Fuel for Full Days of Learning

(Family Features) Between morning routines, days spent in the classroom, extracurriculars and homework, it may seem like there’s never enough time in the day during the school year. However, making time for tasty meals and snacks doesn’t have to be another burden on jam-packed schedules. These quick recipes for a flavorful twist on a breakfast favorite, easy-to-make sliders featuring kid-friendly flavors and delightful treats to enjoy at the end of the day can help keep little learners (and older family members, too) fueled up and ready to tackle all the school year throws their way. Find more recipes to get you through busy back-to-school season at Culinary.net. Simple, Kid-Friendly Sliders For those busy school nights when time is at a premium and you need to get a meal on the table quickly, these simple yet savory Pepperoni Pizza Sliders can be a perfect solution. A modified take on a kid favorite – pizza – they’re easy to make after work and extracurricular activities to steal a few moments of family time enjoying the cheesy pepperoni goodness before completing homework and beginning preparations for a new day. Pepperoni Pizza Sliders Recipe adapted from MilkMeansMore.org 1 package slider rolls 1/2 cup pizza sauce 1/2 cup mini pepperoni 1 1/2 cups shredded, low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon parsley flakes 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese nonstick cooking spray Heat oven to 350 F. Keeping rolls connected, cut sheet of rolls horizontally, separating tops from bottoms. Place bottom halves of rolls in baking dish. Spread pizza sauce evenly over bottom halves. Sprinkle pepperoni over sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella over pepperoni and cover with top halves of rolls. Mix melted butter with parsley flakes, dried oregano, garlic powder and shredded Parmesan cheese. Spoon evenly over sliders. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to keep cheese from sticking. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 5-10 minutes, or until Parmesan is melted and golden brown. Cut sliders and serve immediately. A Fresh-Baked After-School Sweet After a long day of learning or a tough homework assignment, many kids love a warm, chocolatey homemade cookie. Once your kiddos pack away the calculators and put their pencils down, serve up an ooey-gooey delight as a reward for all that hard work. These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are ready in just 30 minutes and made with high-quality ingredients you can count on like C&H Dark Brown Sugar for that familiar homemade flavor. Find more sweet after-school desserts at chsugar.com. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: 18 cookies 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups C&H Dark Brown Sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook until foaming and golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to heatproof bowl. Place in refrigerator until solidified, about 45 minutes. In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Once butter has solidified, remove from refrigerator. In bowl of electric stand mixer, using paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed, add flour mixture and beat to combine. Add pecans and chocolate chips; mix at low speed until combined. Place dough in refrigerator and rest 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 2-ounce ice cream scoop, portion out dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Gently flatten dough balls using palm. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets 10 minutes then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm. A Traditional Breakfast with a Twist The same bowl of cereal can get boring after eating it for breakfast day in and day out. You may find yourself looking for something new and exciting to start school day mornings on the right foot. Kids can be picky when it comes to breakfast foods, but this recipe for Sausage French Toast Roll-Ups is a quick and easy way to fill their bellies with a taste of several flavors they may already love. A sizzling sausage link wrapped with French toast, it combines a favorite breakfast protein and traditional deliciousness in one roll. Sausage French Toast Roll-Ups Servings: 12 12 sausage links 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 3 teaspoons almond extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 bread slices, crust removed, cut in half 3 tablespoons butter syrup In skillet, cook sausage links according to package directions. Set aside. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, almond extract and cinnamon. Dip bread slice in egg mixture. Wrap bread slice around cooked sausage link, pressing seam to keep from unrolling. Repeat with remaining bread slices and sausage links. In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Place roll-ups in skillet, seam-sides down, and cook until all sides are browned, approximately 10 minutes. Drizzle with syrup.