Family Meals

A macaroni and cheese recipe used to be a staple of every mother's kitchen, but with the advent of boxed mac and cheese, this fell to the wayside. These creative recipes are sure to liven up the go-to lunch option, giving moms a kicky way to serve up some fun!

Mac and Cheese Pancakes
Not exactly a macaroni and cheese recipe you'd recognize, this tasty variation on traditional pancakes features zippy cheddar and is lightly pan fried in peanut oil. Serve with real maple syrup for an amazing breakfast experience!

Meatballs are amongst the most beloved and popular Italian recipes, with good reason. Homemade meatballs can be used in a wide variety of Italian recipes -- both simple classics as well as complicated gourmet dishes.

Since meatballs can be used in so many Italian recipes. I recommend making a big batch and freezing the leftovers. Homemade meatballs will keep for about a month in your freezer, and you'll be able to use them in soups, lasagna, sandwiches, calzones and all sorts of pasta dishes.

Simple Italian Meatballs:
If you're looking for kid-friendly Italian recipes, try this simple meatball recipe. When making meatballs, it's okay to play with your food. Kids enjoy forming the ground meat into small balls and are more likely to eat food they "helped" make. Just four ingredients are used to make a classic homemade meatball: ground meat, eggs, grated parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper.

Easiest Spaghetti and Meatballs:
Most traditional Italian recipes don't involve microwaves, but busy moms can grab the jarred sauce and whip up this "homemade" meal in just 15 minutes. These microwave meatballs aren't gourmet, but your kids will love them.

Italian Wedding Soup:
Every thorough collection of Italian recipes tends to include Italian Wedding Soup. Traditional Italian wedding soup includes meatballs and escarole like this recipe from the food blog We Are Never Full. But I also enjoy this twist on the classic Italian recipe which uses turkey meatballs rather than beef/pork/veal and spinach instead of escarole.

Meatball Lasagna:
I saw Chef Sal Scognamillo of Patsy's Restaurant make this meatball lasagna on the Today Show a few years ago, and it is now one of my favorite Italian recipes. The meatballs are made from scratch using chopped veal, minced garlic, chopped parsley, eggs, breadcrumbs and romano cheese. Supposedly, Frank Sinatra loved this meatball lasagna. Try just one bite, and you'll understand why. This isn't a simple dish for quick weeknight dinners, but it is a wonderful special occasion recipe.

Meatball Calzones:
Although Rachel Ray makes a sophisticated Florentine meatball calzone using homemade turkey meatballs and spinach that I enjoy, I'd found that kids prefer traditional Italian recipes for meatball calzones which blend old fashioned beef meatballs, cheese, spaghetti sauce and dough into a delicious pizza-sandwich.

Baked Ziti and Meatballs:
Italian recipes for baked ziti are crowd pleasing dishes that children enjoy as much as adults. Baked Ziti with meatballs is a make-ahead dish that's perfect for entertaining. Just pop the casserole in the oven when your guests arrive, and it will be ready to eat by the time you've finished your cocktails and appetizers. In a hurry? Try this easy baked ziti variation using frozen meatballs and jarred tomato sauce.

Meatballs and Creamy Polenta:
Polenta (ground cornmeal) pairs perfectly with homemade meatballs in these Italian recipes. While I enjoy Tyler Florence's ultimate meatballs al forno with creamy polenta, I prefer making food blogger Julie O'Hara's twist on the dish. She simplified Florence's gourmet recipe – paring it down to, in her words, its "delicious fundamentals."

Beef stew recipes are a hallmark of winter, but who has time to stand over the stove? Fortunately, you don't have to. Whether you're in the mood for the classic recipe or are looking for beef stew with a twist, you can create this heartwarming dish using a crock-pot to cut down on your kitchen time, but not on the deliciousness.

Classic beef stew recipes for the crock pot abound, and if you are looking for a comfort meal just like mom used to make, check out Real Simple's Slow-Cooker Classic Beef Stew. This dish serves 8-10 and has a 35-minute prep time. With hearty vegetables and tender beef, this dish is sure to please. Similar to Real Simple's beef stew recipe, McCormick's Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew also serves 8 people and features tasty vegetables. With a 15-minute prep time and at under $2.50 a serving, this recipe may save you a few minutes in the kitchen as well a few dollars at the grocery store. Southern Beef Stew is also a hearty option,

If you are looking for a variation on the classic beef stew recipe, consider Wild Mushroom Beef Stew. This dish only has a 15-minute prep time, but as the name suggests includes wild mushrooms to incorporate the exotic flavor of shitake mushrooms. Want to spice things up a bit? Try Spicy Beef Curry Stew for the Slow Cooker. With a similar 15-minute prep time, this recipe veers off of the traditional path by adding in curry powder and diced jalapeno peppers. Definitely beef stew with a kick! Kitchen Daily's Slow-Cooker Tuscan Beef Stew gives an Italian twist on traditional beef stew by adding in red wine, Italian seasoning, and tomato soup, and their Orange-Scented Beef Stew features the classic recipe with yummy orange essences. Hungarian Beef Stew is another alternative to the traditional recipe. Take your beef stew across the border by trying Slow Cooker Fajita Stew – a beef stew with a Mexican slant.

