Family Meals

WinoGelato

Hi,
I figured with so many working mom's on this site, with common goals, it might be good to start a discussion of dinner ideas that will please everyone in the family (if that is even possible!), are quick to get on the table or can be made ahead (crockpot!), and reasonably healthy (tall order!). I have two boys, ages 2 and 5, they are not great eaters. I wouldn't even call them picky, as I do think they eat a variety of foods, they just don't eat very much of anything. Like literally 2-3 bites of each thing on their plate, even if it is food they love. I do try to serve them what we are eating, but I supplement it with things I know they will eat, like fruit, cheese, etc.

We try to eat as a family at home at least 3-4 nights/week. My husband travels for work and is gone 1 or 2 nights, on those nights I usually just make grilled cheese/tomato soup, or scrambled eggs/toast.

No special dietary restrictions here - we eat pizza, fast food, gluten, dairy, boxed meals, etc.

Open to any suggestions for slam dunk dinners that people might have!

WinoGelato

Meant to add that I'm looking for ideas beyond the basics:

Spaghetti
Tacos
Burgers
Quesadillas
Pizza
Grilled chicken/rice/vegetables
Stir Fry (usually make without sauce for the kids)

If there are any specific recipes or links to things that have been working well in your house, please share! Or if you have ideas for new variations on the basics - I'm open to that too!

cstringfellow2013

The favorite dish I make for the family, hands down, is Pizza Pasta

8-10 oz Elbow macaroni, cooked (I would use more, but the kids like this to be a "wet" casserole)
2 jars pizza sauce
1/2 package sliced pepperoni (cut in half)
2 cups mozzarella

Mix first three ingredients in a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake for about 25 min at 350. There are so many things you could add to this casserole to suit your health needs. I've put the recipe in my MFP and it comes out to 349 calories per serving and I usually eat it with a big salad.

Other family favorites include
Grilled pork or chicken on my indoor grill (I love this thing)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Casserole (this is very high caloric, like nearly 600 cal per serving)
Cilantro Lime Chicken - this could be eaten as a taco, or on a salad. My kids just eat the meat and I'll usually make mac n cheese and a steamed veggie
On the nights I make salmon, I'll make some fish sticks for the boys. My daughter loves salmon, so she eats it with us.
Taquitos - I make them with corn tortillas for me and flour tortillas for the kids. And I bake, not fry them.
Enchilada Chicken Bake (cubed chicken breast, pour a can of red enchilada sauce on it and top with cheese and bake till chicken is cooked) - this gets served with Spanish rice and a veggie (extra salad for me)
Pork tenderloin in the crock pot
Salsa Chicken in the CP (chicken breast, salsa, black beans let cook 7 hours on low, shred chicken and put back in the pot and add a cube of cream cheese or for lower cal, add 8 oz of plain greek yogurt)

I make a lot of soups in the CP and the kids don't eat them, but use them for my lunches during the week.

WinoGelato

The favorite dish I make for the family, hands down, is Pizza Pasta

8-10 oz Elbow macaroni, cooked (I would use more, but the kids like this to be a "wet" casserole)
2 jars pizza sauce
1/2 package sliced pepperoni (cut in half)
2 cups mozzarella

Mix first three ingredients in a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake for about 25 min at 350. There are so many things you could add to this casserole to suit your health needs. I've put the recipe in my MFP and it comes out to 349 calories per serving and I usually eat it with a big salad.

Other family favorites include
Grilled pork or chicken on my indoor grill (I love this thing)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Casserole (this is very high caloric, like nearly 600 cal per serving)
Cilantro Lime Chicken - this could be eaten as a taco, or on a salad. My kids just eat the meat and I'll usually make mac n cheese and a steamed veggie
On the nights I make salmon, I'll make some fish sticks for the boys. My daughter loves salmon, so she eats it with us.
Taquitos - I make them with corn tortillas for me and flour tortillas for the kids. And I bake, not fry them.
Enchilada Chicken Bake (cubed chicken breast, pour a can of red enchilada sauce on it and top with cheese and bake till chicken is cooked) - this gets served with Spanish rice and a veggie (extra salad for me)
Pork tenderloin in the crock pot
Salsa Chicken in the CP (chicken breast, salsa, black beans let cook 7 hours on low, shred chicken and put back in the pot and add a cube of cream cheese or for lower cal, add 8 oz of plain greek yogurt)

I make a lot of soups in the CP and the kids don't eat them, but use them for my lunches during the week.

