I often get requests from parents to divulge my many culinary secrets. It appears that many parents are unable to “make it the way Barbie makes it.” Well, at long last, I am ready to tell all. The following recipes are exactly how I create these wonderful meals for the children each day. If you try these out and are still unable to please your little cherubs, you probably just need to zap the meal in the microwave a little longer, and then get distracted helping them solve an argument or helping someone in the bathroom so it cools back down. For the recipes that require baking in the oven or any long period of cooking in the real kitchen, I generally make these foods ahead of time and reheat them in the microwave just before serving.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
2 Cup Macaroni
3 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
Cayenne Pepper
Black Pepper
Paprika
Onion
Boil and drain macaroni noodles. Preheat oven to 350. Use a buttered baking dish. Mix macaroni and cheddar cheese. Beat together egg(s), milk, and spices; and mix with macaroni and cheese. Bake Covered at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Meatloaf
1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs
1/8 Cup Minced Onion
1 Egg, beaten
Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix thoroughly all of the ingredients. In a 12x8 inch baking dish, firmly shape meat into an 8x4 inch loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours.
Enchilada Casserole
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Can Navy Beans
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Corn
1 tsp Cumin
Garlic Powder
Minced Onions
1 (10 oz) Can Red Enchilada Sauce (mild)
12 Corn Tortillas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Heat oven to 375. Spray a 12x8 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine rinsed beans, corn and spices. Mix well. Spoon 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce on bottom of baking dish. Place 6 tortillas on top of sauce. Spoon half of bean mixture on top. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Spoon half of remaining sauce. Repeat the layers. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until heated thru. Uncover, sprinkle with more cheese. Bake, uncovered for 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. (If you want to change this recipe, you can use other optional ingredients....various beans, cooked chicken, cooked ground beef, 2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro, 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, sour cream, hot enchilada sauce, dollops of sour cream)
Tacos and Burritos:
Beef tacos and burritos are made with browned, ground beef mixed with mild taco sauce (watered down, smooth sauce). Bean tacos and burritos are made with fat free or vegetarian refried beans. Chicken burritos are made with shredded chicken breast mixed with mild taco sauce (watered down, smooth sauce). Taco shells are heated in the oven according to the package. Burritos are made with flour tortillas heated in the microwave to soften them. All tacos and burritos are topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
Fishsticks
Buy Gortons Fishsticks. Follow directions for cooking in the real oven (not the microwave). Bake for 17 min or until smoke detector goes off. Once smoke detector goes off, remove fishsticks from oven. Help children run out of the house and to the slide. Record fire drill on log for licensing. Serve fishsticks.
Chicken Nuggets
Same as above but use Banquet or Tyson Brands.
Baked Bean Casserole
1 lb Ground Beef
1 Large Can Vegetarian Baked Beans
Catsup (1/4 cup approx)
Garlic
Pepper
Minced Onions
Cheddar Cheese
1 Can Hungry Jack Biscuits
Cook the biscuits according to package. Brown and drain the ground beef. Mix ground beef with beans, catsup and spices. Top with cheddar cheese. Heat this in microwave until heated all the way through. Serve. (This came from a recipe that involved putting the biscuits on top or on the bottom of the meat & bean mixture and baking it all but I could never get the biscuits cooked right.)
Chili
1 lb Ground Beef (browned and drained)
2 Cans of Kidney Beans
2 Cans of Tomato Sauce (substitute 1 of the cans with diced tomatoes if you want variety)
Black Pepper
Garlic
Minced Onions
Basil
Bay Leaf
Cumin
Cayene Pepper
Mix all ingredients and heat through and let simmer. Top with cheddar cheese.
I usually serve this with biscuits or cornbread or sometimes on top of white rice.
Fruits
Each breakfast and lunch usually consists of at least one type of fruit. Fruits include bananas, apples, oranges, fruit cocktail, pineapple, pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, kiwi, and applesauce. Occasionally other fruits are served. Preparation generally involves opening a can and draining the juice (not syrup), or cutting into smallish pieces. For bananas, I simply break off hunks of banana depending on how much I feel each child will eat. For apples, I use an apple slicer/corer and hand out slices. Children under 18 mos usually get the skin cut off of apples but older kids get to eat the skin and hopefully will get the sticker on their slice!
Pasta with Meatballs/Meatsauce
Rotini, Spaghetti or other type of pasta
Ground Beef or Frozen Meatballs
Healthy Choice Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce
Onions and Garlic (optional)
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Cook pasta in boiling water as directed on package. Brown the ground beef with onions and garlic; or heat up meatballs according to package. Mix pasta sauce with ground beef or meatballs and cover pasta. Add grated parmesan cheese (aka Green Cheese to some of us) when serving.
Nachos:
1 Can Kidney Beans, drained
Mild, Smooth Taco Sauce
Cheddar Cheese (grated)
Taco Shells (heated in oven as directed on package)
Mix kidney beans and taco sauce. Heat for 1 minute in microwave. Break up taco shells on a microwave safe plate. Cover taco shell pieces with beans. Cover beans with cheddar cheese. Heat in microwave until cheese is melted.
