30 Minute Weeknight Meals

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WeekNightHero #CollectiveBias

Running a food site, one of the most common questions I face is "Where can I find the time to cook?" or multiple incarnations of "I wish I could cook, but I just can't work it into my schedule."

Far from being unique quandaries, a veritable industry has evolved around the concept of 'quick meals' and 'easy recipes' designed to work inside of people's weekday schedules. This is so prevalent, in fact, that calling a recipe 'quick,' 'simple,' or 'easy' is borderline cliché, while at the same time being a unspoken requirement in order for the idea to gain any real mainstream traction.

Gourmet plating, pristine table settings, and luxury ingredients have been relegated to sort of 'food couture.' Similar to certain strains of high-fashion, they exist almost for the sake of themselves, serving more as a spectacle than something that people actually aspire to own or create.

This is my two-part answer to that tired question. First, I'm going to reinvent the Sloppy Joe, tailoring it so it can be made either on a week night, or right before your favorite show or game. Second, I'm going to take a more 'gourmet' approach, and develop a 'quick and easy' Fettuccine Alfredo that can be made inside of a half hour for even the busiest of week nights. In both cases, the process is eased along by Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking, which I picked during a recent Walmart run.

Using Campbell's Mexican Tomato Soups for Easy Cooking, I developed a Mexican Style Sloppy Joe. Timing myself, the creation from cutting board to plate, minus the recipe development, took just under thirty minutes. That means in approximately one half hour, you can be feasting on a quintessential comfort food item. A harmoniously familiar combination of jalapeno, oregano, and garlic meld into a singular rustic note with a vague hint of fire. Cinnamon and cumin provide unexpected tones of earthy spice, while lingering on the palette between bites.

Using Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking: Savory Portobello Mushroom, I developed a Portobello Fettuccine Alfredo. Yes, timing myself, I managed to pull off a 'simple' Fettuccine Alfredo in just one half hour. A traditional combination of garlic, onion, and olive oil tinged by notes of lemon are carried on a creamy base of milk, butter, and Parmesan. Hints of spice permeate the Alfredo courtesy of the Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking: Savory Portobello Mushroom. Topped with freshly grated Romano cheese and fresh Italian parsley, this dish is 'week night gourmet' at its finest.

Those are just two of the ways I do 'weekend meals on a weeknight schedule,' but I would love to hear how you keep the weeknights fresh and appetizing. What are some of the ways you would keep your meals interesting despite a busy schedule with Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking? Get easy homemade recipe ideas here!

Mexican Style Sloppy Joes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 (14.5 oz) carton Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking: Mexican Style Tomato
1 tbs. olive oil
½ large onion - diced
1 jalapeño - diced - with or without seeds
1 large cloves of garlic - chopped
¼ cup Italian parsley - chopped
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ cup of cheddar cheese - shredded
Your choice of bread

For the Salsa:
1 avocado - diced
1 beefsteak tomato - diced
1 clove garlic - chopped
¼ cup of Italian parsley - chopped
2-3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. vinegar
1 tbs. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat a large cast iron pan with olive oil; add the onion, garlic, jalapeño and parsley and sauté until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the ground beef and sauté until the beef is cooked through and then add the Campbell's: Mexican Style Tomato and simmer on low for 10 - 12 minutes.

For the Salsa:

Combine all of the ingredients for the salsa in a bowl and toss.

Warm the rolls; top each half of the roll with the sloppy Joe mixture, followed by the cheddar cheese and finally finish each half topped with the salsa.

Portobello Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 (14.5 oz) carton Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking: Savory Portobello Mushroom
2 cloves garlic - chopped fine
¼ cup of scallions - green stems only - chopped
¼ cup of Italian parsley - chopped
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese - grated
4 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking: Savory Portobello Mushroom
1 cup of milk
1 - 2 tsp. lemon juice
Parmesan or Romano cheese for grating
1 lb. of Fettuccine noodles