Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were that age, I found “set it and forget it” meals worked better than “it comes together in only X minutes” ones. Because 9 times out of 10, the kids chose those specific minutes to melt down.

Roasted chicken, beef stew, pulled pork, baked potatoes, chicken tacos — anything that can be put whole into the oven or tossed into the crock pot earlier in the day.

100% agree. That and batch cooking.

I just saw pizza pockets and thought they were genius.

https://dancingthroughtherain.com/homemade-pizza-pockets/

Air fryer meals- get the Ninja- two different baskets. Do cod or salmon in one, veggies/tots/fries in the other. Rice in rice cooker.

I hate taco night. It is not easy. Pasta takes too long to boil but maybe there are better stovetops that boil water fast?

Charcuterie. Cereal. Smoothies plus veggie muffins from Target/RealFood. CHicken salad from Costco with crackers and veggies. Ham/turkey sandwiches. Cast iron burgers- use pre-formed good meat patties, season, 4 min each side. Slice in half for kids or make sliders.

I have a totally different approach (I'm a meal prep/big freezer batch/pasta person) BUT totally agree with the charcuterie idea. This is my favorite easy family dinner in the dead of summer when it's too hot to move and the thought of even putting on a burner is impossible. It's also super customizable. DH and I want the fancy cheeses and cured meats and interesting toppings, but the kids really just want cut fruit, cheddar cheese, and some kind of bread or cracker, maybe a dip or two. Often we can build a charcuterie spread out of what is in the fridge.

The ramen from Whole Foods. It's not as unhealthy as the typical instant ramen. We add broccoli and eggs.

Whole wheat couscous bowls - is broth instead of water for the couscous and throw a pan of thin cut broccoli or cauliflower or carrots or onions or all of these in the oven with some cherry tomatoes. Serve on top of couscous with a bunch of Parmesan or crumbled feta

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were that age, I found “set it and forget it” meals worked better than “it comes together in only X minutes” ones. Because 9 times out of 10, the kids chose those specific minutes to melt down.

Roasted chicken, beef stew, pulled pork, baked potatoes, chicken tacos — anything that can be put whole into the oven or tossed into the crock pot earlier in the day.

100% agree. That and batch cooking.

I just saw pizza pockets and thought they were genius.

https://dancingthroughtherain.com/homemade-pizza-pockets/

Air fryer meals- get the Ninja- two different baskets. Do cod or salmon in one, veggies/tots/fries in the other. Rice in rice cooker.

I hate taco night. It is not easy. Pasta takes too long to boil but maybe there are better stovetops that boil water fast?

Charcuterie. Cereal. Smoothies plus veggie muffins from Target/RealFood. CHicken salad from Costco with crackers and veggies. Ham/turkey sandwiches. Cast iron burgers- use pre-formed good meat patties, season, 4 min each side. Slice in half for kids or make sliders.

My shortcut chicken biryani. All you need is a tray of boneless, skinless chicken, ghee, rice, pre-fried onions, tomatoes, cilantro, mint, ginger-garlic paste. Use a packet of Pakistani biryani spices (Laziza is my fav brand) and cook meat according to directions. Reduce liquid in meat once cooked. Cook the rice fully in the microwave, with a generous helping of lemon juice in the water. Mix in cooked rice and the cooked curried protein. let it sit for a few minutes and spread it in on a platter. sprinkle some fried onions, raisins and cashews on top. It comes out amazing and in less than 30 minutes. Using thighs prevents the meat from getting tough if you overcook it. Using prefried onions and chicken instead of lamb helps to remove the grunt work out of the meat prep. The laziza spice is perfectly blended for biryani. Serve with a salad or raita.

I go through a lot of chili garlic paste. Mixed with soy sauce, a little rice wine vinegar, maybe peanut butter or honey and cooked/served with chicken, rice and vegetables.

Ravioli with frozen vegetables or roasted broccoli.

Boneless skinless chicken thighs in the oven, rice in the cooker and vegetables from the freezer or something easy from the crisper.

Box macaroni in the microwave with salad and chicken nuggets.

Chipotle-type bowls: Put out small serving bowls of some or all of the following: Black or pinto beans, heated refried beans, rice, crumbled tortilla chips, salsa, pico de gallo, chopped tomatoes, shredded Mexican cheese, guacamole, chopped lettuce, roasted Mexican corn (heated), chopped red onion. Everyone makes their own bowl.

- twice a week, the kids have some type of pasta with red sauce and a vegetable
- one of those days, the pasta is usually cheese tortellini
- smoked sausage and black beans with rice and a vegetable
- scrambled eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, fruit and whipped cream
- quesadillas with canned black beans and cheese (sometimes scrambled egg there too) with avocado and sour-cream-I-mean-Greek-yogurt

Quesadillas

Rotisserie chicken, then throw white or sweet potatoes in the oven and when there's 20 min left for the potatoes to be done, throw in a bag of broccoli florets tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder on a baking sheet. It's a very hands off dinner.

Red lentil soup (cook fastest). Dump them in with water, garlic, onion, olive oil. Add carrot and celery if you have the energy and serve with frozen garlic bread.

When my kids were that age, I found “set it and forget it” meals worked better than “it comes together in only X minutes” ones. Because 9 times out of 10, the kids chose those specific minutes to melt down.

Roasted chicken, beef stew, pulled pork, baked potatoes, chicken tacos — anything that can be put whole into the oven or tossed into the crock pot earlier in the day.

Rotisserie chicken, bread from bakery, vegetable of your choice or salad

Keep on hand frozen precooked chicken breasts/patties, precooked fish fillets, etc. You can also get a hunk of precooked and presliced ham. Add a vegetable from the freezer, a can of vegetable soup, bagged salad etc., and a starch (garlic toast, instant mashed potatoes, Hawaiian rolls, etc.)

I find the Knorr packets to be very helpful. Here are some combinations I like:
Cheddar broccoli rice with a can of chicken and a lot of frozen broccoli
Chicken or creamy chicken rice with can of chicken and can of drained mushrooms, served with vegetable on the side
Butter and herb pasta with a can of drained tuna, served with vegetable on side (I like sugar snap peas)

In the freezer section there are all sorts of precooked frozen meals that just need to be reheated on the stove (pasta, stir fries, fajitas, etc.)

Anonymous wrote:Tonight we’re having chicken noodle soup.
I use 2 Ramen packets but do 5 cups of water instead of 4. Then I’m adding rotisserie chicken leftovers, chopped carrots and chopped celery.
DD is having strawberries with hers that the neighbor brought over. It’s dinner in less than 10 mins.

The Whole Foods near me now sells matzo ball soup. When I have leftover chicken I buy the soup, cut up the chicken and dump them all in a pot. I clean the cutting board and knife while the soup is coming to a boil. Protein, starch, veg. Perfect!