In Ned of Some Easy Family Dinners

This one is really easy. It's a baked chicken, but you can use everyday ingredients and it's tasty.

=Frozen Chicken Breasts (get a bag from Costco)
=Chicken Broth (get the cartons from Costco, too)**
=Celestial Seasonings package for Italian salad dressing (you don't actually make the dressing, you just use the mix)

-Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Thaw the chicken breasts in the microwave using the "thaw" function. They'll still be partially frozen, but good enough.
-Place chicken in a baking pan (I use glass, but I bet any pan would be fine) 9x9 for 2 breasts, 9x12 for more
-Sprinkle salad dressing mix over chicken
-Pour chicken broth into the pan, enough to cover the bottom but not too deep (maybe a centimeter or half inch)
-Put into the oven for 20 minutes -- set the timer and leave the kitchen
-Remove chicken, turn over with a fork, sprinkle salad dressing mix over the new side, return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
-prepare anything you want to serve with (see easy idea below)
-Remove after 20 minutes and it's done.

I serve with instant mashed potatoes and microwaved mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc). You can get both in bulk from Costco. I love Costco...

Good luck.

** avoid the "Swanson" cans of chicken broth -- it has MSG (or did the last time I looked)

1 mom found this helpful

I own a website called www.familymealstogether.com
designed for moms who are too busy to cook and need easy meals to throw together in minutes. If you are interested in a free meal planning consultation I do that too. You provide the groceries and I help you transform them into simple meal kits you can toss in the slow cooker or thaw and grill.

I live in Escondido. (-;
G.

1 mom found this helpful

Don't be so hard on yourself. If you can bake, you can cook! Everyone wants to claim to be a "good cook" but I believe all you have to do is try your best and learn from your mistakes. Recipes are everywhere, so find one that suits you and go for it. Since you like to use the oven, try something easy like baked fish(salmon, tilapia) with asparagus, veggies, potato, or a chicken casserole using Campbell's cream of chicken soup (recipe on can). You can also try to stir-fry veggies(special mix sold frozen in bag) with chicken and stir-fry sauce and it takes only minutes to make. Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful

Here is a yummy one:

salt and pepper a couple pork chops and fry them in butter in a skillet for a few minutes on each side. Put them in a baking dish and pour a can of cream of mushroom soup over the top - pop into the oven at 375 for 45 minutes and then serve with hot buttered noodles, pouring the sauce over the noodles. Great with a salad out of a bag, or some canned corn.

Hope this helps!

I agree with the crockpot idea. My husband is a devoted meat-eater too and I manage to keep everyone happy with my slow cooker. In fact, I keep the recipe for my ribs and roasts pretty much the same: white or red wine, worcestershire sauce and whatever other sauces I can find on the refrigerator door, onion powder, garlic powder, steak season, salt and pepper. I make a great beef stew too, it only requires browning the meat before putting it in the crockpot.

I love the slow cooker because, although I put it together, I didn't really have to do anything and the meal always comes out fantastic.

Good luck!

Hi S.!

Try www.dreamdinners.com

I have a friend that uses it every week and LOVES it!

Good luck,
M

Some of my easiest, quickest meals involve just meat with a spice rub. I cook the meat in a grill pan and mix large quantities of the spice rub mixture so that I don't have to mix it often. My 3 year old and 1 year olds love it, as do my husband and I.

Yes to the crock pot and there are so many recipe books out there for it.
Check out familyfun.com and Rachael Ray's magazine or her website for lots of fun and easy meals.
Don't be afraid to learn how to BBQ. My hubby wants me to learn because it is fast and easy. I recently learned how to turn the darn thing on but haven't been brave enough to actually cook (or burn things) on it.

