This is the ultimate comfort food for your hungry kids! A lightened-up version of the classic Chicken Divan, this dish is loaded with cheesy, creamy goodness. It's perfect served over rice to soak up all of the sauce. Keep reading for the recipe!
This cheesy, meaty old-school casserole is the most-requested recipe on my website, onefamilyonemeal.com, and a favorite in my house! The best news is that it is quick and well balanced. The original recipe came from my friend Tori Ritchie, whose website, tuesdayrecipe.com, is also chock-full of family-friendly recipes. Serve with corn chips for dipping or roll this yummy mixture up in a tortilla with some chopped romaine for an amazing burrito.
Now that I've accepted that I have a severe gluten intolerance, I've started enjoying food a lot more. Thanks to people like Lena Kwak — the food developer for chef Thomas Keller — we all have better gluten-free options. She has developed a flour called Cup4Cup that can be used interchangeably with all-purpose flour. So grab a bag and start baking these awesome cookies. Like the name suggests, I put just about everything in them — it just depends on what I have on hand.
I'm a purist — I don't like to gunk up my guacamole with a bunch of random ingredients. So here's a supersimple version that is sure to surprise you with its deliciousness. Double it, if you want.
When I'm stuck in a rut with tomato sauces, I turn to veggies. Sautéed in a little olive oil with lemon juice, they make a bowl of pasta look festive and appealing to kids. They're great as a "sauce" on their own, or pour in a little cream if you'd like a richer sauce. Either way, this is a great way to enjoy the flavors of Spring. Keep reading.
I love a big breakfast, and this breakfast burrito is my all-time favourite! With jazzed-up black beans, scrambled eggs, and Cotija cheese melting together in a warm tortilla, this all-in-one meal gets the whole family racing out of bed in the morning!
I met a great group of moms last week. We spent the evening talking about how to feed our kids well when we all feel short on time. Even though I was the one who was asked to speak, I learned a ton from the other women in the room. (It reaffirmed for me that the best ideas come from moms!) We fell onto the topic of how to stretch one meal into two or three meals.
One very organized mom had a bunch of wonderful suggestions. It got me thinking about my tricks for cooking one recipe and then finding ways to repurpose the leftovers. Call it "carryover cooking," "doubling up," or whatever you'd like, but cooking extra of something in order to speed up cooking on other nights is a wonderful way to save money and time each week. Personally, my family doesn't get very excited about eating the same meal two nights in a row, so my trick is to start with a recipe that's delicious on its own, but then pull out the key ingredient to make something fairly different for the next night. It still speeds up the cooking process, yet keeps the complaints at bay!
Keep reading for some of my favorite foods to transform into second and third meals.
If you think your children don't like broccoli, then try roasting it! Roasting broccoli at a high temperature brings out all of its sweet flavors, so it tastes completely different than if you normally boil or steam it. If you'd like to add more flavor, then you can zest a lemon over the top before roasting, or sprinkle good Parmesan cheese over it when it comes out of the oven.
When I moved to the Bay Area, my friend Jennifer's family had me over for this steak. It was love at first bite! Recently, Jen made it for us with our kids, and I was reminded why it's such a whole-family favorite. The simple marinade leaves you with the most tender and flavorful steak you've ever eaten, and after 12 minutes or less on the grill, dinner is served!
My family loves popcorn. The fiber sustains my boys through sports practice. I buy Whole Foods Market popcorn that has no added ingredients. Sprinkled with the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top, it's a yummy treat.
Anytime I have basil on hand, I whip up a quick batch of pesto. It's so simple and keeps in the fridge for a few days. Tossed with pasta, it's a perfect weeknight meal — a healthy, sweet, and delicious variation of the typical family pasta your kids may eat. This simple pesto pasta recipe (grilled chicken totally optional but completely delicious) will have you serving up fun "green sauce" pasta in just five steps.
I love a big breakfast, and this breakfast burrito is my all-time favorite! With jazzed-up black beans, scrambled eggs, and Cotija cheese melting together in a warm tortilla, this all-in-one meal gets the whole family racing out of bed in the morning!
