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Okay, so I know I promised grilled fish tacos today, but I was just hit with a nasty little stomach bug, so I’ve pulled one of my all-time favorite recipes from the dark corners of OBB obscurity and I’ll share the grilled fish tacos on Monday, I promise!
I have a couple of “Oh, crap!” recipes in my arsenal. What, you may ask, is an “Oh, crap!” recipe? It’s not as bad as it sounds–it’s just one where I’ve been blogging (oh, I mean scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees!) all afternoon and realize that my hubby is on his way home from work. Or when someone calls and asks if I can bring dinner to someone who just had a baby, TONIGHT. Or when I’m beat and don’t feel like cooking (or cleaning up), but I still want something yummy for dinner. Basic definition of “Oh, Crap!” meal? Super quick, super easy, super tasty. With stuff I generally have in the house.
So do you remember last week in the healthy eating tips when we recommended using a little bit of a sharp or flavorful cheese? That’s exactly what we’re doing here. Even if you think you don’t like feta, the amount used in this recipe is just enough to give it an amazing flavor without being overpowering like feta can be. So don’t be scared. feta is yummy as long as you don’t get a giant chunk of it all at once.
Season with salt and pepper, toss it all together, plate it up, and top with a little extra cheese if desired. Done! And in record time!
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
A handful of fresh mushrooms, chopped
Whenever I have an “oh crap” meal, it usually involves pasta, heavy cream, basil (frozen in cubes, from trader joe’s) chicken breast, and whatever vegetable I have handy, broccoli, red pepper, etc. and garlic. It comes together in about 20 minutes, and looks pretty impressive.
Thanks! I’m going to try it tonight. Honestly, my “oh crap” meals are usually something that you can eat for breakfast. Omelets, waffles, etc.
I need more of these types of recipes…almost everyday is an “oh crap” day for me! This looks great, and I LOVE feta so I will definitely try it.
I have one I make just about once a week that my family LOVES! I got it from Taste of Home ages ago, called Hamburger Fry Pan Supper. I love that I usually have these ingredients on hand and it's so quick:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 c green cabbage, shredded
1 c carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 c water
lots of salt & pepper, LOTS!
Brown meat, add everything else. Cover and simmer on med-low for 20 mins.
This is so satisfying, a meal in itself, and tastes like a tin-foil dinner! My kids like to douse it with ketchup, but it's great with just a little butter.
a box of whole grain penne pasta, 1 jar of bertolli alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese and 2-3 chicken breasts (depending on how many people and desire of chicken).
Boil noodles in salted water, grill chicken and dice (george foreman does this pretty quickly).
Drain noodles. Mix sauce from jar and chicken with noodles into a casserole dish. Don’t worry about heating sauce, the noodles do this for you. Top with mozzarella cheese and put into the oven on broil just to melt the cheese.
Serve.
Depending on time of noodles and chicken, it usually takes 30-45 minutes. Completely worth it. My roommate requests this often.
Add broccoli if you like!
Mmm, that pasta sounds good, and easy.
We have a few “oh crap” meals in our house. Lots are breakfast foods, like someone else mentioned- omelets, waffles, french toast, etc. I also always keep some good, canned tomato soup around and we do soup and cheese panini a lot.
I never have spinach or feta in my house. I wish my “oh crap” meals looked like yours! I’m going to have to go buy some spinach and feta to try this meal.
Buy your feta from Costco. It’s cheap enough you can always keep it on hand.?
I love adding feta cheese to pasta dishes. This one looks good.
thanks for this recipe. I will add it to my oh crap list. Usually, my favorite oh crap meal is a minestrone type of soup. Pan fry some veggies (onions, carrots, celery, tomato), then some ground turkey if I have some, and then add a bunch of canned beans, spinach or kale, and vegetable broth/water. I love one pot meals that take less than 30 minutes to prep/make. Top with shredded parm or mozz cheese!
haha dinner tonight is an “Oh crap” dinner! Oops. Yours looks far better than mine!
