S/O Dinner ideas for crazy schedules

[cjcouple]

Anyone have quick meal ideas for activity nights? 

All ideas welcomed: Make ahead, crock pot, IP, whatever. 


I'm still grilling meat and adding veggies/rice whatever.  Boring but easy...lol 

[momin2013]

We're going to need a lot more of these pretty soon, lol!

I need to get the crockpot out more. The only thing I tend to use it for is a roast, or pulled pork. DH and DS are not big soup fans, but I need to look up some more crockpot recipes. There seriously is (almost) no better feeling in the world than being at work all day and knowing that you'll be coming home to dinner being pretty much ready!

My other favourites for quick nights:
- Tacos
- Chicken fajitas
- Chicken wraps
- BFD: eggs, toast, has browns
- Burgers on the grill (or ribs/hot dogs/sausages)
- Spaghetti (I make big batches of sauce and freeze)
- I'd love to do chili, but DH and DS are not big fans
- I also love sloppy joes, but I've never made that for DH and DS; I wonder if they'd eat it...

[CrazyLucky]

The crock pot and grill are definitely our friends during the crazy times, which increasingly seem like all the time. In addition to the ideas above, my kids will eat BLTs, chicken chili nachos, chicken fingers (DH makes giant batches of these homemade and then we freeze them. So they aren't healthy, but not AS bad.)
Combine crazy activity schedule with DH traveling and you get a lot of pizza, McD's, etc. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

[lexus]

We just made a bunch of chicken in the crockpot this weekend without anything other than salt/ pepper. Once shredded we divided it up- some for tacos, some for salads, some for BBQ sandwiches. Two meals worth went in the freezer and one was used that night! Trying to do more things like this!

[cjcouple]

lexus, now do you freeze it with just salt n pepper? Or do you add sauce/seasonings before freezing? Also how do you thaw them and reheat? sorry - I never froze precooked meat before unless you count ham, hotdogs and sausages that are loaded with preservatives. lol

[mamaalysson]

I always have a few meals prepped for the crockpot or oven in the freezer - pulled pork, chili, meatloaf - when I’m making one for dinner, I double the recipe and prep half for the freezer.

Do you have a Trader Joe’s? Their frozen turkey meatballs with pasta or polenta or on a graze plate are always good for a quick meal. I also like their preseasoned meat. The ingredients are legit, and they freeze really well. Pesto chicken, pollo asada and balsamic beef are always in my freezer and cook up fast.

Pizza night. I prep the pizzas while the kids are st school and stick them in the fridge. They bake up in like 15 minutes after we get home.

[cjcouple]

mamaalysson, No Trader Joes!!!!

[mamaalysson]

Sept 7, 2018 14:59:54 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

mamaalysson , No Trader Joes!!!!

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

[cjcouple]

Sept 7, 2018 16:03:47 GMT -5 mamaalysson said:

Sept 7, 2018 14:59:54 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

mamaalysson , No Trader Joes!!!!

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

I know 😢

[dizzycooks]

I make quesyrah ‘s Korean beef bowls she shared (I think??) from damndelicious all.the.time. Seriously the easiest way to empty out my veggie drawer.
Also, I definitely cook double or triple my rice portions when I make rice, I either freeze it or use it later in the week.
I do one soup a week in the fall and winter and I double it. I make jars for the freezer for dd1 for school and freeze larger bags for the rest of us to have some variety mid week.
Food doesn’t go far around here these days and I’m having A hard time keeping leftovers around that actually make a whole meal a second time around so we do “buffet” nights where I put out everything and tell the kids they have to choose at least 3 items and everyone can have whatever they want.
Other meals:
Spaghetti and meatballs
Salads
Roasted veggie sandwiches
Tuna melts and roasted vegetables
Baked salmon

[lexus]

Sept 7, 2018 10:07:05 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

lexus, now do you freeze it with just salt n pepper? Or do you add sauce/seasonings before freezing? Also how do you thaw them and reheat? sorry - I never froze precooked meat before unless you count ham, hotdogs and sausages that are loaded with preservatives. lol

So Dh did it but I’m pretty sure he just broke it into thirds and stuck two in the freezer, no sauce yet. This is our first time doing it but we have stuck leftover meat in the freezer before. It usually dries out a little but if it’s something you plan to add sauce to, it doesn’t really matter.

[nicolewi]

dizzycooks, I love those Korean Beef Bowls, but my kids will not eat them! I make it for me and give them an alternate sometimes.

Instant Pot spaghetti--it's kind of like homemade spaghettios? Has its own type of flavor, but I like it. Just put raw noodles, water, sauce, and frozen meatballs in the pot and set it.
Breakfast for Dinner. Scrambled eggs & ham
Soups/chili, making enough for leftovers
grilled cheese & tomato soup
Instant Pot burrito bowls
turkey burgers (the frozen patties)
frozen pizza!
Any kind of meat in the crock pot that you can shred later for sandwiches, burritos, etc.
quesadillas with avocado and salsa

This is so weird to me, but I made tuna casserole last spring and all my kids LOVED IT! So strange!! Even my super picky kid. So, I really should make that again, and it's very easy.

[auroraloo]

I'm planning for a huge freezer cooking on Sunday. I have 25 recipes I'm going to make and split into 2 and have 50 nights of meals for kid-activity nights. Lots of work upfront, but will be worth it to not have to worry about dinner on M/W

[lexus]

Sept 10, 2018 19:45:08 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

I'm planning for a huge freezer cooking on Sunday. I have 25 recipes I'm going to make and split into 2 and have 50 nights of meals for kid-activity nights. Lots of work upfront, but will be worth it to not have to worry about dinner on M/W

That’s serioisly impressive!

[auroraloo]

Sept 11, 2018 19:23:54 GMT -5 lexus said:

Sept 10, 2018 19:45:08 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

I'm planning for a huge freezer cooking on Sunday. I have 25 recipes I'm going to make and split into 2 and have 50 nights of meals for kid-activity nights. Lots of work upfront, but will be worth it to not have to worry about dinner on M/W

That’s serioisly impressive!

So. Many. Chicken. Breasts. 

[dizzycooks]

Sept 11, 2018 20:32:06 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

Sept 11, 2018 19:23:54 GMT -5 lexus said:

That’s serioisly impressive!

So. Many. Chicken. Breasts. 

Recipes please.
I’m speaking at my MOPs group on freezer cooking. Like I’m an expert or something. 😂

[auroraloo]

Sept 11, 2018 21:20:46 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

Sept 11, 2018 20:32:06 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

So. Many. Chicken. Breasts. 

Recipes please.
I’m speaking at my MOPs group on freezer cooking. Like I’m an expert or something. 😂

I don't have them saved anywhere. I just went through pinterest and printed what looked good.

Seriously, it was a grand total of 52 chicken breasts.