3 Easy and Kid-Friendly Dinner Recipes

Dinner time is usually the best time for a family to get together for some leisurely dining.  Fill everyone's tummy with these heartwarming meals which are quite easy to prepare.  The first recipe is an easy crockpot dish, the second one takes no more than 25 minutes of your time and the third dish is something you simply assemble and pop in the oven.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This thick, saucy, sweet and sour meatball recipe is a blockbuster hit with the kids.  Simply throw everything in a crockpot, forget about it for 6 hours and serve it piping hot at dinnertime.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. precooked, frozen turkey meatballs
• 1 12-ounce bottle of chili sauce
• 1 16-ounce can of whole berry cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:

• Place meatballs in a crockpot.  Add in all the rest of the ingredients, stir and cover.
• Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Hotdog Chili

Chili is upgraded with hotdogs for more kid-friendliness in this quick and easy recipe.  Mustard and chilies add a new dimension to this old-time favorite.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 hotdogs (either beef, chicken or turkey)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 14-ounce cans of mild chili beans
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup yellow mustard
• ¼ cup relish
• 4 ounce green chilies, chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped onions and shredded Cheddar cheese for garnishing

Directions:

• Slice hotdog into ½-inch pieces.
• In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. 
• Add hotdogs and onions to the pan.  Cook until hotdogs are browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Season to taste.  Top with chopped onions and shredded Cheddar cheese and serve hot.

Baked Ziti

This is the ultimate comfort food for an incredibly cheesy-tasty dinner.

Ingredients:

• 16-ounce ziti pasta
• 1 large egg
• 15-ounce ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (optional)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 ½ cups spaghetti sauce
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg and add ricotta cheese, garlic powder, basil and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
• Add cooked pasta and 2 cups of the spaghetti sauce.
• In a 9 x 13 pan, pour 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce.  Top with the ziti mixture.  Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.