Semi-Homemade: 20-Minute Meals

by Sandra Lee

In Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals 2, Sandra Lee delivers another delicious collection of timesaving, shortcut meals that use the 70% store bought and 30% €œfresh€ or homemade formula. The cookbook features 60 perfect meal pairs, so there is no time wasted guessing which main dish will go with which side dish. And, if the occasion calls for it, there are chapters on tempting Treats and Starters, all designed to maximize flavor and minimize your time in the kitchen.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

237 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2006

About the author

Sandra Lee Christiansen, known professionally as Sandra Lee, is an American television chef and author. She is known for her "Semi-Homemade" cooking concept, which Lee describes as using 70 percent packaged and 30 percent fresh products. She received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Show Host in 2012 for her work and her show. As the partner of former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, she served as the de facto First Lady Of New York from 2011 to 2019, when the couple ended their relationship.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kat Petersdorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This Book was Read at Library, Not Purchased on Amazon*

I love books like this. Being a college student and a business owner / author - I don't always have time to make things from scratch. Semi-Homemade works for me because it is fast, simple, affordable, and easy. I love Sandra Lee, I watch her shows all the time and she really inspires me to want to blog and write about solutions for the busy woman, wife, and/or mother.

Normally, I would give a book like this a 5 star rating, because I loved the theme and writing style so much. However, I wasn't a fan of the recipes. There were a lot of flavors in this book I didn't want, or couldn't try. I can't have shell-fish and since it cooks so fast she used it a lot. I don't mind subbing in something else like chicken or a normal fish, but I like books with more things I can eat.

I also can't eat mint, and she uses that a lot. She make a lot of dishes that are very common too, and I don't need to know how to make them because I cook often, but someone people might not.

If you're a busy woman I'd suggest this book to you. It is one of the books you'll keep on yourself and use from time-to-time to make your shopping lists and monthly meal plans. Since the idea of Semi-Homemade is 70% from the middle of the store (dry, canned, frozen, and boxed) and 30% fresh you can shop ahead and stock your pantry. A lot of the dishes call for things you should keep well stocked up on anyway - like Pasta, Canned Veggies, Canned Fruit, and Spices.

You can also find her recipes on her website, and sign up to get free new ones that she doesn't publish outside the newsletters.

I would totally suggest this book to friends, but I wouldn't buy it myself. I don't like to have cookbooks on the shelf that I can't use 90% of due to allergies.

[Samantha Penrose · Rating 1 out of 5]

She's got the time to write all these books, but she hasn't got the time to make an actual homemade meal!
She must make aaaa llllllooooooottttttt of money on endorsements -- each and every recipe's ingredients list tells you what brand you must use...
This semi-homemade style of cooking is not very "earth friendly" either! When you cook from scratch you will find that you have very little to throw away....when you crack open a tv dinner you have a box and a tray, when you make a semi-homeade meal you are left with bottles and bags, trays and cartons galore! It aint cheap either!

[Tara Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

We liked most of the recipes we tried from the first Semi-Homemade cookbook. And they are pretty fast, even if you don't use the store-bought ingredients called for. It only takes a little more time to chop your own garlic or saute chicken breast chunks.

Our favorite recipe was Chicken with Peanut Curry Sauce and I really liked the Broiled Salmon with Pesto Mayonnaise, which was soooo easy.

I will definitely check out another of her 20-Minute Meals at the library - maybe the crockpot one next. I even bought this as a birthday gift for a friend.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not only do these recipes not sound appetizing, but I just can't get into the idea of using so many canned, frozen, and pre-mixed ingredients. I like watching her show, but I don't think I'll ever cook like her.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

We found a lot of the meals in this book to be tasty- most were "winners". As for the "20 minute" claim, I think it would be truee if you followed the pre-made ingredient list. We tend to like fresh stuff, so we still chopped our own veggies ir used fresh instead of canned or frozen ingredients.

[Jami · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes in this book are delicious, but if you are weight-conscious I would recommend a different cookbook. A lot of her meals in this book are heavy and high in calories and fat.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haven't had a chance to try many of the recipes yet, but os far so good

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the first version of her 20 min. meals. This one wasn't as good. We didn't enjoy the recipes we tried and ended up giving this one away. Stick with the original.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A handfull of recipes in this book have become family favorites. The pasta alla vodka is the best I've had.

[Gayle Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful. lots of great recipes