7 Simple Suppers. ...That Will Have Your Kids Asking For More

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Malcolm Nelson
6 years ago
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2 7 Simple Suppers...That Will Have Your Kids Asking For More I'm a huge fan of crockpot cooking, simple cooking, leftovers and freezer cooking. I'm not a chef in the kitchen. I've learned to cook because I had to. I'm a Busy Mom and I need some simple supper recipes in my arsenal. From one 'Busy Mom' to another. Hopefully you'll find a keeper in my go-to recipes that are healthy, economic, and simple to make in this 'Busy Mom' time of life. I also had to include a few tips and hacks on kids at the supper table. Sometimes supper can be a dreaded. Here are a few easy and quick fixes to apply to your supper time with little ones. Don't give up and watch them work! Kids at the Table Why Supper Can Be So Hard Supper time can be a huge minefield for the household with young kids. (any kids?!) There are the fights about What food is being served? and I'm not going to eat that! and You have to finish that before dessert. with No leaving the table until you beans are gone. The problem is POWER. The kids can turn eating into a huge power struggle because we parents literally, cannot make our children eat. The more that parents engage, the more the kids will keep going. Kid s power --- they are able to bring a huge... 3x bigger than a kids, parents to the brink of frustration all within the course of one supper time. What a power rush that is for a 3ft kid. Picky Eater : Serve Yourself A huge step toward dismantling that supper time power struggle would be to offer the kids the serving spoon. Although this can get a little messy, it teaches children how to serve themselves and how to take only what they CAN eat will help minimize that struggle that they HAVE to eat whatever mom or dad has put on their plate. This will work better with elementary school aged kids as they will have the ability to reason out how much should be on their palate a little better than a toddler. Grant them grace as there will be trial and error in their own serving as they learn their limits.

3 Toddlers can be offered little bits of supper at a time. By the time that they start tossing food is about the time that supper should be put away for them. Offering children a variety of food by setting your supper table with different choices, (especially fruits and vegetables) will help kids to sample different options in a safe environment. Our rule = you NEVER know what a child will actually like to eat. They will surprise you. Ask them to try their food before they refuse their food. No bribing, nagging, or frustration needed. Avoiding the Pre-Supper Meltdown Making a large supper in parts will help bring the hour before supper chaos down a notch. By you not are having to spend as much time standing by the stove cooking. You are also offering your family a home cooked meal, which is more economic and healthier (depending on your choices) for your family Pre-making your meats will speed up the supper processes. Leaving you too prepare only your supper side dish, warming up your meats, and setting your table before the suppertime starts. Are your children old enough to help set the table? Practise, Practise, Practise your supper making skills. Especially on the recipes that your family loves and soon you'll be able to make them quickly off by heart! This is me! I'm no chef and don't have a natural talent for cooking, but with practise and repeating the handful of recipes that my family enjoys I'm able to pull a supper together quickly now! Once you have your family's customizable arsenal of recipes at hand --- Cooking supper for the family will be easy and simple! Recipe Index 1) Crockpot Lasagna Family Reaction: :( ) KD with Extra Good Stuff Family Reaction: :( ) Fish and Chips and Veggies Family Reaction: :( ) Meatloaf Supper Family Reaction: :( ) Spaghetti Family Reaction: :( ) Meatball Suppertime Family Reaction: :( ) Crockpot Chicken and Rice Family Reaction: :(