Thanks! These are some good suggestions. I've not done the pizza casserole but have heard of it - will have to try it!
I do something similar with the salmon/fish sticks. When I am making fish that I'm not sure the kids will eat, I put a little bit of ours on their plate but fish sticks too so that they are at least eating something similar, and I try to get them to at least try the regular fish. I do the same with stir fry - if I am making red curry chicken, I just pull out all the chicken and vegetables once they are cooked and serve them over plain rice for the kids, and then also give them a little bit with the sauce too.

You mentioned chicken bacon ranch pizza casserole - I did a crockpot recipe for Bacon Ranch Chicken from Crockin Girls that was a big hit. It was about 425 cal/serving when I put it in MFP recipe builder. That one went over very well with everyone.

Meatball sandwiches and barbecue chicken sandwiches from the crockpot were also considered successful recently. By successful I mean the kids ate 3 bites of it. With prodding.

As I mentioned, I'm really not trying to find extremely healthy meals, just anything that the kids will eat! The amount of food that they consume at dinner is astonishingly small. And I know they are young, but it isn't just that they don't want to eat the food. They aren't asking for food an hour later or anything like that, they just really don't eat much at all. I've heard from other mom's that their kids are the same way, but I've also been around kids that seem like it is the first meal they have had in a week when they sit down for dinner - they can't clean their plates fast enough!

MrsG31

We have been trying out a lot of crock pot meals lately due to cold weather (nice to have something warm) and every Tuesday since I am rushing (and still usually late or JUST on time) to take my daughter to dance. I am gonna head over to my Pinterest page and see if I can get some links for ya.

In general, our kids love pork chops - we grill 'em, bake up, bbq, Stubb's pork marinade, in a dish with broccoli and stuffing- doesn't usually matter, it gets eaten. The 2.5 yr old sometimes not so much, he is getting picky about meat lately. They also both love tilapia, sometimes baked with a simple butter & seasoning, or baked with a bread crumb coating, or in tacos.

MrsG31

http://www.sugaranddots.com/2010/10/baked-potato-soup-crock-pot-style.html?m=1 - I found this to be a bit salty for my taste, so will adjust next time we make, but other than that it was very good and the kids ate it up

http://picky-palate.com/2012/07/03/taco-style-grilled-pork-chops/ - haven't tried yet, but sounds awesome

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Pot-Pie-Stew/Detail.aspx - actually had this tonight - I only used 3 bouillon cubes because OMG the sodium and only 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and felt it was still too peppery.

http://thecrockstar.blogspot.com/2009/01/absolute-best-crockpot-beef-stroganoff.html - we all LOVE, LOVE this one

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hummus-crusted-chicken/ - this was a hit too

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-cheeseburger-pie/8c78aa78-c368-40fa-8a88-1654640c7525 and http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-taco-pie/cad8267c-2cb0-4dc2-b6e7-9c57a9575430 are both yummy and kid approved

They also love kielbasa and sausage, so sometimes we fry up sliced sausage along with some veggies (or frozen veggies, after boiling), and some pasta, throw it altogether with some olive oil and seasoning and wala!

I seriously have so many recipes and not enough time to write them all here for ya, so I hope this gives you a start!

hmrey76

http://www.food.com/recipe/to-die-for-crock-pot-roast-27208

easiest dinner ever...seriously takes 5 min of prep work and tastes great!

I also do lasagna as a roll up and freeze it....it's fast and yummy!

WinoGelato

http://www.sugaranddots.com/2010/10/baked-potato-soup-crock-pot-style.html?m=1 - I found this to be a bit salty for my taste, so will adjust next time we make, but other than that it was very good and the kids ate it up

http://picky-palate.com/2012/07/03/taco-style-grilled-pork-chops/ - haven't tried yet, but sounds awesome

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Pot-Pie-Stew/Detail.aspx - actually had this tonight - I only used 3 bouillon cubes because OMG the sodium and only 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and felt it was still too peppery.

http://thecrockstar.blogspot.com/2009/01/absolute-best-crockpot-beef-stroganoff.html - we all LOVE, LOVE this one

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hummus-crusted-chicken/ - this was a hit too

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-cheeseburger-pie/8c78aa78-c368-40fa-8a88-1654640c7525 and http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-taco-pie/cad8267c-2cb0-4dc2-b6e7-9c57a9575430 are both yummy and kid approved

They also love kielbasa and sausage, so sometimes we fry up sliced sausage along with some veggies (or frozen veggies, after boiling), and some pasta, throw it altogether with some olive oil and seasoning and wala!

