With the crazy busy season starting, post your best easy dinner ideas and/or recipes!

[Mrs Mungo]

One thing that is helping me is cooking hamburger ahead and portioning it out into ziplocs for tacos, chili, spaghetti, etc.

[Freckles]

I hate cleaning the giant water pot for pasta. So instead, I put frozen stuffed ravioli in a baking dish. I pour half of the sauce over the pasta, and then I put about a cup of chicken broth in the jar and shake it up. I pour the remaining sauce over the frozen pasta. I cover it with shredded cheese and bake it till it's bubbly.

[mommaduck]

I've worked up a menu that suits our needs, can be cooked all in one day (for the month), frozen, and tossed in the crockpot every day. Pinterest has great ideas.

[Delirium]

I was given Make-a-mix as a wedding present. It has a lot of shortcut mixes that make dinner easier.

[Mrs Mungo]

I hate cleaning the giant water pot for pasta. So instead, I put frozen stuffed ravioli in a baking dish. I pour half of the sauce over the pasta, and then I put about a cup of chicken broth in the jar and shake it up. I pour the remaining sauce over the frozen pasta. I cover it with shredded cheese and bake it till it's bubbly.

  

 

I like this idea!

 

We seem to live on pot roast for the winter. If you put it on really low, you can cook it for a long time--long enough to run to town to pick up kids.

 

 

 

I don't have a winter! But, I do still make pot roast about once a week, I love it.

 

 

I've worked up a menu that suits our needs, can be cooked all in one day (for the month), frozen, and tossed in the crockpot every day. Pinterest has great ideas.

That is a good idea too. How long does this generally take you on prep day? Does the family assist?

[helena]

Our busy season just started. My first shortcut was to buy pre-shredded or easy to add salad toppings. I have shredded red cabbage, carrot, cooked beets... stuff like that. If I get a salad in most nights, I feel like I'm doing okay. No matter what funky quick thing I've made for dinner. By the end of last school year I was cooking what I called themed goulash. Italian, "Chinese", American...  :lol: It got bad.

 

My easy dinner hits were:

Stew with baguette and salad

Gallo pinto using up old beans and rice

Brown rice in the rice cooker, steamed veggies, pan fried tofu (boring, but fast and healthy)

Doubling pot pie recipes so that it lasted for two days, makes everyone feel like they have a brick in their tummy for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Nice and filling!

When everything gets to be too much, good ol soup and sandwiches. I started looking up all kind of fun sandwiches. There's a lot of fun stuff you can collect like mustards and pickles... 

Potatoes, cabbage, chicken, garlic, onion, with Old Bay, salt and pepper. Not sure what it is, but the kids seem to love it. :) It's quick easy, and I always have those thing needing to be used up. Goes well with baguette and salad

(I cook everything vegan)

My best ideas are are my normal Mexican recipes cooked in bulk. Everything is good the next day for breakfast, and good enough in a tortilla with chili for dinner. 

 

I'm looking for fresh inspiration! I'll be listening in for sure.      :lurk5:

[helena]

I was given Make-a-mix as a wedding present. It has a lot of shortcut mixes that make dinner easier.

My library has this! Just put it on hold.

[Alte Veste Academy]

My dad just asked for my recipe for my go-to easy meal, crock pot shredded BBQ pork. One big ol' pork roast, one bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Stubbs original) dumped on top. Cook on low all day. I felt bad, like I should make it sound more impressive. :lol: I serve it with my favorite easy as pie coleslaw. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easy-tangy-coleslaw (I decrease the sugar quite a bit.)

 

With the extra pork, we have BBQ baked potatoes (like Jason's Deli) for dinner one night later in the week.

 

When we have tacos during the week, we have nachos for dinner within the next few days using the leftovers.

 

I make a roast chicken or chicken noodle soup (both very easy) and save back enough meat for chicken salad for lunch the next day or for chicken fried rice for dinner.

 

The other thing I do is keep a salad bar in the fridge. I have a tray that fits perfectly on one shelf, with stacks of different size containers. Two times a week, I buy and prep ingredients. Pull out the tray for lunches and at dinner and you've got an instant salad bar. Save back extra chicken/steak, boiled eggs and ham, etc. for dinner salads.

[ElizabethB]

Anything the children or my husband can make!

 

Basically, things so simple you don't need a recipe. Soup and sandwiches, spaghetti with salad, etc. My daughter actually can make some decent food and sometimes my husband will get fancy.