Looking for a healthy after-school snack? This easy variation on hummus is made entirely with staples you probably have in your pantry right now. The delicious result, a festively hued snack dip or sandwich spread, is also packed with lean protein.
Running low on new lunch ideas for your kids? Transform a breakfast favorite into a fun lunch that kids love with this easy and healthy waffle sandwich recipe from Amy Klein.
Klein specializes in finding fresh ways to serve kids healthy foods; she's the executive chef of Revolution Foods, a San Francisco Bay area company that is bringing nutritious lunches to more than 100,000 kids a day across the country.
My friend, Jenny Hill, is a fantastic home cook and a great follower of One Family One Meal. Because she is my biggest fan, I had to ask her for her favorite recipe. Her husband, Wayne, said this is it by far. Don’t you love the simple ones that are so good?
My kids have always loved black beans, so I went looking for a way to make them into a more substantial meal instead of a side dish. This simple soup hits the spot. For richer flavor, you could use some chicken stock, but I like this version because it can be completely vegetarian.
Lasagna is love on a plate. The homemade sauce, the layering of noodles with cheese . . . it’s pretty much perfection. So how do you pull it off on a weeknight? No-boil noodles. You can make the lasagna in the morning, cover and refrigerate it, and then bake it just before dinnertime. Serve it with a crunchy romaine salad and garlic bread, and your kids might think you’re the best cook ever.
Since I cook every day of my life for work, people always ask me how I get my kids into the kitchen. I’d love to believe I have the secret formula, but truthfully I think it’s a combination of things. Some children naturally flock to the kitchen, while others might not want anything to do with it. (I have one of each at home!) But even when children are very young, you can set a great example for them. Allowing your toddler or preschooler to watch you cook helps shape their impressions of food, and the importance of cooking in your home
Although it’s fun for the little ones to watch you cook from a safe distance, I think the best time to really involve kids in cooking is between the ages of 3 and 5. Your children are old enough to have preferences about food, and they have the motor skills to perform a few helpful tasks. So if you’re willing to get messy – and let go of any preconceived notions of what your kitchen will look like afterwards! – invite your kids into your kitchen. You might be surprised at how much they can do, and how proud they’ll be of the finished product. (And here’s a little secret…involving your children in the choices and the preparation of food really is the greatest way to get them eating new things!) So here are my tips for getting your preschoolers in the kitchen:
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, teacher, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. She's also on Twitter and Facebook.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
French toast doesn’t have to be a junky breakfast. In fact, with the protein from the eggs and some fresh strawberries, it can be an energizing start to the day. Serve a small amount of syrup on the side if you want to control how much sugar your kids are getting. They’ll love dipping the “soldiers” into the syrup.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
6 slices Italian bread, halved lengthwise
Cooking spray
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1 cup hulled strawberries
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 250°. Place a baking sheet in oven.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk; whisk until well blended. Working in batches, dip bread strips in milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 6 coated bread strips to pan; sauté 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place on preheated pan in oven to keep warm. Repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining bread strips.
Place syrup and strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth. Serve with French toast strips. Sprinkle each serving with powdered sugar, if desired.
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her cookbook, Real Family Food, features this and other delicious family-friendly recipes, as well as simple tips for bringing your family together around the table and a strategy for meal planning, budgeting, and shopping.
Image Source: Courtesy of Jim Bathie
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
Most kids are hooked on breaded chicken of some sort. So here’s a pan-fried version that’s much healthier than
drive-through or frozen-food options. Using chicken breast tenders makes these look like fast food, but you’ll feel so much better about feeding them to your kids. The crispy, crunchy panko breadcrumbs lend incredible texture.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 pounds chicken breast tenders (about 12 tenders)
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1⁄3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
Preparation
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place eggs in a shallow bowl. Combine panko and cheese in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg; dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and chicken.
Image Source: Courtesy of Jim Bathie
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
