Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 09:58     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Return of the crockpot and Insta pot! There’s an investment opportunity…
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 09:38     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Take out food is gross. Just do some tray bakes (so simple) or grain bowls with some roasted veg. You can even buy precut or frozen veg. Pasta dishes are easy to throw veg and protein in as well. Fae healthier.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 09:28     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A crockpot is great for working families. Put everything in when you wake up, turn on low, and dinner is ready when you get home. My favorites are pork tenderloin and bbq sauce. Shred with forks and serve on hamburger buns. Add canned baked beans and deli coleslaw.

Beef pot roast is also good. Put potatoes, carrots, and onions on bottom of crockpot, add roast, top with salt, pepper, a packet of gravy mix, and a 1/2 c of water. It smells wonderful when you walk in the house after a long day.




Love the crockpot but my mornings are suuuper rushed - I’m trying to squeeze in a workout and an hour long commute. so no time even for that. Maybe literally just dumping in a pork chunk and some bbq sauce.


I sometimes buy precut or frozen veggies for the roast. Takes literally 2 minutes to dump it all in the crockpot. Occasionally, mix all the ingredients for chili, put it in the crockpot insert and store overnight in the fridge. I put the crockpot insert into the crockpot and turn on low when I get up. Never had an issue.


I do this too. This spiced lentil stew is a favorite. We serve it with grilled cheese.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/282532/slow-cooker-mediterranean-lentil-stew/
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 09:14     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:I work 12s, there is no way I’m messing with a crockpot in the morning at 0530. I’m also gone to long. I thought the crockpot was like either 3-4 hours or 7-8 hours? If you work 8.5 hours plus have a commute how do you cook in crockpot?
OP can you do a bit more prep work on weekend and have your son get something started while you’re on the way home?


Yeah my RTO day is 4:40-5:30 out of the house, I'm not getting up even earlier to mess with a crockpot. Plus that usually just covers the protein, it's hard to also include vegetables in a crockpot meal without turning them to mush.

There's a thread on Trader Joe's snacks that is giving me some inspiration. Especially in the summer when you don't want hot food as much.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 06:36     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:This isn’t takeout but in a similar situation I turn toTrader Joe’s. My sons and I do a rotation of:

dumplings + edamame
fried rice and orange chicken
lemon spatchcocked chicken, roasted broccoli and a take and bake baguette
Marinated beef with freezer rice and veg
salmon, broccoli, and baby potatoes
Then we do one night of leftovers or pizza with one of the bagged salads

Both boys can “cook” any of these things so whoever is home chooses what we’re eating and nobody complains.



Add their frozen gnocchi to this list. (It's "inside out" so the sauce and cheese are inside. But it's easy to cook and add any sauce).
It is so so so filling too. It always shocks me how small a portion is needed.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 06:35     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
I work 12s, there is no way I’m messing with a crockpot in the morning at 0530. I’m also gone to long. I thought the crockpot was like either 3-4 hours or 7-8 hours? If you work 8.5 hours plus have a commute how do you cook in crockpot?
OP can you do a bit more prep work on weekend and have your son get something started while you’re on the way home?
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 06:30     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Trader Joe's frozen lasagna is only $7 and pretty good. Add a bag salad or steam a bag of chopped broccoli.

Agree with rotisserie chicken recommendation too.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 05:17     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Also lots of good “dump two things in a crockpot” meals. If you truly don’t have 5 mins in the AM - do it on the weekend or overnight. Most crockpot meals do fine being reheated
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 05:16     Subject: Re:RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if budget is a concern, the best thing you can do is meal prep, look for easy crock pot meals (you can prep them the night before - we are all busy in the morning). Look for quick meals you can throw together. Make twice what you need and save half for the second night. Make meals over the weekend and freeze some.

Why buy takeout near work? That is going to be more expensive and cold by the time you get home - not to mention you have to carry it and the metro is going to be crowded. It is going to be miserable for the rest of us if folks all start bringing tons of food.




Make stuff on the weekend, lots of food with leftovers that can either be straight leftovers or repurposed during the week

Ie if roasting a chicken, it’s barely any addtl work to roast two… now you have “rostisserie chicken” to toss on top a salad, make tacos, sandwiches, add to pasta, etc.

I will make a tray of mac and cheese on Sunday and stick it in the fridge… just needs heating and some steamed broccoli.

And don’t forget the good old BFD… scrambled eggs, toast, fruit. We eat BFD probably once/wk and nobody complains, and I’m not 100% in office either (lots of sports practices)
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 23:19     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rao’s lasagna frozen section of grocery store


I stock up on these when they're on sale. I've had up to eight in my freezer at once.
Yes! Check out all of Rao’s products. Several are very delicious baked in the oven.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 23:15     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
I commute from Farragut and there’s really nothing affordable to pick up around there. We always have some Trader Joe’s frozen meals or the Costco ravioli or something like that for the nights I can’t bear to cook. Quesadillas are also great — I can fry up a bean and cheese quesadilla in less than 10 minutes. If your teen can start pasta water while you are on way home, there are a ton of healthy quick roping’s you can make on Less than 10 minutes.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 21:46     Subject: Re:RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Honestly, if budget is a concern, the best thing you can do is meal prep, look for easy crock pot meals (you can prep them the night before - we are all busy in the morning). Look for quick meals you can throw together. Make twice what you need and save half for the second night. Make meals over the weekend and freeze some.

Why buy takeout near work? That is going to be more expensive and cold by the time you get home - not to mention you have to carry it and the metro is going to be crowded. It is going to be miserable for the rest of us if folks all start bringing tons of food.


Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 19:38     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:Do you pass a Moby Dick House of Kabobs? I like their family platters - bread, rice and salad and an assortment of kabobs.


Yeah a family platter can be more economical than letting each person picking their own meal. We live near a Mexican place and when each of the 4 of us picks a meal it’s a lot more than when I say “I’m bringing home the family meal” and luckily, no complaints.

Also some places have day specials. Like Big Greek Cafe has $7 gyro Wednesdays.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 19:34     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Do you pass a Moby Dick House of Kabobs? I like their family platters - bread, rice and salad and an assortment of kabobs.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 19:23     Subject: RTO dinner Take-out hacks?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rao’s lasagna frozen section of grocery store


I stock up on these when they're on sale. I've had up to eight in my freezer at once.


Are they that good?


They’re good but I think it’s pricey when it’s not on sale.