Quick and Easy Weeknight Recipes

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

28 Oct 2008 10:00 PM

With Halloween just a few days away you might be looking for dinner recipes that are quick and easy to prepare. If you are like me, then you also want a recipe that contains more nutrients than a bag of Skittles, so your little ghosts and goblins have the energy they need to canvas the neighborhood.

Growing up my parents wouldn't allow us to begin trick-or-treating until we ate a nutritious dinner. Of course, getting squirmy, excited kids to chow down on a plate full of chicken and broccoli was never an easy task. These days parents have a bigger challenge in that some communities have set trick-or-treat hours (whatever happened to Halloween being a free-for-all?). For example, in our city trick-or-treating takes place from 4 to 8 p.m., which means you either feed your kid dinner at 3 or you wait until after they're done collecting treats (and filling their faces with chocolate) to feed them a nutritious meal.

Good luck, right?

My solution: Make a dish that's fun to eat or have them eat on the run. The following recipes are ones that incorporate those themes. The first is a simple pasta dish that's made with wagon wheels (the only type of pasta my daughter will eat). It's healthy, hearty, and can be whipped together in less than 20 minutes. The second recipe for Sunflower Wraps takes even less time to make, plus it's portable. So if your costumed characters are too excited to eat at the table on Halloween night you can hand them one of these wraps and know that they are still getting a healthy meal.

CHUCKWAGON WHEELS

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup beef broth

4 cups cooked wagon wheel pasta

2 cups barbecue sauce

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown ground beef with bell pepper and onion in large nonstick skillet over medium until beef is done and crumbled. Season with salt and pepper. Pour off drippings. Stir in broth, pasta and barbecue sauce. Heat through. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

SUNFLOWER WRAP

Ingredients:

Cucumber slices

Tomato slices

Cheddar cheese

Sprouts

Sunflower seeds

Leafy greens

Guacamole Ingredients:

2 avocadoes-mashed

1/8 cup minced onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 tomato, chopped

Mix all ingredients together

Directions:

Start with tortilla of your choice. (Spinach flavored ones are great for this recipe.)

Spread 1/4 cup of guacamole on flour tortilla, then layer cucumber slices, tomato, cheese, sunflower seeds, sprouts and greens (spinach, romaine or salad mix). Wrap and serve.

Related Articles:

More Quick and Easy Back to School Meals---Wrap and Go

Quick and Easy Back-to-School Dinners

Quick and Easy Party Dishes

Quick and Easy Rice Side Dishes

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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