[Miss Peregrine]

This is probably "duh" to everyone else but the other day it dawned on me to make the next night's dinner in addition to that night's dinner during the day on a day when I wasn't going anywhere. Why did it take me 20 years to figure that out?

[Mrs Mungo]

 

My best ideas are are my normal Mexican recipes cooked in bulk. Everything is good the next day for breakfast, and good enough in a tortilla with chili for dinner. 

 

 

 

I make a *lot* of TexMex, lol!

 

 

My dad just asked for my recipe for my go-to easy meal, crock pot shredded BBQ pork. One big ol' pork roast, one bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Stubbs original) dumped on top. Cook on low all day. I felt bad, like I should make it sound more impressive. :lol: I serve it with my favorite easy as pie coleslaw. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easy-tangy-coleslaw (I decrease the sugar quite a bit.)

With the extra pork, we have BBQ baked potatoes (like Jason's Deli) for dinner one night later in the week.

When we have tacos during the week, we have nachos for dinner within the next few days using the leftovers.

I make a roast chicken or chicken noodle soup (both very easy) and save back enough meat for chicken salad for lunch the next day or for chicken fried rice for dinner.

The other thing I do is keep a salad bar in the fridge. I have a tray that fits perfectly on one shelf, with stacks of different size containers. Two times a week, I buy and prep ingredients. Pull out the tray for lunches and at dinner and you've got an instant salad bar. Save back extra chicken/steak, boiled eggs and ham, etc. for dinner salads.

 

 

I make BBQ pork/chicken in the crockpot quite a but too. Great ideas, thanks!

 

 

Anything the children or my husband can make!

Dh is often unavailable. One of girls is pretty good and has some recipes under her belt, but the other has a tendency to set things on fire. LOL

 

 

 

This is probably "duh" to everyone else but the other day it dawned on me to make the next night's dinner in addition to that night's dinner during the day on a day when I wasn't going anywhere. Why did it take me 20 years to figure that out?

No, that is a good point! Why not chop extra peppers, onions, celery or whatever while I am at it? Good idea!

[LaxMom]

I discovered that practically any pasta dish can be made "hamburger helper" style. I sautée the meat, onions, and garlic, dump in a lb of gf pasta, add 5 cups of liquid and let it cook. Add mix-ins at the end,

 

I do it with red sauce (jar of tomato sauce, water), stroganoff (use milk and water, stir in mushrooms and sour cream at the end), creamy scampi (pull the shrimp out and add back in at the end)...

[kewb]

During our crazy time. Which starts up in a few weeks I tend to make dinner for lunch. Then dinner is a grab and go meal. I try to keep the freezer stocked with cooked and portioned ground beef, beans, breakfast burritos, waffles, etc.

[Carolinagirl1]

I make roasted chicken legs (drumsticks). All I do is lay the drumsticks out in a roasting dish and coat them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (or a good rub if I have it) and roast them at 425F for 40 minutes.

 

For almost every meal, I steam vegetables in my steamer pot - it is a 3 part pot with a double boiler and a steamer basket that fits together. I take the double boiler out and just fill the bottom pot with water and put the vegetables in the steamer basket and steam them. We get the huge bags of vegetables from Costco - green beans, broccoli, mixed veggies, whatever. 

[giraffefamily]

:lurk5:

[freeindeed]

My crock pot is a lifesaver on Mondays since we have co-op. Here are a couple of my go-to recipes:

 

http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/2012/09/broccoli-cheddar-soup.html

http://therealmomreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/low-carb-roast-with-gravy.html

 

 

[Georgiana Daniels]

Loving the ideas! Because we need to be out the door by 3:45 most days, dinner is early and needs to be easy peasy. Last year I got super lazy and need to make a change this time around.

[mommaduck]

  

That is a good idea too. How long does this generally take you on prep day? Does the family assist?

 

This will be my first time doing it. I'm waiting for my oldest to get home from class so that I can take him with me to the store. I have to walk or ask my 90yr neighbour for a ride (I rode with her once, because she insists I don't walk that far in the heat, but her driving was a bit scary).

 

Planning and finding recipes is what about drove me nuts. We need gluten free + follow a liturgical cycle that makes us near vegans part of the year.

