CONVENIENCE PRODUCTS JUST FINE SOMETIMES January 7, 2004 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Welcome to 2004. If one of your resolutions for the New Year is to eat healthier, join the club. This is a resolution of many Americans, myself included. Let's try together to shape up our plate this year.

Obesity is a major problem in this country. Not only are many American adults overweight, but extra pounds have become almost a trademark of our kids. Childhood obesity increases the likelihood that the children will develop diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other conditions. Not a very pleasant future -- for the kids, their families, or the economy.

Health experts believe that eating more meals at home is a major way for American families to fight obesity. But I know the typical American family is just too busy to cook a meal and sit at the table to eat it. I confess to eating too many meals away from home myself. I often kid that lunch is a meal eaten in a car, never at a table. But things can change . . . and they're gonna.

One option for creating meals fast is to take advantage of the many convenience products in the grocery store. It is true that such products typically cost more than cooking from scratch, but so do "eat out" meals.

Over the recent holidays, I tried out two convenience products and was very pleased with their speed and flavor. The first product was refrigerated mashed potatoes. Basically, you heat and eat; how easy is that?

The particular brand of refrigerated mashed potatoes I tried was on sale, so I bought two packages and froze one to see if the results were satisfactory. They were. Being able to freeze this product is great not only for taking advantage of sales but also for small families that cannot consume the entire package at one time.

The second product I tried was frozen chicken tenderloins that can be cooked from the frozen state. Some of us busy people have trouble remembering to thaw in advance. I cooked the chicken in a grill pan on top of the stove, splashing it with bottled Italian dressing. My family was very pleased with the results.

Another technique for fast home meals is to prepare and freeze dishes that can be cooked when needed. Check out the following recipe for a ground beef casserole similar to lasagna. My family also approved it.

Yet another technique is to use recipes requiring few ingredients. The recipe for Cauliflower with Lemon Sauce fits this bill. The sauce would also be good with Brussels Sprouts and asparagus. It's even gourmet enough for company.

Cook ground beef in large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or till no longer pink; drain. Stir in diced tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; simmer 30 minutes. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Combine cooked noodles, onions, and sour cream till blended. Place noodle mixture in bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheeses. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more.

Casserole can be frozen up to one month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed.

Yields 6 generous servings.

Adapted from Southern Living magazine.

I suggest doubling the sauce.

If using fresh cauliflower, break into florets and rinse. Place florets in microwave-proof container with several tablespoons of water; microwave on High about 6-8 minutes or till tender crisp. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. If using frozen cauliflower, cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

Combine mayonnaise with equal amount of cooking liquid, the lemon juice, and seasonings. Blend with fork till smooth.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 1/29/04