Need dinner ideas for busy nights

[romeacademy]

We're in the midst of baseball/softball/soccer season and several nights a week don't end up eating at the same time. I'm looking for ideas for dinners that are easy to put together and that "keep" well for a couple of hours or warm up well. Tacos are my usual standby, but less than a month into the season everyone's already a little tired of them (OK, I'm tired of them). I just feel stuck in a rut and need some new ideas.

 

Thanks for your help! :001_smile:

[joannqn]

:lurk5:

 

 

DH and DS don't get home from taekwondo until after 7:30pm three nights per week, and my youngest is often not agreeable to me cooking dinner while they are gone. We don't have a crockpot so that's not an option until we can buy a new one. We're also doing another dairy-free trial.

Edited May 19, 2011 by joannqn

[Barb_]

I LOVE this book: Desperation Dinners. While they use canned beans and frozen onions that's an easy work around. I learned to chop up a bunch of onions and bell peppers, bag them, and stick them right in the freezer thanks to this book. The food is tasty, yet easy to doctor up, and if you follow the instructions, guaranteed to go on the table in 30 minutes. They also have a book called Desperation Entertaining that I use a lot because the recipes are geared toward larger crowds (and I have a crowd at the table every night).

 

Barb

[redsquirrel]

Oatmeal with fruit

 

Cinnamon toast and scrambled eggs, fruit on the side, cocoa.

 

buttered toast and tomato soup

 

Cereal with yogurt and fruit on the side.

 

Frozen waffles. I own a waffle iron and make them in bulk. You can do the same with pancakes.

 

Bagels with cream cheese and soup

 

We have two nights a week with ballet and tae kwon do back to back. So those are what we have. I am also a bread baker so I always have lots of fresh bread, hence the toast.

 

Those aren't things that can necessarily sit, but they are very fast to make. My 9 year old could make scrambled eggs in the microwave and toast from the toaster. I always make oatmeal on the stove but it could be microwave instant type and that takes 1 min and kids can make it themselves.

[AK_Mom4]

This week, we have had 5 ball games and a practice. And it's only Thursday morning. So I feel your pain!

 

My favorites are:

crock pot stuff like chicken stew, chicken parmesan, beef stew, sticky chicken, boneless pork chops with sauce, bbq pork loin

 

Cold stuff - sandwiches, picnic chicken (just regular fried chicken, but we eat it cold), taco salad, baked ham and biscuits.

 

Quick stuff - eggs and toast (5 minutes to make scrambled eggs), waffles, fajitas (this takes prep time, but assembly is quick)

[kristinannie]

I use my slow cooker A LOT. It is so much easier for me to get something started before we start school (or even get it ready the night before). A family favorite in the slow cooker is Thai Stew. Don't worry. It really isn't spicy so don't skimp on the red pepper flake (it is for flavor). We also really love this chicken:

 

I have been meaning to post this recipe because it is really yummy. I have made this without the chicken and it is still great. I just add an extra can of chickpeas and a little extra veggies.

2 large onions, sliced

1tsp ground ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 large carrots, diced (I use a 1lb bag of baby carrots)

2 large potatoes, diced

3 lbs chicken pieces (I use skinless, boneless breast)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbps raisins (I use golden raisins)

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

3 small zucchini (you can also use some squash)

15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 Tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried)

It says to saute onions with ginger and to brown the chicken, but I just throw it all in the slow cooker. Add chicken and veggies. Mix spices together and then sprinkle over the chicken and veggies. Add raisins and tomatoes. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Add sliced zucchini, chickpeas and parsley 30 min before serving.

I know this sounds like it has a lot of ingredients, but it only takes about 20 min to get everything chopped and in the slow cooker. It is really good and, like I said, you don't need the chicken if you want to go vegetarian. I serve it with couscous. This is one of John Paul's favorite meals!!!

 

Another favorite is tacos. I take a beef roast, 1 Tbsp of vinegar, one sliced red onion, a mix of sliced peppers, a can of green chiles and a package of taco seasoning and cook it on low for 10 hours. The shred the meat and get some taco fixings and you are good to go!

