by Candice Anderson

Created on: May 20, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

Sometimes I think casseroles are the story of my life. That's probably because I grew up on them and now I use them to feed my own children. When you have four hungry growing boys you need something that you can fix fast and that's also nutritious. That's where casseroles come in.

So where do you find these great recipes. Well you can find them almost anywhere. One of my favorite places is on the label of a Campbell's Soup can. I've found recipes there that I've continued to use for years. You can also have recipes e-mailed to you. Here are just a few of the companies that I get e-mails from:

Betty Crocker, Kraft Foods and Taste of Home. However the best place to find them is just to ask your family and friends.

Here are some helpful hints so you know what you are looking for.

First your recipe should consist of key ingredients from the food pyramid. This will help your meal to be healthy and more well rounded. Second you want it to be fast. Keep in mind that this should be a time saver. Look for meals that you can prepare in hour or less. Also look for ones that you can combine the ingredients and then cook it in the oven or a crockpot. Third look for meals that are easy to keep the ingredients on hand. They should use items that you would normally have in your storage. Forth it needs to taste good. If it doesn't your family won't eat it and you have defeated the purpose. Last it should only take one or two pans. This makes your clean up fast and easy.

I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite meals that are quick and easy.

Noodle Mac-

My kids love it and I never have to worry when I fix this fast easy meal. First you need to cook a package of the tri-colored twist noodles. Then for the sauce you need: pound ground hamburger, 2 cans tomato soup, some cheddar cheese, a swig of Worcestershire sauce and a can of green beans. Combine them together in a sauce pan and heat them up until the cheese is melted. Then mix it with the cooked noodles. It's fast, easy, and nutritious.

Here's a quick tip. When I buy hamburger I buy a bunch at once. I brown it and put it in zip lock bags and freeze it. That way I can just grab it out of the freezer and add it to a meal. It makes it fast and easy and saves me the time of browning the hamburger when I need it. Plus it allows me to use a lot less hamburger in a meal which saves me money.

Dad's Specialty-

Whenever my mom was out of town this is what my Dad made for dinner. First you need to brown some bacon then add some hamburger and diced onions. Once this is browned add in sliced carrots and potatoes, season with salt, pepper and garlic. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are soft and browned. Top with ketchup or grated cheese. This recipe is great because you can make as much or asl little as you need

To make your life easy, find a few casseroles that your family loves and keep the items on hand. That way you have a quick and easy meal whenever you are in a pinch. Keep in mind that your casseroles should save you time and money as well as providing a healthy nutritious meal for your family. Enjoy one today.

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