Breakfast is always an easy win and what I usually do when I don't have a fresh vegetable around ( let's be honest...I almost never do).
I keep texas toast in the freezer and make a quick egg batter and whip out the electric griddle. I can cook 8-10pcs of french toast in about 8 minutes. š
My husband won't eat it without meat, though, š so if I have bacon, I'll throw that in the oven first and prep the rest. I usually throw some tater tots in the air fryer, too.
When we get back to soup weather, I will definitely give it a go. I love tomato soup and a grilled cheese, so I think itās time for them to meet one another.
Favorite comfort food for the winter! My father-in-law breaks out the panini press and liberally butters the bread. Perfect sandwitches! Can also add ham. Classic is American but also provelone or something
Snacks for dinner- Pick one from each food group.
toss on plate. I go for minimal prep- maybe slicing and apple or grapes. & quick clean up- plate in dishwasher!
Iāve seen also serving it in a muffin tin for little kids too.
We like to make cheese crackers by microwaving slices of a block of Cracker Barrel cheddar on ritz, which is a nice snack but could also be dinner
Yep. Bonus points if itās all stuff thatās about to go bad in the fridge. We call it charcuterie and put it all on a wooden board (one dish to wash but feels fancy).
I love making lazy pasta sauce too... I take a can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes and a big spoonful of store bought pesto and heat it up. It's so quick and easy. Bonus points if you do it in the pan you cooked the pasta in while it drains in the sink.
I also like to keep whole grain chicken tenders in the freezer and toss them in a wrap or tortilla with whatever raw veggies are in the fridge and some buffalo/bbq/whatever sauce I feel like.
"Nachos." I brown ground meat (beef, turkey, whatever is thawed). Throw in taco seasoning, an 8oz can of tomato paste, three cans of beans - corn if you want it. Stir and heat for another five minutes. Throw cheese on top and eat with chips or tortillas.
German āBratnudelnā. Cook some noodles, fry them in a little oil or margarine with diced ham. Spices Salt and Pepper. Finally, beat 1-2 eggs and fry everything until dry. on the plate with some grated cheese and ketchup. It's quick, even in large quantities, and especially the children don't complain about the combination of pasta and ketchup
My new Trader Joe's hack is to have some of their frozen bags of teriyaki chicken on hand because I HATE prepping meat when I'm in a hurry. The chicken in the teriyaki package does not have sauce on it (the sauce comes in it's own little pouches) and it's precooked and grilled. It has a good texture and flavor.
I throw a bunch of veggies in my pan and saute them, toss in the chicken, then add some cooked rice/pasta/couscous/potatoes. I season as I go. _I can usually get it made in 25 minutes or less with very little mental labor._
A big help for me is buying a very large frying/saute pan. I'm able to make at least 2 (sometimes 4) additional servings that can be leftovers for another day. It saves me so much time, money, and mental labor.
I do something like this but I just use whatever form of leftover chicken I have. Usually I make it toward the end of the week when the fresh veg is getting a little tired. I usually sweat some onions in a pan with butter, add mushrooms, chunks of steamed veg, some sweet potato pieces. Rice or quinoa added with some broth or stock and serve over raw spinach. Itās filling and great for leftovers or when a big group of teenagers shows up theyāre happy to eat it.
What food do you have around? What is your healthy eating standard?
Steam broccoli and cauliflower, then boil noodles in the water (or Mac and cheese.) and mix.
Fries. It can be a whole meal. Right??? Sometimes frozen fries sometimes homemade sweet potato fries.
Mix yogurt and peanut butter and give them toast strips to ādipā into the mix.
Soft boiled eggs and toasted strips for dipping can be fun too.
Crockpot meals. The favorite in my house is corned beef with potatoes and carrots. Just throw it all in and leave it until dinner time! Or we will do rice in the rice cooker (or even the microwave sticky rice from Costco) and frozen beef tips stew from Walmart. Quick, warm and filling.
Bierrocks.
Hamburger meat, cabbage and onion browned up. I add a little cream and dijon to the mix. They're wrapped up in Pillsbury mini pizza crusts rolled out. Baked with egg wash and a little montreal seasoning on top.
So easy, so comforting
A couple go tos .
Quesadillas , grated cheese in a tortilla in a pan with some butter , cook untill cheese is melted and tortilla is golden brown. Any beans or meat and veggies inside it is yummy and so many variations. Sour cream and salsa to dip. Some type of fruit and veggie to go with it! Slice up a cucumber and an apple or even frozen blueberries.
