Easy meals

In the spirit of spring (I hope I hope I hope) I am going to dedicate this post to  ridiculously easy meals so you can take your kids outside and enjoy the nice weather that should be coming soon, to a backyard near you.

Easiest Spaghetti:
Put one or two lbs. of ground beef in a slow cooker with 3 or 6 cans of tomato sauce. Add some vegetables or spices if you want. Cook on low for at least eight hours. This is also perfect for lasagna. Note: I'm sorry but it will take about 8 minutes to cook the noodles when you're ready for dinner, but that's about it.

Sneaky Rice:
Measure according to the instructions the amount of rice you want. Make sure you don't use instant, you need the long-cooking stuff for this one. Use half the water in the directions, and substitute canned cheddar soup for the other half. Coarsely  chop a head of cauliflower into the mix and add another can of soup or cup of water for good measure. Use some garlic or oregano if you want, or put in some chopped grape tomatoes. Bake at 350F for an hour to two hours, covered. The cauliflower will break up as it's cooking and your kids won't be able to tell it from the rice.

Easy Soup
Chop up some potatoes (no need to peel unless you want to) and throw them into a pot with some broccoli and chicken broth or water or a combination. Spice it how you like and add some frozen veggies to increase the vitamin factor if you want. Boil for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Put in a food processor until smooth, and add some shredded cheese and 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce. Stir until melted.

Bacon Bunnies
Put two pieces of bread for every person on a baking tray. Cover with cheese and cooked bacon slices and broil for about 4 minutes. Use ketchup for the smiley faces.

Chili:
Put about a pound of beef into a slow cooker with one can of tomato paste and some diced tomatoes. Add some cans of black beans, navy beans, white beans, whatever kind of beans you want. Throw in some mushrooms and a whole lot of chili powder and garlic. Slow cook for 8 hours on low and serve with toast. Some people like corn in it, but not I.

Baked Pancakes:
Mix up some pancakes from a box or from scratch, but reduce the water or milk so it's really thick. Scoop onto baking trays and bake at 350F for about ten to twenty minutes. It really depends on your oven so watch them closely. Flip them when they look puffy and a little solid. You can cut out all the time of cooking them one or two at a time in a frying pan this way. Instead of twenty minutes at the stove, it's twenty minutes of them doing their own thing.

Easy Chicken:
This is best suited for chicken to put into things, like salad or a stir-fry or noodles. It's a bit rubbery for chicken on a plate. Take some chicken breasts and microwave them, covered, for ten minutes. Cut into pieces and microwave for a minute or two more if needed. Hint: Add water while cooking to keep it more tender. Spice how you like and add to whatever else you're serving.