8 “Kid-Tested, Mom-Approved” EASY weeknight dinner recipes

I’m in a group with 400 other busy local running moms, and I asked them to share a few of their favorite recipes — specifically, recipes that their families love and that are easy to make and clean up.

Here are eight recipes that should please your family, too! They’re divided into 4 categories: Slow Cooker, Chicken, Pasta and Vegetarian. Enjoy and let us know which ones your family tries and likes!

SLOW COOKER

BBQ Chicken: Mix 1 cup BBQ sauce, a can of whole berry cranberry sauce and 1/2 cup onions together. Pour this over chicken or pork and cook on low for 4 hrs. Shred if you like and serve with buns and coleslaw or potato salad. –Genie D

French Chicken: Take 4-6 chicken breast, a can of whole berry cranberry sauce, half a bottle of sweet and tangy French dressing, and a packet of onion soup mix. Combine it all in a gallon Ziploc bag and put it in your freezer. When you’re ready to cook, put it in a crock pot on low for 6 hours. It’s delicious, freezes well, and with the addition of a crock pot liner, is super easy to clean up. Serve on top of rice. –Eileen W

Shredded Chicken Tacos: Place 3-4 boneless chicken breasts at the bottom of a crock pot, mix the following ingredients and pour on top: 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 can drained black beans and 1 small jar of salsa. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred chicken and place back into crock pot. Kids love it! Serve with your favorite toppings. –Crystal S

CHICKEN

Salsa Chicken: Take chicken breasts, sprinkle with taco seasoning and spoon salsa over the top of each. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Add shredded cheddar and bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite starch and vegetable.  –Sarah G

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken: Preheat oven to 350. Wilt spinach in a small pan with extra virgin olive oil. Butterfly chicken breast, add spinach and feta cheese, close chicken with toothpicks, and place in oven for 20-25 mins. Goes great with orzo mixed with sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. –Jennifer M

PASTA

Capellini Pomodoro: 2 cans petite diced tomatoes, 2 cups fresh chopped basil, 3 cloves garlic — minced, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1 box angel hair pasta. Heat oil and add garlic until garlic is tender. Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with cooked pasta in a large bowl. Mix in the fresh basil and half of the Parmesan cheese. You can use the rest of the cheese to top each serving. Serve with a salad and garlic bread. –Denise F

Shrimp Carbonara Fettuccini: Cook about 8 ounces of fettuccine noodles, and when they are almost done add a cup of frozen baby peas. Cook for 3-4 minutes. In a separate pan, sauté shrimp with garlic and butter (2-3 minutes). Add green/red/yellow peppers if you’d like. Drain pasta. Mix all ingredients with 3/4 cup half-n-half. Add shredded Parmesan cheese. Ready in 15 minutes. –Gretchen M

VEGETARIAN

Black Bean Enchiladas: These are very fast and easy! “Skinny” this Betty Crocker recipe by using corn tortillas and salsa instead of enchilada sauce, and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE –Tara D