One of the easiest ways to save money and make a quick meal at home is to have a handful of recipes called Fast Five Meals! The reason they are called Fast Five Meals is that you can have 5 or so recipes that you always have the ingredients for and can make on the fly!
I teach menu planning classes through Savings.com that help teach you some of these tricks!
Some of the Savings.com DealPros swapped recipes, to try each others Fast Five Recipes. I got a fun box in the mail the other day with a recipe from Maria at A Savings Wow to make a Torta recipe that is in her Fast Five Meals.
In the box was a recipe, a few goodies, and a $20.00 gift card to purchase the ingredients to make the recipe. One MyLitter reader will have an opportunity to win A Fast Five Meal Recipe Box from Savings.com; the details are at the bottom of this post.
I have never made a Torta before, and I might have done it all wrong, but whatever I made was AWESOME and I had it the next day as well!
Along with my Torta I also made some brown rice and corn on the cob to go with it. I chopped up some onions and browned it with some ground beef.
When the ground beef was done, I chopped up some tomatoes and mixed up some eggs, adding it all together.
Then taking my Kohl’s griddle, I was able to cook them all up in about 7 minutes!
I didn’t really know they should look like, and Maria mentioned making them like omelets so I did. I added a little cheese on top, and plated them for the kids.
They were a HIT! They were SOOOOOO good and SIMPLE and CHEAP to make. PLUS, I probably have all the ingredients about 95% of the time. I can also add really anything that I want. It was super easy and filling.
AND, I made a few extra and had them for lunch the next day with a couple of my kids. These would be great for lunch to take to work.
Tortas – Fast Five Meals
From Maria Ramos ( A Savings Wow)
1 lb. Ground Beef
6 Eggs
Salt, pepper
Onion chopped (optional)
Tomatoes Chopped (optional)
Rice (optional)
Directions:
Brown the ground beef (with onions) then drain.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl adding the spices
Mix in the ground beef
Mix in the tomatoes
Fry the mixture into little omelets
The number of omelets made will depend on the size
Serve with rice (optional)
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I don’t have anything like this to fall back on. I love the idea!! 🙂
Mexican is our favorite quick meal. I always have hamburger, cheese, and either tortillas or shells.
I have a few fast five recipes that are great, but my favorite is mongolian beef served with rice and steamed snow peas. I tend to keep snow peas or edamame in the freezer or fridge, and they come in microwave safe bags and the rice cooks with I make the beef.
The recipe calls for a pound of flank steak, which cooks very quickly on medium-high heat, so it’s convenient on the fly. (Stew meat works great too when the price is better!) Just combine about 3/4 cup of hoisin sauce and a few other ingredients in a bowl together (crushed red pepper, 2 tsp water and 2 tsp dark sesame oil, and green onions) and cover the beef in the mixture when it is done cooking. The great thing is once the sauce’s ingredients are bought they last for a long time due to the small amounts needed so they’re always all in my pantry.
Sorry — The rice cooks WHILE I make the beef, not with
I don’t have a Five Fast Recipe but I would sure like one! How have I never heard of this before??!! 🙂
As a mother of four I should have many fast recipes but I don’t! I love your blog because you give great tips for recipes and help me use my coupons to save money!!!!
One of my favorite “fast five” recipes would be taco casserole: leftover broken tortilla chips/tortillas/broken taco shells, taco meat, cream of something, cheese, & ranch beans. If I have anything else on hand that sounds like it would go well, I toss it in. It’s never the same kind twice but it’s always good!
There is one recipe that I always have the ingredients on hand that if I needed to make a quick meal the family loves it. All it takes is ground beef, any seasoning you like (I prefer garlic salt), brown gravy mix, what ever veggies you have on hand. Mix the ground beef in a bowl with what ever seasonings you have on hand that your family likes. Shape the hamburger meat into hamburger patties and cook them in a skillet. Make what ever veggies or side items you have on hand (usually have green beans, carrots, or a salad) then make the brown gravy mix to pour over top of the hamburger patties. It is a quick and easy meal to make.
french dip! some great italian bread, boar’s head roast beef, swiss cheese and au jus. assemble the sandwich, pop it in the toaster oven while heating up the au jus. messy but yummy and gets some protein in the kids before all their sporting events!
well with seven kids i have a couple of fast fives!!!veggies from the freezer tossed with whole wheat pasta and cheese is a fav around here..but i love new ideas..so keep them coming!!
