Favorite Meals

You can dress this one up if you want, or it can be simple too.

1 lb beef stew meat, cut into small pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
1 box favorite pasta

Brown meat, do not drain. Add in all three cans of soup, do not add additional water. Simmer slowly on the stove top; atleast 45 minutes, but the longer it simmers, the more tender the meat. Serve over pasta.

We also add a can of mushroom pieces sometimes, and/or 4 to 6 ounces of sour cream right before serving. I also have substituted beef broth for the french onion soup when the pantry was bare. Sprinkle the top with a little parsley before serving too makes it look pretty. We usually have a big salad to go with it and sometimes some fresh italian or french bread.

C.,

At this time of year I make my homemade Chicken and Rice Soup almost every week.

-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
-1 cup uncooked brown rice
-1 box low-sodium chicken stock
-variety of vegetables chopped (carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, red or green pepper, etc.)
-1 tsp each of a variety of spices (cumin or curry, oregano, thyme, and basil (antibacterial properties), and a pinch of ground red pepper for heat)
-salt and pepper to taste (do not add salt if you use regular chicken stock - it already has enough)

First, heat a table spoon of olive oil in a large soup pot and brown the chicken for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Add the brown rice and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile saute the vegetables in a separate pan and add to the soup pot when the rice is slightly golden brown.

Let the veggies cook for 2 minutes.

Add the spices and chicken broth and enough water to cover the ingredients by at least 1/4 inch.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Serves 4 with leftovers for a second meal or lunch for the next day.

Have fun experimenting with different spices! It really changes the flavor of the soup. =)

C..

I do veggie fajitas pretty regularly. Slice and saute some peppers and onions in a bit of olive oil or butter. Wrap in a tortilla with shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream. Yummy and easy.

Hi C.,
If you have a crock pot this is one of our favorites. Place two cans of chicken broth in crock pot and put in however many chicken breast you want (raw). let it cook until done about 4 or 5 hours. skim off any excess fat. Then put n 2 bxes of stuffing ( no extra liquid) and cook for another hour. very easy and very yummy.

some typical meals we have are:

spaghetti w/ salad & garlic bread...i'll change it up and use a different noodle and bake w/ mozz cheese...or add italian sausage to the spag sauce instead of ground beef...

tacos: hard or soft/chicken or beef w/ refried beans & rice

homeade chicken nuggets: i just cut up 3-4 chicken breasts and coat w/ shake n bake...bake 20 min...serve w/ rice & veggie

chicken noodle soup: i use wyler's soup starter as a base and add chicken (cut up a roasted chicken to save time)...add frozen corn, green beans, celery, carrots, potatoes (pre-cook in microwave a little & skin & cut up into chunks), water & chicken boulloin (or just chicken stock)...just let cook on stove for an hour or two...i'll do this on weekends usually when i have more time and have a meal & use leftovers for lunches at work!

you said no pork, but want to share this because it's the ONLY way my hubby will eat pork and he LOVES it:
pork chops w/ oven fry coating (i use boneless chops & oven fry box is in the baking aisle-just follow box directions) w/ rice & veggie

i get into a rut a lot!! sometimes i'm just out of ideas!! try kraft website, mission foods, and searching recipes online...my favorite website is www.thepioneerwoman.com...
go to the cooking section...hope this helps a bit!

Hi C.---One of my favorite dishes is something my daughter 'cooked' up. She starts by sauteing garlic, adds cherry tomatoes cut in half (sometimes the tomatoes dehydrate before I can get to them---think sundried tomatoes---actually very tasty as they have a more intense flavor). At the end, we will very quickly wilt some spinach in the same pan.

We will cook pasta. While it is cooking, if we don't use spinach, we put broccoli that has been cut into very small pieces in the bottom of the strainer. We drain the pasta and the hot water quickly blanches the broccoli. It warms it but the broccoli is still crunchy.

There is no end to the combination of veggies you can use with this pasta 'stirfry'.

I have a questions. Why don't you eat fish? Many types are easy to prepare and is VERY healthy if eating wild caught varieties.

A couple of websites I use for great recipes include www.eatingwell.com and www.vegetariantimes.com. They have sections on fast and easy, as well as good kid friendly recipes. Feel free to call me if you have any questions. I have an extensive collection of recipes and would be happy to share them if you'd like. Good luck and happy cooking.

D. ###-###-####

My kids diet changes constantly, they love something one meal "This is the best meal ever" and two weeks later they hate the same thing. I have gotten to the point that no matter what I cook they hate it. I have tried to go on strike but the results only last temporary and they are back to complaining. I was the same way when I was a kid and now I eat healthier than I could ever imagine. Most of the time they do like Beef Stoganoff so I will throw in that suggestion but they only like it out of the box (Hamburger Helper) I made it home made and they hated it, a never ending battle. Just make sure he is always trying new things and go with the flow, let them eat what they crave, their body will make sure it gets what it needs, you just have to make sure a variety is available to them.