One way to make quick dinners is to wrap something – almost anything, really – in a tortilla. I keep tortillas on hand in the pantry, because they’re great for nights when I’m wondering what I’m going to fix.
Oh yes. I have those nights too, where I stand in front of the pantry and fridge surveying the contents. Some of my best recipes come from those forced cooking sessions.
Here’s how I create those recipes. I’m going to share my system so you can do the same thing. Some of you already cook this way, but for others, it’s a new experience.
Let’s say you’ve got a pack of tortillas handy. Knowing a quick meal can be pulled together using those, we’ll start there.
Next, check your fridge and freezer for any meat you may have. Leftover cooked chicken, ground beef or pork and even sausage can be used. For this meal, I chose Italian sausage. It doesn’t have to be Mexican to be wrapped in a tortilla. No rules here!
You’re also going to want cheese. Tortillas and cheese are like peanut butter and jelly. They belong together! For this recipe, I grabbed a block of Monterey Jack and started grating.
You could stop there if you wanted. Sausage and cheese would be filling all on it’s own. But since I had half a jalapeño and some frozen corn, I decided to add those. You could also use red or green bell peppers, onion, garlic, zucchini…let your imagination and pantry guide you.
Now it’s just a matter of deciding how to cook what you’ve got. This would make wonderful enchiladas. Just add a simple red sauce to the top and bake.
But I was in a hurry, so I chose to make quesadillas. Crispy on the outside and melty on the inside. Everyone loves these!
Sausage and Corn Quesadillas – a 15 Minute Meal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 1 cup corn
- 1/2 jalapeño seeds removed and diced
- 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 8 - 10 Azteca tortillas
- oil or cooking spray
Instructions
- Cook sausage over medium heat in a skillet until done.
- Add corn and jalapeño and heat through.
- Spread sausage/corn mix on one half of tortilla.
- Top with cheese and fold tortilla over.
- Cook over medium heat in large skillet or griddle until toasted on the outside.
Well, it depends on how distracted I can keep my toddler 😉 Usually I shoot for meals that can be done in 30/45 minutes or less..
I love Azteca tortillas too and I think I’ll be making this recipe for dinner tonight! My weeknight meals are usually prepared in 30 meals. Once in a while I’ll get fancy and go overboard.
30-60min. I try to do as much prep as possible earlier in the day while our toddler naps, such as slicing/dicing, browning meats, making bread, etc. so that definitely helps! Thanks for this chance! We also are a big tortilla-loving household. 😉
I love your idea about quesadillas! I like the idea that you can use many different things to fill them, what a great way to get creative. Generally, I spend between 30 minutes to 1 hour on preparing dinner. I prefer 30 minutes.
During this season of my life, 30 minutes or less is my goal!
I try to use my crockpot when I can. We like to make chicken tacos and add cheese, peppers (my kids love hot peppers), some of us add salsa, sour cream and every now and then corn. This is one of our favorite meals. We eat a lot of chicken and it’s something I can cook the chicken ahead of time and a quick fix. I also take the flour tortilla and put in the skillet with a little bit of butter and then add my fillings. It makes it kind of crispy on the outside. Just yummy! 🙂
I try to keep my weeknight cooking quick and efficient because of everyone’s hectic schedules! 30 mins or so is my hope!
I try to make it quick by doing prep ahead of time. My hardest thing is planning! If I have all my ducks in a row, 15-30 minutes.
I think we usually spend average of thirty minutes for dinner each night.
It all depends — I got a slow cooker a few months back and in the winter/beginning of spring it took 15 min to get dinner on the table (just enough time to make a side dish). Now in the summer we are big grillers so it took a little longer but we ate more! Now that my little one is in a new school (Kindergarten in a public school), dinner will probably take 15-20 min again since we will once again start using the slow cooker.
well it use to take 1 hour to figure out what to make and 30 to 40 minutes to cook. but thanks to your help no time at all i just defrost the night before and put it in the crockpot. I love Azteca tortillas !
