Dinner Recipes that Teenagers Can Make

Today's families are so busy that getting dinner on the table can take a small miracle. If the responsibility of making dinner falls on one person, sometimes even a miracle can't save dinner. If you have a teenager in the home, even single parent families can have two cooks.

Following are a few recipes that use ingredients most teenagers are familiar with, and have foods they will actually eat. These recipes require only basic kitchen skills, so there's no chance of a stray chopped finger in the dinner salad.

Mac and Cheese Casserole

As the name implies, Mac and Cheese Casserole makes use of a kid staple, macaroni and cheese. The addition of a few simple ingredients turn this childhood favorite into a grown up meal for the whole family.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two boxes of macaroni and cheese as directed. While boiling the macaroni noodles, brown half a pound of hamburger. Salt and pepper the hamburger while cooking it. Once the macaroni and cheese is prepared, add one can of cream of mushroom soup, a half cup of milk, two tablespoons of parsley, and a half teaspoon of garlic powder. Add the cooked hamburger last, then stir all ingredients until well mixed. Pour the mixed ingredients into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top liberally with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for twenty minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Round out this meal with a simple bag of salad, and your teenager can have dinner on the table in as little as 30 minutes.

Ramen Noodle Chicken Toss

Ramen noodles are both cheap and easy (insert jokes about sisters/cousins/ex-girlfriends here). If your teenager prefers not to handle raw boneless, skinless chicken tenders, feel free to substitute precooked and sliced chicken shreds or tenders from the frozen food aisle.

Prepare four packs of chicken flavored Ramen noodles as directed on the package. While the noodles cook, brown (or heat if using precooked) chopped chicken tenders. Microwave your choice of frozen vegetables (a California blend works well in this recipe), with a pat of butter. Once the noodles, vegetables, and chicken are cooked, toss them all together in a large serving dish. This meal is complete as is, and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.

Easy Lasagna Casserole

Lasagna is so good, but can take a lot of preparation time. Easy Lasagna Casserole has all the great taste of lasagna without the layering, noodle soaking, and lengthy bake time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil two cups of your favorite noodles. (We prefer whole wheat rotini.) Brown half a pound of ground beef. Once it's browned, pour a jar of spaghetti sauce and mix it in with the ground beef. While the noodles finish boiling, mix a 16 ounce container of cottage cheese with a cup of parmesan cheese (the kind that comes out of the shaker is perfect for this). Add a dash of garlic powder and a heavy sprinkle of parsley for added pizzazz. Once the noodles have been boiled and drained, pour them into a casserole dish. Then pour the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Next, pour the spaghetti sauce and ground beef over the cottage cheese mixture. Top everything with shredded mozzarella cheese and put in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. If you're feeling really adventurous, throw some garlic bread in with the lasagna casserole and make it an Italian night!

While a teenager may not be able to put a seven course meal on the table every night, it is well within his or her reach to assist with a simple meal once or twice a week.