Back-To-School: 95 Quick Weeknight Dinners

Today is our final day in our “Back-to-School” series!  I hope that you’ve found some good ideas to spur you on to cooking wholesome meals during the busy school year. 

We finish out our week of breakfasts, lunch, snack ideas & your favorite school year eats with weeknight dinners; you know – those nights when you have just a few minutes to eat and the drive-thru looks so much easier than your stove! 

Quick & Healthy Weeknight Dinners

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.  Meals that come together in minutes and with simple ingredients you already have on hand are a life saver during the dinner time rush. 

How we make it happen:

• Menu Planning 
  • Seriously – without a menu plan, we would be lost.  Planning a menu each week insures that I have all the ingredients on hand that I need, and also helps me plan meals appropriately. 
  • For example – Monday nights I teach a lab until 5:30.  By the time I get home I do not want to cook. I’m hungry and want to eat!  By planning in advance to either have leftovers ready or a meal in the crockpot, I avoid the unhealthy dinner options that tempt me. 
  • We don’t always make everything on our menu, nor do we always do it on the night we intended, but knowing I have ingredients in the house to make good meals for us is the only way I know how to get dinner on the table in a pinch.
• Plan ahead
  • If there are little things I can do ahead of time to chip away at dinnertime prep, I plan those out too. While I’ve had a to do list for dinner prep for a long time, I recently started sharing that with you each week in our menu plan.  This list helps me be intentional about meal preparation and saves me frustration & time. 
• Do some, but not a lot, of bulk cooking
  • I’m not a freezer cooker, but I do take advantage of making a few items that we have in our freezer at all times.  You will usually find: pizza or hot pockets, hamburger and hotdog buns, bread loaves, diced veggies, and cooked meat (e.g., diced chicken, ground beef/turkey).  By having some of these staples on hand, I know I can toss together a meal pretty quickly. 

 

Recipes for Success:

1.  Use the Crockpot 

The crockpot is an incredible invention.  My kitchen would not be the same without it.  Crockpot meals, in some instances, don’t look incredibly appealing, but they taste great!  Filling dinners, warm soups, breakfast options & even desserts can be made in the crockpot! 

Soups we recommend: Busy Day Soup, Crockpot Chicken & Barley Soup, Crockpot Chicken Spinach Soup, Crockpot Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup, Garden Minestrone, Crockpot Vegetable Beef Stew, Crockpot Chicken Chili, Crockpot Boeuf Bourguignon,

Dinners we recommend: Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce, Crockpot Ziti, Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu, Crockpot Chicken Parmesan, Crockpot Italian Turkey, Crockpot Lemon Herby Chicken Legs, Crockpot Broccoli Beef, Crockpot Philly Cheesesteaks or Chicken Cheesesteaks, Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches, Crockpot Chicken, Crockpot Chicken & Rice, Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes & Ham, Crockpot Maple Apple Pork Roast, Crockpot Autumn Pork,  Crockpot Swiss Steak, Crockpot Parmesan Chicken & Rice, Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki Legs, Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce, Crockpot {Healthier} Sloppy Joes, Crockpot Italian Turkey & Crockpot BBQ Pork.

Desserts we recommend: Crockpot Apple Cake, Crockpot Apple Pumpkin Cake, Crockpot Apple Cobbler & Crockpot Cherry Cobbler.

2. Make Dinner on the Stove, or Oven in 30-Minutes

Stove-top meals are quick and easy to prepare; they can be soups or main dishes.  Some require just a toast in the oven – enough time to melt the cheese.  But, choosing one of these meals for a busy night (especially if the veggies are diced and ready to go) allows you to feed your family very quickly!

Soups we recommend: Cheesy Chicken & Rice Soup,  Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup, Easy Lasagna Soup, Meatball Tortellini Soup, Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese, Zuppa Tuscana, & Veggie Cheese Soup. 

Dinners we recommend: Quick Spaghetti Sauce, No-Nut Pesto & Pasta, Mom’s Goulash, Ham & Garden Veggie Shells, Healthy Mac & Cheese, Honey Mustard Chicken & Pasta, Italian Sausage Spinach Penne, Mixed Veggies & Pasta, Penne with Broccoli & Turkey Sausage, Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese, Rigatoni with Stewed Vegetables, Spinach Chicken Pasta Skillet, Zucchini & Mushroom Pasta Skillet, Pizza Casserole, Cheesy Chicken & Ranch Casserole, Tortellini with Italian Sausage & Spinach, Mushroom Melt Skillet, Unstuffed Pepper Skillet, Cheesy Green Bean Skillet.