4 1. Crockpot Lasagne deliciously layered noodles with cheese covered meat sauce! 2lbs of extra lean hamburger 2x 14oz. cans of no salt tomato sauce 1x 4oz. can of tom paste 2tbsp of dried oregano 4x mushrooms - 1x green pepper - 2x cloves of garlic; all diced 8 oven ready lasagna noodle 1x 8oz. package of frozen spinach 1x egg 1x 16oz. container of low fat cottage cheese 2C of shredded cheese A large frying pan Sieve 6 Qt. Crockpot Cooking spray Pre-Make 1. In the frying pan cook your hamburger till all the red meat is gone and it's reached a temperature of 175 F. Cook your green pepper, mushrooms, and garlic at the same time. 2. Drain your hamburger of the extra oil in your sieve and return hamburger to the frying pan 3. Add your tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano to your frying pan hamburger mixture and mix together. 4. Place hamburger mixture a refrigerator safe container. Allow to cool slightly, then store in your fridge for up to 3 days. 1. The night before toss frozen spinach (package still on) into a bowl to defrost overnight in the fridge. 2. On the morning of having lasagna for supper, take out your crockpot and spray lightly the inside with cooking spray. 3. Take out your meat sauce mix from the refrigerator and spread 1/2 of the mixture on the bottom of your crockpot 4. Take 4 of your lasagna noodles and place them evenly on top of your meat sauce. Be sure not to overlap your noodles as it is the singular placing and the moisture that will cook these noodles through. 5. Mix together spinach, egg, and all of the cottage cheese. Place this as the 3 rd layer into the crockpot - -- another option is to skip this step altogether adding more sauce and possibly some cut up sausages to add to the lasagna. Mix and Match your layers to meet the taste bud needs of your family! 6. Place last 4 noodles on top of the spinach mixture 7. Place the last 1/2 of meat sauce mixture as the 5 th layer space, making sure to cover all noodles 8. Set crockpot on LOW for 6-8 hours, setting your timer if needed mins before you are ready to serve lasagna add shredded cheese on top Pair it with a side salad and garlic bread and you instantly have a gourmet meal! - Serves 8

5 2. KD with Extra Good Stuff the same great KD taste that the kids love, but with healthy goodness added into it that Mom loves. 4x boxes of KD 2lbs of extra lean hamburger 2x 19oz. cans of diced tomato 1x head of lettuce raw veggies that your kids love cut into tiny bite size pieces salad dressing your kids like 1C of shredded cheese A large frying pan Sieve 12C cooking pot Lettuce crisper Veggie tray Pre-Make 1. In the frying pan cook your hamburger till all the red meat is cooked thoroughly and it's reached a temperature of 175 F. 2. Drain your hamburger of the extra oil 3. Place cooked hamburger a refrigerator safe container. Allow to cool slightly, then store in your fridge for up to 3 days mins before your supper time cook your KD as the packages direct in a 12C cooking pot. 2. When you've finished making the KD --- in the same cooking pot add your 2x diced tomatoes --- juices and all, also add your pre-make cooked hamburger. (You can warm up the hamburger in the microwave while the KD is cooking to heat the meal up faster.) 3. Bring your cooking pot with the; KD, tomatoes, and hamburger to a boil --- then lower to a simmer till warmed all the way through and slightly thickened. 4. Stir occasionally. Do NOT burn! This should take about 10mins. When you've finished, serve and enjoy! Pair this all-in-one dish with some salad that everyone likes and/or with a veggies tray! - Serves 6

6 3. Fish and Chips and Veggies super easy to make in a quick fix. If your children are not fond of fish --- just call it chicken from the sea! (and pass them the tarter sauce!) frozen package of your favourite fish; tilapia or salmon. About 6 piece per package 1kg package of your favourite French fries frozen peas or can corn or fresh salad ( you get the picture) Parmesan cheese 1x egg 1/2C bread crumbs dash of pepper Cooking spray 9x13 pan Baking sheet Lettuce crisper or microwavable dish (depending on the veggie you picked) Cooking brush (super handy!) 1. 30mins before your supper time turn your oven on to 450 F - spray your 9x13 pan and place your frozen fish inside --- set aside. 2. Crack your egg in a separate bowl, add your pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well. 3. Using a cooking brush cover all frozen fillets of fish evenly with your egg mixture. 4. Sprinkle your fillets with bread crumbs for the finish, covering them evenly. --- Set aside 5. Empty your French fries out onto your baking sheet. No greasing necessary. 6. When oven is ready, insert both fish and fries into the oven. If your oven is small and you need to use two separate racks, then put on your timer and switch tray places 10mins after you place your food inside. Finish of your cooking time for a total of 20mins all together. 7. Prepare your Veggies as directed. This is one area that I will set out different selections as each child likes. Some peas, can corn and raw carrot stick usually end up on our table. 8. Serve supper with tartar sauce and ketchup. It can go a long way to help the fish go down. 9. If you are using salmon instead of the tilapia you can experiment by adding more ingredients to #2; some maple syrup (1/4c) with soy sauce (1tbsp) and brown sugar (1tsp). Giving your salmon a sweet and sour taste. Try a couple of different suppers to switch flavours of fish to see what your family likes better. For a treat once in a while you can switch out the fish for some chicken fingers! 10. This is a great recipe to get ready and put in a pre-heated oven and walk away. Just use your Cook and Hold button on your stove and you can have your supper whenever you are ready. Crack out the ketchup and start the finger licking supper - Serves 5