I seriously have so many recipes and not enough time to write them all here for ya, so I hope this gives you a start!

Thank you so much! I pinned most of these! I am super excited about the hummus crusted chicken one. My 5 year old and I both love hummus. Husband and 2 year old, not so much, but maybe baking it on the chicken will change their mind!

Husband has also been asking for chicken pot pie - I've never made it and wasn't sure I wanted to fuss with puff pastry for the crust but this looks like a great recipe!

Last night we had grilled cheese and tomato soup - I had a "fancy tomato bisque" that I was going to make for myself and a can of Campbells condensed tomato soup on the ready for the kids. I decided to serve them mine and even though they both asked why it looked different, they ate it up so maybe their palates are getting a little more adventurous! I thought it was kind of strongly flavored so I couldn't believe they were asking for more and dipping their grilled cheese in it!

WinoGelato

http://www.food.com/recipe/to-die-for-crock-pot-roast-27208

easiest dinner ever...seriously takes 5 min of prep work and tastes great!

I also do lasagna as a roll up and freeze it....it's fast and yummy!

I've made that roast before. It is really good. I have a question about the lasagna roll ups - I've seen recipes for those a lot lately. Isn't it a pain to work with those noodles and try to get them to hold their shape when you roll them around the filling? It seems like it would be more of a pain than regular lasagna, but maybe I'm missing something. I have started using the no-boil noodles for lasagna because the big cooked noodles were always such a hassle - and I thought the rolls would be even worse. But if it isn't bad, then maybe I will try it!

WinoGelato

They also love kielbasa and sausage, so sometimes we fry up sliced sausage along with some veggies (or frozen veggies, after boiling), and some pasta, throw it altogether with some olive oil and seasoning and wala!

You mentioned the kielbasa - I saw this recipe on Pinterest when I was adding some of mine - thought you might like it.

http://greatfoodpins.com/?p=2027

I haven't done it yet with my kids but I have heard the meals in foil or meals in parchment paper are really fun to do with kids, everyone can pick the stuff they like and make their own little pouches.

I make a lot of meals with different flavored chicken sausages (spinach, garlic and asiago is a favorite) with some sauteed vegetables, then serve with pesto and noodles. The kids aren't crazy about that one but I just give them buttered noodles and try to get them to eat the other stuff too.

Also last week I got emails every day for different things to do with Grands Biscuits. I was going to try this one for chicken pot pie out, also a sloppy joe inside the biscuit sounded good as well.

http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/recipes/grands174-mini-chicken-pot-pies-recipe-14130.aspx?CCAID=cknwrdne04600be&s=s0064008281s&mid=1780097&rid=64008281#axzz2rnvIscSk

MrsG31

^^That reminds me of another one - strombli

My older one loves to help spread the sauce and fill her own up with what she wants or how much of it she wants. We always cut up bell peppers and onions to add to ours, but the kids stick with pepperoni, canadian bacon and cheese. The oldest likes to help in the kitchen sometimes (and actually youngest too, but he is only 2.5, sooo....) so I like when we can find something she can contribute to without worrying about her burning herself or something.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stromboli/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=stromboli&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe Hub

The recipe we use at home is similar to this one, using Pillsbury pizza dough in a can, but we don't use ground beef, just pepperoni and canadian bacon.

MrsG31

They also love kielbasa and sausage, so sometimes we fry up sliced sausage along with some veggies (or frozen veggies, after boiling), and some pasta, throw it altogether with some olive oil and seasoning and wala!

You mentioned the kielbasa - I saw this recipe on Pinterest when I was adding some of mine - thought you might like it.

http://greatfoodpins.com/?p=2027

I haven't done it yet with my kids but I have heard the meals in foil or meals in parchment paper are really fun to do with kids, everyone can pick the stuff they like and make their own little pouches.

