[SmoochTheCook]

Recently, I've made a ton of cupcakes with homemade icing, cookies, chicken, ground turkey, chicken, ground turkey, etc. Ho-hum...I'm so bored with cooking. My family won't eat pork, but I'd love to make pork chops, ham, etc. They won't eat seafood either...can't use tomatoes, peppers, cream cheese, ricotta, spicy or "exotic" cheese, including feta, pepper jack, havarti...no vegetarian dishes, no beans, OMG...add to that that it has to be healthy, low fat, diabetic/kid/budget friendly...I have ground turkey and chicken.

Help me! What can I do to add some variety into parmesan chicken nuggets, spaghetti, tacos, grilled chick, brocolli? Any thoughts or suggestions?

[flcookiey]

Sounds like they are making out just fine.. why not cook something YOU like for a change? If you don't want to cook "two meals" get you some good frozen dinners like Marie Callendar or Stouffers that you like.

[time_is_on_my_bad_side]

Oven Fried Chicken Recipe : Food Network Kitchens : Food Network

It is healthy, easy and cheap. DH is always asking me to make it - he calls it "THE chicken" because it made such an impression on him. My best friend's husband had the same reaction. I add other spices to the breading (garlic powder and a blend I like from Penzey's) - that can be adjusted to taste but the rest is perfect. Even my non-adventurous family thought it was the best chicken they'd ever had.

The other thing I suggest is roasting a whole chicken. Stuff it with a lemon, onion, garlic, whatever. Rub it with olive oil and salt, pepper and herbs. It is SO much more flavorful than boring chicken breasts.

[Msomers75]

I understand you on this one! I am the only one in the house that eats seafood, because it was what I was raised on. I know myself if I want seafood, I make enough spaghetti, tacos, or whatever the night before, they eat leftovers and I cook myself what I want..

Have you tried making a taco dip? I get sick of tacos, so I made a dip here and they LOVE it... It's easy to make and just use tortilla chips to eat it with...

[mystigal]

You can do a lot with chicken. I make chicken tacos, burritos, artichoke chicken, lemon chicken, chicken soup, chicken fingers, chicken piccata, etc. Another thing I like to do is make a big batch of Chicken Cacciatore w/Spaghetti sauce. In a large dutch oven or pot saute some boneless chicken breasts in vegetable oil, when done set it aside, to the pan (you may have to add a bit more oil) add some chopped celery, 2 cloves of garlic, green bell peppers, onions, your favorite Italian seasonings and mushrooms. Cook till vegetables are tender. Now add your spaghetti sauce (from the jar or homemade) and chicken breasts to the vegetable mixture. As soon as the spaghetti sauce starts to bubble, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve this over your favorite pasta.

[jpoole329]

There are some pretty good suggestions in this month's All You Magazine if you ever look at that? Pick one up at WM for a few $$ and it has a lot of Q's in it too. Even if you don't use the recipes you get the Q's?

Also Cooking Light has a pretty good book I picked up awhile back that is healthy & has a shopping list for each week so I wasn't constantly running for ingredients for fancy recipes I wanted to try. They have a few out, can't recall which one I picked up, but I know Taste of Home also publishes something similar, but not sure how "healthy" that one may be. Worth trying though.