I usually spend about 30-45 Minutes making dinner.
I usually don’t spend more than 30 minutes on a weeknight meal. Tonight’s will be even faster because it’s in the crock (provided it turns out!), and I’ll just have to make a side.
I usually spend between 30 – 45 minutes on supper at our house. I use my crockpot a LOT and anything Mexican is our fave.
On average, I usually spend one hour cooking a weeknight dinner. Thank you for this awesome giveaway opportunity! I love your site and all the fantastic recipes! 🙂
Any meal that’s ready in less than 30 minutes is a “quick” one in my house! Not too easy a feat with 2 boys and a hungry husband 🙂
Chopping and prepping takes me the longest. Even a simple stir fry can take me upwards of an hour or more to prep depending on the number of ingredients. I would much prefer to have it move much faster, but rarely succeed.
I usually spend 30-45 mins making dinner during the week.
Usually half hour preparing. Cooking sometimes takes longer. Use the crock pot often!
It usually takes about 30 minutes to 45 minutes. My toddler always decides to cling to me when I”m making dinner, so it takes longer.
Weekday dinners are pulled together within 30-45 minutes tops. Quesadillas and Pizza Quesadillas are on the menu once a week most of the time.
Probably spend about 45 min on mosteals. If I’m going for something a little more fancy, I’ll take up to two hrs making the parts!
I stress about dinner for longer than it takes to make it usually. I strive for 30minutes or less.
Usually it takes around 30 minutes to pull a quick meal together
30-45 minutes
depends on what were eating but usually takes around 50 minutes with cleanup as i go then getting everything ready for putting it on the table so around and hour i think
Usually about 30 minutes !
I usually spend about 30 to an hour, depending on the meal. I love to cook, so it’s enjoyable to me. Thanks for the giveaway!
I try to spend no more than 30 minutes on a weeknight. 😀 I make quesadillas all the time as a quick go to!
It usually takes 30-45 minutes to get everything cooked and on the table for dinner.
I usually spend about 30mins cooking. Sometimes it can be a challenge I’m always looking for easier ways to cut cooking time, by slow cooking or prepping meals ahead of time.
I usually spend 30-45 minutes. One of my stand bye is chicken burritos.
Flour tortillas
Shredded Mex cheese
Shredded chicken , canned or left over
Frozen Stir Fry vegetables omit seasoning packet
Salsa
Microwave vegetables, drain excess liquid. Add 1 cup favorite salsa. I use homemade, but jar is OK. Shred chicken with vegetables, add salsa, cook 5 minutes for flavors to blend. Warm Azteca flour tortillas, spoon chicken/vegetables on tortilla, add cheese. Fold and microwave 30 seconds for cheese to melt. I put mine on the griddle. Serve with chips & salsa and your favorite beans!
I love to keep tortillas on hand too! In fact, I had some in the pantry and was thinking of doing a black bean and corn quesadilla, but I might just have to try these 🙂 I usually spend about 45-60 minutes preparing supper, but a lot of that is usually prep time. I love days I can throw something quick together or do breakfast food or paninis and be done in 15-20 🙂
Usually they take 30-45 min but I love nights that are quicker. I make quesadillas a lot with leftover chicken & cheese. I usually get carried away & make extra then we have them for lunches or another quick dinner. I just did this. We had them for 2 quick dinners. They reheated quickly on baking sheet in oven & dinner was ready for my husband & I. No one else was home so just a great quick dinner for us.
Weeknights usually 30 minutes to an hour…and yes everything goes good with Aztec tortillas
I on an average weeknight I spend 30 minutes on supper. Some nights I do need a quick 1-15 minute meal.
Thank you.
With a busy husband and a crazy toddler it takes me about 30-45 minutes start to finish to get a decent meal on the table. However I do as much prep cooking as possible on Sunday night so some meals take no time at all!
It usually take 30 minutes.