3. Make-Ahead Bakes

I mentioned earlier we don’t do a lot of freezer cooking, but we do make dinners at breakfast time and store them in the fridge just to be baked when the dinner hour rolls around.  Rice and pasta dishes do this exceptionally well.  And, better yet – you don’t even have to boil the pasta to assemble the dishes in the morning. 

We recommend: Spinach & Pasta Bake, Butternut Squash Pasta Bake, Three-Cheese Ziti, Broccoli Hotdish, Chicken & Brown Rice Bake, Mexican Chicken Hotdish, Sweet Potato Risotto, Wild Rice Hotdish, Cheesy Lasagna with Veggies. 

4. Freezer-Friendly Make-Ahead Meals or Sides

We do have a few freezer items on hand at all times.  These are simple to prepare, store well and allow you to complete a meal very quickly.  Bread/bread sticks for soup night, buns for quick sandwiches or to serve with a crockpot meal, and even DIY hot pockets to serve with a salad help dinners come together.   

We recommend: Broccoli & Ham Pockets, Calzones, Olive Garden Breadsticks, Pizza Pockets, Stuffed Pretzels, Twice Baked Potatoes, Twice Baked Potato Casserole, No-Knead Focaccia Bread, DIY Crescent Rolls, Hamburger Buns, Hotdog Buns, Pizza Dough.

5. Build-Your-Own Meals

An easy dinner is one we call build-your-own!  Make a base – like pasta, grilled chicken or potatoes.  Then, let your family top their own baked potato, make their own pasta or stuff their own taco.  If it’s nice out – let them top their own pizzas and grill them (with frozen pizza dough you can have dinner in 15 minutes!).  Easy toppings include stir-fried veggies, beans, diced tomatoes, sautéed bell peppers, frozen veggies (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower), corn, cheese, spinach & more!

Preparing the base takes 10 minutes – cook some chicken, brown ground turkey or beef, and you can prepare all the toppings too.  Then, save yourself the time by letting your family assemble the dish.  

We recommend: Crockpot Baked Potato Bar, Sandwiches with all the fixings, Taco Bar, Chicken Fajita or Steak Fajita Bar, Simple Chicken Wraps, Grilled Pizza, Build-your-own pasta with veggies & protein (e.g., grilled chicken, beans, cheese), or build-your own rice dish, quesadillas and open-faced sandwiches.   

6. Use Freezer Side Dishes

I know there are some folks out there against frozen veggies; I am not one of them.  Most good-quality vegetables are flash frozen at their peak and maintain more nutrients than the fresh produce sitting in your refrigerator.  Heck – you can even get organic frozen veggies for cheaper prices than fresh!

At all times, our freezer is full of a big bag of mixed veggies, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas and green beans.  Steaming these (which, is the best way to keep the nutrients!) takes minutes and can easily fill out a meal.  We also have easy side dish recipes you can browse to find some new family favorites.  

What do you do for those busy weeknight dinners? 

Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks so much for joining us for the Back-To-School Week at Finding Joy in My Kitchen!!  I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Friday Favorite Finds #125–Back to School Edition!

Welcome to our special edition of Friday Favorite Finds!  If you have been joining us this week, you’ll know we’ve been talking Grab & Go Breakfasts, Super Lunch-Box Lunches and Wholesome After-School Snacks to help us kick off the school year! 

Today, our Friday Favorites segment takes on a special theme – you are welcome to link up any recipe you love to make during the school year! 

I am hoping this will turn out to be a great resource of tried & true recipes that help make it possible to feed your family wholesome meals during the school year. 

You’ve seen most of my finds this week through our Back-To-School series, so I am going to share with you some great ideas from other bloggers:

1. Applesauce Fruit Blends – From Amy @ Family Feedbag
This is a superb idea!  Amy takes applesauce & blends it with fruits – like blueberry or strawberry.  A super easy way to add fruit to your family’s breakfast, lunch or snack. 

Source: familyfeedbag.blogspot.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

2. 5 Back to School Breakfasts – Laura @ Real Mom Kitchen
My friend Laura is sharing 5 easy back-to-school breakfast ideas that all include a good source of protein to start off the day. 

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

3. 39 Meals to Make in 30-Minutes or Less – From Mel @ Mel’s Kitchen Café 
Mel is brilliant.  In fact, I should have just asked her to guest post for my “dinner in minutes” segment tomorrow.  These ideas look so delicious and they are all ready in less than 30 minutes.  I don’t know about you, but I can definitely use that!

