@ related, if anyone prefers I move the post let me know but looking for meal ideas
I have no idea but if anyone has ideas for quick meals that can be easily prepared by H while I'm pumping and he's dealing with both kids let me know, lol. I want to do BLW with A and give her what we're eating but that's usually pizza, sandwiches, or whatever frozen/microwave food we can find. Not healthy for any of us! Crock pot meals haven't been working because they seem to get overcooked even on low and we're gone from about 7:30-6ish every day. I have an instant pot but haven't used it yet. E can't wait too long for dinner but I'm not opposed to him having a small snack while he waits (though he tends to whine that he wants his dinner and not a snack..).
Good question. We've done a pretty poor job of planning this week. Last night was a frozen pizza and on Thursday DH is grilling brats and squash. Otherwise, I don't know. Apparently I need inspiration too!
I never really got a chance to get a meal plan together so I grabbed a bunch of random things from the grocery store.
M- we had BBQ chicken thighs, saffron rice, and zucchini sauteed with grape tomatoes and basil T- grilled marinated strip steaks, baked potatoes (microwaved) and bagged salad W- chicken burgers, sweet potatoes fries (grilled); salad if we want R- tacos F- shrimp scampi over pasta; or tilapia with peppers and onions over pasta
estrellita another idea would be to prep anything for the week that you can on Sunday (wash and chop veggies, etc).
Some easy and quick options could be:
protein pancakes (Kodiak Cakes flapjack mix is super easy) with already-cooked sausage and fruit
fresh pasta (I get tortellini from Costco) because it cooks so much faster than dried
I like to cook an extra pound of ground meat when I cook and freeze it for later to use for sloppy Joe's or tacos. You can do that, then in the morning you want to use it, toss in fridge to defrost. Then it's already cooked and you just add the sauce and heat.
Tonight is Costco chicken tortellini with cucumbers Wednesday- French toast with eggs Thursday- new recipe picky-palate.com/weeknight-cheesy-chicken-rice/ Friday- Costco Madras lentils over rice Saturday saturday- takeout
estrellita- I agree with ewall in making a big meal (or even grilling a lot of meat) on a Sunday so most of the week is easy. I do that a lot and I am home all week to cook (but, quite frankly, am so over it because we try to eat cheap and everyone has different tastes- I need inspiration too!). We also use a rice cooker but that’s mainly for DH and I.
Ideas:
Chicken/rice/black beans or corn Chicken quesadillas Bean/rice/cheese burritos Tortellini with chicken and veggies Taco salad (I cook my taco meat with black beans and corn so just need to add lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, avocado...pretty quick if the meat is cooked ahead...or make enough for leftovers and can either do salad again or burritos). Waffles and eggs Chicken nuggets, black beans/veggies, fruit
I use my instant pot, mainly for chicken and taco meat. Also grill a lot. Another idea, not the cheapest, but getting convenience foods from Trader Joe’s. Their tortellini is actually really inexpensive compared to other places. You could give E some veggies and hummus to snack on (or crackers).
ETA: I also like to make enchiladas (chicken or black beans/corn, sometimes add chicken to those too). I make them casserole style so it’s a little less time consuming. Make a double batch and it lasts a long time (DH takes some to work...I use the green sauce so it’s not as spicy for the boys).
luv2rn4fun I wish we had a TJs closer! The closest is like an hour away but we do have a Fresh Thyme which is pretty much the same. I haven't been there in a while but I should check it out again! Also it's funny you mention crackers because E has been obsessed with his "circle crackers" since being sick. I've been bribing him with them the last few days he's so obsessed 😂
Related question.. how long is cooked meat good in the fridge? I always thought it was only a few days which is part of why I don't cook too much in advance. We don't always use it fast enough, though part of it is not sticking to a meal plan.
luv2rn4fun I wish we had a TJs closer! The closest is like an hour away but we do have a Fresh Thyme which is pretty much the same. I haven't been there in a while but I should check it out again! Also it's funny you mention crackers because E has been obsessed with his "circle crackers" since being sick. I've been bribing him with them the last few days he's so obsessed 😂
Related question.. how long is cooked meat good in the fridge? I always thought it was only a few days which is part of why I don't cook too much in advance. We don't always use it fast enough, though part of it is not sticking to a meal plan.
For chicken/ground turkey/beef (basically anything but fish), I always go 5 days and DH will even be brave and go a week. Neither of us has ever gotten sick. Also, you can always cook and then freeze some! Or cook a big meal and freeze half of it.