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People are shocked when I tell them that, a good portion of the time - except when I’m sick or we’re having pizza - I make full-scale meals for my family. We eat dinner together, at the table, every night. If we have to be at dance for 5:00pm, we move dinner up to 4:30pm. I always find a way. It’s one thing that I’ve made a priority over the years and I will continue to do this as long as possible.

It’s not always gourmet, but it’s usually homemade, not many frozen lasagnas or pizzas here. You might be thinking it’s easy for me to do this because I’ve made cooking my profession, but really, it’s not as hard as you’d think. Good, healthy, and homemade don’t have to mean hard, time-consuming, or even challenging. You really don’t have to put a lot of thought into a good home-cooked meal. You don’t even have to put a lot of skill into a meal that will woo and perhaps even shock your family.

The key to a good meal, for me, means always being prepared. Besides making weekly menus and shopping accordingly, my pantry is always stocked with items I use often, to get me out of a pinch. At times I don’t feel like preparing what I planned for that night, or sometimes my husband can’t make it home for dinner and the kids feel like something lighter. A pantry stocked with some key essential items can really help out on days like this.

What do I stock in my pantry? What items do I always have on hand and always buy at the grocery store - especially if they’re on sale?

-Good quality olive oil. Use it as a delicious base or start to a savory pasta dish. Heat about two tablespoons in a pan, add garlic, onions and any vegetables you have on hand. Add a can of tomatoes and some Parmesan cheese. Serve over pasta with a green salad.

-Canned tomatoes. They can be used to make a light pasta sauce, as the base to a heartier spaghetti sauce or chili, or to make salsa. The possibilities can become endless in minutes!

-A variety of bottled dressings and marinades. Nothing kicks up pork chops or steaks like marinating. Steak spice marinades can make a pot roast into a cheese-steak sandwich in no time. Pour marinade over the roast, bake on low heat for several hours, pulling the meat apart every hour or so. Place roast on crusty sub buns. Add hot peppers and mozzarella cheese slices and broil. This is a family favorite and really easy to make.

-Boxed stuffing/cans of cream style soups. I know, I know. A lot of foodies resist using boxed or canned anything, but when you live with small children, they can become a staple! There are so many ways to use boxed stuffing or cream of mushroom soup, for example. An excellent place to start would be the Kraft Foods website. I have yet to find a recipe that my family doesn’t devour.

-Ranch dressing. Really? Yes! Just when you think your child won’t eat anything, offer them some ranch dressing for dipping. My son will dip anything in ranch dressing and eat it up. That includes, potatoes, vegetables, and a variety of meats. Give them about a teaspoon on their plate and let them know to use it sparingly (and not to use the carrots as just a means to getting the dressing in their mouths!).

-Broth. Preferably in a box to get more value. Broth can be used as a quick soup base or an additive to stir fry.

-Parboiled rice and other varieties of regional rices like jasmine, or basmati for ethnic dishes. Parboiled rice saves time and frustration. I always mess up rice, but parboiled makes it foolproof!

Other items you can find in my kitchen as must-haves:

-Frozen vegetables, especially in winter. They thaw quickly and can be added in the last few minutes of most dishes or just heated up for a side dish. They’re easy, clean and ready to go when you are. Frozen corn, peas, and carrots are a must, but try to include some blends as well, for stir fries and casseroles.

-Frozen pastry (regular pie, puff or phyllo). So many options! Pot pie, roll ups, puff pastry pizzas, layered casseroles, and on, and on.

-Ground beef. Need I say more? Chili, sauces, meatloaf …

-Chicken breasts. Make them into nuggets, stir fry, and others.

-Pot roasts. Catch them when they’re on sale. They’re fantastic roasted, as is, with potatoes and vegetables. Or, make them into sandwiches, and later use in stew or soup.

With most, all, or even more of such items, the answer to “What’s For Dinner?” can be easy and delicious. The key to putting it all together is a good website that has an extensive search option and an ingredient search to make dinner at hand.

Some of my favorites:

Kraft What’s Cooking
Epicurious
Cooks.com
All Recipes

Enjoy! Or should I say … Bon Appetit!

Photo courtesy of Sporkist, used under a Creative Commons License.

[tags]dinner, cooking, easy, pantry, family[/tags]