The Easiest, Fastest Casserole. Kid Friendly AND Cheap!

Usually I don't use canned food, and I stay away from store bought frozen food.  However, I am pregnant, tired, and I have been pretty ill lately because of it.  Sometimes, I have to bite the bullet and just not be Martha Stewart for five minutes (and be more like Rachel Ray.... haha, only some of you will get that;-))

Tonight I needed a cheap, easy dinner that could be made fast and last a few days (during soccer season we eat leftovers often).  This is what I came up with, and I have to say it's pretty yummy!

Tuna Casserole

1 box whole wheat penne pasta (of course you could also use orzo, macaroni, or rice)

3 cans tuna or salmon (in water, not oil)

2 cups frozen broccoli pieces

2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (I used peas and carrots, but lima beans, green beans, corn, etc will work)

1 cup frozen pepper strips (I buy the rainbow kind, which are actually usually cheaper than buying fresh bell peppers, so that is a win)

2 8oz containers Greek Yogurt

2 cans cream-of-something soup (I used mushroom, but chicken or celery would also work.  The low fat or fat free kinds are great!  When I was pro Martha Stewart, I would keep homemade creamy "soup"/ sauce frozen so I could use it in cases like these.  I am much lazier now.)

bread crumbs

cheddar or parmesan cheese (optional)

salt and pepper

Boil the pasta al dente.  Drain and put in a large bowl.  Add all of the other ingredients except the bread crumbs and cheese.  Mix well and put into a large casserole dish (I actually had to split mine into two smaller ones).

Sprinkle the cheese and bread crumbs on top.  If you want, you can also add some bread crumbs and cheese to the inside.  The amount is your preference:-)

Bake on 375 for about 30 minutes and enjoy with some salt and pepper (or, if you are like me, some Tabasco! Mmm) 

Of course, if you had more time to prepare, you could use fresh veggies, homemade cream sauce (simple white sauce recipe), and chicken instead of tune (which you shouldn't eat often anyway because of the mercury levels).  I would have added shredded carrots, mushrooms, and spinach.  I would have loved to use brown rice instead of pasta, but you need to cook it for about 50 minutes because baking (follow the package directions).

It is also possible to make this in the crockpot, but it won't be as crispy on top.  

This dish can be frozen and baked at a later time.  Great back up for unexpected dinner guests! 

Healthy Lunches for Kids (and Grown Ups)

Busy Mama Recipes



Today I was on the internet all day.  I know, it's so sad.  I am sick and pregnant, and my energy level was non existent.  The only time I hustled was when I needed to run to the toilet to vom:/  Gross.  Anyway, I read an article about school lunches, and how bad they are for kids.  I already knew that they were pretty gross, but reading the comments on the article, it was apparent that not everyone does know.

Processed "chicken" nuggets, pizza with no toppings except cheese and pepperoni, instant mashed potatoes with gravy - those are some of the things children are getting when they buy lunch at school.  At first I was thinking: easy fix, pack your children's lunches.  But then I thought about the families that use the reduced or free lunch program for their kids, and I felt bad.  Families that can't afford to pack their kids lunches are at a complete disadvantage, because their kids don't have a choice.  Not only are the kids forced to eat a very non nutritious main course, the side dishes are sub par as well: canned fruit (full of sugar), "salad" (lettuce with shredded carrot and cabbage) with calorie rich ranch dressing, or french fries (which, sadly enough, are actually considered a serving of vegetables at school... sick).  Hardly ever does the school serve fresh fruit or vegetables, mainly because of waste (veggie going bad before they can all be consumed).

So, I have put together a list of healthy, cheap lunches you can pack for your kids to take to school (or for you to take to work!).  I know they are kid friendly because I have tested most on my kids, and they are the pickiest eaters on the planet.

PBJB and Fruit
This first one is a modified recipe.  I saw a photo of something similar on Pinterest and my mind wheels starting turning.  The recipe on pinterest showed bananas as the only fruit used, so I thought it would be cool to add some.  Why not get brownie points for extra vitamins?

1 whole wheat tortilla or pita bread
2 straberries, sliced
1/2 banana, sliced,
1 kiwi, diced
grapes, halved
2 tbs peanuts, almonds, or granola
2 tbs reduced fat natural peanut butter or cream cheese

Spread the cream cheese or peanut butter on the warm tortilla and sprinkle all of the fruit and nuts over it and roll up.  This is a perfect lunch or snack, because it contains fruit, grain/ carb, and protein from the cheese or peanut butter.


Turkey Wrap

This recipe can be modified to add all sorts of things, but this is the way I usually make it.  Both the kids love it, and it's a fun change from a sandwich.  For a lunch, leave it whole.  For a snack, roll up the wrap and slice into little discs, which make it even more fun for kids to eat.  With my kids, fun= they will eat it.

1 whole wheat tortilla of flavored tortilla, such as spinach or tomato
2 tbs hummus (any flavor will work, but my kids like the "red" kind, which is red pepper)
Sweet onion (you can use regular onion, but Stewart (he is 7) LOVES sweet onion
tomato slices or halved cherry tomatoes
spinach or lettuce (I prefer spinach because of the extra vitamins)
alfalfa sprouts
turkey lunch meat (I prefer Jennie- O Turkey Pastrami.  It is very cheap compared to other meats, and tastes great.  It also is 99% fat free and low in sodium)
avocado
String Cheese (Lucerne makes a reduced fat kind, which tastes pretty close to the original)

Warm tortilla and spread the hummus on it, add all of the veggies and roll up.  Pretty tasty, healthy lunch or snack!


