(Family Features) We all know it's important to start the day off with a healthy breakfast. As a parent, you also have lunch covered for your hungry student, whether it's packed in a brown bag or eaten in the cafeteria. But after a busy day of learning, young tummies often need a wholesome after-school snack to tide them over until dinner.

Keeping a stash of kid-friendly snacks handy is a sure-fire way to keep snack time manageable, while making sure kids don't have a full afternoon meal, which would spoil their appetite for dinner.

Instead of potato chips or cookies, try crunchy veggies paired with a flavorful dip. As an added (and educational) bonus, invite kids to help make snacks ahead of time, assigning them age-appropriate tasks like measuring and mixing. This introduces them to family meal prep and helps teach them about healthy eating habits at an early age.

Kick off your new after-school snack routine with a recipe like this one for Ranch Pimento Cheese Celery Logs, created by country music star and busy mom of seven, Sara Evans, on behalf of Hidden Valley. For a little kick, Evans suggests substituting with Hidden Valley® Spicy Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix. If your kids resist celery or you want a little variety, this spread also makes great finger sandwiches when layered between two slices of sandwich bread and cut into small triangles.

For more kid-friendly after-school snack ideas, visit www.HiddenValley.com.

Ranch Pimento Cheese Celery Logs

Ingredients

• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Hidden Valley® Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
• 1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos, drained
• 30 (2-inch) celery logs, cut from about 1 bunch of celery

Preparation

1. Place cheese, mayonnaise, seasoning mix and pimentos in bowl of food processor. Pulse a few times until well combined but still chunky, taking care not to over mix. Alternatively, you can mix by hand, but it won't be quite as spreadable.
2. Divide cheese mixture among celery logs (about 2 teaspoons per log), mounding it into cavity.
3. Serve cold.

Preparation Time

15-20 minutes

Serves

30 filled celery logs

SOURCE: Hidden Valley

Ingredients

• 4 (10- to 14-ounce) Omaha Steaks rib eye steaks
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 teaspoons Blackening Seasoning (recipe below) or Omaha Steaks Blackened Seasoning
• 1 cup Creamy Horseradish Sauce (recipe below) or Omaha Steaks Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Blackening Seasoning

• 3 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dry oregano
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon green onions, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Preparation

1. Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot, in a well ventilated area.
2. Brush steaks with olive oil.
3. Coat each side of the steaks with 1 teaspoon of blackening seasoning.
4. Place steaks in the iron skillet, flipping steaks halfway through cooking. To cook a 1-inch-thick steak medium rare, cook about 4 minutes on first side and 3 minutes on other side.
5. Spoon 2 tablespoons of Creamy Horseradish Sauce on each plate before topping with the cooked steak.
6. Blackening Seasoning - Yield 1 cup -Combine all ingredients and mix well.
7. Creamy Horseradish Sauce - Yield 1 cup -Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Serves

4

SOURCE: Omaha Steaks

Pan Sautéed Chicken With Vegetables and Herbs
Butternut Squash Soup With Sage
Butter and Herb Salmon Cakes
Four-Cheese Potato-Stuffed Mushrooms

(Family Features) - In the restaurant world, professional chefs can afford to spend hours on their culinary creations. When they come home after a long day, however, even the most passionate cooks tend to relish a few cooking shortcuts. From simple recipes to pantry essentials, there are a variety of tips and tricks that home cooks can add to their repertoire, too.

Timesaving products, such as prepared stock and mashed potatoes, allow home cooks to replicate restaurant-quality dishes without spending all day over a hot stove. Here are a few recipes that are easy to prepare, but rich with flavor.

For an elegant main course, try Pan Sautéed Chicken With Vegetables and Herbs. This moist, flavorful dish gets its richness from Swanson chicken stock. Or trade in the traditional salmon filet for savory Butter and Herb Salmon Cakes. Made with cayenne, tarragon, garlic and Idahoan Butter and Herb Mashed Potatoes, these cakes are a cinch to prepare, but friends and family will think you ordered in.

Butternut Squash Soup With Sage is a show-stopping first course that is accented with the flavors of sweet apples and sage. For an appetizer that will please a crowd, try Four-Cheese Potato-Stuffed Mushrooms.

For more easy entertaining recipes, visit www.swansonstock.com and www.idahoan.com.

Pan Sautéed Chicken With Vegetables and Herbs

Ingredients

• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves
• 2 small red onions, cut into quarters
• 1 pound new potatoes, cut into quarters
• 8 ounces fresh whole baby carrots (about 16), green tops trimmed to 1 inch
• 1 1/2 cups Swanson chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine black pepper, paprika and flour in small bowl. Coat chicken with flour mixture.
2. Heat the oil in 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until it's well browned on all sides. Remove chicken from skillet.
3. Add onions and potatoes to skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots, stock, lemon juice and oregano and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover the skillet.
4. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Uncover the skillet and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the thyme.

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Serves

Servings 4

Butternut Squash Soup With Sage

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups Swanson chicken broth (regular, Natural Goodness or Certified Organic)
• 1 tablespoon butter OR margarine
• 12 fresh sage leaves

Preparation

1. Heat oil in saucepot over medium heat. Add squash, apples and onion and cook until almost tender. Stir in sugar, coriander and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 2 minutes.
2. Add broth. Heat to a boil. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Place cooked squash mixture in food processor, using a slotted spoon. Cover and blend until smooth, adding enough cooking liquid to make soup of desired consistency.
4. Heat butter in small skillet. Add sage and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve butter in skillet. Divide soup among 4 bowls. Drizzle each with sage butter and garnish with fried sage leaves.

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Serves

Servings 4

Butter and Herb Salmon Cakes

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 10 to 12-ounce salmon filet
• 1/3 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/3 cup onion, finely diced
• 3 teaspoons mayonnaise
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 4-ounce pouch Idahoan Butter and Herb Mashed Potatoes, dry
• Canola oil

Preparation

1. In a medium pot, boil 4 cups water with the juice of the lemons, placing one lemon half in the water. Reduce heat to a simmering boil. Poach salmon filet in water by cooking, covered, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until done. Remove with spatula. Set aside to cool.
2. When salmon is cool, combine with celery, onion, mayonnaise, cayenne, tarragon, garlic, dry mustard, salt and black pepper in large bowl and mix well. Add dry potatoes slowly while mixing until everything is moist.
3. Form patties and cook in preheated canola oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until both sides are brown (3 minutes per side).
4. Serve hot.

Preparation Time

15 Minutes

Cook Time

15 Minutes

Serves

Servings 6

Four-Cheese Potato-Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 4-ounce package Idahoan Four Cheese Mashed Potatoes
• 12 large mushrooms or 18 medium mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter, margarine or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Prepare potatoes as package directs.
3. Remove stems from mushrooms; chop stems and set aside. Carefully scoop out center of each mushroom cap with a spoon, leaving 1/2-inch shell.
4. Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chopped mushroom stems and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons chives and salt.
5. Fill each mushroom cap with potato mixture, mounding it slightly. Bake 10 minutes or until potatoes are lightly golden. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1 tablespoon chives.

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Serves

Servings 12

Source

Swanson Broth
Idahoan Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Cayenne (red) pepper to taste
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 pouch (7.1 ounces) Chicken of the Sea Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter

Preparation

1. In small mixing bowl, combine chopped red pepper, green onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper.
2. Adjust seasonings to personal preference. Stir in egg, salmon and 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Form mixture into 6 to 8 balls.
3. Roll salmon balls in remaining breadcrumbs; flatten into cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Fry salmon cakes in melted butter over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Source: Chicken of the Sea® International