30-45 minutes is the norm for me
No kids, One husband and me but I still like to find quick and easy meals in this HOT AND STEAMY Florida location. I love to use tortillas for anything from breakfast burritos to tacos and enchiladas.
Depends on what I am cooking but it can take me about 45 minutes to an hour with two small kids (1 and 2 years old).
It usually takes me about an hour to cook dinner plus I make lunch for my husband, father in law and brother in law every morning Monday – Friday and it usually takes me another hour. Full time working mother of 2 and I can still cook 2 complete meals daily 🙂
I usually take 30 minutes to 1 hour to make dinner. It all depends on how much prep work. A favorite of ours is tacos. I make them about once a week. Love the Aztec product!
about 45 – 60 minutes…wish it was shorter
I always seem to spend an hour making dinner. Even with supposed “30 minute meals”, I always hit the 50 minute mark. Challenged I know. 🙂
When I have time to cook I spend about an hour. Between school and baseball we rarely eat at home! 🙁
I try to keep it less than an hour, preferably closer to 30 minutes.
Dinner usually takes me at least half an hour. Longer if little people want to help. This is a great site! So glad I found it!
30-45 minutes Max!
I usually spend about an hour. This generally includes some clean-up and packing my husband’s lunch for the next day. Thanks for all the good recipes and tips you provide for your readers. 🙂
30 minutes of prep/hands on cooking… At the most. Most dishes end up in crock or oven. So hands off for an hour or all day.
I would say 30 to 40 minutes or less.
Week night meals usually take a good 30 minutes, unless I have something in the slow cooker.
I try to make dinner in 30 minutes or less, but sometimes may take until 60 and I look for a lot of crock pot dinners which is a great time saver
I usually spend about 15 mins chopping and another 20-30 cooking.
I cook about an hour or so a day for dinner.
I usually spend between 30 minutes to an hour on any given dinner. The sausage/corn quesadillas will definitely be added to my 30 minute recipes. Thanks so much
I normally spend 30 to 45 minutes preparing dinner every evening. I love crock pot meals that do not take long to get on the table, and it is a good way to prep meat for burritos and tacos.
I spend between an hour and thirty minutes. Thanks for the chance to enter.
For weeknight dinners, I usually spend about 30 minutes to cook.
It usually take me about 30 minutes to an hour…just depends on how much my son wants to ‘help’.
Usually 30-45 minutes on a weeknight.
I try not to spend more than 30 minutes working on dinner. I have two young children and I work full time. I want my evenings to be spent with them!!! I also try to make at least one dinner over the weekend that I can just reheat or use for left overs.
Usually about 30-45 minutes. But with back to school & gymnastics 3 nights a week, I’ve been utilizing the crock pit a lot more! Practically done when I get home!!
I love to make quick but delicious meals,but sometimes the quicker the better. And I always feel good using up leftovers to create another meal rather than throwing food away. On average dinner takes me less than an hour from start to finish.
I usually spend around 30 minutes but try to get some of the major prep work done beforehand if possible!
I am disabled, so it takes me longer then an able bodied person to do. With that being said, I usually require an hour or so to prepare a meal, that does not include the cooking of it. I would benefit from any and all ‘ short cut ‘ or easy meal ideas. Thank you.
I try to find the quickest meals I can get on the table during the summer months but other times I would say up to an hour !
I usually spend 30 min on evening meals unless I use the crockpot. But I love to to cook and enjoy taking my time to prepare a good meal on the weekends.
I probably spend about 15-30 mins cooking on weeknights. Sometimes longer if the recipe is complex.
On weeknights it is usually less than half an hour.
I spend a minimum of 30 minutes cooking dinner every.single.weeknight. Ugh. 😉
I usually spend between 30mins to 1 hour.
I wish it usually took 30 mins but often takes closer to an hour!
I do any prep work that can be done ahead of time in the morning, so dinner usually takes about 30 minutes, now cleaning up is another story…. always looking for new recipes that are easy
I usually spend 20-30 minutes on dinner. With all our family’s activities, I aim for quick & easy healthy meals so we can avoid the drive-thru! I love my crock-pot because it lets me do almost all my meal prep in the morning and leaves my evenings free to help the kids with homework in between sports and music lessons.
