“What’s for dinner?” Ah, the dreaded question! Growing up in a house where meal planning was more of a spur of the moment decision, I came into adulthood with the same habits. If that works for you and your family, I’m not knocking it. It was easier to do when my family only consisted of my husband and me. However, as our family began to grow, I realized (with the help of my much more methodical husband) that I needed a PLAN!
Now, don’t roll your eyes just yet, type-B moms! Meal planning doesn’t have to boring and it needs to fit your personality. I just can’t commit to a meal for each day. If I plan on Sunday, who says I’ll be in the mood for chili on Thursday? My planning allows for a little more spontaneity. So when I go grocery shopping (that day changes too), I simply get what I need for at least 6 days. That way, I know I have at least 6 options in my refrigerator/freezer and pantry.
Ever since I birthed our first child, I found that the whole “cooking dinner” thing is VERY complicated with children around.
It seems to never fail that at least one (usually more) of our children is having some kind of issue at 5 PM. “I can’t find my ______!” “She took my ______!” “The baby took off her diaper and peed on the ______!” This isn’t just my house right?
SLOW COOKER TO THE RESCUE!
I have recently fallen in major love with my CrockPot. (I know, I’m super duper late to the party, as most of you have moved on to the InstaPot, but I’ll get there!) I just love that I can throw a bunch of ingredients in the slow cooker at 8 or 9 AM, while there’s relatively less chaos, and by 5 PM, I know at least the main dish is ready! Now, I don’t use it everyday, but I’m going to share my favorite quick and easy dinners to help you have some more peaceful evenings now that school is back in session!
Use your Sunday wisely.
Preparation is half the battle, in most things in life, really. Being prepared helps me to eat healthier, more economically and creates more calm in my life (what mom doesn’t need that?!). So, here are some things I try to do before the week begins:
- Make a big pot (usually 4 cups for my family) of brown rice and store in quart-sized freezer bags
- Brown 2-3 lbs of ground chicken or turkey or beef (your family’s preference) and freeze each pound separately
- Make sure I have various cut/sliced frozen veggies
- Bake about 8 large sweet potatoes (a family favorite)
Next, I’m going to give you what a typical week might look like for me after that. These recipes are super simple and you can dress them up and flavor them to your family’s tastes. I try to include a good amount of protein with every meal to keep our blood sugars stable and to keep us fuller longer!
Monday: Eggroll in a Bowl over brown rice. This is a delicious, simple dish and full of healthy ingredients. I like to sub coconut aminos for the soy sauce. Since the ground meat is already browned in the freezer and the rice is already made, all that needs to be done is slice the veggies (unless you already did that on Sunday too!) and sautée it altogether. This is a winner with my whole family.
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday! Our girls are so sad if we don’t have tacos on Tuesday and I get bored if we always do them the same way. You could use your ground meat in the freezer, but my favorite way is Mexican chicken in the crockpot. Here’s what you need:
- 4 frozen (or fresh) chicken breasts
- 1 jar of your favorite salsa (or homemade if you prefer)
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning (store-bought is fine but I like this recipe)
- 1 cup water (add more if it starts to look too dry)
That’s it. Cook on low 6-8 hours and then you have some perfect chicken for tacos, hard or soft, or even in Romaine lettuce (or on top of salad) for a yummy low-carb option!
Wednesday: Sweet Potatoes with leftover Mexican chicken OR cottage cheese/Greek yogurt. Ok, bear with me, but this is so delicious and nutritious! Just heat up those sweet potatoes that are waiting in the fridge (or eat them cold like I do), and add a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt on top. Then sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon and Pink Himalayan salt and a few pecans for a garnish. Have a nice green salad or veggie on the side. If you like sweet potatoes, you will love this!
Thursday: Slow Cooker Chicken Soup. This recipe is so simple yet so kid-pleasing, it makes me do a mental happy dance! Put the following in the slow cooker in the morning:
- 3-4 frozen (or fresh) chicken breasts
- 1 32 oz carton chicken broth (or homemade bone broth is even better!)
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (if your children don’t freak over green veggies)
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup sliced carrots
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- 2 tsp pink Himalayan salt (or table salt if you prefer)
- 2 tsp (or more to taste) black pepper
Cook on high 6-8 hours (or low for fresh chicken). When finished, shred the chicken and add (cooked) brown rice OR noodles if you like. This makes great leftovers for lunches too!
Friday: Chili Day. In the morning put the following in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours:
- 1-2 lbs of the browned meat (depending on how meaty you like it)
- 2 cups diced onions and peppers (I use frozen when I need quick!)
- 1 cup diced raw sweet potatoes (You can omit, but I’m obsessed)
- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I look for no sugar added ones)
- 1 32 oz carton chicken broth
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup frozen organic corn
- 2 TBSP taco seasoning
- 1 TBSP smoked paprika
My kids like this over brown rice and garnished with cheese. I just like it in a bowl with a nice big salad on the side.
There, you have it! Some of my favorite easy dinners. What are your go-to easy meals?