[mommaduck]

My crock pot is a lifesaver on Mondays since we have co-op. Here are a couple of my go-to recipes:

 

http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/2012/09/broccoli-cheddar-soup.html

http://therealmomreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/low-carb-roast-with-gravy.html

 

I can use that broccoli cheddar soup recipe! Thank you for sharing!

[Pink and Green Mom]

I'm experimenting with planned leftovers. I'm struggling to figure out how to cook for only three people. We all love lasagna, but I think I'll have a mutiny on my hands if we have it AGAIN tomorrow! I remember years ago, telling my kids, "Just go rummage through the fridge. It's hardly worth cooking for only 5 people!" Working on that... 

 

I've had success freezing individual portions of already cooked lasagna.  Just wrap it in plastic wrap before the aluminum foil - otherwise you'll be picking out tiny slivers of foil from your top layer.

[Pink and Green Mom]

My easy meal - baked chicken parmesan.

 

In a 13x9 baking dish, pour in a little olive oil with some chopped garlic (1-2 cloves) and 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.  On top of that, add 1 lb. of defrosted chicken tenderloins.  Top with 1 jar spaghetti/pasta sauce.  Top that with 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/8 c. grated parmesan.  On top of that, put a bag of croutons.  Top with another 4 oz. shredded mozzarella and 1/8 c. grated parmesan.  Bake at 350 until chicken is done.

 

The croutons absorb the sauce and stand in place of the (time consuming) egg wash, bread crumb mixture.

[RegularMom]

The other thing I do is keep a salad bar in the fridge. I have a tray that fits perfectly on one shelf, with stacks of different size containers. Two times a week, I buy and prep ingredients. Pull out the tray for lunches and at dinner and you've got an instant salad bar. Save back extra chicken/steak, boiled eggs and ham, etc. for dinner salads.

 

Oooh, what a great idea! Any chance you'd be willing to post a picture of this set up? :)

[melbotoast]

The other thing I do is keep a salad bar in the fridge. I have a tray that fits perfectly on one shelf, with stacks of different size containers. Two times a week, I buy and prep ingredients. Pull out the tray for lunches and at dinner and you've got an instant salad bar. Save back extra chicken/steak, boiled eggs and ham, etc. for dinner salads.

I love this idea! What kind of containers do use?

[lynn]

One of our favorite cold weather crock pot meals is a mexican style  dish

 

boneless skinless chicken

taco seasoning prepared as directions

jar of salsa

put into crock pot 6-8 hours

I add a can of drained and rinsed black beans and frozen corn if I have it about 30 min before serving

 

This can be served alone,  over rice or with tortillas with cheese and sour cream on the side

 

 

[Susan in TN]

I make and freeze a lot of meals, or partial meals. They are not gourmet.

 

Soup - we have homemade soup once a week with bread. I usually serve with some kind of "mix-in". Our favorites are tomato basil (w/ shredded cheese and sour cream), Kansas City Steak (I use leftover pot roast) (w/ sour cream), lemon chicken tarragon soup, and cream of broccoli (w/shredded cheese).

 

Chili - serve with sour cream, cheese, and corn chips.

 

I generally make triple or quadruple batches and freeze in 8C containers.

 

Pulled pork sandwiches - I cook 1 or 2 pork shoulder roasts, usually all day in the slow cooker, shred, and add bottled BBQ sauce. I freeze in meal-sized portions in ziplocks.

 

Baked chicken quarters - either pre-seasoned (these go on sale regularly for .99/lb) or seasoned with various herbs and spices.

 

Polish kielbasa and rice - I set up my rice cooker on the timer and put the kielbasa in the steaming insert. Or sometimes I'll bake the sausage and put vegetables in the steamer.

[FaithManor]

I was told this morning by the physical therapist that I am not to be on my feet cooking, no sweeping, no mopping, and only short bursts of laundry or dusting where I don't stand for more than 5 minutes in an hour because the edema won't go down and stay down for more than a day.

 

So, I am thinking about this because dh needs to work, and my cooking/chef boy is the one with the shattered femur. I think that I'm going to crockpot a huge number of chicken breasts and then I'll shred and do some in taco sauce, some for soup, some with barbecue sauce, and some in teriyaki. Freeze and then teach the 15 year old boy how to cook rice. I will have to keep mostly salad fixings and fresh fruit to keep things simple. I'm going to splurge for several roasts. I'll put two in the crock pot and shred for beef sandwiches, the others will be roasted with baby carrots, fingerling potatoes, and onions...the boys can manage that.