Just cooked this for me and my boyfriend… OMG! So freakin’ good! Thanks for sharing this with us!
We tried it! So good! Thanks again!
I love a quick pasta dish too! Feta and spinach are a match made in heaven!
This looks great to me, I hope my kids will go for it. I have several “oh crap” recipes, but the two I use the most often are Taco soup and an old recipe from my college roomie called Mormon Goulash. Both are tomato/hamburger based and are a cinch to throw together. Plus they taste fab!
Pesto Chicken Pot Pie (my own invention).. it’s fast and easy and once you slap it together you get to chill while it cooks.
Yours looks pretty darn tasty..
Here's another great spinach feta combo that tastes wonderful and wound be an 'oh crap' meal too:
Spinach feta cheese scramble
3 cups fresh spinach
ground pepper
1 15 oz carton Egg Beaters' w/Yolk
1/2 c feta cheese
chopped frest tomato, optional
Spray medium skillet with cooking spray; add spinach and pepper. Cook until spinach wilts. 2-3 minutes.
Add Egg Beathers and cheese. Reduce heat, cook 1 minute without stirring. Then stir occasionaly until eggs set, 2-3 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes. Serves 5
I'm making you Spinach & Feta Pasta dish for our supper tonight. I love feta and spinach together….a match made in heaven!
Just made this for lunch yesterday. Had to substitute whole-grain spaghetti noodles (I’m usually not a huge fan, but they were good in this) and halved the tomatoes (not a tomato fan either). Delicious and 30 minutes start of prep to finishing cleanup. Can’t beat that.
I can’t thank you enough for this website. I’m a husband who likes to cook, but not all the time, and I’m married to a great cook, who I’d like to help out once in a while. I’ve tried a few recipes and every one has been a hit. I can’t say that about any cookbook I own.
Whenever I had one of those Oh crap moments I usually end up making Curried Black Beans and Rice! It is so yummy, quick to make and fits under the frugal meal ideas because it is a classic YUMMY beans and rice recipe. If you aren’t a fan of beans and rice you still should definitely try this quick and easy recipe.
I did a post on the recipe earlier today on my blog if you are interested in the full recipe.
iamfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/01/recipe-swap-curried-black-beans-and.html
Erin
iamfrugal.blogspot.com
A simple and tasty pasta.
I made this the other day. It was so good. I didn’t have any Feta, but it was still delish. Yummo!
totally good. although not an oh, crap recipes for me, since we rarely have feta around.
BUT a great recipe for throwing in things I have left (i.e. – a little bit left in the bottom of a jar of artichoke hearts, olives, sundried tomatoes)
thanks!
i'm eating this right now – it's amazing! i just added chicken sausage yummm
ooh yum. i love spinach in pasta dishes
Im trying really hard NOT to think about what YOU think a chunk of feta tastes like…but, I can't stop! If you ruin my feta-obsession, I will hold it against you forever!
🙂
Our last minute meal is eggs over easy on toast with cheddar cheese and barbeque sauce. I hated eggs over easy until hubs convinced me to try them this way . . . now I eat them even when he's not here. 🙂
I LOVE "oh crap" meals and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you put the WW points on there!
My favorite, which I always have the stuff for:
Pasta (usually fettuccini)
Olive oil
Grape tomatoes, halved
Basil
Capers
Mozzarella & parmesan
Boil pasta, drain, put back into pan. Add tomatoes, basil, capers and a bit of olive oil and mix all together. Mix in a handful of mozzarella cheese. Serve with a bit of parmesan on top & fresh cracked pepper.
Sometimes I add sliced onions or some garlic. It's easy to add or remove things and goes great with garlic bread and a salad.
How did I miss this recipe before??Yum–I get this same thing from Noodles and Co! I've always wondered about making it at home…not sure the hubby and kids would eat it…I guess more for me!
