Keep it simple when preparing daily family dinners

By Allison Askins
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Erin Campbell grew up in a family that always sat down together for dinner. She doesn’t have a family of her own yet, but she still makes sure she enjoys a home-cooked meal each night.

That’s impressive considering Campbell is single, 22, and a graduate student.

“My friends say, ‘Gosh, I can’t believe you do this,’ ” Campbell said.

Cooking meals for ourselves and our families — whether we’re single or head of a crew that could be its own soccer team — is a meaningful habit to adopt. The problem is that our frantic lives seem to convince us otherwise. But there are ways to plan and prepare and make family dinners happen.

That’s why the National Pork Board’s 10-year-old “Eat Dinner Together” promotion is still going strong.

“The theme really resonates here because we represent American pork producers, who, by and large, are families who have the benefit of working with their families,” said Ceci Snyder, dietitian for the pork board. “They saw it as ‘How can we promote this idea beyond rural areas?’ They saw it as an important topic.”

As the mother of 3-year-old twins, Snyder understands the dilemma of weeknight meal preparation. With the help of prepackaged foods such as frozen vegetables and the many marinades and dressings on the market, she finds ways to get dinner on the table for her family most evenings.

“It doesn’t have to be fresh or made from scratch,” Snyder said. “We go for simple — like marinades … sweet things kids like … (and) we’re definitely into dipping. Give kids that option with vegetables and meats.”

Mexican chicken casserole
3/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons margarine
2 cups Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix
3/4 cup salsa
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack/cheddar cheese

Mix hot water and margarine in 12-by-8 glass baking dish until margarine melts.

Stir in stuffing and 1/4 cup salsa. Arrange chicken over stuffing. Pour rest of salsa over chicken.

Cover with foil. Back at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes more. Makes 4 servings.

— Erin Campbell, Columbia, S.C.

Chicken enchiladas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
2 10-3/4-ounce cans cream-of-mushroom soup
8-10 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Black olives

In a crockpot, combine chicken, chilies and soup. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally if you can. Remove chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken on tortillas, dividing equally.

Roll up tortillas, enclosing chicken by sticking a toothpick in each tortilla after it is wrapped. Place rolled tortillas in a greased baking dish. Spoon mushroom sauce from crockpot over tortillas to cover. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, salsa and olives. Makes 4-5 servings.

— Leslie Hope, Lexington, Ky.

Crockpot roast and greasy rice
1 beef roast (1-3 pounds)
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
1 onion, medium
2 cans beef consomme
1 box Minute rice

Rub roast with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cut up onion and place on top of roast.

Pour consomme over top of roast and onion; cook in crockpot on low for 8 hours.

After roast has cooked all day and you are ready to prepare the meal, place rice in a separate bowl and use juice/onions from the roast (instead of water) to cook rice.

Cook in microwave, covered, according to package instructions. (About 2 cups rice and 2 cups juice from the roast for 6-8 minutes.) Makes 6 servings.

— Leslie Hope, Lexington

Creamy quinoa primavera
1-1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite-size pieces assorted uncooked vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, carrot or zucchini)
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat quinoa and broth to boiling; reduce heat.

Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until all broth has been absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden.

Stir in vegetables. Cook 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

In skillet, toss vegetables and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Makes 6 servings.

— “The Betty Crocker Cookbook New Edition” (General Mills)

Burger-and-veggie packets
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups (from 1-pound bag) frozen sugar snap peas, carrots, onions and mushrooms (or other combination of your choice)
32 frozen steak fries (from 28-ounce bag)
4 frozen half-ears corn on the cob
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper

Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.

Cut four 18-by-12-inch sheets of foil.

In medium bowl, mix beef, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and the onion powder. Shape mixture into four patties, about 1/4 inch thick.

Place one patty on center of each foil sheet. Top each with 1/2 cup vegetables and 8 steak fries.

Place 1 piece of corn next to each patty. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper over vegetables. Fold foil over patties and vegetables.

Seal edges at top, making tight 1/2-inch fold. Fold again.

Repeat folding at sides. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion.

Cover and grill packets over medium heat 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Place packets on plates.

To serve, cut large X across top of each packet. Fold back foil.

Note: You can mix this up, using chicken instead of hamburger, to create a Mediterranean chicken packet. Use 1 4-ounce packet of basil and tomato feta cheese, 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 4 skinless chicken breasts, 1 small red onion and 20 pitted olives. Makes 4 servings.

— “The Betty Crocker Cookbook New Edition”

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