I make a lot of meals with different flavored chicken sausages (spinach, garlic and asiago is a favorite) with some sauteed vegetables, then serve with pesto and noodles. The kids aren't crazy about that one but I just give them buttered noodles and try to get them to eat the other stuff too.

Also last week I got emails every day for different things to do with Grands Biscuits. I was going to try this one for chicken pot pie out, also a sloppy joe inside the biscuit sounded good as well.

That is so funny, a friend a pinned that same sausage pack thing recently and I told my husband actually makes a spicy version sometimes when we have a cook-out! I guess I never really thought about having him do it for every day meals.

My husband isn't a fan of pesto either, but I am dying to try out a crockpot recipe using pesto, ranch, and chicken. I wonder how he would react??

We just tried a sloppy joe casserole and while it was good, the "bread" part of was still gooey and especially as leftovers. It used crescent rolls on the bottom of the pan and the top, the bottom obviously stayed very gooey. It was good, but...we might have to play around with that one or find something similiar.

cstringfellow2013

http://www.food.com/recipe/to-die-for-crock-pot-roast-27208

easiest dinner ever...seriously takes 5 min of prep work and tastes great!

I also do lasagna as a roll up and freeze it....it's fast and yummy!

That REALLY is the best (and easiest) roast recipe out there. I use the low sodium brown gravy, zesty italian, and spicy ranch, because I like a little kick. I try to make a big roast when I do this, because there is so much to be done with the left overs for the next night by shredding the left over meat, skimming some of the fat from the "gravy" in the pot and doing 1) add a bunch of diced green chilis and green enchilada sauce and let cook on low (or even keep on warm from the night before) for Green Chili burritos or 2) add a jar of sliced pepperoncinis and a packet of italian dressing power to the gravy and let sit overnight, and when ready to serve, spoon onto sub rolls, top with provolone and melt for Italian Sandwiches.

The kids don't really eat the burritos or the sandwiches, so I put a serving of the meat on their plate with starch and a veggie. My daughter is hardly picky, but the twin boys sometimes choose to be. The rule in our house is you have to AT LEAST eat two decent sized bites of everything I cook, but if you want dessert, you HAVE to eat a full (kid-sized) serving of each item. My daughter always gets dessert, but the boys pick and choose.

MrsG31

http://www.food.com/recipe/to-die-for-crock-pot-roast-27208

easiest dinner ever...seriously takes 5 min of prep work and tastes great!

I also do lasagna as a roll up and freeze it....it's fast and yummy!

That REALLY is the best (and easiest) roast recipe out there. I use the low sodium brown gravy, zesty italian, and spicy ranch, because I like a little kick.

I have a silly question about the roast in the crock pot......I always see pictures of chunks or slices of the roast on plates on these recipes sights. But whenever we do a crock-roast, it really just becomes shredded pork roast and vegetables. We actually just did one recently with all the fixings (potatoes, celery, carrots) and it was delicious, but I am just curious -should we take the whole roast out of the crock and slice it up? We just leave it in there and stab it and mix it around with a huge 3-pronged fork - should I not be doing that? (or really, should hubby not be doing that?) Does it matter?

cstringfellow2013

I have a silly question about the roast in the crock pot......I always see pictures of chunks or slices of the roast on plates on these recipes sights. But whenever we do a crock-roast, it really just becomes shredded pork roast and vegetables. We actually just did one recently with all the fixings (potatoes, celery, carrots) and it was delicious, but I am just curious -should we take the whole roast out of the crock and slice it up? We just leave it in there and stab it and mix it around with a huge 3-pronged fork - should I not be doing that? (or really, should hubby not be doing that?) Does it matter?

I usually do beef chuck/English roasts, but I think they all shred because they get very tender in the crock (the longer they cook, the more tender they become). I usually cut a large chunk out of the crock, put it on a plate and the cut in smaller chunks. Whether or not your hubby should be stabbing it with a trident ( ) is merely a matter of preference. I think it tastes just as delicious as chunk (with the gravy poured on) or shredded (with more gravy).

WinoGelato

http://www.food.com/recipe/to-die-for-crock-pot-roast-27208

easiest dinner ever...seriously takes 5 min of prep work and tastes great!

I also do lasagna as a roll up and freeze it....it's fast and yummy!