"Oh crap" dishes are sometimes the best ones! No way this would pass for a complete meal in my house though. I can just hear my husband now, "but honey, where's the MEAT?" 😀
I have a bunch of "oh crap" recipes too, almost all are remarkably similar to yours – cook up some garlic, add some veggies & basil (and shrimp or scallops), throw in some pasta & done. Another is for black-bean fajitas:
Saute onions, garlic & green peppers (chopped up). throw in a can of rinsed black beans. Add chili powder, cumin and 1/4 c of salsa & heat through. Serve on tortillas with cheese & lettuce & your regular fajita accoutrements.
and I'm posting again because I just remembered the best oh crap meal of all! Boil some spaghetti. while it's boiling, mix together 1 c plain yogurt, 1/4 c chopped fresh dill, 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp lemon rind & a squirt of lemon juice. When the pasta's almost done, throw in a cup of frozen peas & let them boil with the spaghetti. Drain spaghetti & peas & mix in yogurt. Add a can or 2 of salmon & eat!
One of my "Oh Crap" meals is penne pasta or linguine, a jar of alfredo sauce and frozen cooked shrimp and frozen petite peas…..Always works in a pinch 😛
I'll have to try this one! Thanks for posting it!!!! 🙂
I love your Oh Crap! recipes. They are my favorites.
This is one complete and fabulous meal! It looks great and easy to make.
kitchen tables
I do one almost identical to this! Great for when my husband invites people over and "forgets" to tell me 😉 We like to add Kalamata olives to it too. Thanks for sharing!
I make large batches of homemade spaghettie sauce and freeze a bunch–so that's my "oh crap" meal. Cook up some pasta and warm up the sauce–still homemade, but done in minutes.
Made this tonight…mmmm, mmmm, good! Hopefully not just cause I'm drunk! 😉 I guess I'll know for sure tomorrow when I eat the leftovers!
Thanks for posting a WW recipe! I'm down 16 pounds since March, and it's always nice to find a nice tasty healthy recipe!
Do you think this would still taste good with fire roasted diced tomatoes that my husband bought instead of the plain. I am just wondering if you think the flavors would still be good together? Thanks Kelley
Loved this recipe as well! I'll be featuring it along with your breakfast quiches as well!
http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com
Thanks!
I made this last night and loved it!!! But I'm wondering what the serving size is on this 1cup etc., so I can make sure I eat that and get the correct points for my WW! Thanks again for providing all these wonderful recipes, I love them!
I was also wondering if you know what the exact serving size is for WW. Thanks!
I tried this today and absolutely LOVE it. THANK YOU!
I love this recipe! I was told by a friend about this blog and I’m thrilled to say I finally found a recipe blog that uses ingredients I almost always have on hand! I can’t wait to try more. With Cinco de Mayo comming up the chicken taquitos look like a must try!
Would this be freezer friendly? I bought a big bag of fresh spinach and don’t want to waste it…but I can’t do to many meals that are similar right close to each other.
I think this one would be better fresh- but I’ve never tried to freeze it so I’m not sure!
The recipe looks amazingly fresh. Can’t wait to try it!! Thanks.
Hi! 🙂 I’m wondering if there’s a substitute I can use for spinach. I’m thinking maybe Water Spinach or Broccoli. Would that still work? 😀
I’m looking forward to testing this recipe out. 😀
Sure, you’ll just have to experiment though 🙂
my “oh crap” meal last night was beef stroganoff. I searched your site to find a variation (my quick-easy version uses cream of mushroom soup and sour cream, boring!) but was sad when I couldn’t find one. Maybe someday, right?
We’ve loved everything we’ve tried on this blog – THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
VERY GOOD! Since my partner doesn’t like mushrooms and used sliced black olives.
Thank You
This a great recipe. I tried the feta however I think next time I make this I’ll use parmesan cheese. Oh and I also added some crushed red pepper flakes. Totally a keeper.
I add bacon to this. It makes my husband sing.