 

It's going to be boring for lack of variety. But, I can't stand with them to teach the ins and outs of cooking fish, shrimp, scallops, chinese food, cheese based dishes, etc. One boy has mastered homemade spaghetti with the tomatoes my mom has canned so far. He will make a huge ot each week and that will make good lunches. Boiled eggs, oh and I'm going to pay the extra for turkey breasts to roast because the boys like turkey sandwiches and turkey on their salads and since we'll eat a lot of salad, I need to keep a varety of toppings.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Oooh, what a great idea! Any chance you'd be willing to post a picture of this set up? :)

I love this idea! What kind of containers do use?

 

Well, today is clean the system day. I am going grocery shopping this afternoon. Just disregard the water spots.  :lol: The containers are TellFresh from The Container Store. I found a tray that fit my shelf at Target, just measured and searched. Then I took the tray to TCS and played with the containers to find the perfect combo. I have a huge TellFresh for my lettuce. I took the containers off to show how much storage you get with efficient stacking. :D

 

*Objects larger than they appear in pictures. LOL Can't figure out how to get them bigger without them being refused for being too big. To give you a better idea, the large lettuce container is 10.5x14x5.5.

 

[mommaduck]

I have two more things I have to buy before starting. I need to go to the Mexican store and Walmart for Polenta and Chicken Apple Sausage. I have my phone charging for pictures and I'll have my laptop in the kitchen. AKA, I will be keeping record of this event.

[ScoutTN]

I need some inspiration with lamb this year. Dd got half her lamb back from the 4-H auction, plus the one we had already planned to butcher, along with the (at least) half that was still in the freezer. I love lamb chops, and we had good ribs the other day, and I make good lamb stew and we all LOVE leg of lamb with the leftovers made into curry. But, I need some other ideas.

We love lamb too!

I make lamb burgers with half and half ground beef and ground lamb. Add some lemon zest and oregano and parsley. Top with feta if you want cheese burgers. Serve with Greek salad and tzatzkiki (sp?) sauce. We give the kids homemade puta chips and hummus to add carbs.

 

I make ratatouille to go with roast lamb. If I am using leftover roast, I sometimes make it into "hash"

with rice or potatoes to stretch it and add a carb.

 

Shepherd's pie made with lamb, either ground or finely chopped leftover roast is yummy too and nice in the winter. I make extra of this and freeze it in aluminum pie plates for pot pie.

[zoobie]

Use a stand mixer to make large batches of meatballs (or meatloaf). Then use a scooper to scoop out the balls onto a tray, freeze, and portion into ziplocs. Last night I made a triple batch of Asian turkey meatballs. One for dinner, two for the freezer. The frozen balls can go right into the oven or into sauce (I do them in the crockpot). Lots of variety in meatballs.

 

Make two large meat loaves. Freeze one. Cook the other and serve half for dinner that night and half (or 60-40 split) for sandwiches another night.

 

Throw a big roast in the crockpot. Dinner as roast one night, turn it into burritos or sandwiches or baked potato toppings another. Works with beef or pork. I will often do a plain salt and pepper seasoning to cook the pork roast, then remove half. Season the remaining with a splash of vinegar and my BBQ rub and let it cook 30 more minutes. The other half gets Tex-Mex-ed for later.

 

If I make macaroni and cheese, I make a double batch and freeze half. Same with lasagna.

 

The ravioli lasagna PP mentioned is great. We love it with the chicken florentine (I think florentine?) ravioli from Costco. It works with tortellini too (fresh or frozen, not dried). You can throw in some thawed and squeezed out spinach too.

 

Basically, if I'm cooking one meal, I try to make the effort count for at least two. When I was prepping dinner last night, I made salsa for tonight because I was already chopping onions and cilantro. I'll prep the rest of our salad veggies and dressing when I get a chance this afternoon after the babies' nap. Set the rice cooker on delay. Throw a can of rinsed beans (all out of cooked frozen beans) in there when it's done and let them steam while I'm finishing the salad, then mix in salsa and lime and the burrito filling is ready to go.

[ScoutTN]

I start off my busy seasons by making lots of stock. Chx and beef.

Sometimes fish stock, though it is stinky to make.Whole foods here will give me fish heads and bones if I call ahead.

 

Got a large bag of beef bones from a local farmer last week for free! Beef stock coming up!

I freeze some of it in ice cube trays and some in 1/2 cup sized ramekins, the rest 2 c or. 4 c amounts.

