" My kids favorite easy crock pot meal is called "Steak Gravy" Put a large london broil in the crock pot, add a family size cream of chicken and let cook All day. The meat will shredd and it makes a meaty thick gravy over mashed potato! Add a green side and you're good to go. The whole meal is less than $12 for our family of 6. "

" My favorite meals are ones where I make enough for a few meals, and throw them in the freezer for "Can't Deal Dinners" My favorite is Enchiladas (totally authentic in the same way Taco Bell is authentic). You get a casserole dish (pyrex or something), dip tortillas in an Enchilada sauce from a can, and cover the bottom with a layer. Add a layer of Spanish Rice. Then you put a layer of the following mixture:

Whole Black Beans (89cents/can)
Corn (99 cents/frozen bag)
Hominy (99cents/can)
Cilantro (99 cents/bunch)
Sliced olives (1.29/can)

Cover with another layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce, then sprinkle with shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, whatever)

Bake 350 for 45 min.
Serve with Avocado chunks, salsa, just something fresh.

It's healthy, cheap, and satisfying. And it's just as easy to make 2 more cover with foil and throw in the freezer, so when you just can't deal, you don't have to order out. "

" Our family's favorite: Quick Taco Salad

1 bag of "All American Salad" from TJ
1 can of Black Beans from TJ , drained
1 bunch of cilantro chopped
1 half red onion sliced lengthwise
1 avocado, diced
2 large tomatoes diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 lb of ground beef, cooked and fat drained.
1 handful of shredded "mexican" style cheese or feta cheese crumbled
Ranch dressing

Toss and serve with tortilla chips and salsa.

If your kids don't like salad, just make tacos out of the mixture (exclude the salad or whatever they don't like). My picky eater loves them. We use soft corn tortillas instead of the flour ones.

Yumm...I'm getting hungry now. "

" At Bloggermania II "a teacher" made this soup to share with the group. It was absolutely outstanding!
I am willing to bet he won't mind.

a teacher wrote on Sep 28, 2008 11:02 PM:

This is my variation of Duartes(a restaurant in Pescadero) Cream of chile soup.

-1 26 oz can of cream of mushroom soup
-The can minus 1 cup of milk or half and half.
-1 cup of yogurt or sour cream
-4 or 5 peppers, I used pasilla (flavorful, colorful, not too hot)

Roast the peppers, peel and seed. Put it all in a blender then heat until nearly boiling (it curdles if it boils). It goes well with croutons.

The amounts are negotiable. The type of pepper also. I think this would work well with roasted red peppers or poblanos.

Enjoy... " "

" My niece actually loves this and its easy for her to help with the last steps, makes her feel great seems shes only 3.

Tater tot casserole.

Mom: Ground up 2 lbs of hamburger meat and pllace it in the bottom of a 13x9x2 pan. Grate about 1 cup colby jack cheese.

Kids: next add a layer of one can cream of mushroom soup over the meat. Then sprinkle on the cheese that mom grated. Next sprinkle about two (kid size) handfuls of bacon bits over the cheese. Then, pour one bag of mini tater tots on the top and level it out.

Mom: cover with foil, and bake in a 375 oven for 45 min. Then uncover and bake another 15 min. Let cool for about 5 min and serve :)

It tastes great, and like I said, my neice loves to help make it :) "

" ewww...I see a canned cream of mushroom soup theme here...hahaha.The ingredients on the can scare me enough to not buy it.
The crock pot is great for easy, healthy meals though! Google "crock pot cooking" and you will get more than you could ever use! I don't use recipies so I can't share any but some of our favorite dinners are salads(steak, cobb, chinese chicken, taco) and soups(anything in a pot!:) We have been eating a lot more beans now and trying to eat less meat since it's so expensive. "

" Familyfun online has some good ideas and allrecipes also has a kid-friendly section. Thanks everyone for the recipes. I think I have my meal plan for the week set! "

" Opiniagirl, my family thanks you for your recipe for steak gravy. I put it in the crock pot this morning and enjoyed knowing the main dish was done before 9am this morning. :)

I did add just a couple spoonfuls of sour cream before I served it and my family went crazy over it all.

