That’s fast enough!!

That’s fast enough!!

When I was little, I remember hearing a joke about a chubby kid riding in a convertible with his daddy…do you remember that joke?? “Go faster daddy!, Go faster daddy!” ((the dad drives faster)), then the boy yells “that’s fast enough!!”. The joke had a visual component to it which referred to the boy’s cheeks as they drove faster, it was hilarious when I was 6…

While I was making this recipe for dinner, that joke came to mind. Aside from opening a can of tomato soup, pouring it into a bowl and sticking it into the microwave, I really do not think I can make a faster home-cooked meal than these tamales.

[metaslider id=1170]

On Sunday, I made homemade chili and served it with left-over hot dogs and corn chips. I had about 3 cups of that chili left over. Tonight I combined it with tamales, topped it with shredded sharp cheddar and baked it for 12 minutes on 375°. I pulled it out of the oven and dinner was served!

As I pointed out in my earlier post about manicotti, the key to “speed-cooking home-cooking” is to be prepared. Busy days ARE coming, unexpected problems in those days ARE coming — you CAN plan on them, and should.

When I made chili on Sunday, I planned on busy … I knew Cheesy Chili con Carne Tamales would be on the menu this week. I saved back enough chili and stocked my freezer with yummy tamales. It really cannot be an easier, I am almost embarrassed to call it a recipe!

I don’t like it when I see a yummy recipe and realize I can’t make it because several steps are too hard, or I don’t have the right components on hand — or in this case, one key ingredient is really 10 ingredients done ahead. Don’t let this pre-homemade chili be discouraging to you! Take it as a challenge “What can you do today that will make tomorrow easier?” “How can you prepare for BUSY?”— whether it’s saving left-over chili, or spaghetti sauce, or even saving extra gravy; all of these left-overs can be the start of something new & great, home-made & fast. It just takes a little planning.