Babs Costello, the beloved cookbook author and lifestyle content creator, recently lit up the “Good Morning America” studio. Here are her inspiring suggestions for how to create family dinners that are easier and more enjoyable! Known for her approachable cooking style, Costello demonstrated three of her favorite recipes from her latest cookbook, “Every Day with Babs: 101 Family-Friendly Dinners for Every Day of the Week.”
Well, during her segment, Costello completely wowed Washingtonians by teaching the room how to make Grammie’s chicken cutlets. She cooked up roasted sausage with peppers, and a kid-friendly broccoli pasta recipe. Every recipe aims straight for the taste buds of their kids—and yours. Dinner time becomes a task turned fun activity!
Costello’s cooking philosophy is shaped by her experience as a grandmother to nine grandchildren. She’s picked up a few tips, tricks, and wisdom to survive their picky eater stages in the process. As a parent, she knows how hard it is to please everyone’s palates.
“All of my nine grandchildren have, at one time or another, been picky about dinner,” – Babs Costello
To address this issue, she pushes for recipes that are not just simple but adaptable. Her recipe for Grammie’s chicken cutlets feeds four. You can freeze it for up to one month, so it fits in well with the schedules of busy families. The cutlets can be baked in the oven or pan fried, so you can choose based on how much time you have and your preference.
Grammie’s fried chicken cutlets used to take just a few basic ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need—8 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 ¼ cups of panko bread crumbs, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. These three ingredients work together to make a delicious, substantial meal that can be served with a variety of sides.
“If you were to stop by my house and open my freezer, you would see a stack of these chicken cutlets ready to go. Think of these as your new dinnertime best friend,” – Babs Costello
Costello wants to stress the cutlets’ versatility. They are intended to be used in a million different preparations. Parents can cut them into chicken nugget shapes and serve them with potato fries and dipping sauces. They can make delicious chicken club sandwiches or brown up a succulent chicken parmesan by adding marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. For a healthier twist, she suggests pairing the cutlets atop a crunchy salad. This salad with spicy arugula, sweet tomatoes, and salty Parmesan makes the perfect bite.
“You can use these cutlets for any dinner recipe you can imagine. Go lighter and serve with a simply dressed salad with arugula, tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan, like chicken Milanese,” – Babs Costello
In addition to the chicken cutlets, Costello shared her roasted sausage with peppers and gnocchi recipe. Use packaged potato gnocchi to make this one-pan recipe quick and simple. It goes beautifully with oven-roasted Italian sausage and a colorful array of sliced bell peppers and onions. The dish manages to encapsulate the result of family-friendly cooking, being simple to prepare while filling and pleasing.
“For this recipe, I use packaged potato gnocchi, right off the shelf, roasted alongside Italian sausage and chopped bell peppers and onions,” – Babs Costello
Costello’s mission is to bring fun back into the family kitchen. His style focuses on making impactful meals that make life easier for the person making them. She encourages novice and experienced home cooks alike to save time in the kitchen. Her belief was that meals should feed the body and time around the table should feed souls and families.