I don’t really have anything like this to fall back on…. but would like to try this quick meal to get started.
We always have ingredients for tacos made with homemade taco seasoning.
I have so many quick recipes I make but I guess most often is breakfast tacos I always seem to have all the stuff on hand.
My go to meal is Spanish rice. Brown hamburger meat, while that is browning cook rice. Once the meat is done add taco seasoning and a can of tomato sauce. Mix the rice with the hamburger meat. Put it in the oven with some cheese on top and heat until the cheese is melted.
Quesadillas or taco salad
My fast 5 is Chicken Santa Fe
4 chicken breasts or tenders
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can black beans drained
1 12-16 oz jar salsa
8 oz cream cheese, cut into 1″ cubes
Put it all into a baking dish, sprinkle cream cheese cubes across the top. Bake at 350 covered with foil until chicken pieces are done, about 35 minutes
If you dont mind adding a 6th ingredient, sprinklie with mexican blend shredded cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Oh I love this!!!
Mine is Spaghetti cheesy casserole. Whatever noodles I have on hand, ground beef, pasta sauce, , cream cheese, and shredded cheese for on top. Throw it all together and heat in the oven while the cheese melts. Always a hit. I can’t wait to try the Torta’s tonight.
One of my favorite fast five dishes has got to be chicken fried rice. A bag of frozen tenderloins (or left over rotisserie chicken) steamed rice, a scrambled egg, and some frozen veggies. Add in bacon bits, soy sauce, whatever else on hand! Voila! Dinner 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway – what a neat idea. Cecilia
simple, easy burritos. ground beef, taco seasoning and some cheese and black beans…..voila! done! a few new items to add to the “Easy” rotation would be nice too!!
Mine doesn’t really have a name, but is kinda like a red beans and rice with only 4 easy ingredients. I cook the boil in bag rice. Heat up a can of Ranch style beans- don’t drain them. Cook some frozen sausage. Layer it all together on the plate- rice on the bottom, followed by the ranch style beans, some shredded cheddar, and top it with sliced sausage. My kids LOVE this!
We always keep ingredients for a quick stir fry on hand at all times…just chicken, chopped mixed vegetables, seasoning and rice. I always fall back on this is if we need a quick meal or if I am too tired to cook a big dinner that night. Plus it’s fast, and healthy at the same time.
my fast five is always taco salad you always have lettuce, tomato, cheese, and hamburger and nacho’s in the house. wonderful when your busy and need something quick
I always have taco stuff and spagetti on hand. Not the fanciest meals but they do in a pinch!
Yes, Tuna casserole. It’s fast and easy.
I love your torta tips! Going to use for sure. 🙂
Our fast fall back meal ingredients are:
1 can black beans
1 avocado
1 tomato
cheddar cheese
eggs
Basically, scrambled eggs topped with the above. Delish, thrifty & always on hand!
Sounds like a good plan. I am going to try the torta and my go to is Spaghetti. Would love more quick ideas.
my 5 easy meals are usually
chicken and rice
spaghetti and meat
taco
tostadas
or breakfast for dinner 🙂
Chalupas are a Fast Five in our house.
Refried beans (or Ranch Style beans)
Cheddar Cheese
Tostado Shells
Lettuce & Tomato
Heat Beans, Spread, and top with cheese & produce. You can even add ground beef if preferred.
🙂
MINE IS BREAKFAST FOR DINNER! ALWAYS HAVE EGGS AND PANCAKE MIX ON HAND!
Buffalo style nachos! We just had them last night too!
I guess mine is tacos…I really don’t have many…I need to start looking around for more of these simple dishes.
Chicken Pot Pie (faking homemade)
I love how this “Pie” gets my kids and husband to eat their veggies!
