Dinners for people that hate cooking and don't have time to do it

[Anonymous]

I have a 1 and almost 3 year old, work, and in normal times DH is gone for dinners during the week. So typically I make the kids something super easy (pasta, frozen meatballs, frozen veggies, fruit, etc) and a sandwich for myself for dinners (I could happily live off of sandwiches)

Now DH is home and the kids are getting older and we should probably start having actual dinners, even after all of his is over. But I HATE cooking and don't have time to do it.

If you're similar - how does dinner get on the table every night? What do you eat? How often do you do takeout and have you found a way to do it healthfully?

[Anonymous]

Spaghetti or any pasta with Rao’s sauce. Salad.

[Anonymous]

DH and I take turns.

[Anonymous]

“ The kids are getting older “ lol they’re 1 and 3...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ The kids are getting older “ lol they’re 1 and 3...

Right - so still young but at some point soonish (by the time the 1yo is 2 and doesn't go to bed quite so early) we will ideally be eating at the same time at a table and have a dinner together vs them eating on their own and me having a sandwich later.

[Anonymous]

Soups are healthy, easy, and take minimal dishes to make, usually.

[Anonymous]

In the time it takes to make pasta, I also make meatsauce on the burner right next to it.

[Anonymous]

DD is 7 and I still make her pasta or tofu regardless of what we're eating. I'm not interested in the fight.

But for me and DH, we cook a bunch of chicken in the Instant Pot, either plain or with sauce, and freeze it. The evening of, one of us cuts up fresh broccoli and steams it, then serve with heated chicken. We eat this a lot.

Sometimes we mix it up with quick rice or soup.

[Anonymous]

I despise cooking yet do it every night. I look for easy meals. You get used to it. It still 100 percent sucks but sometimes you have to do things you do not enjoy. For me, meal planning was key. Otherwise thinking about what to make was mentally exhausting. Planning also sucks, but it makes the rest of the week go better.

For younger kids, crockpot meals work, because they are hungry so early it is hard to get a meal ready in time.

[Anonymous]

Does DH like to cook? There are hundreds of threads and resources for quick, family-friendly meals. Take out should usually be a treat. Meal kits aren't usually quick, although they reduce planning and shopping time, of course. Grilling, bag salads, and frozen sides or veggies require minimal time and prep.

[Anonymous]

crockpot recipes are the best. Throw some stuff in the crockpot and it does the work for you.

[Anonymous]

Quesadillas with just cheese, side of refried beans, sliced avacados with fresh lime or lemon juice and salt/pepper, salad

[Anonymous]

Sheet pan suppers.

Crockpot.

[Anonymous]

We often make kids’ food and make an adult version ornament it. Tortillas are your friend. Quesadillas like the PP said. Cook some fish sticks or frozen fish fillets, put in a tortilla with cilantro, shredded cabbage, green onion and squeeze of lime. Fish tacos. Hot dog fried rice. Slice up hot dogs and fry up with scrambled egg and frozen TJ brown rice, throw in peas and soy sauce, chicken broth if you have it. Pasta with meat sauce and jarred tomato sauce. Plain with just Parmesan for kids if they’re picky, meat sauce for adults.

[Anonymous]

Be aware of other posts where people complain their kids only eat chicken nuggets and fish sticks. Those are fine on occasion but not in place of real food. Your kids are still young. We have rotisserie chicken once a week, raw veggies for DD bagged salad for me. Salmon marinated in pesto then cooked under the broiler, takes about 10-12 mins to cook. Black bean nachos, also under the broiler, they take 2-3 mins. We both have avacado smushed up and tomatoes with that. Spaghetti with whatever sauce you all like. Breakfast for dinner... DD is 7 and eats raw veggies with most meals. Avacado, Carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, spinach etc.