French Dips
Steak-Umms (2 for each person)
Hot dog buns (2 for each person – I’ve also used hoagie rolls, but hot dog buns are cheaper and the kids don’t notice a difference)
Frozen crinkle-cut french fries
Packet of au jus mix

Start the oven heating for the french fries, according to package directions (mine heat at 450°). Lay the fries out on a large cookie sheet – I cover mine in parchment to minimize the cleanup. Get the fries in the oven and start preparing the au jus according the the package directions.

About 5 minutes before the fries are done, heat up a large skillet to medium high. Drop two of the steaks in, making sure they aren’t overlapping. Let them sit for just a few seconds and then start tearing them apart with the edge of a spatula. You want raggedy edges here. Add a little salt and pepper, and keep stirring them around while they cook. It should only take a minute (literally) to cook the meat, so have two buns ready on a plate and fill them with the cooked meat.

Repeat until you’ve got enough sandwiches for two per person. Right before you’re done, the fries should be done. Salt them and stir them around and add some fries to each plate, and ladle out some au jus for everyone who wants some (my boys don’t like the au jus).

Sometimes I butter the buns and heat them up in the oven while the fries cook, but on nights like tonight, when I had no butter softened, nobody seems to notice the difference (except me).

You could easily make this into cheesesteaks by adding some cheese and onions to the sandwiches.

Chicken Parmigiana

Four chicken breasts, either sliced thin or pounded thin
Flour
One egg
Dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
Two slices provolone cheese
Half a pound of spaghetti
Can or jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or the equivalent of homemade)
Fresh parmesan cheese

Grease a cookie sheet and heat the oven to 350°. Heat about 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet on medium high, and start water boiling for pasta. Add seasonings to the flour in two plates.

Coat each breast lightly in flour, beaten egg, and then flour again. Fry on each side until golden brown, and place on greased cookie sheet.

Top each breast with a spoonful of spaghetti sauce and half a slice of provolone cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta and heat up the remainder of the sauce.

Serve each chicken breast with 1/4 of the spaghetti and sauce, and top all with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.

And my kids love them.

Tonight I made rigatoni with italian sausage and salad. It was quite yummy.