Cooked cubed chicken w/salt & pepper. (Shh.. sometimes its canned chicken)
2 Pie crusts (I cheat, beacause I always have the dough ones in the freezer)
Mixed Veggies (frozen /can or VegAll:carrots, corn, peas greens beans etc)
Cream of chicken
Cheese (my house believes in the more the merrier)
Milk just a splash to make it creamy!
——–
Put pie crust in pie pan in oven and cook until crispy 10-12 min @ 325
While that is in the oven toss all the other ingredients in microwave safe bowl. mix and heat stirring occasionally until cheese is melted.
Remove pie crust from oven, pour in ingred. from micro.
Add 2nd crust to top, pinch close with finger tips. (i have Not quite mastered this as beautiful as Martha or Betty)
If the kids are biting at the ankles, they get to cut a design in the top crust.
heat for 20 minutes and you have a dish that is delish!
We love it around here!
Homemade mac and cheese is our fast recipe on hand!
I don’t have a Fast Five, but I’d love to have more quick recipes!! I love to cook, so my recipes tend to be more involved, but there are days when I don’t have a lot of time, so I’d love to have quicker ones on hand.
All of our Fast Five meals are the breakfast-for-dinner variety – SO quick and easy and breakfast is usually cheaper than dinner! This recipe would fit in perfectly with our theme!
I do! Pizza casserole – noodles, spaghetti sauce, hamburger, and shredded cheese – my girls love it!
I make up freezer bags with chicken, rotel (or a jar of salsa) and taco seasoning. All I have to do is thaw and throw it in the oven or even the crockpot. Then I have my meat base for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas or taco salad. All of those come together in a flash and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.
Another is breakfast for dinner. Throw some frozen fruit in the blender for a smoothie and whip up some pancakes and eggs. So fast and easy!
I don’t currently have a fast five, but this is an awesome idea. I would have to say that we use pancakes as our “meal in a crunch” item. We often add chocolate chips, fruit, even bacon to give us a change of pace. Thank you for all of the great ideas that make life as a mom just a tad bit easier…we can all use that.
Cool giveaway!! Crockpot chicken
I was so into finding new fast recipes that I didnt even realize this was a giveaway post, too. Does that tell you how busy I am? lol
LOL!
Mine would be tacos, and now I can add the torta!!
We have several fast 5 recipes. The one I make the most is probably chili — homemade seasoning, canned tomatoes, beef, beans, and rice.
Mmmm this looks so good! I was brain storming something to cook tonight, and I just so happen to have ground beef defrosted in the fridge that needs to be cooked tonight = )
My fave fast 5 is French bread pizza… I have a huge family and this is sooo fast and easy as long as you have bread ( any kind will do, but I do like French Bread the most) a can of tomato sauce or a bottle of BBQ, some cheese, and any toppings of your choice. Throw it all together put the oven on 450 and let it bake about 5 mins and your good to go! I love making this meals because you can get really creative with it = )
I don’t really have any fast recipes like this- sounds neat.
Spaghetti! I always have ground meat, Ragu and any pasta on hand. Been making it with spiral noodles here lately so the toddler can feed himself. 3 ingredients and literally done in 15 minutes. 🙂
Oh another is chili!
1 lb ground beef
Chili packet
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can diced chili ready tomatoes
1 can ranch style beans
Dash of chili seasoning
For serving:
Rice or Fritos or crackers
Shredded cheese
Brown meat and add all ingredients in pot. Heat until bubbly. WaaLaa! Serve over rice or Fritos or just with some crackers, sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
On my off time I cook up a dozen hamburger patties & put a bunch of marinated chicken breasts in the oven to bake. All the meat & cleanup is done in under an hour. Once the meat has cooled, I place them in freezer bags & freeze. When I need quick meals, or my family is hungry while I am at work, all you have to do is place a patty or piece of chicken between two paper towels, microwave on high for a minute or two and zap a bag of freezer or canned veggies. Dinner in under five minutes!
Breakfast for dinner! Eggs, crepes, pancakes and the like!
Chili mac is one of my easy meals to throw together and I usually have everything I need. 🙂
I love how you added cheese to this! It looks delicious! 🙂
I do! Migas (Spanish for friends)
3 corn tortillas cut or torn to pieces
2-3 Eggs (beaten in a bowl) salt to taste
Oil
Heat oil, add tortillas and fry to desired (I like mine a lil’ toasted)
Add eggs and mix together til egg is done.
