Dinner...what's A Fav in Your House?

I have some regular faves, but to get more things into the rotation, I get Cooking Light magazine. I ask my husband and son to look through it with me and we tear out any recipes they think sound good and I put them into a file with clear plastic sleeves. Every week or so, I ask them to look through and each pick something for us to try that week! This way we find new favorites- and most of all it isn't just all on ME to decide what to make! :)

I remember as a kid, my mom would ask what we should have for dinner and my dad, brother and I would shrug and say 'I don't know' or 'I don't care' and my mom would get so frustrated and say 'I don't know how to make that!' LOL, now I know just how she felt :)

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Sammies
- Philly Cheese Steak (we're heathens, we use swiss + green peppers & onions)
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ Sammies
- Burgers (ground turkey, pounded chicken breast, fish)
- Cuban http://icuban.com/food/cuban_sandwich.html
- Caribbean (roast pork marinated in mojo -see above-, grilled onions, banana peppers or jalapenos, garlic mayo, cilantro, baguette)
- Cafe Roast Beef (RB, garlic mayo, spinach, red onion, roasted red peppers, como bun)
- Bagels & Lox
- Monte Cristos OR PB&J Montecristos (I use smuchers frozen rounds, defrost, dip in egg and fry in a sautee pan)
- Ham & Swiss Croissants (just cut croissant in half, ham on one side, swiss on the other, 300 degrees until a melty sinful concoction)

Seafood w/out breaking the bank
- Seared or BBQ Shrimp (I buy whole foods frozen; ezpeel or tail on)
- Fish Tacos (red snapper is my fav, but any white fish)
- Crab Cakes
- BBQ'd seasonal fish
- Salmon Cakes (BIG HINT: Use a crab cake mix instead of a salmon cake mix)
- Shrimp Po Boys

MesoAmerican
- Nachos (I prefer chicken or jerk pork)
- Green Chicken Enchiladas (I cheat and just use jarred salsa verde & rotisserie chicken, which is cheaper here usually than a raw whole chicken) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken...
- Tostones (fried bananas) dipped in guacamole
- Fish Tacos
- Carne Asada (skirt or flank steak marinated in Santa Maria seasoning, lime juice, purple onion, cilantro... grilled or broiled... sliced thin... served fajita style)

S. American
- Chimichurri sauce (drizzled over red meat like steak)

Spanish
- Tapas
- Paella

Greek
- Gyros (I buy cooked gyro meat by the pound from a local Halal shop)
- Hummus

Indian
- Butter Chicken
- Tandoori Chicken Tikka
- Saag Paneer
- Samosas (I buy frozen from trader joes)

Frozen from Trader Joes
- Samosas (sorry, the above made the think)
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Chimichurri Rice cooked with a 1/2 box of roasted red pepper and tomato soup
- Mini Chicken Tacos
- Burritos
- Hum Bao

Italian
- Anything from http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Spoon-Phaidon-Press/dp/07148...
- Most things Mario Batali
- Chicken Marsala
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken...
- Lasagna
- Canneloni
- Eggplant Parm
- Watermelon Gaspacho (I'm allergic to watermelon, mores the pity, ate it on accident at a party, but everyone else loves it as much as I did before quitting breathing)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/watermelon-gazpacho-re...
- Pollenta
- Risotto
- Chicken Broccoli Alfred over penne w/ chopped tomato & goat cheese (my son's favorite, minus the goat cheese)

Southern
- Cajun Stuffed Peppers (although I use smokey Portuguese Linguica instead of andouille)
- Gumbo-laya (I make a blend of gumbo and jambalaya)
- Bourbon Chicken
- Hush puppies
- Collard Greens & Bacon ((I usually cook all my greens with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic... but Collard Greens just need boiling with bacon))
- Turducken
- Ribs
- Biscuts & Gravy
- "Waffle House" hash browns ((there are no waffle houses up here))

Salads
- Chopped (the only time iceberg enters my house, italian dry salami, chicken, shredded mozzarella, green onions, chickpeas, tomatoes, basil, cardini's italian dressing ... everything chopped in 1cm x 1cm apx sizes)
- Waldorf
- Chicken or Shrimp Caesar
- Spinach w/ shredded egg (just rub a hard boiled egg across the little holes in a cheese grater) and bacon and tomato
- Cobb salad
- Caprese