Maybe 15 minutes to an hour depending in what’s being cooked…
30 minutes or less
It takes me about 25-35 min I have three children under age 5 so the quick n easy meals are the best!
My life is insane – so I try to always use the “make two and freeze” method. That way we always have a choice and it is nothing to throw it onm the stove. I also love my crockpot meals! On average I would have to say that because I make-ahead some meals I probably don’t sopend more than half an hour.
I am retired now so I can spend more time on week night meals, but since I often have grandchildren in the house afterschool, I try to keep the preparation time in the evening simple and short. That means I still do crock pot meals, wise use of leftovers, and major prep earlier in the day. This time of year, I find rely heavily on fresh veggies from the garden and fruits from nearby farmers. That means the protein will be very simple.
Usually 30-45 minutes!
When I cook on weeknights after getting home from work, I generally spend 30-40 minutes making dinner. Anything less than that, makes me super happy and very few things are better than nights when my husband gets home early and cooks dinner!!
approximately 30-40 minutes
I aim for about 20 minutes of hands-on cooking and prep time. I don’t mind taking longer than that if I can stick a dish in the oven or leave it on the stove to simmer (because then I can go get something else done!), but after teaching all day I don’t have a lot of energy leftover!
,
I probably average 45 minutes.
I usually spend about 20-30 minutes making a weeknight dinner. We are pretty busy and don’t have time for anything elaborate on school nights!
I cook on a budget and for 7 or more.. and I would say, it takes me from 30 min. until 2 hours.
Debbie-I cook for 7 as well. I’d love to share any recipes with you for our large families…. If you are interested. steeleangiemcc@gmail.com
Angie
Now that the kids are gone, it’s usually 30 minutes.
Around 20 to 30 minutes, less if I have something planned, love quick and easy ideas!
I usually spend about 25-30 minutes including prep time, cooking and putting food on the table. 🙂
It usually takes me about 45 minutes to make dinner
Unless the day is a special event, like today being my oldest son’s birthday, I usually aim for 30 to 60 minutes. It takes a while to cook enough to satiate 1 preteen, 2 teen boys, and 2 grown men!
If I cook I spend 30-40 minutes but I recently hired my 17 yr old son, who has always liked cooking, to be our personal chef and he is doing a great job. He is a creative cook and enjoys getting us to try things he likes. Tonight it was “make your own kebob” night. He cut up all the choices, we assembled, he grilled. For dessert he took tortillas, spread a layer of nutella and added a layer of mini marshmallows and grilled those. Pretty sweet but fun.
Sadly more than 30-45 minutes lately. I really need to get my head in the game when it comes to the dinner hour.
I usuallly spend about 30 to 35 minutes preparing meals on weekends. I love your recipes and your site..thanks for sharing…
30-45 min on average… But its something I enjoy doing so I take my time.
I prep the meal early in the day for about 15 minutes. Then at dinner time I cook for about 15-20 minutes. Love this series!
30-60 mins, unless I’ve cooked in the crockpot 🙂
with 7 kidos its a job just getting dinner on but sometimes on a good day just 30 mins
I take anywhere from 45 -60 mins. way too long. love this 15 min dinner menu. I need to give myself a break and start using your recipes. they look delicious and practical! thanks for giving me permission!!
It’s just my husband and I so I usually try to aim between 20-30 minutes when I go into the office. When I am able to work from home, I will try to cook meals that take longer, usually an hour is the max.
Great idea on the Quesadillas – we love them! I typically spend 30-45 min on a meal.
I usually spend 45 minutes or so. Like to spend most of my time at the table with my family! 🙂
About 30-40 min max- when I actually cook. Which is what I need to do
More of at home and stop ordering food to go. This will save my family money and start eating healthier
I usually spend 30 minutes. I’m a big believer in quick and easy meals.
