For many of us, the silver lining of the dark cloud of COVID is all the time we have been able to spend with family. And as a bonus, a lot of that time has been spent cooking and eating delicious meals together.
We’ve been quarantining for about five months now. That’s 20 weeks of using and reusing your family recipes and searching cookbooks and Pinterest for new dinner inspiration. So it’s likely time to try some new recipes for your kids to make with you. Here are three dinner ideas perfect for your next family night.
Spaghetti-Stuffed Garlic Bread
Pasta is a dinner classic for a reason! It’s easy, it’s filling, and there are lots of options to delight even the pickiest eater. But when you stuff pasta into garlic bread . . . mmm-mmm. Check out this recipe from Southern Discourse:
Ingredients
- 7 oz uncooked spaghetti
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 16 oz tomato sauce
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 loaf Italian bread
- 1 cube softened butter, plus garlic powder to taste
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Boil the spaghetti in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, saute the sausage, beef, and onion in the saucepan until the meat is brown and the onion is translucent. Don’t forget to stir the spaghetti! Once the meat and onion are cooked, add in tomato sauce, paste, and all the seasonings. Stir thoroughly and simmer for five to eight minutes. Drain the cooked spaghetti, pour into the sauce mixture, and combine. Cut bread loaf in half and carve out the middle of each half. Brush the carved-out portion and crust of the bread with garlic butter. Toast in the oven until the bread is slightly crusty. Once toasted, fill each half of the bread with spaghetti. Sprinkle both cheeses on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Classic Tuna Casserole
It’s 6 p.m., everyone is hungry, and there’s no time to run for the store. Don’t panic! The shelf-cooking method has got your back. Try this classic casserole, for example:
Ingredients
- 4 oz macaroni or pasta of choice
- 1 can cream of celery soup
- ⅔ cup milk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 7 oz can of tuna
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the pasta in a large pot. Meanwhile, mix the soup, milk, mayonnaise, and mustard together in a large bowl. Add the cheese and tuna and stir to combine. Fold in the cooked macaroni and then pour into a greased casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, paprika, and melted butter and sprinkle on top of the tuna mixture. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes.
Peach Cobbler Dump Cake
Dessert—everyone’s favorite part of dinner! A simple bowl of ice cream is always yummy, but why not whip up a simple, delicious dump cake recipe for your kids to enjoy making together? They’re easy to make and perfect to eat with fresh, frozen, or canned fruit. Try out this peachy cake from Flavor Mosaic:
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup
- 1 15.25 oz box vanilla cake mix
- ½ cup butter, sliced into 24 very thin slices
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and dump in the peaches, including the syrup. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the peaches. Place the butter slices on top of the mix to cover all of the cake. If there are open spaces, add more butter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then top with ice cream.
We’re self-isolating to keep our families safe and healthy, but that doesn’t mean family mealtime has to be monotonous. Try some of these recipes for your kids to make with you, and take the time to fully enjoy this rare time together with family.