Alright, let’s dive into some quick and easy family recipes that I tried out this week. You know, life gets crazy, and sometimes you just need to whip up something fast that everyone will love. So I went on a little cooking adventure to find just that!
Experimenting in the Kitchen
First up, I decided to tackle something called “Ravioli Lasagna”. Sounds weird, right? But it was surprisingly simple. I basically just layered some store-bought ravioli with sauce and cheese, like you would with regular lasagna, but way quicker. No boiling noodles for ages!
- Started by gathering all my ingredients: a bag of frozen ravioli, a jar of my favorite pasta sauce, and a big bag of shredded mozzarella.
- Grabbed a baking dish and sprayed it with some cooking spray.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.
- Then, I put down a layer of ravioli, topped it with more sauce, and sprinkled on a generous amount of cheese.
- Repeated these layers until the dish was full, ending with a good helping of cheese on top.
- Covered it with foil and popped it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
- Took the foil off for the last 10 minutes to get that cheese all bubbly and golden.
It turned out pretty good! The kids gobbled it up, and honestly, it was a nice change from the usual pasta routine. Definitely a win for a busy weeknight.
Another Quick Fix
Next, I tried making “BBQ Chicken Sliders”. I wanted something that was tasty but wouldn’t take forever to make, but since I have time to prepare earlier, I brined the meat overnight. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Marinated them overnight in a simple BBQ-flavored brine. This made the chicken extra juicy and flavorful, and it did melt in your mouth!
- Made a quick brine with water, salt, brown sugar, and some BBQ sauce.
- Let the chicken thighs soak in the brine in the fridge overnight.
- Took the chicken out and dried it well.
- Cooked the chicken in a pan with a bit of oil until it was cooked through.
- Shredded the chicken and mixed it with some more BBQ sauce.
- Served it on mini slider buns with a dollop of coleslaw.
These were a hit too! Super easy and perfect for a casual dinner or even a game day snack.
The Spicy Skillet
The last thing I made was a “Spicy Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet”. I had some boil-in-a-bag rice lying around and wanted to use it up. I also had some spicy Cajun sausage in the fridge, so I thought, why not combine them?
- Cooked the rice according to the package directions.
- While the rice was cooking, I sliced up the sausage and some bell peppers and onions.
- Sautéed the sausage in a large skillet until it was browned.
- Added the peppers and onions and cooked until they were softened.
- Stirred in the cooked rice and some Cajun seasoning for a kick.
- Let it all heat through and served it up!
This dish was super flavorful and satisfying. It was also a great way to use up leftover rice. And, honestly, who doesn’t love a good one-pan meal? Less cleanup is always a plus in my book!
So, there you have it! A few quick and easy family recipes that I tested out. They were all pretty simple to make, and most importantly, everyone enjoyed them. Hope this gives you some inspiration for your own weeknight meals! Remember that the ingredient measurements can be adjusted according to personal preferences.