[MamaAshley]

Need some quick and easy ideas for dinners for me and my two very young children....any ideas??? I'm getting sick of the same old thing!

Originally posted by MamaAshley@Nov 29 2005, 07:34 PM
Need some quick and easy ideas for dinners for me and my two very young children....any ideas???* I'm getting sick of the same old thing!
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Tater tot casserole's a good one. Here's how I make mine (this is one of those that everyone does differently!):

brown 1lb ground beef with some onion; drain.

Add a can of cream of mushroom (or celery) soup and a full can of milk. Season with garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper (to your taste).

Mix in about 2/3 of a 32 oz. bag of tater tots (I use the onion ones from Ore Ida).

Simmer for about five minutes.

Put in casserole dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover, bake additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Add about a cup of cheese on top (I shred colby jack and cheddar), and return to oven until the cheese is nicely melted.

It's easy, and the kids really like it (although if I tell them it's tater tots, they go "EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW.") So I just say, "It's casserole."


Something else really easy is something a friend of mine makes. It looks and sounds weird, but it's really good, and it's one you can sort of personalize depending on what your family likes.

Brown ground beef with onion (and peppers, if you like); drain.

Add a can of tomato sauce, and any 3 veggies you like. We use corn, green beans, and lima beans, all drained. I also like chunky tomatoes, so I add a can of the diced, stewed tomatoes, also drained. I've also had it with the cans of mixed veggies that has potatoes, carrots, and green beans, and that's good too.

Season with chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, and serve. You can serve it that way, or it's good on plain, white rice, too.

[KBeans]

see my easy italian eggplant recipe post!