#KraftRecipeMakers Helped Me Juggle a Lemonade Stand + 2 Meals! #shop

Momma Told Me: I'm not a short order cook!

I try to be Wonder Woman; I really do.

I'm usually the first awake on the weekends, I plan elaborate shopping routes to pick up Jay's favorite shoe polish or the cat's preferred kitty litter, and I like to have meal plans laid out a week in advance. But I am not without flaw, for I am human, and every now and then the afternoon rolls by and I catch myself caught by that ticking clock, stopping to ask, "What's for dinner tonight?" It's times like those where quick family meals can make or break the success of our day. Where I once would have leaned on a quick swing through the drive through to satisfy the looming dinner slot, I now find comfort in inspiring meal helpers such as #KraftRecipeMakers.

There was a time with the 'Type A' inside me would have cringed at the thought of pulling out a box to help ease meal prep on a hectic weeknight. Unfortunately, my pride often lead to less healthy alternatives dished by the golden arches or one crowned burger mega-conglomerate. In recent years I've grown into my role as head of household, and executive chef to our humble family, and learned I can plan meals in a pinch with the help of the right meal kits. I try to avoid meal helpers that limit my options to ground beef, or include pasta as it's designated carb. Simmer sauces and marinades can be a great way to inspire the rushed home cook, while expanding protein and vegetable options that will best suit your family's tastes. After all, who wants to go through the effort of cooking a meal only half of those at the table will eat? That's why I was especially thrilled to discover Kraft's new Recipe Makers range.

With 9 exclusive recipe starter kits, across three methods of preparation (oven, skillet, slow cooker), Kraft Recipe Makers also include alternate preparation idea right on the inside of the packaging. That's 3 recipe ideas with 2 simple to incorporate preparation sauces. Last week was a pretty hectic one for our family, with back-to-school shopping, several birthday preparations, and our long awaited Lemonade and Cupcake Stand kick off. All meal plans somehow got thrown out the window, and I was left without a lunch or dinner plan, rounding 1PM on Thursday.

Verde Chicken Enchiladas

***Printable chicken enchilada recipe here

Ingredients:

* 1 Box Kraft Verde Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Makers

* 4C Shredded, Cooked, Chicken (about 1.5lbs)

* 12 Corn Tortillas (6-8 inch)

* 1C KRAFT Mexican Style Four Cheese Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F

1.) Prepare 13" x 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine shredded chicken and Filling Sauce (Kraft Recipe Makers bottle).

2.) Stack tortillas; wrap in damp paper towel and microwave on HIGH 30 sec- 1 MIN, or until warmed through. Pour half the Finishing Sauce (1 pouch) into prepared baking dish.

3.) Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Repeat until baking dish is full.

4.) Cover with remaining (1 pouch) Verde Finishing Sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15-20 MIN, until heated through.

****Note: The fresher and warmer the corn tortillas, the easier they will roll without splitting. If you encounter an issue with your tortillas splitting, you may layer tortilla, meat, and tortilla in casserole fashion, as shown above. I do not recommend substituting flour tortillas, which can become chewy and hard to cut when damp and cooked.

I resisted the urge to pick up the phone for discount Large pizzas, or to swing through the drive through for dollar burgers and salty fries. Instead I visited my pantry shelf where I had 4 flavorful Kraft recipe Makers options waiting to inspire me. These innovative new meal helps are much more than fancy sauces; they are the freedom to create restaurant quality meals at home, in 30 minutes prep or less. Don't believe me? Each variety clearly labels the suggested prep method, recommended ingredient must haves to create the desired dish, and a full break down of prep and cook times to easily work into your schedule. I knew right away I wanted to make Verde Chicken Enchilada for lunch, and Chicken Cacciatore for dinner. Best of all, I was able to do both of these things at the same time! Verde Chicken Enchilada took 8 minutes of prep time, with 1.5lbs of shredded pre-cooked chicken, and I was able to set up my Chicken Cacciatore in the slow cooker while I was waiting for our lunch to heat (15 MINS) in the oven!

No sooner had the last of the paintbrush Sharpies been scooped from our dining table did a delicious Mexican inspired dish hit the Lazy Susan. We scarfed down the Verde Chicken Enchilada, leaving no leftovers, then hit the park for a few hours of educational, and profitable, cupcake and lemonade selling. By the time we arrived home our dinner was well underway and on it's way to the final stages of preparation. After 5 hours on high in the slow cooker, our Kraft Chicken Cacciatore only required 10 minutes of pasta prep over the stove top. Because the recipes are so easy to mold, I substituted peppers with fresh mushrooms (an ingredient more popular within our family), and was able to make a second home cooked meal worthy of raving. I actually feel like I cheated a little, it was really that easy!

Thankfully, it's hard to feel guilty on the back of a successful lemonade stand and 2 delicious meals (complete with compliments from the 'customers'.) While I wasn't ambitious enough to try some of the alternate recipes this go-around, I can't wait to have an excuse to hit my shelf again and further explore the time saving and delicious #KraftRecipeMakers range. For a more in depth look at my time saving meal prep, check out my Walmart shopping trip Google + where I consider the range of meal kits available to today's consumer.

Chicken Cacciatore

***Printable Chicken Cacciatore recipe here.

Ingredients:

* 1 KRAFT Chicken Cacciatore Recipe Starters

* 2lb Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts

* 1 Green Pepper, Cut Into Strips

* 2C Fresh Sliced Mushrooms

* 3C Rotini Pasta, Uncooked

Directions:

1.) Add Simmer Sauce to slow cooker; top with chicken and vegetables. Turn chicken to coat in sauce.

2.) TOP with cooking sauce; cover. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH 4-6 hours.

3.) 15 MIN before serving, cook 3C Rotini pasta as directed on package (no salt). Drain.

4.) Serve chicken mixture over pasta.

***Frozen, ready sliced vegetables can help cut prep time and costs.

What Daughter Says: Bring delicious family meals back to your table without the extra stress. Lean on quality meal kits to help inspire busy weeknight meals.

I'm not the only Blogger who has experienced Kraft Recipe Makers, see more of the product range, and get exclusive recipe ideas by following along on the Blog Hop below!