Greek Chicken Wrap

Another recipe that can be easily changed to fit what your kids love.  This is the most simple way that I have made it in the past, but I am constantly adding things to it.  Keep in mind you can also omit ingredients and it will still be delicious, but cheaper and faster.  I do this when I make chicken for dinner and have leftovers (or, make more ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for recipes like this).

1 whole wheat or flavored tortilla or pita bread
1/4 cup cooked chicken
2 tbs hummus or yogurt sauce (recipe below)
alfalfa sprouts
spinach
cucumber slices
tomato slices or halved cherry tomatoes
olive slices or pepperoncinis
sweet onion slices
feta cheese
lemon pepper

Warm the tortilla and spread the hummus or sauce over it.  Add all of the other ingredients and roll up.  Because this wrap has such strong flavors, it is extremely easy to hide more vegetables, just cut them small!

For yogurt sauce, mix 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream with 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar, 2 tsp dried dill weed, and salt and pepper.  You can also grate cucumber into the sauce if you have leftover cukes from this recipe.

Obviously, I am a fan of wraps for kids lunches:-)  They pack easily, aren't messy to eat, can be healthy, and they can be cheap to make.  Plus, they taste good and are quick and easy.  Among these wrap recipes, there are many, many healthy snacks to go into kids' lunches along with these.  Some of my favorites are: crackers with homemade dip or cheese, veggies with hummus or salsa or guacamole, cut up fruit, pretzels, or nuts/ granola.  It's easy to stay away from packaged things like fruit snacks, candy, and chips when you know what is in them:/

Some of the recipes on my blog are also great for leftovers for kids' lunches, like the "Calzone Thing" or any of the pasta salads or soups.  Homemade pizza is great to send as a lunch, because of all the healthy ingredient you can add, plus cold pizza is the best!

Yogurts are great too, if they can be kept cold.  Mixing craisins with granola and nuts are a healthy snack kids love (and if you add a few handfuls of chocolate chips, they love it even more).  My kids will eat any kind of dried fruit (banana chips!)  Celery dipped in natural peanut butter is usually a winner too!  

If anyone has any other great ideas for packing kids' lunches, I would LOVE to hear them.  I'm always looking for more ideas!

Meatloaf: That word is gross, but the food is delicious!

When I was little, we had meatloaf a lot.  A LOT.  Which was fine with me, because I loved it.  Sometimes we had ketchup on it, sometimes with potatoes, sometimes with corn on the cob, sometimes we would have meatloaf sandwiches, which continue to be one of my favorites to this day.

I used to think my mom LOVED meatloaf, too, because we had it so often.  But now I am an adult, and I realize the real reason we ate it so often: we were broke.  Well, not broke so much.  My parents had great jobs, but with four kids, a house, ballet, dance, gymnastics, piano lessons, and my sister's continuous Emergency Room bill, my mom and dad were closer to broke than wealthy.  Now that I have a my own bills to pay and a family to raise, I get it.  

Anyway, I was thinking about this the other day.  I was making a meatloaf, and I was thinking about how cool it was.  Haha, I know, so lame.  But seriously, listen:

1. It's healthy if you do it right.  You can hide all kinds of veggies in it, and even fruit sometimes, if you are as crafty as I am.

2. It's cheap.

3. If feeds a ton of people for cheap.

4. You have leftovers for days.

5. Everyone likes it (and if someone doesn't, there is something wrong with them)

6. Pretty much no matter what you do, you cannot mess this up.  

7.  It can be as plain or as fancy as you want, so it is a recipe for beginners or experts.

8.  You can bake it in a muffin tin, then wrap the little loaves up in tin foil and freeze them.  That way, if I go out of town, Kevin can have a decent meal from the microwave (haha yeah right... he would still totally order pizza). But at least the thought is there.

This is more of a guideline than a recipe.  Literally, toss in whatever you would like and it would probably work.  This is just how I do it.  My mom's recipe is different from my grandma's which is different from my stepmom's which is different from mine, but they are all delicious:-)

GUIDELINES:

2 pound lean ground hamburger

1 pound ground turkey

1/4 cup salsa (I like to use spicy salsa.  Once I used mango salsa and it was really good, but any kind will work)

3 TBS jelly (use a kind without seeds.  Yellow jellies, like apricot or peach, seem to work the best)

1 egg

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 onion, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, pressed

3-5 TBS bread crumbs or crushed crackers

lemon juice

salt and pepper

Then add whatever you want.  I have done different combinations of mushrooms, fresh herbs, dried herbs (parsley, thyme), spinach leaves, green onion, sour cream, A1 or BBQ sauce, tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers, grated zucchini or squash, grated carrot, celery, grated cheese (parmesan is awesome with mushrooms) etc.

Mix everything together and place in a casserole dish.  Paint the top with a mixture of 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbs balsamic vinegar,  1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tbs ketchup or BBQ sauce.  Bake on 365 for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and done on the inside.

Serve it up with some truffle parmesan potatoes, parsley red potatoes, or sauteed onion and mushrooms with green beans.  Obviously, the next day make paninis with it:-)

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for feeding us great food even when you had no money!  Love you both! <3  Also, I'm sorry I always complained about food when I was little.  I didn't really hate meatloaf like I told you... lol.