7 4. Meatloaf Supper easy to pre-make meatloaf that the family will love--- twice over! 2lbs of extra lean hamburger 2x 14oz. cans of no salt tomato sauce 1C of shredded cheese 2x eggs 1.5C of Stovetop stuffing mixture 1x diced red onion 2.5lbs of potatoes or 2C of rice (you choose) Veggies that the family will enjoy! 2x bread pans Mixing bowl Cooking spray Tin Foil Crockpot or Rice Maker Pre-Make 1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 F 2. In your mixing bowl mix together the first 6 ingredients; hamburger, tomato sauce, cheese, eggs, stuffing mixture, and onion. 3. Spray your bread pans. Divide and gently press your hamburger mixture into each pan. Cover with tin foil. Cook in oven for 1hr and 15min. Uncover and cook for 15mins more. 3. Peel, wash and cut your potatoes the night before and store raw in your fridge in a bowl full of water. Make sure all raw potatoes are covered in water. 1. The morning of your meatloaf supper. Drain and rinse your potatoes. Set out your Crockpot. Spray lightly with cooking spray and fill the crockpot with your raw potatoes. Cover the potatoes completely with fresh water. Set on LOW for 6 hours mins before your supper time. Drain your potatoes. Mash them or, leave them whole. You decided. I love that you can pair potatoes with yummy applesauce, or sour cream and bacon bites, or quickly made gravy (store package with less salt) Anyway that your family like them. 3. If using your rice maker instead, set up rice maker with about 2C of rice and 2C of water. Set timer for about 50mins - 1hr 4. Warm your meatloaf up in the microwave 10mins before suppertime. Set out ketchup or shredded cheese --- which ever meatloaf topping that your family loves. 5. Complete your meal with a favourite family veggie. You've made 2 meatloaf at the beginning. Double up your potatoes and you have an all-ready made meal for next week. Freeze your meatloaf and cooked potatoes. When you defrost the potatoes they will be best served mashed! - Serves 6

8 5. Spaghetti classic, yummy, filling, supper! 2lbs of extra lean hamburger and/or ground pork (just equal around 2lbs altogether) 2x jars of your favourite spaghetti sauce (Prego?) 375g noodles (your favourite type? Linguine? Egg noodles?) Caesar salad (you make or buy a throw together one from the store to save time) Garlic bread A large frying pan Sieve 12C cooking pot Crockpot Cooking spray Lettuce bowl Baking tray Pre-Make 1. First thing to decide is if you are having spaghetti and meatballs or spaghetti and meat sauce. See #6 Meatball Suppertime for meatball recipe. 2. Making your sauce; in the frying pan cook your hamburger till all the red meat is cooked thoroughly and it's reached a temperature of 175 F 2. Drain your hamburger of the extra oil 3. Place cooked hamburger a refrigerator safe container. Allow to cool slightly, then store in your fridge for up to 3 days. 1. The morning of your spaghetti supper. Take out your crockpot and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place your already cooked meat and your spaghetti sauce in the crockpot. Use a little water to wash out your jars and adding the diluted sauce to your crockpot. 2. You can get creative here and add veggies to the crockpot as your family likes. Set on LOW for 6-8 hours mins before your supper time set your cooking pot filled with water on the stove to cook your noodles. Follow your noodle package directions. When you are finished you can use Pesto Sauce 1-2tbsp) in your noodles to add more flavours and to keep them from sticking together! Depending on your family's taste buds! 4. Set your oven to 450 F. Place Garlic bread on baking tray and bake for 5mins in hot oven 5. Serve Spaghetti sauce and noodle separate or together depending on your family's preference. 6. Don't forget your salad and garlic bread. Garlic bread can be a very useful reward when serving supper to picky eater! - Serves 8

