I've been cooking dinner as a grownup for more years than I care to say. And I've made just about every mistake you can possibly make. It's one thing if dinner turns to disaster when you're single and childless. But when you have hungry children waiting? Ugh, the worst. I've compiled just a few of the biggest dinner-cooking mistakes I've made. And seriously? This post could have been twice as long. Here's what NOT to do in the kitchen.

I'm not sure why, but before a couple of years ago, I'd never purchased a rotisserie chicken. Ever.

For some reason it just never dawned on me as something that I would want to eat. I'm not a big fan of just eating pieces of chicken off of the bone, but what I failed to realize for too long is that the meat comes off those bones easily and can be used in all sorts of delicious recipes. And by doing so, those recipes get exponentially easier to make as you get to skip one major step -- cooking the chicken.

Since my enlightenment, I've found a host of ways to make quick family meals using rotisserie chickens. Here are six of my favorite recipes. Note: I typically have my deli just give me the breasts from a rotisserie chicken or two, but if you like dark meat, then just grab a whole bird.

Back in the 1980s, there was this movie called Mr. Mom in which a full-grown man tends to his own children and maintains his own household. Hilarious high jinks ensue, because men caring for kids and doing housework LOLOLOL! It's a total gas -- if you're living in the stone age, as Hollywood apparently was in 1983. But anyway, one thing, besides the rampant gender stereotypes, stood out for me: The scene where the dad grills a cheese sandwich with an iron. (Out of laziness because the kids are hungry and he's busy ironing his wife's shirts.)

Ever since then I've wanted to try grilling a cheese sandwich with my iron.

Some of you may be asking, "Why on earth would you want to do that?!?" Ugh, why must you ask such boring questions? Because! Science. And because I'm curious. Have you never had a moment of curiosity in your life? It's a lot of fun. You should try it some time. And you should try grilling a sandwich with your iron. Here's how.

Here's a recipe that's so simple and so delicious, once you make it, it will forever be in your dinner rotation. It's chicken taco soup, and it's filling, flavorful, and phenomenal.

Similar to a tortilla soup, this recipe adapted from All Recipes is a bit heartier as it contains beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and more. The chicken cooks right in the soup, so you can just start with raw breasts. Served with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado slices, and any other Tex Mex toppings you like, it's a one-bowl meal that everyone will crave.

Jack Litsky and his wife recently became vegans to get their cholesterol under control. According to the Litskys, a lot of pasta isn't vegan (who knew?), so they decided to bring their own uncooked noodles to a restaurant in New Jersey. This is where you start to lose me, but AMAZINGLY, the restaurant went ahead and specially made their pasta dish using the Litsky’s pasta and the instructions the Litskys wrote on a card to make it easier for the kitchen staff.

Um, okay -- right there, that’s going WAY beyond the call of duty as a restaurant, but fine. The problem came after the Litskys' third trip to the restaurant, when they requested the same thing and instead of getting charged less, like they had the past two times, they were charged more for the special dish ...

Got ham? Yeah, me too, and lots of it. It was great for the Easter feast yesterday, and my sandwich at lunch was fantastic, but I can only take so many sandwiches.

Fortunately, ham is one of those great, versatile proteins that lends itself well to a variety of dishes. It's not a meat I buy very often, but I'm always glad when I have it on hand, and vow to remember to buy it more often.

Here are five of my favorite recipes that use ham. You do have to eat something besides all of that Easter candy, you know.

I love Easter for a lot of reasons, but one big one is because in my family we traditionally eat ham. It's tasty and makes for some great leftovers, but most importantly -- it's so easy!

Unlike Thanksgiving and that tiresome turkey, ham is a snap. If you buy a pre-baked one, then it's almost fool-proof. Of course, some hams are better than others, and I believe that all comes down to the glaze. I love this one I've used over the years that's a simple mixture of mustard, sugar, and honey. It's got just the right amount of sweetness to match the salt, and it will fly off your platter.

One of my favorite things about Easter is the succulent lamb roast I always make. Leg of lamb is so rich and luscious on its own that you hardly have to do anything with it. But a little bit of rosemary and garlic makes it even better. Here's a roast leg of lamb recipe that's a snap to prepare and will leave you with plenty of time for egg hunts and everything else you love doing on Easter.

When you buy your lamb, just make sure the aitchbone is removed (it usually is). The butcher can do this for you. Or -- just buy a boneless cut and roast for about 30 minutes to an hour less. And remember, it's important to take your lamb out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.