5 Easy Kid-Pleasing Meals

Every mom is well-acquainted with those days that fly by and before you know it the kids are suddenly starving and you realize you should have started dinner cooking a half hour ago. It's always helpful to have a stockpile of ideas for getting food (that they'll actually eat rather than eye suspiciously) into their hungry little mouths quickly and easily. Following are 5 reasonably healthy and balanced standbys that nearly always please even my picky bunch.

Easy Tortillas

Flour or corn tortilla shells
Shredded cheese
Refried beans or meat cooked with taco seasoning
Optional: tomato, lettuce, sour cream, salsa

Fill shells with beans/meat and cheese, fold or roll up. Microwave til warm. Add toppings. For a twist: make breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs and cheese.

Pizza Burgers

Hamburger buns
Ground sausage (cooked)
Shredded cheese
Pizza sauce
Optional: favorite pizza toppings

Split buns in half and spread sauce on both sides. Add sausage, cheese and any other toppings desired. Place in 400 degree oven for about 5 mins. or just long enough to melt cheese. For a twist: taco burgers (hamburger made with taco seasoning, cheese and sour cream), cheese burgers (cooked/crumbled ground beef, top with cheese slice and desired condiments).

Taco Roll-Ups

1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed
Ground beef cooked in taco seasoning
Shredded cheese

Roll dough out to approximately 13"x9". Add beef and cheese to one of the long sides of the dough. Roll dough up starting with the side you placed the ingredients on. Continue rolling until you have formed a log, seal edge down by rubbing a bit of water along edge and pressing together. Cut into 2" pieces and place on baking sheet; bake at 400 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes. Add favorite taco toppings. For a twist: use pizza ingredients or chunked chicken and cheese.

Tater Tot Casserole

2 lbs. browned ground beef
3 cans green beans
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans milk

Combine all ingredients in large casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Layer with thin layers of Velveeta cheese, top with tater tots and bake for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees (per tater tot instructions).

Breakfast for Dinner

For a super easy and healthy method of cooking eggs, pick up a microwave egg poacher from Wallyworld for under $2. Poach eggs for 1-2 minutes, heat up some frozen sausage links or bacon, add toast and/or apple slices, oranges, or other desired fruit.

Add frozen, canned or fresh vegetables as a side dish to any of these recipes, and you've got a quick, tasty meal that can be on the table in under 30 minutes