(NAPSA)—Family dinners sometimes seem like a thing of the past. With busy schedules that often include balancing careers, school activities and household chores, there is little time left to sit down and enjoy a relaxed family dinner. Makingtime for this important meal encourages healthy eating habits, opens the doors of communication and strengthens family bonds. However, busy families might find fixing dinner from scratch too time consuming to do every evening. As a result, many smart cooks are resourcefully applying “speed scratch” methods—using packaged prepared foods as an ingredient to reduce meal preparation time—and then adding a personal touch to makeit a unique dish. Following are a few tips for using packaged prepared foods to create delicious meals with a personal touch. * Toss frozen vegetables with prepared Alfredo sauce and cooked pasta for pasta primavera. * Blend frozen or deli meatballs with prepared marinara sauce and cooked spaghetti for a delightfully simple and fun dinner. * Jazz up vegetables with prepared pesto sauce for a nearly effortless and savory side dish. * Add family favorite ingredients, such as cooked ground turkey, grilled seafood or steamed spinach, to prepared marinara sauce to makea hearty signature meal. Whenthere’s time to follow a recipe, look for those that use packaged prepared foods and few ingredients, such as this simply delicious Easy Linguine with Creamy Tomato Saucerecipe. Easy Linguine with Creamy Tomato Sauce (Makes 4 servings) 1 package (9 ounces) Burroni Refrigerated Linguine, prepared according to package directions 1 tablespoonolive or vegetable oil 4 (about 1 poundtotal) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 4-inch strips 2 containers (15 ounces each) Buitoni Refrigerated Marinara Sauce 4 cup fat free half-and-half Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional) Chopped fresh parsley (optional) HEAToil in large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet. POURsauce into sameskillet; cook until heated through (do not boil). Add chicken and half-andhalf; stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. TOSS with pasta. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. More easy family recipe ideas are available at Meals.com and Buitoni.com.
