(Family Features) Ease your way into a busy new school year with easy dishes you can prepare and serve in minutes. Time-saving and delicious dinners allow you to enjoy valuable family meals without sacrificing precious time in the kitchen.

One smart way to pull together flavorful meals when you’re pinched for time is to keep versatile ingredients on hand that you can use in a variety of ways. For example, pre-sliced pepperoni is perfect for quick snacks, but it’s also great for do-it-yourself pizzas, casseroles and even a fresh take on grilled cheese sandwiches. An option like Armour Turkey Pepperoni can brighten up any appetizer or dish with 70 percent less fat and 25 percent less sodium than the Original variety.

Another “A-plus” idea: keep frozen meatballs handy, but think beyond traditional spaghetti. Not only do fully cooked meatballs save plenty of time, they make for a fun way to add protein and bring great flavor to kid favorites like macaroni and cheese.

Find more easy recipes for family meals this fall at ArmourMeats.com.

Cheesy Mac and Meatballs

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 5

• 12        ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1          package (14 ounces) Armour Original Meatballs, thawed
• 12        ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1          cup milk
• shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Cut meatballs in half.
2. In large saucepan over medium heat, combine shredded cheddar cheese and milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in meatballs; cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until meatballs are hot.
3. Drain macaroni; stir into meatball mixture. Top with cheddar cheese, if desired.

Grilled Cheese and Pepperoni Sandwiches

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

• 2          tablespoons butter or margarine
• 8          slices white or whole-grain bread
• 8          slices cheddar or American cheese
• 32        slices Armour Original or Turkey Pepperoni
• 1          cup roasted red pepper strips or 4 thin tomato slices (optional)

1. Spread butter over one side of each piece of bread. Put four slices of bread on sheet of waxed paper, buttered-side down.
2. Top each slice of bread with one cheese slice, eight slices pepperoni, 1/4 cup peppers or sliced tomato, if desired, and additional cheese slice. Top sandwiches with remaining bread, buttered-side up.
3. Heat large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add two sandwiches; cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted and sandwiches are golden brown. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Alternate preparation tip: Cook sandwiches in two batches in heated panini maker or well-oiled waffle iron 3-4 minutes.

Easy Meals That Go Anywhere

(Family Features) Once again, you’re in a rush to pick up one child from soccer practice and take the other one to dance class — you have to feed them something, but there’s no time to eat at home. What do you do? Forget fast food. Everything you need for something quick, delicious and portable could be in your kitchen already. 

In just minutes, you can wrap up an easy meal for your dashboard dining experience using tortillas. They’re versatile, with recipes that go beyond traditional Mexican fare. They’re so handy, in fact, that they’re outsold in the U.S. only by fresh breads, and they outsell bagels two to one. Most tortillas are made from either corn or flour, but they come in a variety of flavors and sizes, as well as fat free, heart healthy, low carb, whole wheat and multi-grain versions. And moms will appreciate that corn tortillas are naturally low fat and a good source of fiber.
Wrapping up favorite ingredients inside a tortilla is a simple way to make breakfast, lunch or dinner a moveable feast the whole family can enjoy anywhere.

To help busy moms, Mission Foods, the makers of Mission Tortillas, has tips and recipes for healthy, easy-to-travel meals.

On-the-Go Meal Ideas

• Breakfast — Breakfast burritos with eggs, ham, cheese & salsa start the day off right.
• Lunch — Turkey, Red Delicious apple and cottage cheese wraps make lunch at the office a real treat.
• Dinner — Kids love quesadillas. Dress up the basic chicken quesadilla with avocado and mushrooms.

For more easy-to-make, easy-to-take recipes, visit www.missionmenus.com.

Low Carb Stromboli Wraps

Serves 4
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 12 minutes

• 4 Mission Carb Balance 8-inch Soft Taco Size Flour Tortillas
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces salami, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces ham thinly, sliced
• 1/2 cup (4-ounce jar) roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and cut into strips
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Marinara or pizza sauce, heated

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Lightly spread one side of each tortilla with softened butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Arrange one fourth each of provolone, salami, ham and roasted peppers over center of tortillas, leaving border around edges. Sprinkle with one fourth of the mozzarella.
3. Fold up “wrap fashion.” Place seam side down on nonstick baking sheet. Brush with remaining butter; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Slice each stromboli in half on the diagonal. Serve with marinara or pizza sauce, if desired.

Pizzadillas

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

• 4 Mission Sundried Tomato Basil Wraps
• 3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup thinly sliced pepperoni rounds (approximately 72 slices)

1. Evenly spread 3 tablespoons marinara on each wrap.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella evenly over marinara sauce on each wrap.
3. Layer 1/4 cup (about 18 slices) pepperoni over shredded cheese on each wrap.
4. Fold each wrap in half, forming a half moon.
5. Heat 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly spray with non-stick spray.
6. Place two pizzadillas in skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown. Remove and reserve hot. Repeat for other pizzadillas.
7. Cut each pizzadilla into quarters and serve one full sliced portion to each person.

Cheeseburger Soft Tacos

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

• 4 Mission 6-inch Fajita Flour Tortillas
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or 4 ounces sliced
• 1 red tomato, cut into 1/4-inch slices (4 total slices)
• 2 small green leaf lettuce leaves
• 1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices, then pulled into rings
• 12 dill pickle slices

1. Separate ground beef into 4 equal parts (4 ounces each); form each part into 4 thin half moon shape patties. Try to shape each patty to fill half of a tortilla.
2. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet (or use a square, deep walled non-stick electric skillet) over medium high heat.
3. Season each hamburger patty with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes a side or to desired temperature.
4. Near the end of desired cooking time, evenly sprinkle each patty with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and allow the cheese to melt. Remove cheeseburgers and reserve hot.
5. Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 seconds.
6. For 1 serving: place a hot cheeseburger on one half of a warmed tortilla and top with 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, onion rings and 3 pickle slices. Fold the tortilla in half and serve.

Source: Mission Foods

(Family Features) If you’re looking for a new take on home-style cooking, then George Duran has the recipe for you. Duran is a popular Food Network host and chef who likes to take favorite American dishes and give them a delightful twist. PBJ Bread Pudding, Cheeseburger Frittata and Tex-Mex Lasagna are just a few of the dishes he’s twisted.

 “Comfort food is something that brings Americans together,” said Duran, “but I noticed that I was going to be limited with the number and originality of recipes I could introduce. (After all, how many ways can you make a PBJ sandwich?) That’s when I decided to take classic American flavors and twist them into a gourmet dish.”

Duran says that keeping these 10 must-have ingredients in the pantry makes it easy to turn a midnight snack into a work of art: curry paste, nonstick cooking spray, bacon, ground cumin, coconut milk, red wine, chipotle hot sauce, pine nuts, fresh cilantro, and vanilla ice cream.

In his new book, “Take This Dish And Twist It: Comfort Food with New & Unexpected Flavors” (Meredith Books; November 2008), Duran re-imagines familiar foods and makes them fantastic in over 100 recipes.

Break out of the ordinary by adding fun along with flavor to your favorite comfort foods. Your taste buds will be glad you did.

Pepperoni Pizza Soup

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Broil: 3 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

• 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 11⁄2 cups dried elbow macaroni (or other short dried pasta such as ditalini or alphabets)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 1⁄3 cup diced pepperoni
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• dried oregano

1. Preheat broiler.
   In large pan put soup, water, and garlic; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in macaroni, green onion, oregano, and pepperoni; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until macaroni is almost done.
2. Pour soup into 4 oven-proof bowls. Top each with 1⁄4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1⁄4 cup cheddar cheese, and some oregano. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
3. Or serve soup in a small round, crusty loaf of bread. Cut top off bread and scoop out insides. Fill with soup, top with cheeses, and broil as directed above. Try different “toppings” as well, such as mushrooms, onions, and sausage.

Watch video to see how to make this guacamole recipe!

Granny Smith Guacamole

Prep: 10 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

• 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
• ½ cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
• ½ cup snipped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• Bottled hot pepper sauce, to taste
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• Kosher salt or table salt, to taste
• Assorted dippers (baked fruit crisps, apple chips, and/or tortilla chips)

1. Scoop avocado flesh into bowl; add onion, cilantro, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce. Mash with fork until it reaches the desired consistency. Stir in apple and season with salt to taste.
2. Serve with dippers.

Source: Meredith Corporation

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Ingredients

• 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 11/2 cups dried elbow macaroni (or other short dried pasta such as ditalini or alphabets)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 1/3 cup diced pepperoni
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• dried oregano

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. In large pan put soup, water, and garlic; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in macaroni, green onion, oregano, and pepperoni; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until macaroni is almost done.
3. Pour soup into 4 oven-proof bowls. Top each with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, and some oregano. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
4. Or serve soup in a small round, crusty loaf of bread. Cut top off bread and scoop out insides. Fill with soup, top with cheeses, and broil as directed above. Try different "toppings" as well, such as mushrooms, onions, and sausage.

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

6 minutes Broil: 3 minutes

Serves

Makes 4 servings

Source Meredith Corporation