Easy Meals for Dinner Tonight

It's hard to come up with fast easy ideas for what to feed the family tonight. (Especially on the nights when you'd rather do anything but slave over the kitchen stove!) So here are my top five easy recipes to answer the question - what's for dinner tonight?

• Easy Family Lasagna
• Baked Salmon
• Spicy Beef Enchiladas
• Meat Loaf
• Home made Mac & Cheese

These ideas brought to you by KC's mom.....

Deviled Eggs by Ken

We were given dozens of fresh eggs and I figured what better use for those eggs then to make them deviled. I also discovered in the process that my husband actually knows how to make these and has done it "tons" of times....and yet never for the family... So here are deviled eggs by Ken.

Ingredients:

• 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper, for taste
• Paprika, for garnishing 

Preparations:

1. Hard boil 7 eggs. (10 - 15 minutes at a boil)
2. Let eggs cool.
3. Peel shells. Halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.
4. Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika.

Taste of Home's Baked Salmon

Baked Salmon is one the easy dishes you can make. If you google baked salmon, even the recipe from the Food Network is easy. This particular recipe comes from Taste of Home and has more spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon fillet (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Preparations:

1. Pat salmon dry. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. brush with butter. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salmon.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 8 servings.

Hollandaise Sauce

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com. It says in the directions that once you pour the butter into the blended egg yolks and spices, the sauce should thicken immediately. Well, it didn't. But when I came back a half an hour later to do the dishes, the sauce had thickened. So my recommendation is that after you blend and combine, let the sauce cool until it thickens.

Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of Cayenne pepper
• 1 stick of butter

Preparations:

1. Melt butter over low heat.
2. In a blender, mix egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and Cayenne pepper. Blend on high for one minute.
3. Add butter. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
4. Let sauce stand until it thickens.

Joy of Cooking's Chocolate Chunk cookies

This recipe isn't very different from the Nestle Tollhouse standard chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you check out their the Joy of Cooking's website though, you'll see that this recipe was "tested". Really? Somehow I doubt they tested it at high altitude because they turned out like lumpy chocolate chip pancakes. If you're at high altitude - add 1/2 cup of flour.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chunks

Preparations:

1. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs.
2. Separately, combine salt, flour and baking soda.
3. Mix both sets of ingredients.
4. Bake cookies at 375 for approximately 12 minutes.

Ground Beef Casserole

This casserole is easy to make and you can use whatever type of pasta you have on hand. I highly recommend this recipe for those nights when you have no idea what to make for dinner. If you check this recipe as posted on Food.com, you can see other people's comments and how they added to it. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (1 lb) can chopped tomato, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 ounce) package noodles
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparations:

1. Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper.
2. Drain excess fat if necessary.
3. Add tomatoes, salt, soup.
4. Allow to simmer while cooking noodles according to package directions.
5. Drain noodles.
6. Add cooked noodles and 1/2 of the cheese to meat mixture.
7. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/ground-beef-casserole-81764#ixzz1JyWQqr1w

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate cookies seem to be a big hit at my office and at home so I thought I'd try this recipe with a bag of white chips that I got for free! (Comment if you want to know how)

This recipe comes from Nestle.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels

Preparations:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
2. COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Skillet Chicken Nachos

I substituted green chilies for the red pepper. If you like your nachos with a kick, try adding jalapenos to this recipe. It makes quite a bit and I had leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (7 oz) Green Giant® Niblets® whole kernel sweet corn, drained
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)
• 6 oz tortilla chips (about 42 chips)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparations: 

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center.
2. Stir in taco seasoning mix, tomato sauce, bell pepper, beans, corn and 1 cup of the cheese. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and cheese is melted.
3. Divide tortilla chips between 6 plates. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over chips. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and the cilantro.

Nestle's Quiche Lorraine

I used steak that needed to be cooked instead of bacon in this recipe. It's another fast easy one from Nestle. I baked it for the recommended time and it wasn't long enough so if the middle of your quiche is soggy and 30 minutes, consider adding more time in five minute intervals.

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparations:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
2. COOK bacon in large skillet over medium heat. When bacon starts to turn brown, add onion. Cook until bacon is crisp; drain. Sprinkle cheese into bottom of pie shell. Top with bacon mixture. Combine evaporated milk, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl until blended. Pour into pie shell.
3. BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes on wire rack before serving.

Chocolate Lover's Dream Cake from Betty Crocker

I don't know if I'd say this was my dream cake but it sure does have a lot of chocolate in it! This recipe is very similar to my crock pot chocolate cake recipe and is easy to make. You can serve with or without the chocolate drizzle. I didn't have a butter recipe cake mix so I used a milk chocolate one and omitted the butter.

Ingredients:

• 1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup chocolate milk (if you don't have this then take milk and add chocolate syrup)
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
• 1 package (4-serving size) chocolate fudge instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups) 
• Chocolate Glaze -
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons water

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350°. Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with shortening; lightly flour.
    
2. Mix cake mix, chocolate milk, butter, eggs, sour cream and pudding mix (dry) in large bowl with spoon until well blended (batter will be very thick). Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into pan.
    
3. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Drizzle Rich Chocolate Glaze over cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Hershey's Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

This recipe calls for fudge frosting. If you're pressed for time, you can always use ready-made frosting.

Ingredients:

Cake: 

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 container (16 oz.) dairy sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparations:

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. 2 Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. 
4. For frosting: Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa; cook, stirring constantly, just until mixture begins to boil. Pour mixture into medium bowl; cool completely. Add powdered sugar alternately with milk to cocoa mixture, beating to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. About 1 cup frosting.
   
    

Duhallow Cheese and Grits Soufflé

This is another recipe that my husband made. Can you believe he voluntarily made a souffle? I have to say it was one of his more impressive moments. Almost as impressive as his ability to change a poopy diaper using only one baby wipe. :)

This recipe is from Oprah.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup coarse white grits
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 cups grated Duhallow or mild Cheddar cheese (about 7 1/2 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 large eggs , separated

Preparations:

1. Note: You may also use instant grits to save time. Prepare them according to package directions, then begin the directions below at the point of preheating the oven.
2. Add milk and 2 1/2 cups water to a heavy, medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk in grits, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to the lowest setting possible; cover and cook until grits are creamy and tender, stirring frequently, about 1 hour (time will vary depending on grits; add hot water if they are getting too thick).
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Transfer grits to a large bowl and cool slightly. Stir in butter and cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in egg yolks.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Fold into grits. Transfer to a large buttered ovenproof dish and bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.