So what else do you have up your sleeve :) "

" Sammy - Oooohh good idea with the sour cream....we'll try it!

I have oodles of fast & easy dinners, we even have a menu scheduled by how much time we'll have for meal prep on any given day...how lame is that, lol!

hmm let's see if I can pop another off the top of my head...

OH! Another family favorite!

Easy Kbob...

Given away a TOTAL family secret here...

For 6 people

Cubed chicken or Beef - 3 pounds
(can cut up London broil or chicken breast) or 1 1/2 of each

1 Large Red Onion sliced into 2 in squares

1 pound whole mushrooms

1 green bell pepper sliced into squares

1 Zucchini or yellow squash sliced - 1/2 in thick

OK - Here is the secret - marinate in Catalina Dressing - lots (1/2 bottle) - for 10 minutes.

Kbob it and throw it on the BBQ until meat is done and onion edges darken

UnKbob the food and put it all in a large bowl.

Take the other half bottle of catalina dressing and cook it over medium heat until it boils and turns dark and bubbly. Stir constantly - not too long or the oil will seperate!

Pour the heated catalina on top and mix all together.

Serve over white rice or white rice on the side with soy sauce.

Prep - 20 Minutes
Cook - 20 Minutes
Cost - About $20

TOTALLY WORTH IT! "

" Pulled Pork - Kinda easy like steak gravy!

Crock Pot - First thing AM
1 Large pork Loin
BBQ Sauce - I whole Bottle (Honey or Maple)
Brown Sugar - 1 Cup or Syrup - 1/2 cup

All day - meat will shredd

Serve on French Rolls at dinnertime! "

" Keep them coming opinia :) we love it. "

" Another favorite of my kids:
(Double for big families over 5)

2 cups steamed minute rice

2 cups shredded chedder or mexican blend cheese

1 family Size can of cream of chicken soup

1 Whole Chicken

Put Chicken in crock pot am - cook all day - falling off the bone by the time you get home.

Take off all breast meat chop it up - set it aside.

Mix cooked rice and canned soup in a bowl - ad 1/2 can of milk - stil - do not add so much rice that it does not stir easily. Mix in 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour contents of bowl into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the chopped chicken breast over the top - top off with the remaining cup of cheese sprinkles - pop in the oven on broil for until edges are boiling and the cheese is melted and chicken looks sorta crispy! My kids like it served with buttered rolls and green beans.

Throw the crock pot remains and remaining whole chicken into a pot to make the base for tommorrow nights homemade chicken soup...

After boiling remove chicken and retrieve ALL MEAT from chicken. Drain broth. Pop both in the fridge.

Next evening - remove hardened grease from top of broth. Bring broth to a boil and either add canned veggies and potato (fast & cheap) or fresh veggies - (tastier). Add egg noodles and all of the chicken meat you retrieved. Salt to flavor... "

" one jar of four cheese pasta sauce or any of the alfredo sauces one pound chicken or shrimp (or whatever seafood you have on hand, firm white fish is best) saute the meat in a little olive oil or butter and a few cloves of shaved garlic till almost done, combine with sauce and cook on low for 15 minutes or so while you cook the noodles (rainbow rotelli is a kid favorite) and make a salad (with some cherry tomatoes) Garlic bread to finish. all done in 30 minutes and you can mix it up by adding shrooms or going red on the sauce.... another is fresh stir fry, marinate some choppedmeat in teryaki sauce fro a couple of hours ( all day if you want) chop some assorted veggies you like ( we go with whats on sale ) brown the meat then throw it all in a chefs pan (deep rounded fry pan) with a couple of tablespoons oil and stir fry on med high to high heat till done (10-15 min) serve over rice with some green tea and frtune cookies. Kids can help with all the prep (supervised ) "

" Hey Napadad........can you ask your wife if you can come to our house and toss this together. :)

it sounds really good, we're going to give it a try "