Easy Ways To Turn A Potato Into A Meal Kids Enjoy

Potatoes are a staple of the American diet. This is because they are such a handy food. Potatoes can be boiled, fried, mashed, baked, or turned into chips. We won't be frying any potatoes today, but by using the other ways a potato can be prepared, you can turn it into a meal your kids will love.

Let's prepare a baked potato deluxe. To make the skin of the potato peel back simpler rub them with olive oil prior to baking them. I personally like that better than utilizing the aluminum foil wrap. I've seen people cut the potato without removing the aluminum and I wonder how many small particles of that aluminum are in that potato. While the potatoes are baking, enlist the help of your kids to help you prepare the potato bar. Let them add some of their favorites to your list. I would recommend that a good list start with: shredded cheese, bacon crumbles (they taste better than bacon bits), chopped green onions, salsa, butter spray or reduced calorie margarine, and sour cream. While the potatoes are piping hot, split them open and add the butter spray and the cheese to allow it a chance to melt. Then, add the other items if desired. This loaded baked potato doesn't require anything else unless you want a salad. Kids will like that fact that they get to fix their own dinner.

For a light lunch, scoop the potato out of the baked skins. Smash the potato and mix it with shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, green onions, and reduced-fat margarine. Refill the potato skins and reheat again until the cheese is melted. Cut the potato into four pieces to make it easier for your kids to handle. These twice baked potatoes are yummy.

Soup's On! Potato soup is delicious. It is best in the fall or winter to warm you up on a chilly day, but on a spring evening, it can be a treat. But, potato soup can be bland with just the potatoes. Here's another way to make a meal for your kids using a potato. Add a few tasty items to your soup. You can just about add the same things to the soup that you can add to top a baked potato. My favorite toppings for potato soup are shredded cheese, broccoli florets, bits of ham or bacon, chives, and green onions. The meat gives it more protein to sustain your kids until the next meal. Potato soup can be consumed as a lunch meal or a light dinner. All of the additions give it great taste for the kids.

The potato even works in a salad. Everyone makes their potato salad with subtle variations, but however they prepare it, it is great to eat on a balmy summer's day for lunch. Potato salad is most often a side dish item at picnics or housewarming parties. Here we will transform it into a light meal for the kids and you. To add a little crunch, add diced celery and onion to the salad. For the meat, use sliced shrimp for a seafood twist or ham pieces. The potato chunks should still be the largest thing in the bowl since it is the star of the dish. Mayonnaise and mustard round out the list of ingredients with salt and pepper added to taste.

Potatoes are yummy and wallet friendly. There are so numerous ways that they can be made which contributes to their appeal. If you are looking for a way to prepare them that will be tasty and satisfy your kids, try the tips above along with some of your own.

Helping Kids Appreciate A Healthy Meal

Most may remember when classroom bulletin boards displayed the food pyramid. The pyramid – there was only one. One size fit all. Everyone needed to follow the same nutritional guidelines. Everyone was supposed to merely look at the pyramid to figure out how many servings were needed each day.

Almost all would agree that it is a good thing that obsolete food pyramid has almost all but been forgotten! It may have taken a while, but the idea that not all people need the same food intake finally caught on. Nor are children expected to follow the same nutritional guidelines as the adults.

If you're hoping we'll show you the "kid's guidelines" there unfortunately isn't a set guideline. The amount of food from each food group that each person should eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle is dependent on their age, sex and physical activity level. One size doesn't fit all. You can go to mypyramid.gov to type in some variables to get an idea of how much from each food category to eat each day.

Keep in mind balance is the name of the game. Make sure your kids are eating fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats and beans and grains each day. Then top it off with water, fresh air and exercise. To help you get started, below you will find a couple of healthy meals for kids.

This turkey avocado sandwich wrap uses kid-friendly ingredients for a healthful lunch or snack.

INGREDIENTS:

• Whole wheat tortillas


• 1 avocado mashed


• Sliced deli turkey


• Shredded carrots


• Shredded lettuce


• Shredded Monterey jack cheese

PREPARATION:

Assemble wraps in the following order: Spread mashed avocado on tortilla; Sprinkle shredded carrots and lettuce on avocado; Lay on slices of deli turkey; Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Additionally, you won't get any looks of disappointment if you inform the kids you're making chicken nuggets for dinner. This kid favorite is delicious in the low-fat, oven-baked version. For easy clean-up and maximum crispiness, lay a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet; and, then place a wire rack on top of the foil.