Source: melskitchencafe.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

4. The ABCs of Lunch Boxes – From Shaina @ Food for My Family
This is an adorable idea from Shaina, who organized lunch-box eats alphabetically for you to peruse!  Great ideas here, including some yummy recipe links. 

Source: foodformyfamily.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

5. Roasted Chickpeas – From Marly @ Namely Marly
This is a great after school snack idea!  Marley uses Southwest Chipotle seasoning on these, but that got me thinking about all the other good seasoning spices you could use to create a delicious (& protein-packed) after school munchie. 

Source: namelymarly.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

6. Back-To-School Lunches for Picky Eaters – From Katie @ Good Life Eats
Katie offers great suggestions for packing a balanced lunch and getting kids involved in the lunch making process.  Since we don’t pack kiddo lunches yet, this resource is one I’ve pinned for future reference! 

Source: simplebites.net via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

7. Make-Ahead School Lunches – From Jessica @ Life as Mom
Not only does Jessica share her tips for making lunches ahead of time (to save those oh so precious weekday minutes), but she has a whole crew of people who have shared their lunch ideas too through the Ultimate Recipe Swap.  Stop by – great ideas!

Source: lifeasmom.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

Now it’s your turn!

Just for today only, link up a list of your finds, OR share a link to your favorite recipes that help you feed your family during the school year.  These can be breakfast favorites, lunch box ideas, easy weeknight dinner recipes and fun snacks!  Just be sure to leave a link back here so others can join the party. 

Be sure to stop by tomorrow as well, we’re talking quick weeknight dinners!

Back-To-School: After School Snacks

I hope you’re enjoying and benefitting from our back-to-school week!  The conversation over on Facebook has been fun too. 

Tuesday, we talked Grab & Go Breakfasts.
Wednesday was what to pack for lunch!

Today, we’re focusing on After-School Snacks! 

The challenge with snacks is a real one – feeding your kiddos when they are hungry with a wholesome snack, that also leaves room for dinner!  There are lots of ways to accomplish this, it just takes some simple foresight & planning. 

How we make it happen:

• Create a snack basket/drawer
  • We have a snack drawer where we keep our snack items.  This drawer helps us know what kinds of good snack choices to make based on what’s available.  Snacks are parsed out into serving sizes too, which helps portion control & cut down on crumbs when the snacks are consumed. 
• Create a snack bin in the fridge
  • Similarly, we have a snack bin in the fridge with pre-cut fruits and veggies, yogurt, cheese and more. 
• Cook & prepare snacks with your kids on the weekend
  • Preparing healthy snacks takes a little time to do, but engage your family in the process.  You can make the snacks and have your kids help pack them.  Or, if the kids are old enough, have them help you make the snacks. 

 

Recipes for Success

1) Fruits & Veggies

Veggies and fruits are the best place to go for a snack because they are filled with vitamins and minerals.  The challenge can be, making them appealing!  Of course, you can do fresh fruits & veggies, or canned ones too, but here are some ideas to get you thinking outside the box when it comes to snacks. 

Try dried fruit paired with a whole grain (we love pretzels & dried cherries, craisins and granola, dried pineapple and wheat thins).  Serve applesauce with craisins & granola – tastes just like apple crisp! Or, broil some grapefruit.  Yum. 

Serve veggies pureed as a spread or dip.  Enjoy homemade pickles, or steamed veggies alongside a yummy dip.  How about a smoothie?  Or, berry sauce with granola over yogurt?  We also love chips – DIY apple chips, zucchini, kale and potato (or sweet potato) chips are always a hit.

We recommend: Fruit leather, Dried Fruit, Fruit Kabobs, Spinach Dip, Kale Chips, Green Bean Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Zucchini Chips, Crust-less Apple Pie, Cinnamon Apples, Broccomole Dip, Roasted Red Pepper Dip, Spinach Dip, Berry Parfait, Berry Smoothie, Spiced Country Applesauce & Zucchini Melts.  

2) Whole Grains

Whole grains are healthy & filling.  Swap the boxed variety with DIY options. 

We Recommend: Popcorn, DIY Cheese Crackers, Herbed Butter Crackers, DIY Wheat Thins, Soft Pretzels, Honey Whole Wheat Bagels with cream cheese, Pumpkin Spice Bagels, Granola, Chex Mix, Whole Wheat Crackers, Ranch Crackers, Whole Wheat Toast with Cottage Cheese, or Jelly (or a peanut butter if allergies are not an issue).

3) Proteins

Having protein after school is a great idea and can easily be added to snacks with whole grains and fruits.  Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and beans are easy ways to add protein without centering around meat. 

