"School Night Dinner Ideas"

Families are busier than ever.  Sometimes it is just easier to pull through the drive-thru or order pizza.  But after awhile that takes a huge toll on family time, wallets, and waistlines.  The solution to the dinner time crunch is my meal planner "School Night Dinner Ideas".  Fifteen years in the making, these dinner ideas are packed full of family friendly recipes.  Each issue has five easy dinner recipes and a weekly grocery list.  The meal planners are designed so you don't waste food.  For instance, if there is a box of rice on the grocery list, more than one recipe will call for rice, so the box doesn't go to waste.  

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The meal plans can be printed from a computer or pulled up on a smart phone or tablet at the grocery store or in the kitchen.  The average fast food meal costs about $7 and is about 500 calories per person, so just imagine how much money and how many calories are saved when you cook at home!

You can order all 30 issues of "School Night Dinner Ideas" to be immediately downloaded on your device.  For the price of one fast food dinner, you can have 250 recipes and 30 grocery lists!

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P.S. If you type "Send Me a Dinner Idea" in the contact field above and tell us some of the items you have in your fridge,  we will reply with a dinner idea and grocery list (use a valid email address if you want the reply)

Macaroni Pizza Pie - from Issue #24

Can't decide whether to have pizza or macaroni and cheese?  Do you always have left over macaroni and cheese?  Would combining your kid's two favorite dishes just be over the top?  You will need:
1 box macaroni and cheese
butter and milk to prepare
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup pasta sauce
40 slices pepperoni
1-2 cups mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions on the box, except you will only use 1 tbs. butter and 1/4 cup milk.  Add 1 beaten egg, bread crumbs, and Parmesan to the mixture.

Next, press mixture into a greased pie dish and spread sauce on top.

Top with pepperoni slices, mozzarella, and then more pepperoni slices!

Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Slice and serve!

Order all 30 Issues of "School Night Dinner Ideas" Each Issue has five easy dinner recipes and a complete grocery list.  Meal planning has never been easier.

Zucchini Casserole - From Issue #23

Is your garden overflowing with zucchini?  Do your neighbors keep leaving zucchini on your door?
3-4 small zucchini grated (about 4 cups)
8 oz. ground pork or turkey sausage
2 cups prepared hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese
4 tbs. butter, divided
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook sausage in a skillet until done and set aside.
Shred zucchini, and potatoes (if you do not buy prepared hash brown potatoes).

In the same skillet, melt 2 tbs. of butter and saute hash browns and zucchini until zucchini is soft.  Add sausage back into skillet and pour cream over the top.  Mix in salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Scrape mixture into a greased casserole dish.  Mix bread crumbs with remaining 2 tbs. of butter (melted) and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.   Bake for 30 minutes.

Order all 30 Issues of "School Night Dinner Ideas" Each Issue has five easy dinner recipes and a complete grocery list.  Meal planning has never been easier.

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Cream Cheese Apple Cookie - Issue #20

You will need:
1 tube sugar cookie dough
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 jar caramel sauce
3 green apples
1 cup chopped peanuts

Press cookie dough into a greased cookie pan and cook according to directions on cookie dough package.  Let cookie cool.

In a mixer, mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of caramel sauce.

Spread cream cheese mixture over baked cookie dough. Peel and slice apples (I usded the Pampered Chef Apple, Peeler, Corer, Slicer http://pamperedchef.com) and place apple slices on top.

Top with peanuts and drizzle with remaining caramel.

Order all 30 Issues of "School Night Dinner Ideas" Each Issue has five easy dinner recipes and a complete grocery list.  Meal planning has never been easier.

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Chicken Marsala - Issue #21

Ohhhh this is the best recipe yet.   The pictures didn't turn out great, but I had to post it anyway.  I simply can't keep this recipe from you. You will need:

3-4 slices of bacon
4-5 chicken breasts
1 cup flour, divided
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup marsala
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup capers
1 cup mushrooms
fettuccine noodles or mashed potatoes
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Place thawed chicken breasts on a cutting board.  Place plastic wrap over the top and flatten chicken with a meat mallet. Dredge chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, begin cooking bacon.  When bacon starts to curl, add chicken and cook on both sides.  When chicken and bacon are done, remove from the skillet.

Add 1/4 cup flour and stir into bacon dripping.

Next add chicken broth, marsala, mushrooms, and capers and whisk constantly until smooth.  Bring to a boil, when sauce thickens, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in heavy whipping cream.  Place chicken and bacon on top of sauce.Serve chicken Marsala over fettuccine noodles or mashed potatoes that are sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Order all 30 Issues of "School Night Dinner Ideas" Each Issue has five easy dinner recipes and a complete grocery list.  Meal planning has never been easier.

Sign up for FREE Meal Planners

Peanut Noodles-Issue #20

You wouldn't think peanut butter would go with spaghetti, but it does beautifully...and it tastes delicious!

You will need:
3/4 lb. spaghetti, cooked
1/2 cup, plus 1 tbs. sesame oil
1 bell pepper
2 small squash or zucchini
1 stalk green onion
1 handful snow peas
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 soy sauce
2 cups orange juice
1 tbs. corn starch
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain and set aside.  Cut vegetables in to thin strips and saute with crushed garlic in 1 tbs. of sesame oil.

In a glass bowl, mix together remaining 1/2 cup sesame oil, cornstarch, orange juice, peanut butter, and soy sauce.

Pour sauce over vegetables and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, pour over noodles, and toss until noodles are coated.  Top with chopped peanuts and serve.

Custard 101 - issue #18

This simple custard recipe does it all.  You will need:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk (whole is best)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks, beaten

Combine all ingredients in sauce pot over medium-low heat, and whisk until custard thickens.

For banana pudding add vanilla wafers and place in refrigerator for 2 hours.  Add sliced bananas just before  

serving.

For coconut cream pie, stir in coconut and place in an uncooked pie shell.  Bake for 30 minutes.

• For plain ol' vanilla pie, just pour mixture into a pie shell and bake for 30 minutes.
• For lemon pie, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice, stir together, and pour into a pie shell...and bake for 30 minutes.
• For chocolate pie, add 1/2 cup of baking cocoa, stir together, and pour into a pie shell...and bake for 30 minutes.           
• For chocolate, banana pie...