[lwilsonide]

I wasn't sure where this should go so feel free to move it

90% of the time it is me & the 2 kids for dinner. I am not an avid cook and my kids are fairly picky so I don't experiment. I need some helpful recipes/ideas for easy meals with little or no leftovers. Between the three of us we barel eat 2 good size boneless chicken breasts. I wsnt to make good balanced meals, but ti is soo hard when my kids eat like birds! Any ideas welcome!

[KellyMarie]

I wish I could help, but I only know how to cook for 12!

[Demogirl50]

[Demogirl50]

3 small chicken breast,jar of Marinara Sauce,and shredded cheese.
Put a little sauce to cover bottom of pan ,(I used a 9x9 glass pan)
put down chicken,more sauce and then cover with cheese.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes serve with shells Kids love it and its quick.
I used the prepackaged chicken breast from Winn Dixie you can take out as many pieces that you want.
I had my three nieces who are picky eater here over the weekend.I sliced the chicken breast thin so it made like 6 pieces,they all had seconds.Their mom couldn't believe it.

[awatts04]

Try a salad with chicken nugget pieces on top. Or my favorite:taco salad! Brown ground beef, add taco seasoning and simmer. Put taco shells in oven to crisp. Pull them out and break into pcs. Put in bottom of baking dish.Put taco meat on top of chips. Spread 2 cans of corn evenly over top. Top w cheddar cheese on top. Pop in oven for 20 minutes. It's great!

[Willowlynn]

It is just mostly me and my threes kids at dinner also. But I also cook a lot then freeze it into smaller meals for my busy days. One of my kids favorite is a slow cooker meal.

1 large can of cream of mushroom soup
1 large can cream of chicken soup
1 1 lb bag of carrots
1 3 lb bag of chicken it can still be frozen
1 bag of frozen peas
put everything in slow cooker and cook for 6 hours
last hour put a can of refrigator rolls on top of it and put lid back on for 30 more mins.

[rntg83]

Sausage Casserole is good. Make what you need, and freeze the rest for different meal.
1 lb sausage browned with onions, if you like
1 sm can cr mush soup
1 sm can cheddar soup
1 can evop milk
1 12 oz bag egg noodles (cooked and drained)
Mix together in casserole dish, top with crushed crackers or bread crumbs, bake at 350 20-30 minutes. Good sides that go with this is cranberry sause and peas or green beans.

[macy]

When its just me and the boys eating they always ask for hamburger mac.
Brown 1/2 lb hamburger, make a box of macn cheese. Mix together add more shred cheese if you like it more cheesy. (I usually open a can of g beans or boil broccoli so there is a side veggie.) Works with tuna also. Now I have to double the amount I cook cause they have become teenager and preteen who are no longer picky and eat more like horses than birds.

[lwilsonide]

Thanks. I am going to try soem of these. I do lasagna or ziti or something similar soemtimes & freeze part. The main prob is my hubby is a very healthy eater & won't eat stuff like that. I need to try some slow cook recipes for the corkc pot too. If anyone else has recipes to share send my way!

[rntg83]

So, here is a HEALTHY one,
Squash casserole
Low fat ground meat cooked and drained
tomato or spag sause
what ever spices, onions, peppers, garlic etc
your fav squash, can be mixed
moz cheese
layer like lasagna, bake at 350 for 45 min to hour.

[lilac48604]

I was playing around with chicken for my 14 year old. I put 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts in a pie plate with a small can of mandrin oranges and one of the snack size flavored motts applesauce (I think I used peach or berry or something like that). I popped it in the oven & threw some potatoes in to bake at the same time for about an hour. It turned out really yummy. My 14 year old loved it.

[adnil]

Originally Posted by lwilsonide

I wasn't sure where this should go so feel free to move it

90% of the time it is me & the 2 kids for dinner. I am not an avid cook and my kids are fairly picky so I don't experiment. I need some helpful recipes/ideas for easy meals with little or no leftovers. Between the three of us we barel eat 2 good size boneless chicken breasts. I wsnt to make good balanced meals, but ti is soo hard when my kids eat like birds! Any ideas welcome!

I went ahead and put this in the COOK'S CORNER for ya.

[fsc]

Lori, dont feel alone, for a long time I was afraid my children wont eat anything else but hotdogs and bananas. But, they didn't die and now they eat most everything I put in front of them.

Their favourite at the moment:

Hamburger and Potato

I brown 2 pounds of hamburger and onions, add 1 big jar of Tomato Pasta Sauce (the one with the veggies already added and pureed) and let it simmer for 30 min. Divide in half, freeze the one half for lasagna or spagetti meal later. BTW, if you put it in a Ziploc bag and lay it flat in the freezer, to freeze flat - it defrosts quicker and packs easier.

Cook potatoes, slice into rounds. Make a basic white sauce, add lots of cheese, then layer everything.
Meat, Potatoes, white sauce, cheese x 2. Then pop into the oven for 10 min to melt and your done.

A nice, saucey, gooey, cheesey meal with veggies already in and healthy. If you want you can add frozen veggies to the meat sauce.

Add some fruit for dessert and you are done.