We recommend: Hardboiled Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Cheese & Crackers or Pretzels, Yogurt, Black Bean Dip, Broccomole Dip, Lightened Up Texas Caviar, Zucchini Carrot & Black Bean Quesadillas, Deviled Eggs &

4) Healthy “Sweets”

Surely, we all love a sweet snack – try a snack that bring in a hint of sweetness, without being a dessert like a whole wheat quick bread of muffin, granola bar or healthy cookies. 

We recommend: Trail Mix, Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars, Baked Apples, Soft-Baked Cherry Chocolate Oat Cookies, Apple Cinnamon Brown Rice Krispie Treats, Crunchy Granola Bars, Sugared Popcorn (or Honey Butter Popcorn – recipe soon!),

Continued: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, Raspberry Dark Chocolate Oat Bars, Berry Banana Muffins, Blueberry Cornmeal Cookies, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Orange Cranberry Muffins, Sweet Potato Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Bread, Oatmeal Cookie Muffins, Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins, & Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread.

4) Sweet Treats

Sometimes, you just want a sweet treat, more like a dessert.  These still have the potential to be healthy, and certainly are healthier than the store-purchased variety. Think cold treats, like popsicles & frozen yogurt.  Or, desserts that use fruits or veggies as their main ingredient – like a granola crisp, apple pockets or carrot bars.

 

You may also want to try a healthy cookie or dessert bar, for special occasions. 

We recommend: Orange Pineapple Sherbet, Raspberry Fro-Yo, Berry Fro-Yo (no machine required!), Vanilla pudding, Apple Cinnamon Spice Ice Cream, Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream, Black Bean Brownies, Healthy Oatmeal Cookies, Whole Wheat Pumpkin Gingersnaps, Apple Fruit Juice Cobbler, & Granola Crisp.

*      *     *

Be sure to join us tomorrow for a special edition of Friday Favorite Finds – where you will get a chance to link up your favorite recipes for the school year.  They can be lunch, breakfast, dinner or snack ideas – ones you have made, or one’s you have tried! 

Saturday, we’ll conclude the series with weeknight dinners in a pinch. 

What are your favorite after school snacks?

Back To School: Let’s Pack Lunch!

If you are just joining us, be sure to check out yesterday’s Grab-&-Go Breakfast ideas!  Today – we’re talking lunches.  

Packing a Wholesome Lunch

How we make it happen:

Lunches are most easily packed the night before – during dinner prep.  This saves precious time in the morning.  Each weekend, we also spend time preparing ingredients that will help us make lunches (e.g., pasta, rice, barely, steamed vegetables, bread, yogurt, etc). 

Tips for making lunches wholesome & healthy:

• Include a source of protein
  • Hard boiled eggs, cheese sticks, beans, cooked chicken/turkey/ham, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
• Pack veggies and fruits
  • Apples, carrots, berries, cherries, roasted tomatoes, dried fruits, peaches, grapefruit, bananas, kiwi, broccoli, sweet bell pepper slices, green beans, zucchini chips, apple chips, fruit leathers, pineapple rings, applesauce, berry sauce or rhubarb sauce, avocado, oranges, cauliflower, sweet potatoes
• Don’t forget the complex carbohydrates (i.e., whole grains).
  • Great bread or tortillas, homemade whole wheat crackers, whole wheat muffin, whole grain soft pretzel
• Include a healthy fat, and perhaps, a healthy treat.   
  • Dark chocolate! Trail Mix.  {more ideas coming tomorrow!}

 

Recipes for Success:

 

1) Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

If you are packing a sandwich for lunch, the bread can make or break the deal.  A good, whole grain bread is an excellent way to build a better sandwich. 

If you have enough loaf pans, bake 4-6 loaves at a time of your favorite bread recipe.  After cooling, freeze the loaves.   Take the loaf out of the freezer at least 4 hours before you plan to slice and make sandwiches.  For just the two of us, we cut the loaves in half and freeze them, this way you have really fresh bread at your finger tips each day. 

Simply changing up the bread is a terrific way to make a sandwich seem like a new lunch idea; try a flavored bread (e.g., carrot, sweet potato), a whole wheat English muffin, or a bagel.  Try a bun, apple bread with cream cheese or waffles with cream cheese and jelly.

We recommend: Famous Sandwich Bread, Wheat Buttermilk Bread, Honey Oat Bread, Tomato Basil Bread, Rustic Rye,  Savory Zucchini Bread, Carrot Bread, Sweet Potato Bread, Apple Bread, Honey Whole Wheat Bagels, English Muffins, 40-Minute Buns or Herby Hoagie Buns. 