That REALLY is the best (and easiest) roast recipe out there. I use the low sodium brown gravy, zesty italian, and spicy ranch, because I like a little kick.

I have a silly question about the roast in the crock pot......I always see pictures of chunks or slices of the roast on plates on these recipes sights. But whenever we do a crock-roast, it really just becomes shredded pork roast and vegetables. We actually just did one recently with all the fixings (potatoes, celery, carrots) and it was delicious, but I am just curious -should we take the whole roast out of the crock and slice it up? We just leave it in there and stab it and mix it around with a huge 3-pronged fork - should I not be doing that? (or really, should hubby not be doing that?) Does it matter?

I have always had difficulty choosing the right cut of meat for roasts. I have had the best luck with chuck roast - I don't think I've ever had a tough one. Those do tend to come out more in chunks which is fine with us. I think if you want one that you can truly slice, I don't know if the crockpot is the place to cook it. My MIL used to do it in a bag in the oven and I think she chose round roasts for that - but I personally found them tough. I far prefer tender chunks to neatly sliced, albeit tough, slices!

WinoGelato

I'm slowly working on organizing all my Pinterest recipes into categories - since so many of us have talked about using crock pots, I thought I'd just pass on the link to the slow cooker recipes I've pinned to try.

There is one in there for tater tot chicken casserole that I haven't tried and had actually forgotten about, but I swear, if my kids won't eat that then there's just no point in trying more adventurous things....

http://www.pinterest.com/kruggeri/slow-cooker-recipes-to-try/

hmrey76

http://www.food.com/recipe/to-die-for-crock-pot-roast-27208

easiest dinner ever...seriously takes 5 min of prep work and tastes great!

I also do lasagna as a roll up and freeze it....it's fast and yummy!

I've made that roast before. It is really good. I have a question about the lasagna roll ups - I've seen recipes for those a lot lately. Isn't it a pain to work with those noodles and try to get them to hold their shape when you roll them around the filling? It seems like it would be more of a pain than regular lasagna, but maybe I'm missing something. I have started using the no-boil noodles for lasagna because the big cooked noodles were always such a hassle - and I thought the rolls would be even worse. But if it isn't bad, then maybe I will try it!

I really don't have a problem with the noodles. I just use my normal lasagna recipe & don't over cook the noodles. I just stick a toothpick in them to hold them shut. It cooks faster than a pan & gives it a different shape. therefore my 7 yr old thinks it's a different type of dinner.

msthang444

Something I've found helpful is trying to cook for at least a few days on Sunday.

I'll cook lasagna, spaghetti, chili, stuff that will actually be good heated/reheated.

Fajitas are relatively easy. Just through them in the oven for 20 minutes, have the kids watch spongebob and hop on the treadmill. At the end of 20 minutes I have dinner and a workout

hmrey76

Something I've found helpful is trying to cook for at least a few days on Sunday.

I'll cook lasagna, spaghetti, chili, stuff that will actually be good heated/reheated.

Fajitas are relatively easy. Just through them in the oven for 20 minutes, have the kids watch spongebob and hop on the treadmill. At the end of 20 minutes I have dinner and a workout

great idea! I am so going to use this

WinoGelato

Something I've found helpful is trying to cook for at least a few days on Sunday.

I'll cook lasagna, spaghetti, chili, stuff that will actually be good heated/reheated.

Fajitas are relatively easy. Just through them in the oven for 20 minutes, have the kids watch spongebob and hop on the treadmill. At the end of 20 minutes I have dinner and a workout

great idea! I am so going to use this

I try to do this as well. One thing I have found is like with ground beef or ground turkey, I will buy the family pack and go ahead and cook the entire 4 or 5 lbs of it then portion it into 1 lb packages in a ziplock bag and stick them in the freezer. If you lay them flat they don't take up much space. That way you have already cooked meat for things like chili, spaghetti, etc. I also do this sometimes with chicken breasts in the crockpot. Salsa chicken, either with salsa verde or regular salsa, is really easy to do in the crockpot and then I will shred it and use it in enchiladas, rice bowls, or tortilla soup.

If I am making something like lasagna or chili for dinner I try to always make at least a double batch and then freeze one of them for later. It makes life a lot easier knowing you have something already prepped and ready to go and then you just have to cook it or even reheat it.