Quick Meal Ideas for Busy Families

If you are anything like me, you struggle with the idea of what to serve your family at mealtime. The day seems to get away from me and I look at the clock.. 5:15!!! I have not even thought of dinner. With kids' activities, housework, taking care of the animals and who can forget "work", planning meals can really be a challenge. Actually, it was a huge challenge until I became acquainted with Gourmet To Go. These food mixes are simple to prepare and only require one or two ingredients (ex. cream cheese, canned tomatoes, sour cream, or water). I always have something to make AND I now have a use for left-over food that nobody seems to want to eat. These mixes are delicious on their own when prepared as directed. I have been able to "change things up" a bit and put together my own variations on some of the popular mixes.

Jambalaya (aka the PERFECT left over maker)
This mix, in my humble opinion, is better than the popular store bought mixes. I LOVE this mix when I have cooked chicken or extra smoked sausage. The mix requires water, tomato sauce and a choice of meat. I like to add at least two meats when I make it. It has a spicy "zing" that my husband and I just love.

Cheesy Potato Casserole
This is a great side dish that can be made into a fantastic breakfast meal! It requires water, cheese, and a can of Campbell's Cheese Soup. My friend decided it would make a good breakfast casserole to take to a brunch. Well, she was right! She made the casserole, mixed in some prepared scrambled eggs and cooked breakfast sausage and topped it all off with some cheese melted on top. The guests at the brunch all just HAD to have the recipe! What a HIT!

Peanut Butter Pie
This scrumptious pie mix was recently introduced to the Gourmet To Go product line. It requires one 8 ounce block of cream cheese and a 8 ounce tub of cool whip. Mix together and pour into a prepared crust (graham cracker, oreo, shortbread). It does not require peanut butter. I like to spruce things up a bit. I added about 5 crumbled Reeses Cups to the mix and put it into a chocolate crust. Talk about YUMMY!!

I have been able to put together some quick meals for my family with these wonderful gourmet mixes. However, I can't forget to mention many of the other great ways I have been able to use Gourmet To Go. These food mixes make fantastic gifts for friends, neighbors, and teachers. Put together a few mixes (Chilly Weather Chili, Corn Fritter Hush Puppy Mix, and Spiced Apple Cake Mix) and have a perfect fall gift pack or holiday gift. At Christmas time, I like to put together a little gift bag with some of my favorite pie and dessert mixes. I get comments and questions about the products all year long!