Dont despair, they will not die. I just feed mine loads of multivitamins and pray! LOL

[dadof4teens]

I'm used to cooking a bunch but here is one my family likes (and it can be Gluten Free, one of my son's has celiac)

Pam a 6x9 cooking pan with sides about 2 inches, us a half a bag of tater tots, cook to instructions (prob 425) when there is about 5 minutes left cover the top with a can of chili ( we use the Dennisons 99% fat free as it is gluten free) and cheese, bake for another 10 ninutes or so. Serve.

I've also heated up the chili in a pot before I've poured it on. Not the healthiest of meals but what kid doesnt' like tater tots, chili and cheese?

[gagesmommy]

I have one thats really simple.
2 Pork Chops
1 Can of Cream of Potato Soup
I season them slightly and put into pan. Pour soup on top. Cover and cook for 15 min. turn. Cover and cook 15 more min. and dinner is served! If you want to make more double the recipe.

[dadof4teens]

Good one, gagesmom, my wife does almost the exact same thing, just cream of mushroom (or cream of whatever if we're out)

[SoccerMama]

Chicken Quesadillas are easy. Just grill up the chicken and then assemble the quesadillas.

What about breakfast for dinner? If your kids like eggs you could do an omelet night with either hashbrowns or bacon/ham

[rntg83]

My FIL makes a nice breakfast casserole, but I don't know the recipie, but it sure is tasty!

[obe]

My kids used to like grilled cheese with apples in it. I also would buy the chicken strips in the lunch meat section and wrap them in cresent rolls and serve fresh fruit cut up.

[jcoy]

My family loves Tater Tot Casserole:

Take a loaf pan and put hamburger on the bottom, season with Salt and Pepper cook in the oven until hamburger is done (425 degrees). Drain off the grease. Take a can of green beans (french cut) drain juice and spread over hamburger. Take a can of cream of chicken and spread over green beans. Take frozen tater tots and lay them on top. Cook until tater tots are done (make sure you increase or decrease you heat for tater tots). Very tasty!!!

This is also great because prepare it before dinner time or the night before and just throw it in about 40 minutes before dinner.

[CarolynC]

Crockpot Chicken

One whole hen or cut up pieces

Season chicken with your choice of spices....mine would be lots of onions, garlic, pepper, smoke flavoring, bay leaf & a little sea salt. Spray crockpot or use one of the crock liners (love them!) place sliced/chopped onions in bottom and put chicken on top. Pour a Dr Pepper, Coke or Pepsi on top. Turn on high for about 5-6 hrs. Remove meat and thicken the sauce......it is soooo tender from the cola!! Yummy!!

[cskrizan]

HI,
To add to the tator tot recipe... I make the same thing, but to speed things up, I bake the tator tots in the oven while I'm browning the meat. Then I drain the meat, add the cream of mushroom soup, heat it up while the tots are still baking. In the mean time I puree the green beans(my DH stated one time he didn't like canned green beans, so I pureed them and mixed them in, I asked him how he liked the casserole and he said it was delish, I laughed and said even w/the green beans!) After everything is hot and the tots are done baking, I throw the tots on top of the other hot ingredients.

BBQs are easy to make
Ground beef 2lb
Ketchup 1 cp
Mustard 1 TB
Brown Sugar 1TB or more(I like mine sweet)

Chicken casserole
Cooked chicken breast cut up in chunks
Bag of Kluske noodles cooked according to directions
cream of chicken soup 2 cans
bag of frozen broccoli (steamed)
Shredded mild chedder cheese
Add everything together except cheese in baking dish, add cheese to the top and bake for 45 min

Homemade mac n cheese
1 box med shells(make according to directions), drain
ADD in
1/2 of a 3lb box of velveeta (sliced, to melt quicker)
1 can evaporated milk
1 stick of butter
Reheat n serve

Pork Chop casserole
Pork Chops browned
2 cups instant rice prepared
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
Mix together rice, soup, mushrooms in baking dish, top w/chops, cover bake for 45 min

Chicken Stew
Chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1 lg can of mixed vegetables drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
Mix all together
Top w/torn up biscuits/cresents

Fajitas
I use chicken mixed w/fajitas powder and follow the directions
I use a griddle to keep the tortillas warm

Grilled ham n cheese

Beans n weiners (lg can of Baked beans, cut up weiners)

Chicken spaghetti
I just substitute chicken instead of beef

Scalloped potatoes n ham
I use betty crocker sour cream n onions or cheesy and cut up ham to mix in.

Stew
cut up meat(we use venison)
lg can of veges
mcCormicks stew powder(follow directions)

Homemade Chicken broth n dumplins
Chicken broth to boil the dumplings in
DUMPLINGS
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
dash of salt
1 TB melted butter
Beat eggs w/fork add in other ingredient and mix, drop spoonfulls in the boiling broth, cook for about 8-10 min. Makes 8 egg sized dumplings(I usually times the recipe by 6 and we don't have much left over(me and 9,7,1 yr olds))

Hope you like some of these recipes!
Steph
P.S. A few cans of Spaghetti O's, Hamburger/Tuna/Chicken Helper never hurt either!

[bette]

You might want to get the cookbook Rachel Ray-Just in Time. I got it for Christmas and my kids love the food! It has made me cook alot healthier too. There are 5, 15, 30, and 60 minute recipes depending on how long you have. I have really enjoyed it!