So bored with the same ole dinners?

Pork tenderloins marinaded in a yummy marinade. Don't buy them already marinaded, do it yourself. There are tons of great recipes out there and they offer a great variety of flavors. Pick your side dishes to go with your marinade theme (Asian, italian, southwestern, etc)

It's great for a quick weeknight meal. Just marinade the night before, then pop them in a 350 oven for about 25-30 minutes. They are a lean cut of pork, so they are a healthy choice.

Homemade calzones-- use either store bought pizza crust (the pillsbury canned crust works well for this) or homemade crust. http://www.recipezaar.com/10511

Rice and Chili Burritos

1 (15 ounce) can chili with beans

1/2 cup instant rice or brown rice

1 cup water

1/2 cup shredded cheese

3/4 cup salsa (optional)

10 tortillas (about)

Heat chili in saucepan. Once heated, add uncooked rice and water. Stir together and let simmer over medium heat about 10-15 minutes until rice is cooked. Don't forget to stir! Once cooked throughout, turn heat down. Place about 1/3 cup mixture on tortilla and top with 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheese and a few tablespoons salsa and roll up. Once all burritos have been made, zap in microwave for 30-60 seconds to melt cheese and reheat.

Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, empanadas, or quesadillas...

try cooking a different shaped noodle with a bottled alfredo sauce and diced ham added to the mix. fun shapes for kids might small shells or orrechiette.

Uhm...well there are lots of different cookbooks out there to show you new ideas and my neighbor showed me one called 5 ingredients, 15 minutes, its a fantastic cookbook and its easy too.

BEEF STEW IN BISCUIT CUPS

1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

4 tbsp. butter or margarine

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 c. quartered small fresh mushrooms

2 cans (18.8 oz) Progresso® Rich & Hearty sirloin steak & vegetables soup

4 tbsp. cold water

8 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350 F. Cut 10 (25x12-inch) pieces of foil. Slightly crush each sheet to make a 3-1/2 inch ball. Flatten foil balls slightly. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each biscuit to 6-inch round. Place1 biscuit over each foil ball, shaping biscuit gently to fit. Bake 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Remove biscuit cups from foil balls. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms. Cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in soup. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. In a small bowl, stir water, cornstarch and pepper until smooth. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir cornstarch mixture into soup mixture in pan, cooking and stirring until mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until mixture is slightly thickened. Place biscuit bowls in individual shallow soup bowls; spoon half of the beef stew into each. (Some soup may flow over side of biscuit bowl.)

STICKY CHICKEN WINGS

3 lbs. chicken wings

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. cornstarch

Vegetable oil for frying

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

3 tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. red currant jelly

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Cut wings at joint, discard tips. Roll wings in beaten eggs and then cornstarch. Fry in a small amount of oil until golden brown. Remove wings with a slotted spoon and place on a shallow cookie sheet. Combine rest of ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over chicken wings. Bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes, or until well glazed.

NEW YEAR FRIED RICE

3 strips bacon, diced

4-1/4 c. frozen green peas, thawed

3/4 c. chopped green onions and tops

4 c. cold, cooked white rice

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c. diced red bell pepper

2 tbsp. Soy sauce

Cook bacon in wok or large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add green onions, red pepper and peas; stir-fry1 minute. Add egg and scramble. Stir in rice and cook until heated, gently separating grains. Add soy sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

PORK CHOPS AND APPLES

2 medium unpeeled apples, sliced

4 tbsp. packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 pork rib chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick

Heat oven to 350 F. Place apples in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Trim fat from pork. Spray a skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat 1-2 minutes. Cook pork in hot skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown. Place pork in single layer on apples. Cover and bake about 45 minutes or until pork is slightly pink when cut near the bone and apples are tender. Serves 4.

A jambalaya recipe, served over rice

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoon oil

1 pound of boneless chicken breast , cut into small cubes

1/2 cup onion chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup water

1 (14 1/2 oz) can tomatoes, chopped with juice

8 ounces polish sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled

pepper to taste

dash cayenne pepper

PREPARATION:

Heat oil; sauté chicken and sausage for 5 minutes, then add onion, green pepper and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes longer, then add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Easy chili dog

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans (approximately 16 ounces each) chili with beans

1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

2 tablespoons instant minced onion or 1/4 cup fresh grated onion

1 pound hot dogs, about 10

10 hot dog buns, split and toasted

coarsely crushed corn chips

PREPARATION:

In a large saucepan, combine chili, cheese soup, and onion. Add hot dogs; heat to boiling then simmer for 5 minutes.

Place a hot dog on each toasted bun then top with chili cheese sauce and sprinkle with crushed corn chips.

Makes 10 chili cheese hot dog sandwiches.

Pizza or bread dough is stuffed with Italian sausage and Mozzarella cheese, along with other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

1 prepared pizza dough

2 pounds bulk hot and sweet Italian sausage, mixed

1 pound grated Mozzarella cheese

1 can sliced mushrooms, drained, optional

1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained, optional

1 egg, beaten

PREPARATION:

Brown sausage; drain. Roll pizza dough thin and place on cookie sheet. Spread sausage over dough; top with shredded cheese and mushrooms or olives, if using. Roll like jelly roll and pinch edges to seal.

Ham and Cheese Crepes

INGREDIENTS:

12 prepared crepes

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

12 slices cooked, thinly sliced ham

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/3 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons melted butter

PREPARATION:

Sprinkle each crepe with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese; top each with ham slice.

In small bowl, combine onion, salt, pepper, sour cream and mustard; mix well. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the sour cream mixture over ham. Roll up and arrange in 13x9-inch baking pan. Combine butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle over crepes and cover pan loosely with foil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350° or until cheese is melted.

Serve crepes immediately. Ham and cheese crepes recipe serves 6.

Ham and Macaroni Bake with Broccoli

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 1/2 cups milk

1 package (10 ounces), frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 cups cubed cooked ham

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoon melted butter

PREPARATION:

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a medium saucepan melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add flour, green onion, salt, mustard, and pepper; stir until well blended. Gradually stir in milk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli, macaroni, ham, and cheese. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over ham and macaroni casserole.

Bake ham and macaroni casserole recipe at 350° for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.