No-Cook Dinners

Sure there's glory in a home-cooked roast chicken dinner, but there's just as much taste in the one you buy at the grocery store, and now you have your whole evening back!

When you're not actually cooking dinner, you cut preparation time dramatically by relying on store-bought convenience foods and super-quick heating methods. Use those in conjunction with a healthy supply of pantry staples and you've got a great dinner.

The ingredients
Pre-cut vegetables and fruit: Most supermarkets have salad bars that feature cut-up veggies and fruit. You'll pay more for convenience, though, so if you're not opposed to slicing and dicing, you can save money by doing some of the prep work yourself.

Packaged salad mixes: We're not just talking about pre-washed iceberg lettuce. Try a coleslaw mix for a hot, open-faced Reuben, or romaine for a chicken Caesar salad.

Canned goods: They're particularly great for burrito, quesadilla and taco fillings, as well as nacho toppings. Go for black and kidney beans, fat-free refried beans, corn and chopped chilies. Water-packed tuna and mandarin oranges will come in handy, too.

Prepared foods: You can use a roasted chicken in a surprising number of ways. The same goes for baked fish, already cleaned and cooked shrimp, low-fat tuna salad and other deli-counter items.

Shelf-stable items: Pre-made sauces are a great help for adding flavor without effort or calories. Stock up on a variety of salsas, barbecue sauce, Asian sauce (like hoisin), tomato sauce, mustard, oil and vinegar. Other staple ingredients include baking potatoes, instant rice, baked chips, nuts, dried and canned fruit, light bread, pita bread and large wheat tortillas.

Refrigerated/frozen foods: Reduced-fat and fat-free cheese, light sour cream and lean deli meats and sausages can be used in many different meals. So can liquid egg substitute and frozen vegetables. Take stock of what you have and build meals around them.

The ideas
Note: Use low-fat and nonfat versions when possible.

Reuben — Spread wheat bread with Russian dressing. Layer with turkey pastrami, Swiss cheese and broccoli slaw mix that has been mixed with mayonnaise.

Tuna Melt — Make or buy low-fat tuna salad. Spread onto bread and top with cheese. Broil in toaster oven until cheese is bubbly.

Sausage Pita Pizza — Spread an open-faced pita with tomato sauce. Top with part-skim mozzarella cheese and sliced, precooked sausage. Broil in toaster oven until cheese bubbles and sausage warms through.

Cheddar-Broccoli Potato — Poke holes in a scrubbed potato with a fork. Microwave until cooked through; set aside and keep warm. Microwave frozen chopped broccoli florets according to package directions. Cut a deep slit in potato and top with broccoli and shredded cheddar cheese. Microwave until cheese melts.

Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla — Shred a precooked chicken breast. Place chicken in a bowl and mix with drained and rinsed canned black beans, drained canned corn, shredded cheddar cheese and salsa. Spread mixture on half a large tortilla. Fold tortilla to cover filling ingredients and microwave until heated through. Top with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Spicy Bean Nachos — Spread baked tortilla chips on a toaster oven-sized baking tray or aluminum foil. Top with canned refried beans, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and hot salsa. Bake in toaster oven until heated through and cheese is melted.

Asian Shrimp Salad — Combine a ready-to-use lettuce mix with packaged broccoli slaw. Add cooked shrimp, mandarin oranges and slivered almonds. Toss with a sesame-ginger dressing.

Chinese Chicken over Rice — Prepare instant rice according to microwave directions. Cube a precooked chicken breast; mix chicken with hoisin sauce, chopped canned water chestnuts and diced scallions. Warm chicken mixture in microwave and serve over rice.