Soups
- Beef Barley Stew (a 10 hour soup not suited for summer)
- Clam Chowder
- Split Pea
- Udon
- Miso
- 14 (or whatever #) bean soup
- Buffalo Chili
- Lentil & Italian Sausage (the worst LOOKING -grey sludge- phenom taste soup. No vinegar means it's not spicy at all. Brown a pound of ground italian sausage, a chopped onion, a few stalks of celery... add chicken stock & lentils. Cook until lentils are 'done', add 1 cup of cream. Grey, nasty looking sludge, that you just can't stop eating)
- Tomato & Grilled Cheese

Random
- Homemade pizza (my fav is bbq chicken... just mix 1/2 pizza sauce & 1/2 bbq sauce as the base)
- BBQ Chicken Quesodillas (bbq sauce, cheese, chicken, green onion, cilantro)
- BBQ (or broiled) Portobello Mushrooms (olive oil & salt/pepper on the gills... cook whole and gill side up until soft. Eat w/ knife and fork)
- BBQ asparagus, fennel, rosemary potatoes, peppers, corn in husk, green beans
- Broiled asparagus & soy sauce
- Baked potatoes
- Australian Hot Crash Potatoes http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-pota...
- steak
- quiche
- pot pies
- bangers & mash
- BBQ sausages & peppers
- Breakfast for Dinner
- Deviled Eggs
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Cuban Cordon Bleu (butterflied 'pounded' pork chop marinated in mojo, stuffed with ham, swiss, grilled onion, & cillantro)
- Swedish Meatballs w/ Lingonberry sauce
- Fish'n'chips (I tempura up the fish)
- Tempura
- Latkes
- Artichokes (we boil, and the serve w/ melted butter)
- Bacon wrapped chev stuffed jalepeno poppers (grilled)
- Mac'n'cheese
- Cauliflower au gratin

Why not try to spice it up a bit!? I cook all different types of foods and our kid's love it! The other night I made chicken shawerma sandwiches, it's easy! Here's the recipe I made-http://mideastfood.about.com/od/chicken/r/chickenshawarma... kid's loved it! Or why not try and make "beer-can" chicken on the grill? There are soo many different things to make, get online and look up recipes, it's kind'a fun too! But the all time fav's in our house are grilled steak, twice baked potatoe and salad on the side, and tater tot casserole! But I have been where your at too! Sometimes you just get sick of doing the samething and need to spice it up! Good Luck my dear!

We are having it tonight :) Turkey meatball subs. Not the best but we eat them on whole grain bakery rolls. yum yum

bean burritos. i take refried beans (i just got black beans to put in) and cheese. you can use ground beef or not. i heat that up with taco seasoning. then i put in a small can of chili peppers and a small jar of salso. i get the big burrito tortillas, and put some filling on it, then add cheese. then i wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven for about 15-20mins.

i also do chicken and rice, with the lemon pepper rotisserie chicken. i boil the rice (brown) and add chicken bouillion cubes into the water. i pick the chicken (with no skin) and then when the rice is done, just mix and done.

i do a holiday wreath sandwich. you take refrigerated pizza dough. i roll it out and put it on a cookie sheet or something like that. you take italian (i use caesar) dressing and brush that on. you take ham or turkey slices (like land o frost or walmart brand lunch meat) and lay it on to cover. then you take shredded cheese (i use colby jack) and sprinkle on top of the ham. then you are supposed to cut up red bell pepper (i use green) and green scallion onions and sprinkle on top of the cheese. fold the pizza dough up and press seams together. then whip up an egg and brush on top of the pizza dough. bake at 350 until golden brown on top. you can also use mozerrella cheese and pepperoni, my husband prefers that.

potato soup-1 14oz can of chicken broth, 1 c milk, 1lb potato cut up in cubes, 6 pieces of bacon, cheddar cheese, scallion onions about 4. i take the potato and boil it after it's cut up. once it's mushy i drain the water, and pour in the broth and milk, then i add the potato back, mash it up (still a tad chunky), crumble the bacon (i buy the already cooked and cook in the microwave until it's crispy) and add to the potato, cut up the scallions and add them also. you can either add the cheese to the mixtue while on the oven (i do) or add to each bowl as you prepare the bowl. you can also add sour cream. get a loaf of french bread.

