I LOOOOVE Quick and Easy Meals.
If I can put a meal into the crock pot, or spend less than 30 minutes total on it during the day, it is a WIN in my books. In reality, if I could spend less than 30 minutes in my kitchen TOTAL in a day, my life would be much easier. But with kids, and three meals, that is nearly impossible….but I digress….
So, 2×4 Soup: THE EASIEST, CHEAPEST and most KID FRIENDLY (Can I get an AMEN?!) meal you can make. Most people already have *most* of the ingredients in their cupboards already.
When I was a kid, my family didn’t have a lot of money. My mom would come up with a lot of super cheap meals. Most were not something I would consider a “recipe” – one common one was rice with butter and tuna – but she really make the money work in her favor and some of her meals I still make today.
I am here to share one of my favorites – 2×4 Soup.
This is a simple stew type meal that hits all food groups in one pot, can be put together in a matter of minutes and is slow-cooker friendly but can also be cooked on the stove top with only a little more time needed. So let me break it down for you.
2X4 Soup
Servings = 8-10
Time = 15 minutes prep, 4 hours cook
Difficulty = Easy
Ingredients
– 1 Lb Ground Meat (I have used turkey or beef)
– 1 Can Black Beans
– 1 Can White Beans
– 1 Can Kidney Beans
– 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
– 1 Can Green Beans
– 1 Can Corn
– 1 Can Mixed Veggies
– 1 Small Jar of Salsa
– 16 oz Velveeta
– 8 oz Cheddar Cheese
– Seasoning to taste
– 1 Lb Dried Pasta (Elbow Mac or salad pasta is ideal)
So now, here is what you do!
Gather all your ingredients. I usually change it up depending on what I have in my cupboard. For example, instead of Kidney, Black and White Beans, you can swap it with another bean (Pinto, Garbonzo, etc) or change the number of cans (I have done 2 Kidney and one Black, etc). I also have changed up the kinds of canned veggies depending on what I have in stock. Peas maybe?
I usually use salt, minced onion and garlic powder for my seasoning. I have also used lemon pepper and seasoning salt
Next, you ground your meat. I like to do this first prior to anything else I do because the juice will be used in the soup. Season it with your seasonings to taste. Then set it aside.
Next, open all your cans and put them into your slow cooker.
Add the cooked ground meat (and juices and everything – YUM!).
Then add your salsa.
Then mix it up and start cooking on low. Everything is already cooked so its really about warming it up and letting it all mix together with the flavors. Once everything is hot, cube up the Velveeta and add to your stew. Stir occasionally to mix it all in.
Now, wanna hear the BEST part?? This meal, as it is, is FREEZABLE! WOOHOO! What makes it freezable is that there is no pasta in it. I divide this into either freezable containers, ziplock bags, or my personal favorite is to place in large muffin tins, freeze and then pop into freezer bags. All you need to add is the pasta when its time to warm and eat.
If you are NOT planning to freeze this, go ahead and make the pasta next, add to the stew, add some bread, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and ENJOY!