INGREDIENTS:

• skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in 1-2 inch squares


• non-fat or low-fat buttermilk


• flour for dredging


• finely chopped corn flakes for dredging


• salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare three large bowls for dredging chicken - 1 with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, 1 with buttermilk, and 1 with crushed corn flakes. Prepare baking pan by laying a sheet of foil over a cookie sheet; and then place a wire rack on top of the foil. Season chicken with salt and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.

Drag chicken pieces in flour. Shake off excess flour and coat with buttermilk. Next, generously coat chicken with corn flakes, and place on rack of your baking pan. Bake nuggets for 15 minutes. These keep well for the next day's lunch box so make plenty!

The next time you reach into the pantry or freezer to grab something quick to prepare for dinner, take a good scrutinizing look at the ingredients. The idea is not to serve food that is adequate but instead food that is healthy. Keep in mind that not all of your kids may require the same portions of food.

Ground Beef Hamburger Patty Recipe - Juicy Grilled Hamburger Patty

There's nothing worse than biting into a dry, unappetizing hamburger. You won't have that problem with this great grilled hamburger recipe. Hamburgers come hot off the grill with a delectable juicy texture that makes each bite really enjoyable.

2 pounds ground beef


1 egg, beaten


3/4 cup bread crumbs, dry


3 tablespoons evaporated milk


2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat the grill on high setting.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and the garlic; mix ingredients with your hands. Form into 8 individual patties.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill hamburger patties for 5 minutes on each side, until well done.

=> Ground Beef Hamburger Meat Recipe: Hamburger with Ketchup Gravy

If there's one thing that we know goes great together, it's hamburger and ketchup. Now here's a tasty twist on using ketchup on a hamburger patty. This ground beef hamburger recipe will become one of your favorites. The meat marinates in the gravy while it cooks and is oh, so delicious.

1 pound ground beef


1/2 cup ketchup


1/2 cup bread crumbs


1 teaspoon onion powder


1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning, or to taste


Salt and pepper


2 teaspoons vegetable oil


1 large onion, cut up into chunks


1 cup ketchup


1/2 cup water, as needed

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, 1/2 cup ketchup, bread crumbs, onion powder, steak sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Form hamburger into thick patties or meatballs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet on medium high heat. Cook patties until browned on both sides. Remove patties from skillet and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Drain grease from the skillet.

In the same skillet, slowly stir together the 1/2 cup ketchup and 1/2 cup water. You can add more water if the mixture is too thick, or, more ketchup if the mixture is too thin. Add in the onion and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add hamburger patties to the skillet and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir gravy. If the gravy is too thin, continue to simmer with the lid off until it thickens to the desired consistency.

=> Best Hamburger Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Hamburger

This qualifies as a best hamburger recipe because it is packed with flavor. It features two kinds of cheeses, onion, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and bacon. Wow. This recipe is a winner no matter how you serve it up.

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded


1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated


1 small onion, chopped


1 egg


1 tablespoon ketchup


1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/8 teaspoon pepper


1 pound ground beef


6 slices bacon


6 hamburger buns, split

Directions

Preheat skillet or grill on high heat.

In a large bowl, combine the cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Crumble the ground beef into the bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Shape mixture into 6 patties. Wrap one slice of bacon around the edge of each one. Secure bacon to patties with toothpicks.

Place patties into skillet or onto the hot grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side,
or until well done. Remove the toothpicks before putting hamburgers onto buns.

=> Gourmet Hamburger Recipe: Spicy Blue Cheese Hamburger

If you're a little adventurous, then you'll just love this gourmet blue cheese burger with a spicy twist. The hot wing sauce is that extra special secret ingredient that will have people trying to guess what it is. Maybe you'll tell them – maybe you won't, either way, these burgers are fabulous.

1 pound lean ground beef


1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled


1/2 cup onion, minced


1/2 cup hot wing sauce (normally used for chicken hot wings)


1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


1 teaspoon ground black pepper


1 teaspoon yellow mustard


4 hamburger buns, split

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, blue cheese and the onion. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper. Mix together well using your hands.

Make 6 patties and then place them on a plate. Cover patties with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat grill on high heat.

Take patties out of refrigerator. Pour hot wing sauce over patties until the tops (only) are well covered with sauce. Let patties sit there for 10 minutes.

Cook hamburgers for 5 minutes per side, until well done.