Kid friendly but adult delicious dinner ideas!?!

fast, cheap, easy, and of course - super yummy. it's like grown up mac n cheese. i recommend adding a lot more bacon and peas. makes it a bit heartier. you can find tortellini in the refrigerator section, or for less expensive - the freezer section.

Pasta with Peas and Bacon

1 pound cheese filled tortellini
3 ounces fresh bacon, julienned (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped onions
6 ounces heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh peas (blanched), or 4 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper
Chopped parsley

Place tortellini in the pot of boiling water. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel to drain. Pour out all the bacon grease except for 1 tablespoon. In the same skillet place the onion and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden. Pour in the cream, and reduce until lightly thickened.

Remove the pasta from the water when it is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add the pasta to the cream mixture. Add bacon back to the pan along with the peas and cheese. Reduce for 1 minute. Toss and adjust the seasonings. Spoon into a large pasta bowl and serve. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, if desired.

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not difficult, just looks that way cause it's long. it's not only impressive, but kids and adults both love it! i add a little fresh chopped rosemary to the roasting veggies.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil and Potatoes with Peppers and Onions


1 1/2 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or red skin baby potatoes
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and pepper
2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli -- make sure to get shredded cheese, not grated
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice -- chiffonade


Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left hole, larger potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!

While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.

While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.

BBQ Beans and Franks

3 -1lb cans of pork & beans

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 T vinegar

2 T Worcesrshire Sauce

1 lb hotdogs

Combine ingredients in a shallow baking dish. Put the hotdogs on top. You can slice them in half if you like. Bake at 350* for 35 - 40 minutes.

NOTE: You can also put a heaping spoonful of beans and a hotdog on heavy duty aluminum foil. Seal tight and cook on the grill

or:

Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Spirals Macaroni & Cheese

prep time
10 min
total time
25 min
makes
8
CUT 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.) into 1 1/2 in. pieces. Moisten with water. Empty contents of one SHAKE'N BAKE Nuggets Coating Mix pouch into shaker bag.

SHAKE moistened chicken pieces in coating mix; discard any remaining mixture and bag.

BAKE at 400°F on ungreased or foil-lined baking pan for 15 min. or until cooked through. Makes about 20 nuggets. Serve with prepared KRAFT DINNER Spirals Macaroni & Cheese.

Sour cream chicken tacos

Ingredients
1/2 lb. canned tomatoes, drained
1 small white onion, halved
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cooked chicken meat, shredded, salted, kept warm [recipe below]
1 small green chili, preferably jalapeno, roasted, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 cup sour cream
8 flour tortillas
flat leaf parsley or cilantro for granish

Method
Preheat the oven to 375

Puree tomatoes, half of the onion, garlic and salt with a stick blender [or in a blender or food processor] Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet. Add shredded chicken; cook and stir over medium high heat until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato puree and the chili strips and continue cooking until almost dry. Remove to a plate, set aside, and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet; fry the rest of the puree over fairly high heat, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Set sauce aside and keep warm.

Heat the tortillas [I use one of the burners on my gas stove, turning them with long tongs, and watching them carefully] just until warm. Mince the remaining onion half.

Put a little bit of the chicken filling in the middle of each of the tortillas, roll them up, and place them side by side in an oven proof serving dish, or on a jelly roll pan. Pour the sauce down the center of the tacos. Bake about 10 minutes or until heated through. Serve garnished with the minced onion and a sprig or finely chopped parsely or cilantro.

Shredded Chicken
[makes 1 cup, enough for 8 tacos]

Ingredients
1 whole chicken breast
1 can [13.75 oz.] chicken broth
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
coarse salt

Method
Put the chicken breast, the broth, pepper [to taste] and the bay leaf in a saucepan; add water to cover. Heat to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool in the broth. Remove skin and bones and shred meat by pulling it apart with your fingers. Save broth for another use [if desired]. Season the meat well with the salt and keep warm.

um movie and dinner with mash potatoes wine(for adults) and punch (for kids or adults) steak, and lastly peas!

nothing

Sausages , mashed potatoes, fried onions & veg.Oh & lashings of gravy !

Macaroni and cheese with Broccoli