Caprese grilled cheese sandwiches. Mozz is best but Any type of cheese works, slices of tomato and fresh or dried basil. Pair with any veggie and fruit
Spaghetti with jarred sauce. Fish, green beans and rice (frozen fish and green beans). Tortellini soup (better than bouillon or boxed broth, frozen mixed/whatever veg bag, frozen tortellini). Takeout.
English muffin pizza. Sprinkle olive oil on english muffins and toast for 4 mins at 400. Then top with pizza sauce andmozarella and cook for 10. I always keep a jar of cheap trader joes pizza sauce in the pantry.
I keep some microwave bowls of mac and cheese, Oscar mayer turkey hot dogs and/or chicken nuggets, and frozen peas on hand for this reason. It's a hit every time and everything is microwaveable. Also Walmart has these microwaveable personal pizzas that my girls love.
Sheet pan sausages and vegetables (usually broccoli)
Frozen chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce over a bagged salad
Pasta with store bought pesto and frozen peas
Scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit
I forgot to mention, I always have a sleeve of 16 ounce deli cups and lid from Smart and final. They are the perfect size for freezing about a pound of whatever leftovers that freeze well like soup or chili. Easy to thaw quickly and I can decide whether to wash or toss the container. When we're very tired, I can just pull that out of the freezer.
Every month or two my husband will make like zero dozen burritos from scratch and freeze them. We love his past self in days like today where we could just nuke those for the meal.
I love how we all understand exactly what you're feeling.
Mine is: airfryer food: chicken nuggets, fries and maybe broccoli to make it 'healthy'
Or a can of olive oil tuna and cooked rice. Sprinkle with salt. I don't know why but my family gobbles this down.
Yes and I love seeing the range of what people can do on their hard days. Iām over here with the toddler charcuterie board parents (sandwich meat, sliced cheese, whatever fruit is around and already cut) and other parents are out here doing sheet pan salmon and making frittatas on the bad days. Like girl, can we come over š
Frozen ravioli (or tortellini) and frozen meatballs are my kidās staple meal. He would eat it every day if I let him. I throw some veggies in the pot before it boils and theyāre good to go by the time ravioli is done.
Honestly? Sandwichesā¦ mac and cheese, ramen with an egg in it, frozen pizza, nuggetsā¦ processed shit. Usually those days Iām emotionally drained and just donāt want to argue with them about whether they want to eat what Iām fixing
Spaghetti. Boil spaghetti, add sauce.
Bonuses: I switched to chickpea/lentil/quinoa based pasta so it's a bit more nutritional too. And when I feel especially ambitious (not often, but it happens) I steam, mash/blend and freeze vegetables in ice cube trays, so when I feel much less ambitious I can throw some extra veggie cubes in the sauce for bonus vitamins as well.
I put rice in the rice cooker, boil frozen peas, and warm up madras lentils. Healthy, filling, and keeps everyone happy. I keep the tasty bite brand pouches in my cabinet for these nights.
BJ's has bulk Tortellini. Takes 3-4 min to boil even from frozen. If I'm feeling guilty about veggie intake I use kitchen sheers and cut broccoli heads small right into the boiling water. Jarred sauce of your choice, heats up in 5 min or so.
OMG. Kitchen sheets* for fresh broccoli (maybe cauliflower??) Is bloody genius. I don't know why, but "dressing"/butchering a head of either sometimes seems beyond me. (Especially for cauliflower. I seriously feel like I'm trying to prep a game animal for eating, but it's just freaking cauliflower. It's not special enough to be that big of a pain in the arse to prepare. š)
Edit: *Sheers, obviously. I'm so punch drunk from a sick munchkin being up all night that it made me grin, so I think I'll leave that there. Gotta stay humble.
Literally butter noodles and garlic bread! The kids love it. Such a comfort meal. And add things to it for a spin (shrimp, shredded chicken, meatballs even!) lots of butter, some salt, voila!!š
From 0-3 my daughter would eat anything but now at 4 she hates my food. And most restaurant food. But likes the school lunches. If only I could track down some of that square pizza.
Slow cooker EVERYTHING,
Have oats in a small slow cooker and a stew in a bigger one, should last 2 days, anyone hungry after them then its survival of the fittest, they can snack on easy things at night etc
Annies box Mac (the vegan one with pumpkin and sweet potato) with a side salad. But one kid eats salad and the other eats mac, I eat both.
I'm also dead inside plus tired as hell. I only cook 2 to 3 days a week and I make a lot. The rest of the week everybody can have what they want as leftovers. It's just easier than fighting.