 

For non slow cooker recipes, a family favorite is Greek Pitas. We also use those deli flats for these. This one is quick and easy and you can make the sauce early in the day when you have time.

 

A great side dish is cous cous. You can buy the flavored kind and it is ready in less than 10 min.

[annlaura]

My guys love very thin pork chops sprinkled with seasoned salt, cooked in a drible of oil about 2-3 each side. Normally I serve them with egg noodles, but if I don't want to wait for water to boil, I'll heat up baked beans or corn. Getting a veg steamed takes about the time it takes to make the chops. If I remember to plan ahead, I can set the timer on my rice cooker. Eggs, toast, and fruit are always good in a pinch. If I'm making chicken breasts, sometimes I cook extra to slice on top of a salad another night. A pot of soup heats quickly while I make cheese toasts or grilled cheese.

[romeacademy]

Thanks for the mental jump start ladies. Looking forward to trying some new things.

[Pippen]

My guys love very thin pork chops sprinkled with seasoned salt, cooked in a drible of oil about 2-3 each side. .

 

I sprinkle pork chops with meat tenderizer and seasoned salt earlier in the day, then do on the grill. Serve on a bun with bbq sauce.

[rochellek]

Quesadillas with refried beans. Two tortillas, one of the bottom with refried beans spread on it, sprinkle mexican cheese blend on top, tortilla on top of that, warm up on a skillet until cheese is melted, flipping once. Take a pizza roller and slice up like a pizza. Yummy warm or cold. Kids love it! We take this dinner on the road all the time.

[tearose]

Sloppy joes are quick. I use Rachael Ray's Super Sloppy Joes recipe ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/super-sloppy-joes-recipe/index.html ), but you could also resort to Manwich or the like if you're really short on time. Or you could make it earlier in the day and reheat.

[mathnmusic]

Love these quick meal ideas! :001_smile:

 

We have a rice cooker and it's always in use, either cooking rice or keeping it warm. It takes about 2 hours for it to cook brown rice so I set it in the morning or night before, and whenever we're ready to eat, just fry up some eggs, pop a bag of frozen veggies (we like green beans or chopped broccoli) into the microwave for 5 minutes, scoop up some brown rice and dinner's on the table in 10 minutes flat. And it doesn't hurt to have some kimchee or dried seaweed laver (we love Korean food) to add some flavor! :tongue_smilie:

[Lucy the Valiant]

sloppy joes

 

tuna noodle

 

Greek wraps

 

I make a home made frozen pizza (whole wheat & natural cheese) that I just pull from the freezer and cook - takes 30-40 min. to cook.

 

Do you have a grill? That is quick and versatile for us - kabobs, grilled fish in foil, a hundred different ways to make chicken, etc.

[Photo Ninja]

Pulled Pork sandwiches (or pulled beef or pulled chicken, whatever you prefer): Use the crock pot to cook a beef or pork roast all day, shred the meat, and add your favorite BBQ sauce to it. You can freeze it in Ziploc bags or other containers in meal sized quantities, or in individual quantities. To serve, thaw and heat the meat, put on a sub roll or hamburger bun, and you have a pulled BBQ pork(beef, chicken) sandwich. It only takes minutes to thaw and heat, making a quick meal, and it travels well, too. For a meal, heat up some BBQ beans to go with it or some veggies and ranch dressing, or whatever you have available.

[Laura Corin]

I like to do smoked fish and pasta: you can eat it hot, but room temperature is good too. Poach some smoked fish (mackerel, haddock.... whatever you want) to warm it through. Flake it and remove the skin (if you want to) and mix with fresh tagliatelle (not overdone). Add some olive oil and pepper (the fish is usually salty, so I don't add salt) and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with steamed veg - make that when you like and reheat with a little butter/oil as needed.

 

Slow cooked things work well too. I slow cook duck legs, some form of dried beans (soaked overnight), a can of tomatoes, lots of herbs, some tomato puree, an onion, pepper and some garlic. Don't add salt at the beginning as it can make the beans tough. The dish is best when the duck meat falls off the bone and you are eating a lovely mush. Serve with steamed veg.

 

Laura