Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy Cookbook

Rating:
Summary: Great Reference
Review: I really love this cookbook! There are 11 sections of recipes, including pasta/pizza, chicken/turkey, fish/seafood, vegetarian main dishes, and grilling, and most (but not all) have full color pictures on the facing pages. Each section also has a list of 10 one-step recipes or variations, such as Honey-Citrus Topping for cookies or bananas, or adding fresh raspberries, almonds, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing to a grilled chicken salad.

The ingredients lists are manageable and the steps are simple and written clearly. I have been known to run for McDonald's when I open a cookbook with recipes that require pounding chicken to .78 inch thickness, or long lists of obscure and expensive ingredients.

The recipes provide lots of variety for our family, and they really are quick and easy to prepare. There is a nice range of healthy choices, and some indulgent options as well. Nutritional information, including calories from fat/saturated fat, is provided for each recipe per serving, in addition to Diet Exchange information (number of starches, vegetables, meats, etc.). Most of the recipes are marked for 4 servings.

The format is also user-friendly. Ingredients are listed at the top in bold, and cooking steps are clearly separated from each other, so you can quickly check directions as you go. Since the book has a 5-ring binder format, you get the benefit of having the recipe lay flat, no matter what page you're on.

The section divider pages, which list all the recipes for that chapter, are stored in the back, away from the actual chapters and behind the index, which is rather inconvenient. Fortunately, you can move them if you like, since it's a binder.
Also, while this book offers plenty of great family recipes that you could also use for entertaining, it's not about the unique and gourmet.

While many other books have similar recipes to these here and there, this is the best collection I've found. The pictures and steps make it highly accessible to busy families, and I recommend it!