Those watching their waistlines shouldn't despair. There are low fat and low sodium beef stew crock pot recipes just for you! Try Weight Watchers Classic Beef Stew. Each serving is only six points. The classic Crock-pot Beef Stew recipe features servings that only have 4.5 grams of fat per serving. Eating Well's Fragrant Beef Stew is a delightful dish that boasts the nutritional bonus of containing Vitamin C, Zinc, Iron and Vitamin A.

Whatever your preference, you can create a delectable meal without a lot of hassle. Treat yourself and your family to this classic, gratifying dish today!

Looking for a quick summer meal for the family or a menu that will impress your guests? Why not try a pork loin? Recipes that call for grilling make this an especially simple option for a basic supper or a fancy dinner party.

Pork loin is a cut of pork that comes from the meat between the leg (or ham) and shoulder of a pig, according to the website "Ask The Meatman." There are many ways to cook a pork loin, the most popular of which being either to grill or roast it. Pork loin recipes for the grill are especially handy during the summer months, when cooks can grill outside, but can also be used on an indoor grill during the cooler seasons.

If you're looking for a meal that will serve a good number of diners and will also impress them, KitchenDaily offers several pork loin recipes sure to please even the pickiest eater. Honey-Glazed Pork Loin with Chunky Applesauce brings together the classic flavor combination of pork and apples, done on the grill. The ingredients, including ginger and orange peel, will add to any sophisticated menu.

Another good choice when looking for pork loin recipes for a dinner party is Smoked Italian Crusted Pork Loin, which gives you the ability to use your regular grill to achieve the sought-after taste of smoked meat. This elegant roast can be served with fresh vegetables, also grilled, making clean-up after your party very easy, indeed, and giving you more time to socialize with your guests. The instructions for smoking the meat are simple and clear, as well.

If you're interested in pork loin recipes that are long on flavor, consider marinading the meat for an easy family dinner. Killer Pork Loin Marinade offers you the option of boiling the remainder of the marinade to create a sauce for serving alongside the roast. One tip for grilling pork: be sure to use your meat thermometer. Pork loin recipes generally call for the meat to reach an internal temperature of about 150-degrees F.

Using a grill for your pork loin recipes makes dinnertime very easy, especially when you have a busy family. The preparation and clean-up are minimal, since most of the cooking takes place outside. For a weekday dinner, consider Herb Crusted Pork Loin With Grilled Asparagus. This recipe includes both a main course and a side dish, both prepared outside. Don't be fooled by the fancy-sounding name, either. According to KitchenDaily readers, this family-sized recipe is fast and easy, as well as budget-friendly.

The pork loin recipes for the grill that we've shared here are just the very tip of the proverbial iceberg, with hundreds and hundreds of options out there to please just about every palate. Don't forget that pork is the "other white meat," and make sure to add this easy supper to your weekly menu -- especially when you have company coming.

There are very few people out there who don't love burgers, but why stick to just your basic hamburger? Recipes for this all-American sandwich aren't limited to just ground beef. Turkey burger? Black-bean burger? How about a burger with special seasonings? A little creativity will elevate this humble weeknight supper into a delicious dinner worthy of being served to even the pickiest guests.

Hamburger recipes are easy to find. Websites like KitchenDaily and AllRecipes.com offer hundreds of variations on this theme. From Mexican to Creole, AllRecipes gives cooks options that span just about every skill and taste level. If you're looking for hamburger recipes that offer more than just meat on a bun, we love these "Mexcellent Cheeseburgers." This recipe includes hot pepper sauce, avocado and, of course, cheese. But that's not all -- even the bun gets special treatment. This cheeseburger is served with dijon mustard on a split -- and toasted -- English muffin. Yum!

For the hunting enthusiast, we offer up these Juicy Deer and Bacon Burgers, also from AllRepies.com, which incorporate venison, otherwise known as the meat from a deer. It also includes ground beef, which may make it more palatable to your average burger enthusiast. In fact, hamburger recipes that use meats other than ground beef can be a good way to get children to try foods that they might not otherwise, such as venison or ground turkey.

Hamburger recipes that use ground turkey are also easy to find. KitchenDaily offers a recipe for grilled turkey burgers that take about 40 minutes from preparation to table, and kids will love them with a little cheese, ketchup and mustard. Another benefit of using a lean meat like turkey in your hamburger recipes is that there is significantly less fat. However, turkey can fall apart easily on the grill, so many recipes will also call for a binding agent, such as an egg.

Don't want to eat meat at all? Vegetarians, don't fret -- you needn't miss out on the delights of the hamburger. Recipes for veggie burgers typically call for beans, like these Asian Bean Burgers from KitchenDaily, which call for kidney beans. If you're really ambitious, you can even soak your own beans, as is called for in this "Spicy Bean Burgers" recipe from KitchenDaily. You can eat these burgers all year-round, since they are best prepared in a pan.

If what you really crave is a ground-beef hamburger, recipes don't need to be limited to just plain meat and more meat. Add some creative spices or interesting cheeses and take it to the next level, like this Thai Peanut Burger from KitchenDaily, which brings exotic flavors to this classic meal without using hard-to-find ingredients. It calls for peanut butter, lime juice and soy sauce, which most cooks will have on hand.

The bottom line when it comes to hamburger recipes is don't be afraid to experiment. You never know, you just may create the next all-American burger sensation!