2) Whole Wheat Tortillas

Is your family sick of bread?  Go with a tortilla.  These can easily be made up ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, and longer in the freezer. 

Slather on some PB&J, or create a roll-up using spinach, turkey and roasted red pepper spread!  Cream cheese and jelly or cinnamon also makes a nice wrap.  Shred veggies like carrots or zucchini and add those to the wrap.  Or, try a yummy veggie cream cheese. 

We recommend: Whole Wheat Tortillas {excellent with white whole wheat flour too}

3) Excellent Sandwich Fixings

Now that you have a good base bread or tortilla, the fillings you choose can add variety. 

Sure, PB&J or turkey with cheese may be a favorite, but branch out a little bit and try a few new options – we love a roasted veggie & cream cheese spread with chicken, or a grilled chicken wrap stuffed with spinach, tomatoes, & bell peppers.   

We recommend: Roasted Veggie Spread, Simple Chicken Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Spread, Egg Salad, Baked Vegetable Sandwiches, Simple Chicken Wraps & Apple Cheddar Sandwiches. 

4) Soup

Soup is a winter staple in our lunches.  Make up a pot of soup and freeze in single-serving containers. 

Place frozen in your lunch in the morning and it’s ready to microwave at lunch time.  If you don’t have access to a microwave, use a thermos to keep the soup warm.  Pair with whole grain crackers, Olive Garden breadsticks, whole wheat focaccia bread.

We recommend: Lucy’s Amazing Chili, Cheddar Chicken & Rice, Simple Minestrone, Crockpot Chicken Spinach Soup, Crockpot Italian Sausage Vegetable, 20-Minute Lasagna Soup, Minestrone with Spinach or Kale, Roasted Vegetable Minestrone, Zuppa Tuscana, Veggie Cheese Soup, Simple Sausage & Lentil Soup & Crockpot Kielbasa with White Beans. 

5) Rice or Barley Based Dish

These have recently become my favorite lunch! 

You can enjoy them warm or cold, so they are versatile dishes, and enable you to get your grains, protein and veggies all in one dish.  Customize to your family preferences.

We Recommend: Barley with Roasted Vegetables {recipe next week}, Broccoli with Black Beans and Rice, Garden Vegetable Risotto, Creamy Orzo Pasta, Barley & Asparagus Pilaf, Veggie Rice, & Wild Rice Pepper Salad.

6) Pasta Salads

Toss in frozen peas – they thaw slowly and will keep things cool.  Otherwise, use an ice pack to keep things chilly. 

We Recommend: Cucumber & Tomato Pasta, Caprese Pasta Salad {recipe coming soon!}, Macaroni Pasta Salad, Pasta & Zucchini,

7) Leftovers

Making extra for dinner is the easiest way to feed your crew for lunch, especially if they have a microwave.  When you are done with dinner, simply pack up leftovers in lunch containers.  We love leftovers & almost any meal you’ll find here on Finding Joy in My Kitchen will work to eat on day #2. 

We recommend: Lasagna – like our Roasted Vegetable, or Spinach Black Bean, Pasta Dishes – like Butternut Squash Pasta, Goulash, Italian Sausage Spinach Penne, Cheesy Ranch Chicken Casserole, & Pizza Casserole, Rice Bakes – like Brown Rice Bake, Chicken & Brown Rice Bake, Sweet Potato Risotto, Ham & Potato Casserole, & Pizza Pockets. 

We will talk more about lunch ideas on our healthy snacks day – as many of these ideas cross over with lunches. 

What are your school lunch ideas? 

Share your thoughts in the comments, or join the discussion over on our Facebook page!

New Series Coming Next Week: Back to School!

With the advent of another academic year, we’re kicking off a week long series on how to maintain that cooking from scratch during all the craziness that the school year brings. 

Even though I am thankfully no longer a student {13 years for K-12, 4 years in college and 5 years to get my PhD was enough}, I still get to experience the back to school schedule.  My time is now spent on the other side of the classroom, as a college professor, but I still face the same time crunch many of you do. 

This week, we’ll share ideas for:

• Grab & Go Wholesome Breakfasts
• Lunchbox-Friendly Lunches
• Dinner in Minutes – for those busy evening meals
• After School Snacks

I hope that on Friday, you’ll join us for a special edition of Friday Favorite Finds.  This week, I invite you to link up your favorite back-to-school recipes.  These can be either recipes you want to try this year, or your go-to recipes that you’d like to share with others. 

Will you join us?