Usually 30-45 minutes. I am always looking for quicker meals that my family will actually it. Love this idea!!!
I usually spend 30 – 45 minutes making dinner.
IT USUALLY TAKES ME ABOUT 45 MIN. TO FIX DINNER
I have two teenagers who come home hungry from after school practices. It takes me 45 – 60 minutes to prepare dinner. For some reason my husband likes simpler meals that only take 30 minutes or less.
No more than 30 minutes. I don’t have the patience or space to cook elaborate meals right now. I like to get in the kitchen, do my thing and get out.
It’s hard to say because cooking is very much a mood thing for me. Sometimes I put a lot of time and effort into it and sometimes I say, “Welcome to the world of Make Yourself a Sandwich If You’re Hungry”.
I try to keep my weeknight dinners to about 30 minutes or less- weeknights are just too hectic around our house!
I’ve done a lot of freezer cooking in preparation for school starting up, so a weekday dinner for us will probably be just the baking time required for the dish. But for those nights that I have some time to spend doing prep work, these quesadillas would be at the top of my list to make! My family loves Mexican food.
Approximately 30-45 minutes. Seeing I live alone, I usually end up making larger meals to then have leftovers to eat or freeze for a later meal.
Time spent cooking depends on the meal. I try for under 45 min for most meals, but stuff like the no fry eggplant parmesan I made last night take 1 1/2 hours to make the sauce (but it is so worth it!)
I have M.S. and am disabled. The meals I prepare have to be less than 15 minutes of prep time. Family helps brown/cook a variety of meats each Saturday that I then use in meals throughout the week. I use Axtec products in many of my meals.
It really depends on what we are having & if people are helping with the preparation but on average usually about 20-30 minutes. Of course sometimes I make something that takes a lot longer and sometimes I go with something quickly in the microwave that takes a lot less time.
I usually spend 30-60 minutes preparing meals. Now that all of our activities are starting, I need quick, easy meals that are healthy. Thank you for all the ideas. 🙂
From 15 minutes to 1 hour. Sometimes I’m slow cutting foods up and cry like a baby when I cut onions. I try not to spend to much time in kitchen but sometimes it’s really worth it for a great healthy meal. ❤️
During the week, I usually spend around 20-30 minutes preparing meals. However, the weekends are a time when I can try out some new things that might take me a bit longer.
Usually less than 30 minutes, and I often cook while my toddlers are napping and then just warm it up at dinner time!
Depends on the meal, but it’s usually 30-60 minutes. Love your site!
I cook mostly from scratch, so I try to do most of my work ahead of time, like baking the bread for the meal or chopping the veggies the night before. Hopefully dinner then takes about 30 minutes in teh evening. This is one reason crock-pot meals are such a hit with me.
I usually spend around 30mins preparing weeknight meals. But I really like using my crockpot and planned leftovers for quick 15min meals. We eat a lot of tortillas and my kids like to make roll ups for quick snacks. My family’s favorite meal is my enchiladas. But it used to be a big production to make them. I used to dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce and then add each ingredient indvidually before rolling the tortilla. It was a saucy mess. After years of doing it that way, a light bulb went off and I realized I could just toss all the filling ingredients together in a big bowl and fill them that way. Duh! Now if my daughter helps me roll, we can knock out a pan in less than ten minutes. I wish I would have thought of that years sooner!
I spend as little time as possible and still get the job done because I really don’t like to cook !
On a nite that I am not scheduled to work, I spend around 30-45 minutes preparing and cooking supper. On nites that I have work I try to either have a slow cooker meal planned that has been cooking all day, or something that takes less than 30 minutes to make.
I enjoy cooking, but would like it more if I had a more work friendly kitchen setup. It is a rather small kitchen with very limited counter-space, but I make it work as best as possible.
30-60 minutes…less if I can use my crockpot!
20-30 minutes at the most.
Anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes. 15 would be great!
Usually 45-60 minutes, depending on how many are home!