9 6. Meatball Suppertime delicious meatballs that kids will love and fill-up on! 2lbs of extra lean hamburger and/or ground pork (just equal around 2lbs altogether) 2x eggs 1C Italian breadcrumbs gravy package (less salt) 2.5lbs of potatoes or 2C of rice (you choose) Applesauce Veggies that the family will enjoy! Baking Sheet Tin Foil 6 Qt. Crockpot or Rice Maker (depending on your family's preference) Cooking spray Pre-Make 1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 F. Line your baking sheet with tin foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside 2. In your mixing bowl mix together the first 3 ingredients; hamburger, eggs, bread crumbs. 3. Roll out your meat mixture into consistent size of meatballs that you choose to make. Remember that the bigger your meatballs, the longer you cook them for. Place your rolled meatballs onto your prepared baking sheet. 4. When you've finished your meatball rolling and your baking tray is full--- cook them in the oven for 30 mins 5. When they are cooked thoroughly, allow them to cool before placing in a refrigerator container and store in your fridge for up to 3 days. 6. Peel, wash and cut your potatoes the night before your meatball suppertime and store raw in your fridge in a bowl full of water. Make sure all raw potatoes are covered in water. 1. The morning of your meatball supper. Drain and rinse your potatoes. Set out your Crockpot. Spray lightly with cooking spray and fill the crockpot with your raw potatoes. Cover the potatoes completely with water. Set on LOW for 6-8 hours mins before your supper time. Drain your potatoes. Mash them or, leave them whole. You decided. I love that you can pair potatoes with yummy applesauce, or sour cream and bacon bites, or quickly made gravy (store package with less salt) Anyway that your family like them. 3. If using your rice maker instead, set up with about 2C of rice and 2C of water. Set timer for about 50mins - 1hr or you can buy the store packaged 2mins cooking in the microwave rice. Super easy and super yummy! 4. Warm your meatballs up in the microwave 10mins before suppertime. Set out ketchup or gravy --- which ever meatball topping that your family loves. 5. Complete your meal with a favourite family veggie. (can corn, frozen beans?!) This meal will stick to your ribs all the way till breakfast! - Serves 8

10 7. Crockpot Chicken and Rice chicken done any way you like without the handling and fuss of raw meat makes this an easy recipes! 2-3lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast 1/4C of honey 2tbsp of Dijon Mustard or regular Mustard or Honey Mustard (which ever your family likes) 1tsp of black pepper 1/2tsp of salt 1/2tsp of ground thyme corn on the cob or can corn or frozen corn 3x package of Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Whole grain Brown Roasted chicken flavour rice (ready in 2 mins --- need I say more!) or Egg Noodles 6 Qt. Crockpot Cooking spray Cooking brush 1. The Morning of the crockpot chicken and rice supper. Take out your crockpot and lightly spray the lining. Add your chicken to the crockpot and pierce the breast with your fork. 2. Combine the next 5 ingredients; honey, mustard, pepper, salt, and thyme --- in a mixing bowl. Mix and brush all of the mixture on top of the chicken. What I love about this recipe is that you can change your chicken a hundred different ways. Another easy flavour to try would be simply pouring a favourite VH Sauce on top of your chicken instead of this mixture. (ie. Red Curry) 3. Set Crockpot on LOW for 4-6 hours 4. 15mins before supper time, cook your rice according to the package directions. Another idea to try would be egg noodles plain. A kid friendly favourite. Cook the entire noodle package according to the directions. Do NOT overcook. Once the noodle are finished, coat them in a serving dish with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper. Enough to give them a tasty flavour and help them not stick together. 5. Warm up or cook your favourite family veggie. Or order a veggie tray! Serve the chicken on top of the rice or beside. Something for each child to have control over! - Serves 6

