Simple spring break recipes to save your sanity – The Dispatch

It is spring break. This was one of my favorite times during my school years. A whole week at home was like a treat during the final stretch of the semester.

However, from a parent’s perspective, I imagine it is a completely different story.

You have your kid(s) home for an entire week, randomly. This can cause problems if you were ill prepared and it snuck up on you.

Also, as much as you might not want to admit it, summer break is just around the corner too, so there will be an even longer stretch of time with the kids at home.

Not to fear though, because I have some simple, easy-to-make recipes for when the kids are at home.

The first, and a personal favorite of mine, is French bread pizza.

The way I make them, you can get four pizzas out of one loaf of French bread. The bread gets a nice, crispy texture, which pairs well with the smooth, melty cheese.

Another beauty of this dish is that it is, like many I feature, fully customizable. You choose the toppings and even the cheese(s) to make the pizza you want to make.

I personally prefer the classics. I use Italian blend cheese with pepperoni.

My brother uses the same but adds browned ground beef and onions.

Regardless of what you choose to put on it, I believe you will have a great time with this one.

You can even make a family activity out of it, letting the kids dress their own pizza and (with parental supervision of course) place it in the oven. It could also prompt a discussion about kitchen safety and the dos and don’ts of cooking.

Just food for thought, every pun intended.

The next recipe is snack packets.

These little treats pack a variety of flavors and textures into a small, bite-sized package.

They are also a fun recipe to make together for some bonding time.

The last recipe I will mention is the taco cheeseburger.

This recipe blends two of kids’ favorite things into one dish that will most likely have the fun-factor you are looking for to entertain the youngsters.

It is simple, and kids can even help by measuring ingredients.

So, if you’re looking for a quick, easy recipe while the kids are at home, I would suggest trying any one of these!

FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

1 loaf French bread
Pizza sauce
Desired cheese(s)
Desired toppings

■ Quarter the French bread.
■ Spread the sauce on the four bread slices.
■ Sprinkle the cheese over top of the sauce.
■ Place the toppings on the bread.
■ Bake at 425 degrees until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

SNACK PACKETS
Recipe courtesy of focusonthefamily.com

1 pound ground sausage
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 teaspoons thyme
2 packages crescent roll dough, chilled
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (optional)

■ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
■ Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
■ Add sausage. Carefully break into small pieces with spatula. Add potatoes, onion and thyme. Cook until sausage is browned.
■ Separate the dough triangles on a clean surface. Fold over the longest side of the triangle to make each side more even. Spread out dough with your fingers.
■ Place one spoonful of meat filling in the center of each dough triangle.
■ Pinch together the dough corners to form a triangle packet. Press edges together to seal.
■ If desired, roll the packets in breadcrumbs.
■ Place packets on a cookie sheet.
■ Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until packets are puffed and brown.
■ Remove from the oven and let cool.

TACO CHEESEBURGER
Recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com

3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground round beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices American cheese, halved
8 corn tortillas or hard taco shells
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup salsa or taco sauce
Sour cream, for serving

■ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
■ In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir until well mixed.
■ Divide the ground beef into 4 equal sections, about 6 ounces each.
■ Gently form the meat into thick disks, then place on a piece of wax paper. Press the patties until they’re about 1/2-inch thick and 6 inches in diameter.
■ Sprinkle each patty on both sides with the spice mix, using about 1/2 tablespoon per burger. Cut each patty in half, giving you 8 pieces.
■ Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and 4 of the patties. Cook until the meat is browned half of the way up the side, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.
■ Flip and cook on the other side. Place a half-slice of cheese (torn into a few pieces so it fits on the burger) to cover the patty and melt over the top.
■ Cook until the patty is well-browned on the bottom, another 2 1/2 minutes.
■ Remove the burgers to a plate, tent with foil, to allow the juices to redistribute, at least 5 minutes.
■ Scrape out any crusty bits on the bottom of the skillet and pour off the extra grease. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and repeat the process for the remaining 4 patties.
■ If using hard taco shells, place them on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes. If using soft tortillas, wrap the stack of 8 in foil and warm for 5 minutes.
■ Line the center of each taco with some lettuce, insert a patty and 2 tomato slices, then top with 1 teaspoon salsa and some sour cream, and serve.