Canadian Mom Blogger - Product Reviews, Travel and Parenting
In our search for the best weekday meals, my husband and I find ourselves craving new and different dishes that break us out of the routine of chicken, fish and beef. That’s why we’ve recently become big fans of an unsung hero of weekday dinners…ground pork!
Affordable, versatile and delicious, there are so many ways of using ground pork for dinner. And right now, this easy Instant Pot Ground Pork Casserole is a favourite.
If there’s one meal that my family loves, it’s tacos. And even though tacos are hailed as being an easy meal choice…well darn, they’re just not. First, there’s preparing the beef. Then the endless task of chopping the vegetables and scooping the sauces begins. And then, finally, kids and adults alike can prepare their tacos.
But the work doesn’t end there. Because now, after supper ends, parents get to clean up the toppings that have inevitably spilled onto the floor. Broken taco shells, shredded lettuce, splatters of salsa…there has to be a better way!
Well luckily for taco lovers everywhere, there is! Say hello to your weekday saviour, a meal everyone in the family will rave about…
Slow Cooker Taco Casserole!
My husband was the creator of this delectable delight and if you’ve been searching for a family-pleasing favourite, look no further. Whether you’re using a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, this meal will whip up in a flash.
Now let’s talk toppings. They can be as simple or as complex as your family desires. In our househohld, all the traditional taco toppings make an apprearance. But my personal favourites are avocado, cilantro and even more shredded cheese. There can never, ever be enough shredded cheese.
So no matter how you like your tacos, or how easy you think a taco dinner is already, you need to try this casserole. It will redefine Taco Tuesday in your house!
A rich and savoury taco blend that can be made in either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. Perfect for a quick weekday meal.
Brown ground beef in slow cooker. (If slow cooker doesn’t feature browning setting, use skillet.)
Add onions and peppers and let saute until vetgetables are soft.
Add broth, tomatoes, sauce and taco seasoning.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If using pressure cooker, set for 10 lbs of pressure and cook for 20 minutes.
Stir in shredded cheese.
Add rice to bowls. Top with taco casserole. Garnish with additional toppings as desired.
I’ve always thought of mustard as a bit of a magical ingredient. Just a small amount turns an ordinary food into something extra special, whether I’m adding classic Heinz Yellow Mustard to a hot dog or putting a half-teaspoon of mustard powder into my egg salad sandwich filling.
But my favourite variety of mustard, both as a cooking ingredient and a condiment, is Dijon mustard. And new Heinz Dijon Mustard delivers delicious Dijon flavour in a convenient squeeze bottle that’s perfect for summer cooking.
Since our newest addition, Baby Cormac, joined the family five days ago, I don’t have the time or the energy to cook up anything too elaborate at the moment. But the great thing about Heinz Dijon Mustard is that it adds gourmet flavour to food without a lot of work! And my version of this simple Maple Dijon Glazed Salmon is the perfect example of that! [Read more…]
September is always a busy month for our family, but that’s never been more true than it is this year! Putting the boys in a new school in a new city, preparing for a work transfer and a house purchase and, to top it all off, we’re all flying to Ontario in less than a week as Jeremy and I get married and take our honeymoon! Needless to say, there’s lots to do and limited time to do it. And that means easy, hearty and delicious dinners are a priority for me more than ever before.
Luckily, Kraft Canada came to my rescue this fall with two new Classico pasta sauces that combine gourmet flavour with heat-and-eat convenience. New Classico di Bologna Bolognese Pasta Sauce boasts tender pork and beef in a flavourful tomato sauce. And Classico Di Molise Spicy Tomato & Parmesan Cream Pasta Sauce combines spicy red pepper, tomato and real parmesan cheese for a rich and creamy sauce choice.
I decided to use one of the sauces to whip up a delicious dinner and since we all love chicken, I put my own kid-friendly twist on Spicy Tomato-Chicken Parmesan. With just four ingredients and thirty minutes, I created an oven-baked dinner the whole family loved: Spicy Baked Chicken Parmesan! [Read more…]
When it comes to cooking, salt often plays a great supporting role, but it’s rarely the star of the show. Its ability to enhance and alter flavours by decreasing bitterness while increasing perceptions of sweetness or sourness means that even when you can’t taste it, the food you’re eating is better because salt is there. But when Windor Salt wanted to celebrate the release of a fresh new logo and packaging design for its products with some tasty recipes, I thought it was high time that salt took a starring role in a dish!
With light summer flavours a favourite right now, seafood is always a top pick for dinner. And as it happens, one of my favourite seafood dishes is one that uses salt poaching to enhance the flavour and texture of the fish. Salt Poached Cod with Butter Egg Sauce might sound like an unusual combination at first. But the flavours blend together in a way that is completely magical. This slightly updated variation of an old Finnish recipe that my mother, who was born in Finland, cooked for the family when I was young, shows just how tasty food can be when salt is the star!
A few weeks ago, my fiance and I were setting the table for dinner and he mentioned that one thing we’ve really mastered since moving in with one another is the family dinner. Without fail, the four of us manage to sit down to a home-cooked meal almost every night. And even on nights when Jeremy’s job takes him to work, the boys and I have a family dinner of our own.
Making meals that we enjoy as adults, but that are still kid-friendly, is a big help when it comes to making family dinner a priority. And since we’re a typical busy family, having quick and easy meals in our repertoire is a must. That’s why Canadian Beef is a frequent choice for our dinner table! Whether we’re cooking up succulent burgers, tender steak or spicy tacos, beef is the perfect fast and delicious choice for the whole family!
Looking for a great recipe for those busy weeknights? This easy Peanut Beef takes just twenty minutes to make and is a surefire crowd pleaser! Serve it over rice or vermicelli and tailor the vegetables to suit your family’s tastes for a meal that kids and adults will both enjoy! [Read more…]
If there’s one kitchen appliance I can’t live without, it’s my slow cooker. I don’t use it every week but when I want a meal that takes no effort and will be enjoyed by everyone, a pot of chili or pulled pork simmered to perfection in the slow cooker is always a hit. The only problem is that slow cooker meals take advance planning, and that’s not always something I manage. When I only have thirty minutes to get dinner on the table, the slow cooker isn’t an option.
So what’s an overworked mom to do? Turn to the Breville Fast Slow Pro, a combination pressure cooker and slow cooker, of course! This multitasking kitchen appliance is my newest kitchen must-have and after only a week, I have no idea how I ever got by without it. When you have time, use the slow cooker setting to make tender and succulent stews, roasts, desserts and more. When you’re in a rush, the pressure cooker setting whips up everything from buttery mashed potatoes to sensational sauces or stews in just minutes!
I tested out the slow cooker setting by cooking a pork roast for Easter dinner and the results were just as good as they were with my regular slow cooker. But it was the pressure cooker setting I really wanted to try, so I decided to see if I could whip up a tasty Bolognese sauce (typically an all-day process) in just thirty minutes with help from the Breville Fast Slow Pro! [Read more…]
Fall has always been a busy season for my family, and I have to admit that in the past that’s sometimes resulted in my serving a little more convenience food to my boys than I’d like. I love cooking but I often felt like I didn’t have time to create a tasty, home-cooked supper after a long day. Fortunately, Kraft Canada provided me with some inspiration thanks to its collection of quick and easy dinners! I decided to create my own twist on the Baked Mexican Fish Recipe with a fresh and delicious Pico de Gallo Quinoa Fish that’s ready in just 30 minutes!
