Mexican food is nutritious and can be quick to make. Most kids are fond of tacos and like to help assemble them. You can make some Mexican food your kids will love by using some of these recipes.

Tacos

One of the most popular Mexican dishes is tacos. Home-made tacos are easy to make with spiced ground beef, fresh vegetables, and cheese. What’s not to love? To make tacos you’ll need the following dried spices to season the ground beef:

Spice Ingredients to flavor the meat:
* 2 teaspoons instant minced onion
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon chili … read more

Labor Day Baked Beans
Serves 8

Ingredients:
½ lb ground beef
½ lb bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
¼ cup BBQ sauce
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp chili powder
3 cans (16oz each) mixed beans (i.e. Kidney Beans, Pinto, white beans etc)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ºFahrenheit. Lightly grease a 2 1/2qt casserole dish.

Cook beef, bacon and onion in a large saucepan until cooked through. Drain fat. Combine the rest of the ingredients, except the beans, in a bowl. Mix well. Then add to the meat and … read more

Jump start this school year with the perfect recipe for success

(ARA) – After a summer filled with sunny beach days and sleepovers, getting kids motivated to head back to school and adjust to a new routine is often a challenge. To make the transition a little easier for kids and parents, here are some tips and fun ideas to get creativity flowing and wake-up brains for learning.

Serve up originality
Inviting children to help in the kitchen is a great way to get them thinking and building life skills. From math and measurement to nutrition and following directions, … read more

Cooking more at home? 4 easy ways to spice things up

(ARA) – If you like to cook, there’s a pretty good chance you’re doing more of it now. With the economy slowly recovering and families rediscovering the value of gathering around the dinner table, more people are skipping restaurants and honing their skills as home chefs.

In fact, 84 percent of Americans reported cooking or preparing a meal at least once a week, according to “The Masterbuilt Cooking Habits Survey,” a national poll of U.S. consumers conducted in March 2010.

“It’s clear that people are returning to the family dining table. … read more

Summer is a time of traditions – people travel to the same resorts year after year, host annual barbeques, and go back time and time again to enjoy their favorite summer treats. It’s hard to think of summer without thinking of favorite food traditions – such as grandma’s strawberry pie or a s’more around a campfire.

Every now and again, it’s good to shake up food traditions a little bit. Updating some old-fashioned summer favorites takes a little creativity and ingenuity, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot in terms of money or time spent in the kitchen.

read more

Serves 6 to 8

12 pieces Lasagne, uncooked
3 cups tomato or spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 15 1/2-oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 10-oz. package frozen corn, thawed
1 package chili seasoning mix
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, grated

In a medium bowl, stir together the spaghetti sauce, water, beans, corn and chili seasoning mix.

Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Arrange 4 pieces of lasagne (3 lengthwise, 1 widthwise) over the sauce. Cover with 1 cup of sauce. Spread 1/2 of … read more

Serves 8 to 10

1 lb. Medium Egg Noodles
3/4 lb. mild sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 16oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup egg substitute, slightly beaten
1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup, mixed with one can of water
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili pepper
2 cups low-fat cheddar cheese
picante sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, saute sausage, onion, and bell pepper in a skillet. Drain sausage mixture. While mixture is draining, scramble eggs in skillet. When eggs are done, add eggs, soup with … read more

Serves 6

3 strips lean bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 28-oz. can peeled tomatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 12-oz. jar salsa

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.

Cook bacon in a medium, non-reactive (non-aluminum) saucepan over medium-high heat until it has browned lightly. Pour off any excess fat. Add onions, garlic and zucchini and saute over medium heat until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and break up with a fork. Add corn and salsa. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. … read more

Serves 8

8 oz. Penne, Mostaccioli or Rotini, uncooked
1 16-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 11-oz. can yellow corn kernels, drained
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbsp. dried parsley
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Prepare pasta according package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine … read more

Serves 8

32 to 36 Jumbo Shells (12-oz. package), uncooked
3/4 pound extra-lean ground beef
1.25-oz. package low-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
16-oz. can refried beans with chilies
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup mild, medium or hot picante sauce
8-oz. can low-sodium tomato sauce
2-oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Optional Garnishes:
Low-fat sour cream
Low-fat grated Cheddar cheese
Chopped jalapeos
Chopped cilantro
Salsa
Guacamole

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, saute beef in a large skillet until browned; drain well. Add taco seasoning mix and water; … read more