Hi Tiffany,
I usually spend anywhere from 30-45 mins. a night. I love to use my slow cooker but don’t always plan ahead.
I spend about 1/2 hour on most dinners, sometimes less.
30 minutes – MAX
I spend 30 minutes to an hour because I’m usually multitasking
Anywhere from 15min to 1.5-2hrs. The long ones are making something “big,” the short ones are using it for leftovers the next few evenings. Looking forward to trying theses quesadillas!
I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old so if it isn’t cooked and on the table in 30 minutes, it’s not a meal for us! We so a lot of double batches of dishes and freeze 1 to save time later!
I usually take 20 to 30 minutes to make a weeknight dinner.
Oh wow, could I really use that! I’m in my late 60’s and on disability. Some months I have to choose between buying groceries and buying my prescription meds. Since I live alone, many nights I don’t cook and just snack on stuff. Other nights I’ll cook up a skillet dinner or a casserole with a little meat and LOTS of veggies which are in abundance right now. My neighbors are kind and share with me. If I make it big enough, it’s good for 3 or 4 meals and only takes about 45 min. with all the prep and cooking. Kind of like a big stir fry. I’ve found if I take my tortilla’s and toast them in the toaster, they are delicious and don’t require any frying to make them crispy.
During the week, I try to keep it to 45 minutes maximum, but that is really hard.
I don’t like to spend more than 30 minutes making dinner – I’m too tired to stand around the kitchen when I get home from work.
30-45 minutes with lots of interruptions from the kids.
it takes me 5 minutes to heat up something in the microwave.
Average is about 20 minutes. A couple times a week when my husband has an evening class I have the 5 minute meals – at least once a week is “big salad” night and one or two nights we use the crockpot. So I let the machine do all the work. 🙂
Wow there are some fast cooks commenting. I take closer to an hour / hour and fifteen minutes. Some days quicker and some days longer 🙂
I try to have some stuff prepped on the weekend so that weeknights only take about 20-30 mins
I try to spend only a short time making dinner. If I am smart and make out a menu or use my slow cooker it takes from 15-20 minutes to whip something up, otherwise I can be in the kitchen for an hour or more. I love a Azteca tortillas because my picky teens love taco and burrito night which makes for a quick weeknight meal.
20 minutes is great and no more than 30 minutes is the goal!
I spend on average about 30 minutes but I really depends on what day it is and what evening activities are going on.
I usually spend about 30 minutes on a weeknight meal. I hate days when I don’t know what to fix. I usually try to menu plan to avoid it, but I still have those days.
Usually 30 minutes…depends on what I have planned! I try to take as less of time as possible:)
Prep time is usually 15 minutes or so, with cooking time that varies – maybe 30-45 minutes or so. I try to use my crock pot most weeknights – more because it helps me plan out my meals in advance, otherwise I come home and stare into the refrigerator and think , what can I make in 15 minutes (usually not much, that’s why I’m looking forward to your new 15 minute weeknight dinner series of posts!
Usually 30-40 minutes. I try to make it as quick as possible so we still have time to enjoy some of the evening before the kids bedtime.
Cooking for one I usually spend about 15 minutes but seldom over 30 minutes or my feet would start complaining.
I usually spend about 40 minutes but that varies depending on what is going on that day and how much time I have.
I spend about an hour getting diner on the table.
I try to do under 30 minutes because my kids get hungry and do not like to wait. I love days when crockpot meals are planned!!!
Email:akw2e@hotmail.com
I wish I was as fast as all of you, but I would say it takes me closer to an hour. Especially with a four month old distracting me!
Fast meals are fabulous for a busy family. It usually takes 30-45 minutes for me to throw together a dinner. I can’t wait to check out your ebook Feast in 15.
I spent about 20-30 minutes cooking.
I spent up to an hour depending on what im making and if I have pre cooked and frozen any other ingredients. Pre cooking and freeze a portion really speeds up the. Cooking and my family is more involved as well.
30-60 minutes. i wish it went faster!