No Stress Meal With Family

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a nice relaxing meal at home as a family. My family enjoys eating together, and I think it’s very important for families to slow down a bit and take the time as a family around the dinner table. Many times when we think of stress free meals, we think of going out to a restaurant, so that we do not have to cook, however I’m about to give you some ideas that will be easy enough and with very little stress. Think about it, no crowds, no overpriced foods (and if you have a family as large as mine, you will end up spending a lot in a restaurant). Now don’t get me wrong, eating out is fine every now and then, but we want to encourage our readers to take the time to eat together around the dinner table when they get the chance. It’s all about family bonding.

The following tips were provided by Hormel Foods. They have worked hard to put together several tips and delicious recipes to add some flavor and make your meal as stress-free as possible.

1.) Plan Ahead: Do some research on what everyone in your family likes. This shouldn’t be hard since you have probably been cooking for them for years, however children sometimes get picky. Ask what their favorite dishes that they might want to try would be and try out a few different recipes that best fit your family’s tastes. Be creative and add your own little twist. For recipe ideas you can visit hormelfoodsrecipes.com if you need a little inspiration to push you in the right direction.

2.) Pick a Setting: Now I know we said dinner, but you really could enjoy one another’s company at any meal, so decide if you will be serving breakfast in the sunroom, family movie night in the family room, traditional dinner in the dining room, or something different all together.

3.) Appetizer: Decide on an appetizer that you think everyone would enjoy. These are a fun way to enjoy one another’s company before the meal is served. Asian Lettuce Wraps are simple to prepare, yet they have a sophisticated  look and taste. Simply heat a combination of chicken, water chestnuts and a House of Tsang stir-fry sauce of your choosing in a wok or skillet. Arrange the mixture in the center of each lettuce wrap, top with your favorite veggies and enjoy!

4.) Main Course: You can impress your family with a tasty Sausage and Pepper Pasta (I don’t know any children that don’t love pasta!) Customize the simple dish that combines rigatoni pasta and Hormel Natural Choice spinach asiago chicken sausages with your loved one’s favorite jarred pasta sauce.

5.) Breakfast: If you choose breakfast don’t sacrifice precious sleeping time by creating a time-consuming breakfast dish. Try topping off toasted frozen waffles with Hormel Cure 81 ham, strawberries and maple syrup. Or, spread toast with cream cheese, create a heart in the center with blueberries and a spoon of strawberry jam in the center to show your love. It’s fun and will have your children wanting to eat everything on their plate!

6.) Dessert: We must not forget dessert! By this time we are typically already exhausted from cooking and we don’t want any more of a mess to clean up, so why not try something simple? Try heating up Hormel Country Crock cinnamon apples and spoon them over ice cream for a quick and mouth watering ending to your meal.

Enjoy your Family Night!

*We are Hormel Bloggers. We receive free products from Hormel (which we love!)