Easy Dinner Recipes: Cooking with an Iron

I found these videos and love them. My kids and I can watch them together and learn how to cook without making the process complicated.

This particular one we had so much fun with... ironing our food! Finally I have a use for that iron I never use. Who knew?

Here's the link to Iron Stuffed Tortilla, but it will take you to the iFoods site and I highly recommend you check out their brownie recipe while you're there.

Easy Dinner Recipes: Corned Beef with Potatoes and Cabbage

This is an easy dinner recipe for an wonderful Irish meal using a slow cooker rather than the traditional boiling method, making it simpler to drop and go, especially since St. Patrick’s Day is on a Monday this year.

2 ½ Pounds medium new potatoes cut in half (about 8)
2 Cups baby carrots
1 Cup Frozen small whole onions thawed
1 Corned beef brisket about 3-31/2 pounds
½ Cup water
1 Seasoning packet from beef package
1 head of cabbage

Mix veggies (except for the cabbage) in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Rinse corned beef and place on top of the veggies, followed by the seasoning packet and water.

Divide the head of cabbage into 6 sections and place on the top of the beef.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 to 9 hours until the beef and veggies are tender and you are good to go.

Luck of the Irish to you!

Easy Dinner Recipes: Peanut Beef Noodles

This easy dinner recipe makes a full meal without tons of ingredients which is always a favorite combination for me.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak cut into this strips
• 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 14-oz. cans reduced sodium beef broth
• 1/3 cup bottled peanut sauce (check the Asian section of your store)
• 1-1/2 cups or about 3 oz. medium egg noodles
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions

1. In Dutch oven, brown the beef strips in hot oil over medium-high heat. Add beef broth and peanut sauce; bring to boiling.

2. Stir in noodles and reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered, 4 minutes, stirring occasionally to separate noodles. Add broccoli; return to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer again uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes more or just until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Serve it up in bowls and garnish with green onions if wanted. My kids like to skip this little extra.

Easy Dinner Recipes: So Simple Chicken Thighs

All right,anyone knows that I am not a great cook which is why I need easy dinner recipes. So the other night I had 6 chicken thighs and had no idea what to do with them. My friend gave me the recipe on the phone and it sounded like something even I couldn't mess up. So I tried it, served up some rice and a salad and my family all loved it. I tossed the leftover rice in the sauce from the bottom of the pan and it made the best next day lunch ever.

So Simple Chicken Thighs

• 6 chicken thighs
  
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place chicken pieces in a single layer in a baking dish. I used a clay pie pan so the chicken fit fairly snug and covered it with foil.

In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar and dry soup mix. Pour the saucs over the chicken, making sure that all of the pieces are covered.

Bake covered for about 1 hour.

Easy Dinner Recipes: Leftover Soup

Imagine cooking all week long and then trying to come up with more easy dinner recipes on a Friday night. I usually don't have it in me to cook so we end up spending money and going out to eat or having what we call a 'scramble'. A scramble is when we all grab leftovers or anything we can find and fend for ourselves. That was until my girlfriend Rachel told me about her 'leftover soup'.

She uses the bits of meat and veggies that are left over from the week and throws them in the crock pot and Voila! Does it get much easier? She says that even left over brown gravy is good.

If you will be using a slow cooker, put all of your ingredients into it, then add water until it is 2/3 full. Cook on low for 5-6 hours and season about 30 minutes before serving.

You can cook it on the stove top as well for about an hour, but I like to dump it all in the crock pot and call it a day. It makes making dinner easy and saves a ton of money as well. Thanks Rachel!

Easy Dinner Recipes: Sneaking Beans into Pasta

I received this easy dinner recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and thought it was brilliant. Instead of using a heavy, calorie laden white sauce, the trick is to use the white beans instead, adding protein and fiber and my kids didn't even notice!

White Beans, Pasta and Chicken

• 8 ounces dried cavatappi, fusilli, rotini, ditaloni, or other short pasta tubes
• 1 15- to 19-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 12 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional - I usually skip it)
• Olive oil (optional - but I recommend at least a little for moisture)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions; drain well and set aside.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine 3/4 cup of the beans and the chicken broth. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Place bean puree in pan used for cooking the pasta; bring to boiling. Return pasta to pan.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook garlic in 1 tablespoon hot olive oil for 1 minute. Add tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining beans, shredded chicken, snipped parsley, pepper and salt. Heat through.

4. Add the tomato mixture to hot pasta; toss to cost. Top with parsley sprigs and additional olive oil. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Easy Dinner Recipes: Chicken Burrito Bake

The other day I reviewed "The Dinner Doctor" so I thought I would place an easy dinner recipe from it that my family loves. It's quick, simple and makes burritos a little more interesting.

4 Cups shredded cooked chicken (usually taken from a left over rotisserie chicken)
1 Cup medium green tomatillo salsa, from the jar
2 Cups shredded cheese, Mexican blends are the best
8-10 8" flour tortillas
2 10oz containers refrigerated alfredo sauce
Shredded lettuce, avocado cubes, chopped tomatoes to top

Preheat the oven to 375.

Mix the chicken, salsa and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 cup down the center of the tortilla and roll like a burrito. Lay seam side down in a 13x9" baking dish.

Mix the alfredo sauce and remaining cheese and pour on the top of the burritos.

Bake for 20-25 minuts and top with the lettuce, avocado and tomatoes!

How's that for an easy dinner recipe?