Give me your easy fast dinner ideas

[Anonymous]

Feeling in a dinner rut with my kids (2 & 5). Anyone have any easy dinner ideas (that don't involve much prep or skill) and that I won't feel frustrated when the kids don't eat hardly any of it.

[Anonymous]

Takeout?

But seriously, my go tos for quite picky 5yo are:
- tacos (beef hamburger meet, taco kit, tortilla chips)
- TJ chix nuggets with carrots/celery
- TJ fish sticks with carrots/celery
- TJ mini pizzas (just cheese, they are really small kid size)
- baked fish with veggies (white fish, veggies, spice and wrap in foil, bake in oven)
- kiddie shaped noodles with butter

[Anonymous]

Donburi. I make rice in the rice cooker, chop an onion, pull out thin-sliced beef or chicken and egg, saute in soy sauce, sake, and dashi, and in 10 minutes I have a meal (even faster than takeout). Both of my kiddos love salty food, though, so Japanese food tends to be their sweet spot!

[Anonymous]

Cheese tortellinni and pasta sauce; tune noodle casserole (except I don't bake it, just mix in shredded cheese at the end); crock-pot meals

[Anonymous]

Spinach quesidillas made with defrosted frozen spinach
Egg sandwiches / egg burritos
Beans, cheese and rice
Baked tofu or baked chickpeas. Kind of weird, but my kids love both. Neither takes much prep time, though you do need to have them in the oven for awhile.
Grilled cheese and soup

[Anonymous]

Tuna melts

[Anonymous]

Popcorn (actual popcorn, not microwave popcorn), cheese, apples, carrot sticks

Baked potatoes, soft-boiled eggs, clementines

Also noodles (cooked, I use whole wheat), add a bag of frozen peas, add a can of salmon or tuna

[Anonymous]

Scrambled egg burritos. Eggs and cheese in a tortilla

[Anonymous]

Cheese on a tortilla, celery + carrot sticks, fruit salad

Egg sandwich w/fruit and veggies

Oatmeal w/handful of nuts, carrot sticks or broccoli or cauliflower

Edamame, rotisserie chicken

Vegetarian (frozen) "chicken" tenders w/a side of some veggie

[Anonymous]

Scrambled eggs
Rotisserie chicken and roasted sweet potato "fries"
Quesadillas
Beans and rice
Orzo pasta with frozen veggies added
Baked fish fillets
Sauteed shrimp
Fried rice
Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
Quick-cook farro/barley/quinoa with veggies and cheese

I also make big batches of curry-based tomato sauce and freeze it, then reheat it with canned chickpeans. Ditto for pasta sauces, soups, chilis, etc.

[Anonymous]

This time of year, pancakes and bacon (or sausage) makes a fast and filling supper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Baked tofu or baked chickpeas. Kind of weird, but my kids love both. Neither takes much prep time, though you do need to have them in the oven for awhile.

How do you bake these? Temperature? Anything on then or just plain on a cookie sheet?

[Anonymous]

Chicken wraps--Take (fresh) chicken tenders or breasts, season generously with olive oil and salt and pepper, bake in toaster oven for 20 minutes at 425. Serve with tortillas, whatever veggies your kids like, guac, salsa, and shredded cheese. If no guac or salsa, use hummus or whatever you have on hand.

Use above chicken recipe, add pasta, frozen veggies, parm cheese.

Crockpot taco chicken--chicken breasts and/or thighs, put in crockpot with taco seasoning and tomato sauce, cook on low, shred chicken and eat tacos. I make enough meat for two meals, so either freeze the leftovers or have enchiladas, taco salad, or taco pizza later in the week.

Breakfast for dinner--bacon cooked on a sheet pan in the oven, scrambled eggs or french toast as well.

[Anonymous]

I often cook up some boneless, skinless chicken thighs on the weekend and use those to make a couple of dinners during the week. Last night, we had chicken pot pie. I just made a gravy out of butter, flour, and chicken broth, through in some mixed veggies and the shredded chicken and put a sheet of puff pasty on top and baked it for 30 mins.

Tonight, I'll use the rest of the chicken for tacos. Tomorrow, I'll put a beef and barley stew in the crock pot. Friday, we have pizza and a movie night.

[Anonymous]

Cook sausages (3-4) in a pan. After 5 or 6 minutes, toss in lots of broccoli. Cover with the lid. When the sausages are cooked through, slice into little sausage circles, then put back into the pan.

Boil water, make pasta (bowties are a win with my kids).
Toss pasta in with sausage & broccoli.

Can add "sprinkle cheese" or pasta sauce. Can also add garlic and olive oil, or make with spinach or broccoli rabe.