cooking ideas?

Question

Im a stay at home mom of 2, and i have to cook every day for kids and housband its a really hard job to think of difrent things to cook every day any sugestions, please dont say buy a recipe book.

Answer 1

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Pot Roast
Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives pack lots of flavor into this Mediterranean dish.

1 beef boneless chuck roast, 3 pounds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/2 cup sliced pitted Kalamata or ripe olives
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, (from 1-pound bag)


1 . Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Sprinkle with salt, Italian seasoning and garlic; remove from skillet.
2 . Place beef, seasoned side up, in 4-to 5-quart slow cooker. Spread tomatoes and olives over roast. Add broth and onions.
3 . Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until beef is tender.
4 . Remove beef from slow cooker; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Slice beef; serve with beef juice and onions from slow cooker.

Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.

Answer 2

I have 3 boys and I hear "not that again" so often. Most of the time it comes from my husband. Anyways, I bought a calender that I keep in my kitchen. At the start of each month we all sit down and each of us picks a meal that we want for each day of the week, and I write it on the calender. The 2 leftover days we put mom's choice, or leftovers. Usually the kids get to help when it's their day. This also helps out at the grocery store because you know exactly what you need ahead of time.
When someone complains about what we have, then I just say "Sorry, you chose it." Oh, they usually just pick the main dish. I pick the side dish so that it's not mac and cheese every day.

Answer 3

I have signed up for Campbell's meal mail. They e-mail a new recipe everyday (free). Some we try, some we don't but it has really built up my recipe collection and given us some new family favorites. http://www.campbellkitchen.com/registration.aspx?source=mm

Another idea we sometimes do is get together with friends and have a recipe party. We bring a set number of recipes (normally 2-3) plus everything we need to make enough for everyone to have it as a meal. So if there are 3 of us and we bring 2 recipes, we all go home with 6 meals. Then we cook and prepare them together. Freezer meals work best, but others work also if you will be using them within a day or so. It helps get variety and I don't have to think and prepare all of them!

Answer 4

Home cooked chicken parmesan is pretty simple. Use chicken breasts, and in 3 separate bowls put bread crumbs (Italian or Japanese Panko), then in the next bowl 1-2 beaten eggs with a little water beaten in, and the last bowl should have flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in flour first, then egg mix, then bread crumbs and put in a skillet with hot oil to fry until golden brown. Then move the chicken breasts to a large rectangular baking pan. Place 1 thin slice of ham on each breast and then 1 slice of smoked provolone cheese on top of that. Cover all with a canned spaghetti sauce and then some grated parmesan on top of all. Bake at about 350 until hot and bubbly. About 45 minutes, give or take. Serve with fettucine alfredo. Most people are impressed by this dish and it's very simple. You can even make it when camping, by using a dutch oven for the baking time. Good luck.

Oh, and Teriyaki chicken is pretty simple, also called "Shoyu chicken" because it is one part "shoyu" also called soy sauce, to one part brown sugar, and a clove or two of garlic and some fresh or even powdered ginger, plus about a 1/2 cup water. Put ingredients in a deep sauce pan with a couple pounds of chicken thighs (breasts dry out) bone in or out, and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Serve with Cal-Rose short grain sticky rice and your choice of vegetables.
You can make a little extra for lunch leftovers the next day.

Answer 5

Build your own pizza is always fun. Also tacos and fajitas. Some really easy recipes can be made with a can of soup. Campbells has all sorts of recipes on their site. For example, cook up some chicken breast and green pepper in a frying pan and boil some fettucine. Then in a bowl mix the noodles with the chicken, peppers and a can of cream of mushroom soup.

That is just one example. There are TONS and it's so easy and kid-taste friendly.

Answer 6

It really does help to plan ahead, then shop accordingly. It also helps you in food preparation, and pre-prep a day or so before as possible/necessary.

Check out a site like this for meal planning help: http://www.uclick.com/client/adv/mu/

Crock pots are a great way to have a hot meal each evening. Place ingredients in the crock pot in the morning, and 8 hours later (or so) you have a hot meal. You just need to add a salad, maybe rice or pasta.

Have you done things like:
=Meatloaf (can use samemeat to make itno meatballs)
=Bake Whole Chicken or chicken parts
=Beef-Veggie Soup w/ Cornbread or Rolls
=Pork Chops / PC Casserole
=Ham slices (get a big Honey-Baked ham and eat on it for sandwiches and hot meal, freeze some, adn make a soup or red beans w/ bone)
=Quiche (good way to use up L/O veggies and meats, esp. ham)
=Breakfast for Supper: pancakes, sausage, omelettes, scones, muffins, grits, oatmeal., breakfast casserole, biscuits... any combo that will taste real good at night.
=Deli night. Make sammies w/ various lunch meat slices, cheese slices, and gourmet "artisan" brads (like ciabatta, french bread, hearty rye, pitas, or onion rolls)
=Baked potatos are easy to nuke. 3 large are done in about 12 minutes or so. Scrub clean, poke a few times w/ a fork, adn put on turntable of MW oven. Good side dish.
=save your L/O beans, corn, veggies, etc. for soup. Just poru them into a freeezer container, w/ the juices. When full, it's soup time!

HTH If you need recipes let me know.

Answer 7

Home made taco's are fun and easy for a change. Hamburgers and FF are kids favorites and you can get creative with them by having several different toppings to try on them. Fahita's are fun for kids too. Don't try to get too fancy or the kids probably won't eat it. Maybe have everyone in the family have a night where they have to choose whats for dinner? Good luck, I know it can be challenging and a big effort.

Answer 8

simple dish that tastes good and is easy from a chef. Place4 chickenbreasts in a greased pan,sprinkle 1\3 cup chopped stuffed green olives over top, pour 1 1\2 cups of red wine over top and bake at 350 f for 45mins and it is done.

Answer 9

You might want to check out Recipezaar. There are lots of recipes and they are rated, so you can see how well liked they are. I've gotten some really good ones on there. I put some links below.

Answer 10

Try this link, it is to quick and easy main dish recipes

http://quickandeasy.allrecipes.com/directory/3405.asp