Color Me Kris: family dinner ideas

Showing posts with label family dinner ideas. Show all posts

De'licieuse! Delicioso! Delicious! Doesn't matter how you say it, the taste is amazing. The best part it's ready in record breaking time.

Grab a pack of chicken tenderloins and cut them up in small cubed slices. Get a small onion and dice it. Then melt a little butter in a pan (I like to use butter for the flavor, but you can of course use olive oil or whatever you prefer) and cook the chicken and onion together, seasoning it with salt, pepper and garlic along the way.

Open your cans of beans and drain them. Place them in a pan pot with some chicken broth and warm. Add your chicken to the beans and toss in your seasoning packet and viola. You just created something amazing in under 15 minutes.

Here's What You'll Need:

1lb. Chicken tenderloins (cut into 1in cubes)

2 (15oz) cans northern beans (drained)
2 cup chicken broth

1 small onion (diced)

1Tbsp garlic powder (or if you're a garlic fan like me, more to taste)

2Tbsp butter (I prefer butter for the flavor)

1(1oz.) package of McCormick white chili seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional*
Sliced avocado, Shredded cheese, and sour cream to garnish.

Here's What You Do:
1. Heat butter in a pan.
2. Add cubed chicken and diced onion. Toss and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season.
3.Set aside.
4. In a pot over medium heat, warm northern beans and chicken broth.
5. Once beans are slightly warmed, add chicken and onion mixture to the beans.
6. Add McCormick packet and let chili warm through.
7. Serve topped with avocado, cheese and sour cream.

It's Friday! For starters, we had a crazy storm late last night, one that knocked down trees, caused power outages, and closed schools. Thankfully, no lives were lost, just a huge clean up for the community. My kiddos were technically supposed to be in school today, but they asked if they could stay home, and well, what the heck. I was concerned about their travel and hey, everyone deserves a chance to play hooky once in a while. So we are enjoying this Friday lounging in our pjs and playing video games. I thought it'd be fun to whip up something yummy for lunch, and have been craving nachos like mad lately.

I knew the kids would enjoy a nacho supreme. For this recipe I browned a pound of ground beef in a skillet. Half way through the cooking I tossed in some chopped onions and let them cook for the remainder of the meat cook time. I drained the juices and then tossed in a packet of taco seasoning according to directions.

I sliced a head of lettuce, diced a tomato, and a green onion. I placed the tortilla chops in the oven on 400F degrees for about 5mins. just til warm. Once done I topped the warm chips with meat, lettuce, tomato, a shredded Mexican cheese blend, sour cream and sliced black olives. Delish!

Here's What You'll Need:
1lb. ground beef
1 (1oz). packet taco seasoning (I use Old El Paso)
1 bag of tortilla chips (I love Santitas)
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 head of Iceburg lettuce, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (16oz). bag of shredded Mexican style cheese
1 (2.25oz) can of sliced black olives
1 (8oz). container sour cream
1 green onion (optional)

Here's What You Do:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Slice and dice veggies if you haven't done so already.
3. In a skillet over medium heat brown ground beef, adding onions to the pot at the half way point. Drain juices.
4. Add taco seasoning to skillet according to package directions (usually just adding a tiny bit of water to the seasoning and cooking). I like to add a little less water for increased flavor.
5. Spread tortilla chips on cookie sheet.
6. Place in oven for 5-7mins, until warmed.
7. Remove chips.
8. You can now make individual plates, allowing people to choose their toppings, or place chips in a casserole dish and pour meat on top. Add lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Continue with olives and sour cream. Top with green onions (optional). Serve immediately.

The warmth and comfort of a delicious bowl of creamy tomato basil soup. You're welcome.

Here's What You Need:
2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes (I buy the ones seasoned with garlic and onion)
1 (14oz) can of whole peeled tomatoes
1.5 cups chicken broth (or if you prefer, vegetable broth)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 an onion; chopped
1 TBSP butter (or if you prefer, olive oil for sauteing onions)
1 TBSP garlic powder
1.5 TBSP dried basil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheese to garnish (optional)

Here's What You Do:
In a large pot warm your butter (or oil) over medium heat.
Toss in onions and cook until translucent.
Pour in cans of tomatoes including all the juices.
Add broth, garlic, basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Allow to cook for about 10 mins. Add in heavy cream.
Reduce heat and simmer (stirring occasionally) until ready to serve.
Top with shredded cheese, before serving.

