In this stage of life, having quick dinners isn't just a nice idea, it's a necessity. We are in and out of Survival Mode with half our kids in school and half still at home and little. Last week, Shea guest posted about the morning "marathon hour", and I think the dinner hour can also be a marathon hour. About 4:30 every day, I start REACHING MY LIMIT! Add that to my lack of kitchen "ease" and I NEED dinner prep to be quick and painless.
Here are some of my favorite meals that takes 20 minutes or less to prepare:
Homestyle Meatballs
This is a family favorite and so easy. I buy a bag of frozen meatballs (either Beef or Homestyle work best) and empty them in a 13 x 9 Pyrex pan.
I mix together the following things in a separate bowl: 1 1/2 cups of ketchup, 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of onion powder, 3 tablespoons of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk it all together and pour over the meatballs. Roll them around in the sauce a little bit and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until heated throughout.
We typically serve Mac N Cheese and a steam in bag frozen veggies.
**For a fancier version, you can always make your meatballs and shells and cheese from scratch.
Breakfast
Breakfast for Dinner is something I grew up with and an easy tradition we've carried on in our own home now. There are a lot of different ways you can go with this.
For a REALLY quick dinner, we do cereal and yogurt and fruit.
But, it really doesn't take very much time to whip up something heartier. My favorite way to cook bacon is on a foil lined pan in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes. While that is cooking, you have plenty of time to scramble some eggs and toast some bread in the toaster.
Another quick idea is to scramble eggs and breakfast sausage and toss them in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito. Freeze leftovers for Breakfast.
Carrie's Chicken
First of all, the crock pot has to be one of my favorite inventions of all time. It's the best time saver!!
I've talked about this recipe a lot. How even my picky eaters will eat it. If you havn't tried it yet, you should, you won't be disappointed! You can find the full recipe here: Carrie's Chicken Recipe.
Tortellini
In the frozen section at the grocery store, you can find several different kinds of Tortellini. I like to buy the cheese filled kind, but for this recipe you can choose any kind you like. Cook the pasta per the package directions, drain and empty into a Pyrex baking pan.If your pasta doesn't have meat in it, you can brown some breakfast sausage and pour it over the pasta. Mix together 1 jar of spaghetti sauce and 1 jar of Alfredo sauce and pour over the pasta. Cover the top with Shredded mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 until the cheese in bubbly hot.
These four recipes are quick and easy and TASTY. Let me know if you try them how they work for your family!!
Today, the ladies in the Babywise Friendly Blog Network are sharing their favorite dinner tricks and ideas. Be sure and check them all out!
Chronicles of a Babywise Mom - "Favorite Fall Recipes"
The Journey of Parenthood - "5 Reasons I Love the Crock Pot"
Mamas Organized Chaos - "Quick Dinner Ideas: Gluten, Dairy, Egg, and Soy Free"
Team Cartwright - "Easy Dinner Staples To Keep On Hand (And How To Use Them)
Twinning Babywise - "How To Make Any Dinner A Quick One"
Looking for meal ideas to feed a crowd?? You can find 6 great ideas here:
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