Tilapia is a fish that most of my picky family likes. It's very mild. We usually just do lemon and a little bit of butter or can be dressed up with spices. Very low in fat and calories.

I like to do porkchops in the crockpot-either with cut up tomatos and onion, or a brown gravy/Lipton Onion soup mix. You can also buy those pre-seasoned pork tenderloins in a variety of flavors. The crockpot is awesome since you really can't screw it up and the meat is very tender. Set it and forget it.

Tacos are good too-hamburger or shredded chicken with salsa, lettuce and cheese. Or grill your favorite meats with red/green peppers for shishkabobs or fajitas. We love grilled shrimp. My kids like popcorn shrimp on hot dog buns like a mini po'boy.

Since it's summer we grill out more. I can take the grilled meat and slice it up over salads for a lighter meal. There are lots of good websites out there now with lighter recipes. WeightWatchers.com; HungryGirl etc.

easy chicken cacciatore

2 large cans of tomato sauce (i think its 32 oz)
1 small can of mushrooms
2 T oregano
little salt and pepper
little cayanne
6 or 7 chicken tenders heated (I like to get them pre made at the walmart counter)
spaghetti cooked according to package

Combine all ingredients except for spaghetti in a large pan. Cook on low on stove top for at least 30 minutes. Break up the chicken. The breading will fall off and thicken the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, use the starchy spaghetti water to thin. Serve over spaghetti.

So easy and delicious and makes a lot!

I make a killer lasagna that is pretty easy to make. I even have a vegetarian recipe (No, we are not vegetarians, but it is SO good!)

If I am feeling up for it, I make a chicken pot pie.

Easy tasty things- stuffed chicken (black olives and feta, sun dried tomatoes and olives, spinach and feta, etc), marinated chicken (balsamic vinaigrette dressing with garlic... yum), calzones, pizza...

I try different things a lot because I get bored of the same things. I make my own dough for everything so it is not so bad for us which is a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Homemade pizza. We sometimes make our own crust, buy Boboli, or use English muffins or pita bread. No one ever complains ; )

steak,chicken, veggie kabobs. They are great, and fun for kids too. It's a fun summer food. I also make whole wheat jumbo pasta shells and stuff them with ricotta and spinach. It's a more healthier version of italian shells.

We started getting ground chicken meat and seasoning it up to make chicken burgers lately and it's been a big hit!

Tacos!

And potato, pepper, onion and sausage oven bake.

Pulled beef in the crockpot with sweet BBQ sauce, served on little egg know buns.

what about pulled pork??. I like mine with a ketchup, vinegar, mustard sauce and i just mix the sauce and pour it over a hunk of pork and cook it inthe crock pot , keeps the house cool.

Chicken tacos. I use the crocpot. Put some black beans and corn in the bottom, some chicken breasts and a jar of salsa. Cook all day. We put those in tortillas with avocado, tomato, and cheese. Yummy!

I feel u.. I am in a major dinner funk too. Because we have swim team practice at night that starts at 6 pm and takes a half hour to get too.. I have been cheating at dinner and doing subway or chipolte this week or few weeks lol.. But u got me thinking when we have the school year and different swim times.. We love taco salads..with whole grain chips.. Black beans, olives, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, and salsa.. Several kinds...
lean ground beef 4 perecent fat..Spanish rice.. And sometimes cool ranch doritios.

Or salsa soup.. Fresh salsa.. Organic tomato soup.. And lentil beans.. Mix together heat up.. Shred some cheese and a little sour cream..
Lol.. I just know simple dinners..

I like to browse www.allrecipes.com once in a while for new ideas. I just had a curry chicken salad sandwich for lunch. Now, my daughter probably wouldn't like that, but they do have recipes that all family members would like.

I second the idea of pulled pork. I cook a pork butt roast in the crockpot covered with a bottle of root beer for about 6 hours on low. Then drain, shred and serve with bottled BBQ sauce over buns with cole slaw and pickles.

I don't cook at all in the summer. Our favorite this summer is tostadas. I buy the premade shells, can of refried beans heated in micro, shredded lettuce and cheese. Hubby uses hot sauce. Super easy and cheap and everyone loves them. =)

A few of my family favorite meals are: turkey enchilada pie, baked salmon served with saute'd lemon garlic butter spinach with onion sauted potatoes, and spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs.