Is Your Family Busy Next Tuesday? Create a Quick Family-Friendly Meal With Just About Anything You Want

Families who spend time in front of a stove together on Taco Tuesdays—or any other night of the week—are usually closer, happier and healthier. This is because spending family time around cooking dinner forces you to talk about your day and connect with each other. Families that cook are also more likely to eat healthy meals, rather than drive-thru or pizza deliveries.

Family dinner doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair, and it doesn’t need to take hours to prepare. Keep it simple, easy, and fun with new ideas, such as beautifully designed charcuterie board. This may feel more like a grown-up treat, but with the right ingredients, even Taco's can be delicious and a Taco grazing board can provide fun for the whole family.

No matter what you call it or serve on it, charcuterie boards, grazing boards and snack platters are all basically the same thing. The boards make a trendy addition to an entertaining menu, but a platter or kid-friendly board can be family dinner success.

What you serve on a grazing board is entirely up to you. Most include a selection of meats and cheeses, and many incorporate nuts, crackers, dips and jams. Some also incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables. Creating your own board means there really are no rules; you can add just about anything you want.

To build a successful board, keep these tips in mind:

Choose ingredients and elements that don't require temperature control. The idea of a grazing board is that it sits out for a while. Avoid anything that needs refrigeration, heat or will lose its shape or flavor if it rests for an extended amount of time.

Select a surface large enough to hold a variety of food. It can be a simple cutting board or a cute platter. There's no specific size requirement but err on the side of bigger; spacing out your goodies can be more attractive and less messy.

Use high-quality ingredients to ensure every bite is delicious and nutritious. While shopping, remember to look for the Produce for Kids and Healthy Family Project logos next to favorite items in the produce department, as adding these flavorful fruits and veggies to your cart can help make a difference in your community.

Build your board around a theme to add an extra element of fun. Use mini cookie cutters to make fun, kid-friendly shapes out of cheese and meats. Be mindful of colors; a rainbow platter is vibrant and appealing, and colorful fruits and veggies offer a strong mix of nutrients.

Remember it doesn't have to be elaborate. Classic favorites are all you need. Even kid favorites like sections of mandarin oranges, carrot sticks and chocolate chips are fair game for a family-friendly board.


Taco Tuesday Board
Recipe Courtesy Of Healthy Family Project's "Come Graze With Us"
E-Cookbook

• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Queso
• Hard and Soft Taco Shells
• Ground Turkey, seasoned and browned
• Lettuce
• Diced Tomatoes
• Shredded Cheese
• Chopped Onions
• Chopped Peppers
• Sour Cream
• Cilantro
• Lime Wedges

On a grazing board or platter, arrange the Guacamole, the Salsa, the Queso, the Taco Shells, the Ground Turkey, the Lettuce, the Tomatoes, the Shredded Cheese, the Onions, the Peppers, the Sour Cream, the Cilantro and the Lime Wedges.

Weekend Breakfast Grazing Board
Recipe Courtesy Of Healthy Family Project's "Come Graze With Us"
E-Cookbook

• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Cooked Sausage Links
• Mini Frozen Waffles, toasted
• Mini Frozen Pancakes, toasted
• Mini Muffins
• Yogurt
• Fresh Fruit
• Syrup
• Jelly

On a grazing board or platter, arrange the Eggs, the Sausage Links, the Toasted Waffles, the Toasted Pancakes, the Muffins, the Yogurt, the Fruit, the Syrup and the Jelly.

Taco Salad
If you're looking for something a little on the lighter side, search no more. This Taco Salad calls only for pantry staples so you can spice up busy evenings in just half an hour.

Taco Salad
Recipe courtesy of "Cookin' Savvy"
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

• 1 Pound of Ground Beef
• 1 15 Ounce Can of Black Beans
• 1 15 Ounce Can of Corn
• 2 14 Ounce Cans of Diced Tomatoes with Chilies
• 1/2 Cup of Half-And-Half or Milk
• 2 Tablespoons of Onion Powder
• 2 Tablespoons of Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoons of Mesquite Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon of Black Pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 1 Lime, Juice only
• 1 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
• Romaine Lettuce
• 2-3 Cups of Shredded Cheese
• 1- 16 Ounce Tub of Sour Cream
• Crushed Tortilla Chips

In a pan over Medium Heat, brown the Beef until it is cooked through and drain it. Add in the Black Beans and the Corn. Stir in the Tomatoes with the Juices and the Half-And-Half. Add the Onion Powder, the Garlic Powder, the Mesquite Seasoning and the Pepper. Season it with the Salt, to taste. Bring it to a simmer.

Add the Lime Juice and stir it then sprinkle it with the Cilantro.

Wash and chop the Lettuce. Place the Cheese and the Sour Cream in the bowls for the toppings.

On the plates, top the Crushed Tortilla Chips with the Meat Sauce, the Lettuce, the Cheese and the Sour Cream, as desired.

Find more ideas for creating family-friendly treats at: https://healthyfamilyproject.com/ - And at: https://www.culinary.net/ for more quick dinner solutions.