This one is definitely a family favorite. The kids absolutely love it. You can sneak the spinach right on in and the taste practically goes unnoticed! The sharp cheddar gives this dish a power punch, while the cream cheese offers creaminess, and oh the mozzarella provides that ooey-gooey goodness it's impossible to say no to.

This dish is perfect for those nights the kids have after school activities and you just don't have the time. Tonight's one of those nights for me. The boys have Cross Country.

Cook your pasta as directed. Warm the sauce in a skillet and add the spice blend.

Once the sauce is warmed. You'll add your spinach and cream cheese. De-li-cious!

Drain your pasta and pour it into a baking dish.

Pour half of the sauce mixture over the noodles and coat pasta evenly.

Pour remaining sauce on top and cover with a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar.

Toss it in the oven until cheese melted.

Here's What You'll Need:

1 (16oz) box of spaghetti
2 (24oz) jars of pasta sauce (I used Food Lion's Chunky Onion, Oregano, Garlic)
1 (8oz) pack of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (8oz) pack of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
2oz of cream cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil

Here's What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Put a pot of water on for pasta and cook as directed. Drain.
2. While waiting for pasta, in a skillet over medium heat combine pasta sauce and spices. Allow to warm.
3. Add cream cheese to sauce and stir until melted. Add spinach and allow to cook down.
4. Once pasta is cooked and drained, lightly oil a 9x13 dish.
5. Pour pasta into dish.
6. Pour half of the pasta sauce over the spaghetti, coating all the noodles evenly.
7. Pour remaining sauce on top.
8. Top with a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
9. Place dish in the oven for 20-25 mins or until cheese is melted.
10. Serve warm.

My wife and I were on one of our usual super early morning trips to the grocery store, when we got on the subject of meat. My brother in law's birthday was over the weekend and I went over and had a few drinks with him and my father in law to celebrate.

While there, my mother in law made a little something for us to snack on, or as she words it "A little something to feed that stuff". That "stuff" being alcohol.

When I went in the kitchen I noticed there was several selections of meat. There was steak, roast, chicken and fish.
She loves to cook as much as I do and although our cooking styles are completely opposite, they are both equally enjoyable.

As Kenya were conversing, I expressed how much her family loves meat (which there is nothing wrong with) but I am more of a veggie and side kind of gal.

I eat my share of chicken, but her family gives a new meaning to the word carnivore.

Some how we ended up making a bet that we would both go meat free for an entire week. I thought it would be fun to experiment with and perhaps even help me become a little more creative in the kitchen.

So this recipe is for the vegetarians out there. It's super delicious and pretty simple to make.

Here's what you'll need:

12oz box of bowtie pasta (You will only need half of the box)
1 (14.5oz) can chopped tomatoes (I use roasted garlic)
4oz of fresh spinach
4oz grated parmesan romano cheese; divided
2oz cream cheese
1 (8oz) can of Hunts basil,garlic, oregano tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1TBSP of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Here's what you do:
1. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.

2. While waiting for pasta to cook, add can of tomatoes to a skillet over medium heat. Let cook for 2-3mins.

3. Add in tomato sauce and stir. Season sauce by adding oregano, basil, garlic powder and 3oz of grated parmesan romano. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn down heat to a simmer for about 10mins.

4. Cut cream cheese into bite size pieces and add in different sections of the sauce pot. Stir and allow to melt.

5. After draining pasta, slowly add it to sauce skillet.

6. Coat pasta with sauce.

7. Place spinach in skillet and allow to cook down (about 3-5mins).

8. Top with remaining parmesan romano and serve.

I had these prepared for Kenya when she came home from work recently. She took one bite and said "Babe you really put your foot in this one, it's one of the best meals, I've had in quite some time."

Wow. What a compliment.

It takes a lot to "wow" my wife, so I'm gonna go with this is a damn good recipe.
Isn't it amazing what you can come up with when you've got good wine and good music?

Here's What You'll Need:
4 pork chops bone in
2 tsp Adobo seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 onion sliced
3tsp butter divided
1 Can of cream of mushroom
1 cup milk

Here's What You Do:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)
2. Rinse chops and pat dry with paper towel
3. Mix dry seasonings (Adobo, garlic, onion, pepper) in a small bowl
4. Using your hands lightly season one side of chops
5. In a large skillet melt 1tsp of butter moving it around to cover bottom of pan
6. Place 2 chops seasoned side down in skillet searing them for about 3 mins (or until browned)
7. Lightly season remaining side, and flip chop over to cook an additional 3 mins (or until browned)
8. Remove chops and place in baking dish
9. Repeat steps (4-8) with remaining chops

10. Using the same skillet add last tsp of butter to skillet
11. Saute onion until lightly browned
12. Add cream of mushroom and milk to skillet with onions
13. Allow to heat for 5 mins, stirring often
14. Pour mixture over chops
15. Cover baking dish with foil and place in preheated oven
16. Cook 35mins or until cooked through

Seriously, call me Popeye. I can put spinach on or in just about anything. It just, well, works for me. But this spinach and mozarella stuffed chicken is pretty pleasing to anyone's taste buds. Can you believe I even got one of my 6 year old's to eat it. That spoke volumes!