You can also dice up the following friends to add(lol)
Tomatoes diced
Onion diced
Jalapeños diced
Whole pinto beans (drained)
Add any og these
Keep the recipes coming!!
Taco spaghetti ! Hamburger meat cooked with onion, green pepper, add in taco seasoning. Toss with spaghetti noodles add tomato.. Serve with sour cream and guacamole
I like to brown boneless skinless chicken breasts or pork chops in a little olive oil. Then add a can of cream of mushroom soup that you have mixed with about a can of milk. Simmer this about 30-40 mins cover with lid or alum foil. Fix white rice- serve with your mushroom gravy over . have a side salad or make bag of frozen turnip greens & turnips
I don’t really have anything to fall back on other than pasta, and I’m getting a little sick of that! This sounds like a great idea, with four little ones it’s always hard to make something healthy and quick enough to satisfy them. Please count me in on this giveaway:)
We have a few quick things, here lately our quick go to meals are frozen meals from Trader Joe’s
Our quick recipe is usually spaghetti… Italian sausage/ground beef, jar of pasta sauce, Parmesan cheese, pasta.
Spaghetti, tacos, quesadillas, beef enchiladas (enchilada sauce, ground meat, cheese, tortillas) that’s the usual! I’d love to try out new ones, and I’m going to definitely use some of the recipes in the comments!
My fast five is chicken and stuffing… A pound of cooked chicken, box of stuffing, can of cream of chicken and can of cheddar cheese soup. Mix it all together and bake.. So easy!
We do cheesy chicken with corn flakes as our go to dinner.
Yes, mine is clam spaghetti- all you need is pasta, canned clams, purple onion, garlic, olive oil, and spices. All easy to keep in the pantry!
I wish I did. I will definitely try this recipe. Is sounds good!
Spaghetti, chili, tacos are always quick and easy.
Our favorite is a beef and broccoli noodle bowl. Sliced beef (already cooked – it can be fajitia meat leftover, thin sliced roast, flank steak), broccoli, linguini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a tsp of sugar. I add edamame to mine; the kids don’t appreciate that yet.
My kids fave Fast Five is Sausage Bake, and Eggrolls
1 lb ground pork sausage, crumbled and fried
1 bag of frozen brocoli florets
1 sm. bag or box of frozen corn
Velveeta (this is to taste, we like cheesy so we use quite a bit!)
Minute Rice, or Chicken flavored rice.
Cook the sausage and rice. Place both in baking dish, add brocoli and corn, top with cubed Velveeta. Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted. My kids love this!
Eggrolls:
Cooked crumbled sausage/ or shredded chicken or pork
Shredded cabbage
Shredded carrots
diced mushrooms
wonton wrappers
Mix the choice of meat with the veggies, place into wonton wrappers and roll like burritos. Fry in skillet until golden brown. Serve with soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Egg Rolls do not sound like much of a meal, but they are very hearty!
We love quesadillas and I also make banana pancakes quite often.
Our fast meal is always tacos! I love this torta idea though, so much more fun than plain old tacos!! 🙂
Spaghetti and quesadillas are two that we usually fall back on. Always looking for new recipes though!
I have a couple of fasr fives…tator tot casserole and tacos. I definitely need more 🙂
We call ours Poor Man Fajitas where you simmer cubed chicken breasts in salsa until cooked and serve like you would fajitas. I guess this would work in taco shells too. This was one of about 3 meals I knew how to cook when I was first married and we still eat this 11 years later!
My fall back menu is sometimes spaghetti and sometimes tacos.
Thanks for the giveaway.
I don’t have my own Fast Five, but what a good idea! This sounds like a good one to try.
Do you think instead of the yellow/white onion you added to the meal that a purple/red onion would still have a good flavor to mix with the eggs, ground beef, and rice?
Just wondering I am allergic to yellow/white onions.
Side note it stinks when we go to Outback steak house can not have the blooming onion any more.
Yes I am sure you can!!
I don’t but definitely need one or tons with our busy schedule:)