Hometown Focus Recipes

By Staff | on June 09, 2023

Suppertime has always been the most stressful time of day for me. Given the number of recipes I see claiming to be ready in 30 minutes or less, I’m not alone.

Over the years, I’ve found an easy way to save time without sacrificing taste by using convenience foods. Canned, packaged, and frozen foods eliminate the need for peeling, measuring, and precooking which saves a tremendous amount of time.

These ingredients have a longer shelf life making them ideal to keep on hand in the pantry or freezer.

While convenience foods are just that— convenient—some of them may also contain a large amount of sodium, sugar and preservatives so make sure to read the label, especially if you have dietary restrictions.

I have enough recipes to share from soup to nuts, but with space limitations, I only have room to share eight of them today. I’ll submit more of these recipes another time when it's "convenient."

Pork Tenderloin with Gravy

Recipe by: Martha Howe

• 1 (2 lb.) pkg. pork tenderloin• 1 tsp. Adolph's meat tenderizer perpound of meat (original, unseasoned)• 1 (0.8 oz.) pkg. brown gravy mix• 1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroomsoup (undiluted)• 1 (8 oz.) can mushroom stems andpieces, drained

Coat pork tenderloin generously with meat tenderizer 24 hours before cooking; cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare gravy mix as directed on package. Combine soup and mushrooms; stir in gravy mix. Pour mixture over pork tenderloin in baking pan. Cover with foil and bake until temperature reaches 145

degrees to 160 degrees, about 45 to 90 minutes. (Yield: 6 to 8 servings)

Broccoli Rice Casserole

• 1/2 c. chopped onion• 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli• 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine• 1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can broccoli cheese soup(undiluted)• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cheddar cheese soup(undiluted)• 1 c. long grain rice, cooked accordingto pkg. directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and broccoli in butter or margarine 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in milk and soups until smooth. Stir in rice. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. (Yield: 6 to 8 servings)

Chicken Roll-Ups

Recipe by: Roberta Stricker

• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened• 1 (1 oz.) pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix• 1 (10 oz.) can chicken, drained andchopped• 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese• 1 pkg. flour tortillas

Combine cream cheese, Ranch dressing mix, chicken, and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients well. Spread mixture on tortillas to within 1/2-inch of edge. Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, remove plastic wrap and cut off both ends of the tortilla. Slice remaining tortilla into desired number of pieces.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

• 1 (15 oz.) can whole or diced tomatoes• 1 (24 oz.) jar pasta sauce• 1/2 tsp. salt• 3/4 tsp. dried basil• 1 (1.37 oz.) pkg. thick and zestyspaghetti sauce mix

Frozen meatballsSpaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

Stir together all ingredients, except spaghetti, in a Crock-Pot. Cover and cook on low 5 hours. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti. (Yield: 4 to 6 servings)

Sunshine Salad

Recipe by: Kathy Carter

• 1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges,drained (reserve juice)• 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks,drained (reserve juice)• 1 (1 oz.) box fat-free, sugar-free instantvanilla pudding• 1 banana, peeled and sliced

Combine fruit juice with pudding mix, stirring until combined. Add oranges and pineapple; mix well. Chill. Right before serving, add banana. (Yield: 4 servings)

Shortcut Vegetable Soup

• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes• 1 large onion, chopped• 1 (17 oz.) can carrots, drained (reserveliquid; optional)• 4 stalks celery, diced• 1 (15 oz.) can sliced potatoes, drained(reserve liquid; optional)• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce• 1 (7 oz.) can peas, drained (reserveliquid; optional)• 1 (7 oz.) can green beans, drained(reserve liquid; optional)• Water plus reserved liquid to equal 21/2 c. or drain vegetable liquid and use2 1/2 c. water• 1 Tbsp. Lawry's seasoned salt• 1/2 stick margarine

Combine ingredients in Crock-Pot. Cover and cook on low 5 hours until heated through and onion and celery are tender. (Yield: 4 to 6 servings)

Better than Garlic Bread Pull Apart Rolls

• 1 (1 lb. 9 oz.) pkg. frozen Parkerhousestyle roll dough, thawed• 1/4 c. butter, melted• 1 tsp. garlic powder• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Thaw dough according to package directions. Melt butter; stir in the garlic powder and garlic salt. Dip each roll in the butter mixture and place in a greased 10-inch round cake pan, or 9×5-inch loaf pan.

Put the pan in a warm place free from drafts, cover with a towel and let rise an hour. Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until brown. Put the pan on a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes before removing bread. (Yield: 6 to 8 servings)

Quick and Easy Lemon Bars

• 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. lemon supreme cakemix• 1 stick butter, melted• 1 egg• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensedmilk• 1/2 c. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the cake mix, butter and egg. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour mixture over the top of the cake mixture. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into bars. If desired, dust with powdered sugar right before serving. (Yield: 24 servings)

Margaret McNeil lives in Memphis, Tennessee, and has contributed several recipe columns to HTF.

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