Hey S. ! I'm not a great cook, but my family thinks I am. Hamburger Helper boxes are always handy in my pantry. ;-) They take less than 1/2 hour to prepare and the family eats it. Taco salad at home is a winner in our household, too. The kids prepare their own plate, so meal time is fun and they eat it. We use doritos chips (they get to smash em up at the bottom of their bowls) , then I scoop their taco/hamburger mix on top of that, and then I have separate bowls of chopped up lettuce and shredded cheese on the table, and everyone gets to sprinkle their own lettuce and cheese into their own bowls. ( Only I use the sour cream, so it doesn't get too messy). I have a teenage daughter, a 6 yr old girl and two boys ages 2 and 3. They all like it ! No leftovers ! Simple things the kids love ! I've also created a way to cook meatloaf in the microwave. (20 minutes)

S.,

I use my bbq about 5 out of 7 nights a week. It makes for super easy meals. I don't know if you have a grill or if it would be possible for you to do that, but I love it. I bbq steak, chicken pieces, boneless chicken breasts, sausages, burgers, and it's super quick and most of the time fairly healthy. I sometimes use a marinade like teryaki or I just make sure I use salt, pepper, season salt, onion and garlic powder to give the meat flavor. It's super easy. Then all I have to do is make a side like a baked potato, rice, pasta etc. I usually make a steamed veggie or we have a salad and I'm done. It makes it so I have less clean up as far as pots and pans in the house too.

L.

awe i know that feeling. this is what i do with my family. i love the forman grills! i buy the bags of chicken breast strips (stater bros brand) and bake them on there till they arent pink anymore (and you can usually get like 4 strips cooking at once, you can also bake them in the oven). you can also put hamberger paties on it too. i dont think steak would be good to use on it because it would take too long but if you can use a regular grill then steak lol. for sides keep it simple microwave a vegitable while your meat is cooking or have some potatoes going. salad is always good too!. my daughter (whos 16mo) will basically eat anything and i always try to have a meat with dinner. your not a bad mom its hard to cook when you have 2 little ones and a big one lol... just try things that dont need a lot of attention cooking and things that can be microwaved or baked. your doing fine!

a cast iron skillet! (the most amazing cooking tool... makes food taste so much better & gives added benefit of naturally adding iron to your meal! be sure not to wash it with soap, only water & dry it out... don't let it air dry or it will rust. keep it lubed up with olive oil & it's magical!) if you don't have one, you can always find them at garage sales or thrift stores for almost nothing!

in cast iron skillet with olive oil: put in chicken breast, add sea salt & cracked black pepper & herbs de provence (amazing mixture!) let it brown! that's it. it's so simple and tastes amazing! and it's QUICK. and healthy! add some fresh fruit & veggies to complete the meal.

also highly suggest purchasing if you don't already have the SEA salt (in grinder), cracked black pepper (in grinder) & herbs from provence (my favorite is from morton & bassett). you can buy them at any market and it simply tastes WAY better than regular salt & pepper!

*** sometimes it's not the cook, but the ingredients & cooking tools! ***

if you try it... let me know how it works for you & what you think!

Have you tried chili or beef stew in a crock pot. in the morning or night before you brown the meat add ingriedients and put it in the crock pot. or take it out of the fridge and put it in to cook and when everyone gets home dinner is done. I am a stay at home mom and use my crock pot all the time.

Hi
I LOVE my crockpot - just throw everything in it in the morning and enjoy your meal in the evening.
Also: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/family/feature/marykingsp...

Good luck

Salsa Chicken

12 Chicken Drumsticks
1 Large Jar Pace Picante Salsa
1 Cup Uncooked Rice
2 Cups Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Remove the skins from the drumsticks using a paper towel.
3. Place in a shallow baking pan
4. Cover chicken with salsa
5. Bake for 45 min. or until chicken is completely cooked
6. While chicken is baking, prepare the rice as normal
7. When chicken is done, pour chicken and salsa over rice, serve with tortillas.

Dinner is done!
You can also use a crockpot if you want. Just put the same ingredients (yes, uncooked rice) in the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high for 3.

Hi S.:
I agree,that a crock-pot,can be a mothers best friend.You can throw a roast in with a few carrots and onions in the morning,leave it all day,and have it turn out so tender,it just falls apart!(Toss a little flour on your cheek,just before he arrives home) so you look like you've been working on his meal for hours, lol and walaaaaaaaa!! It will be tender enough for your toddler to enjoy,and you had the whole day free to do whatever! You can do chicken or ribs or stew.Heck,you have (Gormet chief) written all over you!The best to you S.

Hi S., there are so many things you can do, All's you need is a least one crock pot and a rice cooker. I put chicken, pork chops, ribs, pot roast, spagehtti, home made soups, stews, all in my crock pot, I make rice in the rice cooker, and i buy the packaged salad, send me you e-mail address and send you more indept ideas, your love them. Been married for 27 years husband has never had a TV dinner. J.