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Family Dinner Hits

Mini Meat Loaves & Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole and Family Lovin' Lasagna

(Family Features) - Some days, getting dinner on the table is the easy part. The bigger challenge is coming up with a meal everyone likes. Lian Dolan, mother of two and cohost of the acclaimed Satellite Sisters radio show, said she was taken aback when her young son once announced at dinner, "I didn't order that."

Dolan isn't the only parent who has heard that response. In a recent Hamburger Helper Oven Favorites survey, 5 percent of moms and dads said they've heard the same remark from their restaurant-savvy kids. Twenty-five percent of parents said they have been asked, "What else is there?" while some parents (9 percent) said they hear "We're having that again?" Thirty-five percent of parents fared better. Their kids often respond with "Yum, my favorite!" when they're told what's for dinner.

Meals served warm from the oven have always been a hit with families. Simply adding extra ingredients or a special twist to an old favorite-such as lasagna, meat loaf and chicken and potatoes-will make it a meal the whole family likes. To ease preparation, begin with a main dish meal kit that includes uncooked pasta, rice or potatoes and packets of sauce mix and toppings. Got leftovers? Just store them in a plastic storage bag or container to keep them fresh.

Growing up in a family of ten, Lian Dolan learned the value of eating dinner as a family and works hard to maintain that tradition with her own family. She offers these tips:

Keep it simple. It's not so much the cooking as the being together that's important, so plan meals that don't require split-second timing or lots of pans.

Plan meals the whole family will enjoy. Find a few surefire meals both parents and kids will like without too much individualization.

Heat up the oven. While dinner bakes, you'll have time to help with homework and toss a salad. Getting to the table is more fun and relaxing.

Discover convenience foods. It's better to have more time with your family and less time slicing, dicing and chopping. Just reach for the bag of frozen vegetables.

Mini Meat Loaves & Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Bake meat loaves in a muffin pan to make them extra special. Pop any leftovers in a Glad Zipper freezer bag. For a quick lunch, simply thaw and heat a mini meat loaf in the microwave and place it on a bun for a tasty meat loaf sandwich.

PREP: 15 minutes BAKE: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
2 cups hot water
2/3 cup milk
1 package Hamburger Helper Oven Favorites meat loaf & mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 bag (1 pound) frozen Green Giant Niblets extra sweet whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons water

Move oven rack to middle of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. (Set pan provided aside.)
Stir melted margarine, 2 cups hot water, 2/3 cup milk, dry Potatoes and cheese in 1 1/2-quart casserole or ovenproof bowl until well blended (mixture will be thin). Mix beef, 1/4 cup milk, egg and Seasoning Mix in medium bowl until blended. Press beef mixture into 12 ungreased regular- size muffin cups, each 3/4 full.
Bake potatoes and mini meat loaves uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until meat loaves are no longer pink in centers. Meanwhile, stir together corn and 2 tablespoons water in reserved paper pan; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on High 7 to 11 minutes or to desired tenderness, stirring halfway through cook time. Drain and season to taste.
Carefully remove meat loaves and potatoes from oven. Cut off corner of Tomato Sauce Topping pouch, using scissors. Squeeze and spread topping evenly over top of each meat loaf. Serve mini meat loaves and potatoes with corn.

High Altitude (3500 to 6500 feet): For potatoes, increase hot water to 2 1/4 cups. For meat loaf, increase milk to 1/3 cup.

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole
Imagine the kids' faces when they see their supper decorated with cheese cutouts. The Green Giant Mexicorn adds a little spice and color. For extra zip, mom and dad can top their servings with salsa.

PREP: 10 minutes BAKE: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

1 package Chicken Helper Oven Favorites potatoes au gratin
1 can (11 ounces) Green Giant Mexicorn whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 3/4 cups boiling water
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey (about 10 ounces)
American cheese slices, cut into shapes with cookie cutter
Bac~Os bacon flavor bits or chips, or salsa, if desired

Heat oven to 400°F. Stir together uncooked Potatoes, Sauce Mix, Au Gratin Cheese Sauce Topping, corn, margarine, boiling water and chicken in ungreased 3-quart casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Bread Crumb Topping.
Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes.
Top with remaining ingredients as desired.

High Altitude (3500 to 6500 feet): Increase boiling water to 3 1/2 cups.

Family Lovin' Lasagna
Kids will love the extra-cheesy half and adults the spinach half of this lasagna. You can save time by preparing, baking and serving the lasagna in a Glad OvenWare pan. Leftovers can stay right in the pan for reheating. A microwavable lid snaps on for easy storage.

PREP: 15 minutes BAKE: 30 minutes STAND: 5 minutes
Makes 6 servings

1 pound lean ground beef
3 1/3 cups hot water
1 package Hamburger Helper Oven Favorites lasagna
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 container (15-ounce size) ricotta cheese
1/2 package (9-ounce size) frozen Green Giant spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
1 Glad OvenWare 9x12 pan
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)

Refer to Glad OvenWare package instructions to ensure correct use of pan. Heat oven to 375°F. Cook and stir beef in 3-quart saucepan over high heat about 5 minutes or until brown; drain. Add hot water; slowly stir in Sauce Mix, using wire whisk, until blended (sauce will be thin). Stir together 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and spinach in medium bowl.
Place 5 uncooked Pasta, slightly overlapping, in ungreased Glad OvenWare pan; top with about half the beef sauce. To make part of lasagna extra-cheesy and part spinach, dollop half the ricotta mixture over one side and sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over other side. Repeat-except top all the lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan Cheese (included).
Place pan on cookie sheet. Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is light brown. Remove from oven; let stand at least 5 minutes before cutting.

High Altitude (3500 to 6500 feet): Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Lian Dolan and her sisters' nationally syndicated radio show Satellite Sisters can be heard on ABC stations nationwide. They also wrote Satellite Sisters' UnCommon Senses.

For more family dinner ideas, visit www.bettycrocker.com. For food storage tips, go to www.glad.com.

SOURCE: General Mills
The Glad Company