It’s been quite a summer for my soon-to-be second grader. In less than two weeks her days spent biking until sunset, rolling out of bed at eight (hey, don’t knock it; sleeping until 8 a.m. is a major accomplishment around here), and eating chocolate for breakfast are over.
And by over I mean O-VAH!
Let me clarify by saying that my kid has not spent the summer scarfing down brownies and Baby Ruth bars in lieu of oatmeal, oranges and other healthy breakfast foods. Rather, she has been getting away with noshing on chocolate chip pancakes, double chocolate muffins and chocolate milk from first thing in the morning.
However, once school starts, her breakfast of champions gets a major makeover. No more 9 a.m. bowls of ice cream (“But Mommy, it’s just frozen milk!”) or cornflake cookies (“But, Mommy it’s just cereal without the bowl!”). Summer’s demise puts an end to lazy days in the kitchen whipping up unhealthy, yet oh-so delicious sweet treats and other waist-enhancing recipes.
Then again, it’s not over ‘til it’s over.
My daughter still has a couple of weeks of summer left and we plan to make the most of every single second, starting with dinner and these kid-friendly dishes that embody what the carefree season is all about:
BURGER AND FRIES BAKE
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 teaspoons steak seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cans (10 3/4-ounce) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 (20-ounce) package frozen crinkle cut French fries
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Ketchup
Mustard
Sliced pickles
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet until meat is no longer pink.
Drain grease.
Add seasoning salt and pepper to meat mixture.
Stir in soup and milk.
Spoon mixture into a 9 by 13-inch inch baking dish that has been sprayed with PAM.
Arrange French fries on top.
Bake uncovered in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until meat mixture is bubbly and French fries are crispy.
Sprinkle cheese on top of fries and bake another few minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve with ketchup, mustard and pickles.
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIE SHAKE
Ingredients:
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Splash of milk
1/4 cup chocolate syrup, plus extra for drizzling
1 cup crumbled brownies
Whipped cream
Chocolate chips
Directions:
Place ice cream, chocolate sauce and milk in blender. Blend well.
Add in all but a few pieces of the crumbled brownies and blend for five seconds.
Top with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate, a sprinkle of chocolate chips and some of the remaining brownie bits.
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