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Help me! Need dinner ideas! (Read 631 times)

    I'm in a rut! Burnt out in the dinner area. What is everyone having for dinner tonight? Any ideas? Looking for something not-too-complicated. Smile
    Carl A


      Every once in a while, my family and I like to have breakfast for dinner: pancakes, scrambled eggs, even cereal sometimes. It's great runner's food, to boot!

      Speed my steps along your path, according to your will.

        Every once in a while, my family and I like to have breakfast for dinner: pancakes, scrambled eggs, even cereal sometimes. It's great runner's food, to boot!
        We do this once every week or two. A nice change and the kids love it. A new thing my wife and I have thrown into the dinner mix to avoid the "chicken again?" syndrome, is Parmesan Crusted Tilapia. Oh so tasty. And only 200 calories.

        When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

        jEfFgObLuE


        I've got a fever...

          I made French Dips last night. Easy and fun. Get a 1~1.5 lb of roast beef from your deli, sliced thin (so the flavor has nowhere to hide!) and some rolls. Get a packet of au jus seasoning -- all you have to do is add it to 3 cups of water and boil. The keys are as follows: 1) the cook always gets to drink alcohol while cooking, even if it's a fast easy meal (that just means you have to drink faster) 2) toast the rolls in a toaster oven 3) you want to put the meat in the juice before putting it on the sandwich. Don't keep it in there so long that it starts to cook -- just like 30 seconds so that it's not cold going on to the roll. But... 4) Let the juice drip off of the meat before putting it onto the roll so you don't get it soggy. 5) You may also like putting some sliced cheese on it (cheddar and jack are good).

          On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

            to avoid the "chicken again?" syndrome
            The best nugget you have ever had, and it's neither chicken nor soy. Seriously, these things are ridiculously good and will fool anyone into thinking it's really really good chicken.


            My dogs are fast, not me

              This is pretty mundane, but tonight we're having Boca burgers on whole wheat rolls, corn on the cob, and salad. Not exciting, but quick and easy to prepare.

              Robin

                My vote still goes to beans and rice. I usually use black beans and add onions, tomatoes (canned are really easy) salsa, and cheese (cheddar or swiss). You can put it in tortillas if you want, serve it as a main dish or as a side. And it takes about 5 mins to make (assuming you started your rice-maker when you got home from work before going for your run Tongue )
                jEfFgObLuE


                I've got a fever...

                  Another easy/fun one we often do is ham+cheese quesadillas. Finely chop some green onions and ham (insert Dr. Suess joke here), fry them up in a skillet, then spread them out in between some tortillas along with some grated cheese. Cook each side in a different skillet until browned and the cheese is melted. Same rules about the cook and drinking alcohol apply as above in the French Dip post. Big grin

                  On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

                  mbk


                    Gorgonzola Pasta with Walnuts Boil enough pasta for 3-4 people. Any shape will do, but I prefer tubes with ridges. Get about 1/3 to 1/2 lb. gorgonzola cheese. Crumble it in a small sauce pan. Add enough cream to cover the cheese plus a little more. Add as much minced or pressed garlic as you like (the more the merrier). Add a little fresh ground pepper. Heat until the cheese is melted and the texture is creamy. Pour the sauce over the pasta, sprinkle walnut halves or pieces over it, serve with good bread for sopping up the sauce. The pasta takes longer than the sauce to prepare. Whole thing can be ready in 15 minutes and tastes awesome.
                    mbk


                      My vote still goes to beans and rice. I usually use black beans and add onions, tomatoes (canned are really easy) salsa, and cheese (cheddar or swiss). You can put it in tortillas if you want, serve it as a main dish or as a side. And it takes about 5 mins to make (assuming you started your rice-maker when you got home from work before going for your run Tongue )
                      Another way to serve beans and rice is to drain the canned beans (I like black beans), put them in a small saucepan with brown rice and some cheese, then add as much spice as you like (I add Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder). Cook till warm and a little creamy. Then serve in pita bread. This is also great as a left over (I think in grad school I lived off this stuff).
                        No help here. Dh will be coming home late and we have open house at the twins school this evening. We'll probably do take out Evil grin

                        Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

                          Tonight we are having leftovers from last night's bbq chicken....Here are some possible ideas though. Keep in mind that my family is brutal, nobody likes anything slightly "fancy". Drives me crazy. Some things they do agree on: 1. Tacos, chicken or beef 2. Sloppy joes, fruit 3. Breaded/baked chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies 4. Breakfast for dinner (choc. chip and regular pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, fried potatoes) 5. Ham and "sugar" ham (ham sliced and heated with brown sugar)., fresh fruit, twice baked potatoes. 6. BBQ chicken from the grill (did that last night), stuffing, corn, salad 7. Hoagie night (I buy lunch meats, cheeses, and all the fixings and they each make what they like) Things I make they DON'T agree on: 1. Lasagna (meat and cheeses, no veggies), salad, bread 2. Beef stew, dumplings on the side 3. Pasta and meatballs, salad, bread 3. Chicken parm, pasta, salad, dinner rolls (I like salad!!) And of course there is more but these are the basics of what might be served for dinner in my house of 6. Trust me, there are days when I'm burnt out and grilled cheese sandwiches and soup appear. Oh, then there are days when I announce that it's a "fend for yourself meal night"...the kids love that! They can get pretty creative.

                          Michelle



                            I remember my parents making tuna caserole a lot as a kid. I hated it. I think it had something to do with the cream of mushroom soup and the canned tuna and maybe the nasty crunchy top. But it would probably work as a stand-by. (Nope, I wasnt any less picky as a child than I am as an adult!) My mom made a really good omlette this weekend for me. She sliced some potatoes and fried them with onions and spinach and added some eggs and cheddar cheese. It may actually have been considered a fritata because she tossed it in the oven to cook the top. (That was my idea. Big grin )
                              Wewh hewh!!! Thanks everyone! Ask and ye shall receive! Keep em coming! At this rate I won't have to think for a couple weeks! Big grin
                                I remember my parents making tuna caserole a lot as a kid. I hated it. I think it had something to do with the cream of mushroom soup and the canned tuna and maybe the nasty crunchy top. But it would probably work as a stand-by. (Nope, I wasnt any less picky as a child than I am as an adult!)
                                Holy cow! This totally brought back the nightmare that was called "Tuna Casserole Night". I can remember taking forever to eat the nasty concoction while I pushed the little mushroom molecules from the cream of mushroom soup to the side of my plate. Nope, I wasn't a picky eater as a child, not at all. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

                                When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

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