What do y'all do for dinner?

[formerlyknownasefl]

I'm at a loss and we've only been in the new place a week. I'm used to my mom cooking lol.

I like to cook but I don't really have time with the kiddo and it seems easier and cheaper just to pick something up! What do y'all fix that's easy?

[Deleted]

I do a lot of pasta....easy and quick
crock pot is a great asset
soups in the winter

[naeljun]

I'm not that great either. I usually just snack and give DD whatever. We go out a couple times a week too, to either panera or a sit down place. I did make a buffalo chicken chili on Sunday though that I have had a couple of times this week.

[formerlyknownasefl]

Yeah ds eats cereal for dinner so I feel like cooking for me is a waste. I like the crockpot idea though!

[cutter21]

We use our crockpot a lot and stick with easy dinners... lasagna roll-ups, baked fajitas or tacos, meatloaf (we cheat and use the muffin pan version) or grill chicken with veggies. I am feeding myself and another adult though, no kids.

[Deleted]

Cooking for one is a challenge. Tonight I had eggs. But I tend to shop at trader joes because they have a lot of prepared frozen dishes that are quick. I also individually freeze chicken cutlets so I can defrost it and do whatever with it for dinner.

[doriswe]

When I'm on the ball, I meal plan for the week and shop for those things on Sunday. The kids get to pick stuff, so they won't complain every night (lol). Then I write it on the dry erase board in the kitchen so I don't deviate from the plan (because eating out is waayyyy easier!!).

Easy kid-friendly stuff is always pasta, easy home made pizzas (Grands biscuits topped with sauce, cheese and whatever), fish sticks and fries (judge away bitches!). I do a lot of crock pot stuff (check out 365 days of crock pot) so I don't have to scramble at night.

[bleubook]

I do a lot of salmon or chicken on a George foreman. Salads, grocery store sushi, chick peas with olive oil and avocado. Lots of light veggie stir frys with brown rice. Stiff like that.

[dakotadangerdog]

Meat and vegetables

[GilliC]

I'm only cooking for one and don't have to deal with kids, but... I do pasta a lot when I'm feeling lazy. I try to keep stuff around for salad, but I never use it all before it starts to go bad. If I get home from work at 9pm and am completely exhausted, I have frozen pizza (the good kind with stuff like spinach). If I'm worried I'll stress-eat the whole thing, sometimes I'll cut it in half and put half back in the freezer.

When I'm not feeling completely lazy, these are my standard go-to options:

- Thaw and marinade a salmon filet in teriyaki sauce. Throw it in a dish with some frozen wok veggies and spoon all the teriyaki sauce over the top and bake it. If I want carbs with it, I'll make some rice.

- Okonomiyaki is surprisingly easy. Shred some cabbage and mix it with a beaten egg, a cup of flour, salt, and 2/3 cup of water or broth. Mix in whatever you want (I like small shrimp and green onion, but sometimes I do shredded cheese, mushrooms, bacon, etc), and then cook it in a skillet. I found a Japanese shop to get the actual sauce, but barbecue mixed with worcestershire or teriyaki can do. Just play around with it until you like it.

- I can make Chana Masala (chickpea curry) from mostly things that will keep in my cupboard/fridge. Slice an onion into strips, and chop some tomatoes into large pieces (or I'll just used canned in a pinch). Heat some oil and add a few spoonfuls of pre-mixed chana masala spice mix from the Indian market (I usually throw in extra ground cumin). Add the onions and cook until they're soft. Add the tomatoes and cook them down a bit. Then add a drained can of chickpeas, and let the whole thing simmer until I like the consistency. Taste it every so often and add more spices if necessary. I eat it over rice or with frozen parathas (cooked quickly in a skillet).

[udscoobychick]

I tend to cook one or two meals (4-6 portions) when I have time (usually one on a Saturday and one on a weeknight when I'm home earlier) and portion them into tupperware containers. I can just reheat them for lunch and dinner, then.

Things I keep on hand to make into easy meals:
cooked shredded chicken (freezer)
marinara or meat sauce (freezer)
pasta (pantry)
rice (pantry)
potatoes (pantry)
shrimp (freezer)
canned tomatos (pantry)
hot sauce (pantry)
canned beans (pantry)
canned tuna (pantry)
assorted cheese (fridge)
frozen veggies (freezer)
chicken and beef bullion cubes (pantry)

[naeljun]

This is the recipe I used for the buffalo chicken chili. I put a little more buffalo wing sauce than it called for - probably closer to a cup.

allrecipes.com/recipe/buffalo-chicken-chili/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=buffalo%20chicken%20chili&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page