Easy Dinner Recipes Already In Your Pantry

As a frugal cook I look for easy dinner recipes that consist of 5 ingredients or less to purchase and no more than 30 minutes to prepare. I wish I had the time to prepare my mom's best 5 course meals that take all day to bake. With 5 kids, dance schedules, soccer practice and so on, there is absolutely no way.

Honestly if I had the budget, I would frequent the local drive thru, pizza parlor's and grocery store hot deli's but I can't afford it and I know as a good mommy it's not healthy but I must say during the week it would be convenient.

So I have to find different methods for getting cheap meals on the table with little prep time and lot's of servings. I have just about every cookbook and cooking magazine possible but for Easy Dinner Recipes, my favorites are found right on the Campbells soup label. When shopping I will actually read a bunch of the soup labels just looking for new recipes.

Most all of the soup can recipes are less than five dollars to make saving my budget and less that 5 ingredients to prepare saving my time.If your a meal planner, then these are common items you already purchase anyway.

I buy chicken and ground beef every month as well as rice and pasta. Add a stock of soups and Campbell's helps you put those items together to create a quick and easy meal. Here are 5 of my favorite Campbell's Soup can dinner recipes:

Campbell's Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Add a mix of fresh veggies or a bowl of fresh fruit for a delicious cheap family meal that is healthy for the heart.

Ingredients

• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 pkg (approx. 9 Oz's.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 cup of cubed cooked chicken or turkey
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of all purpose baking mix (like Bisquick)

Directions:

1. Mix soup, vegetables and chicken in a 9-inch pie plate
2. Mix milk, eggs and baking mix.
3. Pour over chicken chicken mixture
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until golden

I found a great side dish from the Campbells Soup can label called Broccoil 'n' Cheese Casserole. I wanted to make a meal out of it so I added in some chicken and pasta and it turned out to be the best Healthy Dinner Casserole. It's a quick dinner idea my family loves to eat.

Chicken, Broccoli 'n' Cheese Casserole

Found on Campbells Soup Can and added to it
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Add a dinner salad and side of fruit for a complete healthy meal

Ingredients:

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken cut-up (use what cheap or already in the freezer)
• 3 cups corkscrew pasta (rotini), cooked and drained
• 1 can (10 3/4oz.) Campbells' Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 bag (16oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

1. Stir soup, milk, mustard, broccoli and cheese in a 2-qt casserole dish or pan.
2. Mix in chicken and pasta.
3. Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle over mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.

This is one of those easy dinner recipes for the kids. We serve this often as it's cheap and so easy to make.

Campbell's Tater Tot Casserole

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 8-10.
Add a can of corn and a can of sliced peaches for a cheap healthy meal the kids will love.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cans (10 3/4oz) Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 pkg tater tots
• Grated cheese

Directions:

1. Cook hamburger until done, drain grease and add soup
2. Lay tater tots in bottom of 9 x 13
3. Put hamburger on top of tater tots
4. Cook in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes
5. Add grated cheese and finish cooking until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I think this is one of the most popular Campbells Soup label recipes. I usually prepare this first thing in the morning, refrigerate and toss in the oven to bake that night.

Campbell's Chicken and Rice Bake

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Serves: 4-5
Add some warm french bread and a side of green beans for a complete nutritious meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of chicken
• 3/4 cup of uncooked white rice, not instant rice
• 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/3 cup of water

Directions:

1. Stir water, rice, soup and seasoning in shallow baking dish then add chicken.
2. Sprinkle chicken with additional seasoning.
3. Bake at 375 for 45 min to 1 hour or until rice and chicken are done.
4. For a nice finish, top the chicken with cheese and toss back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt. (optional)
   

The recipe I believe to be the best from Campbell's. This is the most popular side dish for holidays, family gatherings and Church functions. It's inexpensive, which is great if being prepared for a large crowd and so simple.

Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• Dash pepper
• 4 cups cooked cut green beans
• 1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions

Directions:

1. Mix soup, milk, soy, pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a casserole dish.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.
3. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

See how easy it is to prepare easy dinner recipes that taste good, are healthy for the family and light on the pocketbook. You don't have to rumage through cookbooks, spend hours on recipe website's or subscribe to cooking magazines, just take a look in your pantry. Just about every label or box of food has a recipe. The best part, most of those recipes are cheap and easy to make.