, 1/4 cup broken spaghetti or vermicelli, 1 tablespoon dry onion, 1/4 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or a combination of dry thyme and dry sage, 1 tablespoon dry parsley, 3 chicken flavored bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon powdered bouillon. Again, this is a basic suggestion for a dry mix recipe for a classic dish. Experiment with the flavors and the addition of meats and vegetables to create your own specialty.

Creamy Parmesan Rice Mix: Want a kid-friendly dish? This rice dish is nice and creamy and cheesy, making it perfect for kids. Because you use powdered milk, you can include it in the ready-to-use mix, rather than using fresh milk when the dish is prepared. You will really appreciate having this mix waiting for you in the pantry when your hungry little ones’ are patiently waiting for dinner.

Suggested mix ingredients: 1 cup long grain brown rice or long grain white rice, 2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon, 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (dry in canister) not freshly grated. You may be happy with this dish just as it is, or you may wish to improve on it with the addition of some vegetables or meat.

The cooking instructions for these mixes will depend on the amount of rice in the mix. The ingredients you use in the dry mix will depend on your own personal tastes. When it comes time to cook the meal, follow the rice cooking instructions from the box of rice you used, then add any other ingredients you wish, being sure the ingredients have been properly prepared and cooked if necessary.

When you find out just how easy it is to make your own homemade “boxed dinners”, you’ll start searching for ways to make all your family’s favorite dishes using these convenient dry mixes. Won’t it be great to grab a package out of your pantry, mix in some meat, chicken, fish, or vegetables and have a brand new meal in no time at all, and for a fraction of the cost?

Pre-packaged meals are a big help on those busy nights when everyone is coming home after work, school, and all those other activities. Just a couple ready-to-use mixes in your cupboard is all you need to quickly mix up a hot, nutritious meal for your hungry family. Now you don’t need to stock up at the grocery store on those expensive boxed dinners. Making your own homemade versions of your family’s favorite meals is a shortcut that you can appreciate on a hectic night, not only because it’s fast and easy, but because you made it with love… at a fraction of the cost!

Boxed rice side dishes can be expensive. Homemade mixes give you a real opportunity to save money and control the ingredients. Your Own Homemade Red Rice Mix and Your Own Homemade Vegetable and Rice Mix can easily be made right in your own kitchen, saving you money and time when it comes to your hectic evenings.