Here's What You'll Need:
6 chicken thighs
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 an onion sliced
3 bullion cubes + 1cup water (or 1 cup chicken broth)
1 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Here's What You Do:
Preheat oven to 380 degrees (F)

1. Rise chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Flip chicken thighs over to bone side and lightly season with salt and pepper.
3. Stuff each chicken piece with spinach and shredded mozzarella.
4. Holding thighs closed flip bone side and place in baking dish.
5. Pour water in bottom of pan and place bullion cube in (if you chicken broth pour broth in bottom of pan).
6. Season top of chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
7. place onions on top of chicken in dish.
8. Cover with foil and place in oven for 50mins.
9. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 mins or until golden brown.

If you try it leave and comment and let me know!

I don't always make meatloaf, but when I do, it draws more of a crowd than well meat loaf! Seriously, I'm not a fan of meat loaf, or hamburgers for that matter, but when I tell you my meatloaf is on point, I mean razor sharp.

Ok, ok, I m probably tooting my own horn way to much on this one, but I want you to understand how good this recipe really is. It's a family favorite.

It's packed with flavor and there is even a yummy treat inside. Who doesn't love surprises?

I prepared it by taking a pound of ground beef, placing it in a large bowl and seasoning it to taste. Added diced green peppers and onions, a spoon of minced garlic, and a concoction of Italian bread crumbs, panko, and grated cheese. Tossed in 2 eggs, some pasta sauce bbq sauce for good measure.

Now for the fun part.

With clean hands, I massaged everything together. Just squeezed and squished and pressed and folded. You certainly don't have to be as excessive, but I found the process a bit therapeutic. Well, that is, until I realized I was out of paper towels, so my sink handle and the soap bottle were both getting a raw meat bath. Good thing, there's not much Lysol wipes can't fix.

After rinsing my hands, I laid two pieces of plastic wrap on the counter (one overlapping the other, to allow for a larger work space). Then placed the meat mixture atop of it.

I pressed and flattened the meat out (just like you would dough). Then placed mozzarella cheese (I used string cheese, gotta work with what you got) to cover and topped with fresh spinach. So freaking delish!

Taking one edge of the plastic wrap, I lifted it so that the meat on that end would roll towards the center and just kept lifting until it was in full roll. (See photo below).

Next, I lined a cookie sheet with foil and placed the meat on it (just slide the plastic from underneath).

Topped the loaf with a mixture of pasta and bbq sauce and place in the oven on 380 degrees for an hour (until the meat was browned).

There you have it my more famous than Meat Loaf, meatloaf!
Seriously if you give it a try please let me know!

How do you prepare your meatloaf?

Here's what you need:
1lb. ground beef
1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 small onion diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1tbsp +1tsp of panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. of grated parmesan and romano cheese blend
1 cup of pasta sauce (I use Prego Chunky Garden for everything)
1/4 cup bbq sauce (I like honey flavored)
1 cup of fresh spinach
3 mozzarella string cheeses (or about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese)
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste (I like Lawry's seasoning salt for this dish)
plastic wrap
aluminum foil

Here's what you do:
1. Preheat oven to 380*F
2. In a large bowl place break apart ground beef, season with salt and pepper.
3. Place all other food ingredients (accept mozzarella and spinach) into the bowl and blend together well with hands.
4. Spread two pieces of plastic wrap slightly overlapping one another (they should be underneath each other, not side to side).
5. Place meat onto plastic wrap.
6. Press out meat, flattening it as you would dough.
7. Pull apart the string cheese (if you decided to use this) and cover meat with it.
8. Cover cheese with fresh spinach.
9. Lift one corner of plastic wrap so that the meat begins to roll itself to the center, continuing lifting (helping the meat roll if needed) until meat is in a full roll.
10. Place meat roll on lined (with foil) cookie sheet, pulling plastic wrap from underneath.
11. Bake for one hour or until meat is browned.

Enjoy!