[kwickimom]

Currently making a couple of these a week for the freezer. 

 

http://onceamonthmeals.com/101-freezable-slow-cooker-recipes/

[RegularMom]

Well, today is clean the system day. I am going grocery shopping this afternoon. Just disregard the water spots.  :lol: The containers are TellFresh from The Container Store. I found a tray that fit my shelf at Target, just measured and searched. Then I took the tray to TCS and played with the containers to find the perfect combo. I have a huge TellFresh for my lettuce. I took the containers off to show how much storage you get with efficient stacking. :D

 

*Objects larger than they appear in pictures. LOL Can't figure out how to get them bigger without them being refused for being too big. 

 

I'm seriously going to try this. We like salad with most meals, but I don't always have the time to make one. 

 

We are going to be busier than usual this year, with lots more driving (ugh), so I'm going to need all the good tips in here to keep us properly fed. :)

[Baseball mom]

Awesome thread. Thank you. I need some ideas.

 

I fix crock pot BBQ by putting the a pork butt in crock pot and pouring a can soda over it & cook on low 8-10 hours.

 

Use this BBQ for sandwiches, BBQ nachos and BBQ salad (put BBQ on salad).  I freeze the BBQ in meal size portions for nights we need a quick meal.

[Momof3littles]

Dh grills a ton of chicken breasts, and then we slice, flash freeze on a tray, and put into containers.  It doesn't get that much of a weird taste when reheated like chicken sometimes does. Easy to throw over salad greens and call it a meal, an easy start to a cobb salad, or simple to turn into burritos, quesadillas, wraps.

 

A staple here every 1-2 weeks is a bunch of boneless thighs in the dutch oven with a jar or two of kalamata olives (with brine), greens like spinach or kale, some capers if I have them, a container or two of grape tomatoes or chunks of a regular tomato, sometimes some slices of lemon.  Cook until the chicken is done.  Easy.  I sometimes add in reheated frozen or fresh green beans, feta, all kind of adaptations.

 

Brined turkey breast in the crockpot

 

Stock and soup

Chili

 

Meatballs.  We have a local place that does different variations of sausage like turkey, ginger, scallion or chicken with lemon and rosemary, so that makes it really easy to vary the meatballs.  I sometimes make tiny ones to throw into stock with some greens.

 

Meatloaf

 

Sausage (like the ginger scallion version mentioned above) over some broccoli slaw, shredded cabbage, or cole slaw mix if I'm really lazy and looking for something really easy. 

 

Burgers

 

"Joe's special" -if you google there are lots of variations

 

Like you, I also precook ground beef and freeze as a quick starter for taco salad, chili, etc.

 

A dozen or more of hardboiled eggs for breakfast or for over salad at lunch or dinner (we all like cobb salads a lot) once a week

[Another Lynn]

I hate cleaning the giant water pot for pasta. So instead, I put frozen stuffed ravioli in a baking dish. I pour half of the sauce over the pasta, and then I put about a cup of chicken broth in the jar and shake it up. I pour the remaining sauce over the frozen pasta. I cover it with shredded cheese and bake it till it's bubbly.

 

Do you have an estimate on how long it takes to cook?

 

Thks!

[umsami]

I need some inspiration with lamb this year. Dd got half her lamb back from the 4-H auction, plus the one we had already planned to butcher, along with the (at least) half that was still in the freezer. I love lamb chops, and we had good ribs the other day, and I make good lamb stew and we all LOVE leg of lamb with the leftovers made into curry. But, I need some other ideas. 

 

Make pastito or macarona béchamel as they call it in Egypt.

 

It's kind of like Greek/Egyptian lasagna made with ground lamb (or beef).  http://greek.food.com/recipe/pastitso-428114

 

 

DH also likes what I call lamb and beans.  Basically, you cook a big pot of white beans using lamb shanks.   I do something like this, but no wine.   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/braised-lamb-shanks-with-white-beans.html

[whitestavern]

I haven't much time and I hope to come back later to post some actual recipes, but one thing I'm trying is 1) cooking ahead a bit on weekends when I might have some extra time, and 2) cooking two of some of the dishes that I make and freezing them.  We have chickens so every time I make a quiche, I make two quiches and free one.  Same with stews, pot pies, etc.  I did come up with a bunch of quick and easy meals though, so as I said, I'll try to get back to this thread with some of those :)