Easy Dinner Recipes Week Four

The fourth week of easy dinner recipes has everything from easy dinner ideas for ham to chicken to good and hearty baked macaroni and cheese. This fourth week of menus wraps up an entire month of delicious and satisfying dinner ideas!

Week Four

Day One Easy Dinner Recipe

TATER TOT CASSEROLE
CORNBREAD

This kid-friendly ground beef casserole goes from kitchen to table in 35 minutes. Crispy bites of potato form a crust on this ground beef, green bean, and creamy gravy dinner classic.

Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat.
3. Stir in condensed cream of mushroom soup, condensed cream of chicken soup, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper and green beans.
4. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish and layer with the tater tots.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.

Cornbread Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, combine corn meal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
4. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs, and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

*Tater Tot Casserole with Cornbread

Day Two Easy Dinner Idea

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH HAM

Mac and Cheese with Ham is a creamy, cheesy, meal that's like a blanket of comfort in every bite. The addition of diced ham turns mac and cheese into a substantial main dish meal. It can easily be adapted to fit your family's tastes by swapping the ham with your meat of choice – try using leftover cooked chicken or turkey, or even chopped bacon.

Macaroni and Cheese with Ham Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Melt 3 Tablespoons of the butter in large saucepan on low heat.
2. Blend in flour and salt; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
3. Add prepared cheese product and 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese; stir until melted.
4. Stir in macaroni. Add cooked cubed ham.
5. Pour into lightly greased 1 ½ quart casserole.
6. Melt remaining 1 Tablespoon butter; toss with bread crumbs.
7. Sprinkle casserole with remaining ½ cup cheese and bread crumb mixture.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

*Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Ham

Day Three Easy Dinner

MOZZARELLA CHICKEN
GARLIC PASTA
ITALIAN BREAD

Mozzarella Chicken smothered in gooey melted cheese and bathed in rich, flavorful tomato sauce is a simple weeknight dinner recipe. It’s a one skillet chicken recipe that's ready in 30 minutes. The chicken is fully cooked through for safety, yet still makes a quick and easy meal.

Mozzarella Chicken Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes each side, or until white.
2. Add pepper, garlic, onion and broth.
3. Cover and simmer over medium heat until broth cooks off, about 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Stir in spaghetti sauce, then cover and simmer another 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Garlic Pasta Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, then return to pot.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic for 5 minutes. Remove garlic slices, and discard.
3. Pour oil over pasta in pot, and toss to evenly coat.
4. Sprinkle ¾ of the Parmesan cheese onto pasta, and stir until evenly distributed.
5. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley.

*Mozzarella Chicken with Garlic Pasta and Italian Bread

Day Four Dinner Recipe

SLOW COOKER POT ROAST
BAKED POTATOES
BUTTERED CARROTS

Crock pots shine when it comes to turning budget friendly pot roast into a tender, fall apart meal to remember. It's especially perfect for busy moms who don't have time to cook all day, but it tastes like you did. There's nothing quite like sitting down to a hearty, slow-cooked dinner, ready when you walk in the door. Served with mashed potatoes, it's grandma's kitchen in your own home.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Ingredients:

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water.
2. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
3. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.
4. Serve with baked potatoes and buttered carrots.

*Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Baked Potatoes and Buttered Carrots

Day Five Easy Dinner Recipe

BREADED BAKED PORK CHOPS
STUFFING
BUTTERED CORN

Juicy, delicious, oven baked, pork chops are coated with a seasoned crisp crust and enveloped in a rich, creamy gravy. Weeknight dinners like this are easy and kid-friendly, making mealtime enjoyable!

Breaded Baked Pork Chops Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and salt to taste.
3. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.
4. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned.
5. Transfer the chops to a 9×13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
7. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl.
8. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture.
9. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes. Serve with stuffing and buttered corn.

*Breaded Baked Pork Chops with Stuffing and Buttered Corn

Day Six Easy Dinner Idea

SALTINE FRIED CHICKEN
POTATO SALAD
CORN ON THE COB

The true test of stellar fried chicken is a crunchy exterior surrounding moist meat. The crushed saltines used for coating the chicken make ordinary chicken breasts golden and crispy. The touch of potato coating creates tantalizing flavor in every bite.

Saltine Fried Chicken Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs.
2. Add flour, potato flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper to bag and mix well.
3. Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
4. One by one, dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and juices run clear.

Red Potato Salad Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add red potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and chop into 1 inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl.
3. Place eggs in a medium saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, and immediately remove from heat.
4. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and dice.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, distilled white vinegar, green onions, salt and pepper.
6. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, and mix together with the eggs and celery.
7. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours before serving.

*Saltine Fried Chicken with Potato Salad and Corn on the Cob

Day Seven Dinner Recipe

BROWN SUGAR KIELBASA
TWICE BAKED POTATOES

With just 3 ingredients, Brown Sugar Glazed Kielbasa is a sticky, delicious dinner that everyone loves. Bacon surrounds robustly flavored kielbasa then gets a glaze of brown sugar to perfectly bring together the best of sweet and savory. You can serve this as an appetizer by cutting the kielbasa into small slices, or keep it as a dinner by using link-sized portions and wrapping each completely in bacon.

Brown Sugar Kielbasa Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut bacon into halves and wrap each strip around the kielbasa.
3. Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with brown sugar.
4. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

Twice Baked Potatoes Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.
3. Drain, crumble and set aside. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins.
5. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, ½ cup cheese and ½ the green onions.
6. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins.
7. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
8. Bake for another 15 minutes.

*Brown Sugar Kielbasa with Twice Baked Potatoes

Easy Dessert Ideas

What's dinner without a good dessert to go with it? Check out some ideas for easy, delicious desserts to pair with your dinners this week.

Rainbow gelatin cubes. This dessert involves layering different flavors of Jell-O to create a rainbow effect. It's a simple, quick recipe that kids and adults alike will love. It's perfect for a hot summer day when a warm dessert isn't high on your list of wants.

Coconut bites. These small, simple coconut bites are perfect for an easy dessert. You can put whatever topping you want on the coconut base. Use almonds for an Almond Joy dupe, or drizzle chocolate on top for added sweetness. This dessert is perfect for the coconut lovers in your family.

Fried apples. This autumn classic can be made at any time of the year for a nice comfort dish. Eating fried apples will surely bring you back to a simpler time in your life! Tart apples are best for frying, like Granny Smiths or Pink Ladies. Test out different kinds and see which one works best for you!

Chocolate chip cookies. This is a classic. There's no going wrong with chocolate chip cookies! You can make them from scratch using one of the thousands of recipes out there, or you can make it easy on yourself and buy pre-made dough from the store. It might be wise to buy a large tub of pre-made cookie dough, so that you can whip up chocolate chip cookies whenever you need them!

Peanut butter cookies. These cookies are definitely among the easiest to make. They require very few ingredients, and little prep time. Once the cookies are formed, use fork twines to form that classic pattern on top of each cookie. When they're done, serve them warm with ice cream for an added bonus.

For more dessert ideas, check this out. When you're done thinking about dessert, check out our other recipe ideas!

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