11 Produce 4x mushrooms 1x green pepper 2x cloves of garlic 1x head of lettuce or raw veggies 1x red onion 2x lb of potatoes or 2C of rice Caesar salad Corn on the Cobb Meat 8lbs extra lean hamburger 2lbs ground pork 2-3lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast Cold 6 egg 1x 16oz. Low fat cottage cheese 4C of shredded cheese Parmesan cheese Freezer 1x 8oz. Package of frozen spinach package of 6x pieces frozen tilapia 1kg frozen French fries frozen peas Spices 2tbsp dried oregano pepper salt thyme Grocery List for 7 Simple Suppers Italian oven ready lasagna noodles 4x boxes of KD 1.5C of breadcrumbs 2x jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce 1x package of linguine Canned 4x 14oz. Cans of no salt tomatoes sauce 1x 4oz. Can of tomato paste 2x 19oz. Cans of diced tomatoes 2x 14oz. Cans of corn niblets 2x 14oz. Cans of cut beans Baking Garlic bread Oils & Vinegars Cooking spray Misc Salad dressing Stove-Top Stuffing mixture in a box less salt gravy package no sugar added Applesauce Tin foil Honey Mustard 3x package of Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Whole Grain Brown Roasted Chicken Flavour Rice (ready in 2mins) Individual Grocery List for 7 Simple Suppers Crockpot Lasagna 2lbs of extra lean hamburger 2x 14oz. cans of no salt tomato sauce 1x 4oz. can of tom paste 2tbsp of dried oregano 4x mushrooms 1x green pepper 2x cloves of garlic oven ready lasagna noodle 1x 8oz. package of frozen spinach 1x egg 1x 16oz. container of low fat cottage cheese 2Cups of shredded cheese KD with Extra Good Stuff 4 boxes of KD 2lbs of extra lean hamburger 2x 19oz. cans of diced tomato 1x head of lettuce or raw veggies salad dressing 1C of shredded cheese

12 Fish and Chips and Veggies package of 6x piece frozen tilapia 1kg French fires frozen peas or can corn or fresh salad Parmesan Cheese 1x egg 1/2C bread crumbs Meatball Suppertime 2lbs of extra lean hamburger and/or ground pork (just equal around 2lbs altogether) 2x eggs 1C breadcrumbs gravy package (less salt) 2.5lbs of potatoes or 2C of rice Applesauce no sugar added frozen peas or can corn or fresh salad Meatloaf Supper 2lbs of extra lean hamburger 2x 14oz. cans of no salt tomato sauce 1C of shredded cheese 2x eggs 1.5C of Stovetop stuffing mixture 1x diced red onion 2.5lbs of potatoes or 2C of rice frozen peas or can corn or fresh salad Crockpot Chicken and Rice 2-3lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast honey 2tbsp Mustard thyme corn on the cob or can corn or frozen corn 3x package of Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Whole grain Brown Roasted chicken flavour rice (ready in 2 mins) or Egg Noodles 2kg package Spaghetti 2lbs of extra lean hamburger and/or ground pork (just equal around 2lbs altogether) 2x jars of your favourite spaghetti sauce 375kg noodles (your favourite type) Caesar salad Garlic Bread

MEATBALLS. Mix above ingredients together and shape into meatballs. place balls in a large roaster or jelly roll pan.

MEATBALLS. Mix above ingredients together and shape into meatballs. place balls in a large roaster or jelly roll pan. MEATBALLS 3 lbs. Ground Beef 1 can evaporated milk 1 cup oatmeal 1 cup crackers, crushed 2 eggs 1 large onion, chopped (save half for sauce) 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. chili