Saturday Night Specials

Saturday is usually the one night of the week when the family can sit down and have dinner together. The problem is that it's the same foods week after week,  The solution is adding some zing to make these family meals  special. Don't worry  They're nothing elaborate. It's just tweaking  recipes up a notch or two for  tasty and memorable meals.

One of the easiest meals to assemble is the BLT. It's a quick throw together of bacon, lettuce and tomato, on toast.Tweak it by changing the bread. King's Hawaiian Rolls are perfect for creating mini sandwiches or you can try the new Sandwich Thins by Pepperidge Farm.One roll  may be only  one hundred calories but it's also great for creating the perfect sandwich .The filling will stand out  because the slices are almost wafer thin yet sturdy I like these for my BLTs. As for the tomatoes, get the vine ripes. These are a deeper red and richer in flavor. Ditch the iceberg lettuce and switch to Romaine. Again this type of lettuce amps up the sandwich and melds well with the tomato and bacon. Also a dab of ranch dressing zings up the whole combo, rather than just plain mayo , Heroes are another much eaten Saturday night meal. Give them  a Gallic twist by using a baguette  and slathering on a homemade garlicky aioli,  This is a simple blend of garlic and mayo. Add some sliced hard boiled eggs and tuna for a Provencale vibe, along with capers  and a variety of veggies. You could also just have a typical Italian hero, but add pancetta, and mortadella with a balsamic vinegar based dressing.

Dinner means a hot meal too. A family favorite is baked mac and cheese. Liven it up with adding different cheeses as opposed to using just cheddar.Use fontina and Gruyere along with fontina for bite. Bacon or ham are another great way to give the classic casserole some zing. Add layers of  either  along using them as a crunchy topping. Bacon and ham can also make a homemade pizza more interesting too. Since Saturdays are usually pizza night, Try your hand at a homemade one.Please everyone by using their favorites as toppings, from steak slices to even crab meat. This is great if there's adults but you'll need to create a special kind of pie  to grab the kids' attentions. Try mini deep dish ones baked in a muffin tin. The dough can be a homemade one or one made with Biscuit. You can also use Pilsbury  crescent rolls. too. The filling is pizza sauce, of course, but you can also throw in pepperoni or olives for a nice surprise. Baked fried chicken that's been spiced up with cayenne is another fun meal. Serve with homemade cheddar biscuits and ranch slaw.This last is just simply mixing shredded cabbage with ranch dressing. (you can use any salad  dressing here).

Amp up that Saturday night meal. Give those much used recipes a well needed twist with new ingredients or products/ The result is a memorable dinner that the whole family will enjoy,