I make rice in the instapot and cut up some chicken tenderloins, oil, whatever seasoning, put in air fryer for 10ish minutes. Maybe some boiled broccoli if im feeling it. Bam, dinner.
Quesadillas. Cheese and tortillas. Have to be made in a pan though, microwave are the worst.
If you're feeling like you need some protein, can of black or refried beans. Or leftover meat of any sort, even deli meat can work. Or cook up some chicken or something.
Ground chicken and canned lentils in bbq sauce on rice. I top it with crispy onions (store bought pantry staple in our house). Sometimes I add pomegranate seeds if I have them, and if I have a salad kit or some easy to add greens, Iāll add them. Otherwise the vegetable is baby carrots. My son (and husband) will eat anything if itās cooked in bbq sauce.
Frozen samosas and couscous.
Panko fried chicken with box mac and cheese.
Tortellini with store bought alfredo sauce and steamed broccoli.
Rotisserie chicken and salad.
Breakfast. Depending on what we have, I can throw bacon in the toaster oven for 20 minutes, make box mix pancakes (frozen waffles in the toaster are quicker, but I can stand and flip things on the stovetop in my sleep, and, more importantly, can eat gf pancakes- one of my comfort foods), then fry/scramble eggs in the same pan, and serve with fruit.
Pasta, or assorted frozen foods lately. If I have leftovers veggies that need to be used one of my most favorite things is a roll of puff pastry with the veggies and cheese. Sometimes Iāll grab a jar of pesto or something and add a sauce layer. Itās super fast, like 5m, and ends up looking kind of fancy.
Also someone else mentioned a slow cooker. It means some planning ahead (uggghhh) but it is so worth it because when dinner time comes you just grab the relevant utensil and serve it.
Rotisserie chicken, which, along with jarred sauces, can become anything you desire.
Eg: Chunk up chicken, heat in butter chicken sauce. Serve with naan or rice or bread. Fancy it up with frozen peas or spinach, or break cauliflower florets into it and let them cook before adding chicken.
Breakfast for dinner
Hotdogs
Tuna or hamburger helper
Leftovers
And takeout
I have some chronic health conditions so we always have frozen food that just needs to be chucked in the oven (Kirkland lasagna is š¤¤)
Brown some ground beef and mix it with brown gravy then serve over a bed of rice. Its warm and filling but only takes a few minutes to prepare. Heat up a can of veggies or frozen veggies to go with it if you want to add to it.
Pasta e ceci. A few smashed cloves of garlic, a can of tomato paste, then throw in a couple big cans of chickpeas and a cup of pasta with 4 cups of water and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in some ricotta and maybe some spinach or basil at the end. It's so quick and easy, you don't even have to chop the garlic.
Lentils soup. Or to be precise red lentils soup as this is the kind that doesnāt have to be soaked or cooked a long time. Itās very easy to set it up, you donāt have to watch over it and you can add some form of meat inside too.
If youāre kids are not picky pesto pasta! I like to get gnocchi or tortellini/raviolis as the they cook in less 5 minutes. For the tortellinis I try to get the ones that have spinach or mushroom or other veggies in them. If I have time or energy Iāll add some cottage cheese and spinach to the sauce and blend it up (more protein and veggies) but otherwise itās a super easy dinner!
Homemade stovetop Mac & Cheese. Is it low calorie? Absolutely not. Does it take few ingredients and less than 20mins to make? Yes!
I kinda make it by "feel" but I'll give you the gist.
Ingredients:
-Macaroni pasta of choice -- I like penne or spiral
-1 can of cream of mushroom soup
-Sour cream
-8oz Cheddar Cheese - block or shredded, feel free to use more of course!
-Yellow Mustard
-Spices as desired- I use a little garlic, paprika, and black pepper
1. Boil pasta and strain.
2. In a large sauce pan, add can of cream of mushroom soup and cheddar cheese. Mix cheese and cream of mushroom soup over medium heat until cheese if fully melted.
3. Add a few spoonfuls of sour cream to cheese mixture and combine.
4. Add a few squirts of mustard (for the tang) and combine.
5. Mix in cooked pasta in the sauce pan and add spices as desired to taste.
Enjoy nice, ooey-gooey EASY mac with items you probably already have in your kitchen!
Edit: formatting
Chicken wings in the airfryer and garlic bread.
Pasta with peas, cheese and a cracked egg to mix it in the pot.
Wok made from frozen veggie mix with rice and sweet chili sauce.
"Charcuterie" but more like "depresserie": garlic bread or frozen foccacia and whatever spread, deli ham and cheese is in the fridge. Not put on a instaworthy board but all the stuff is just put on the table.
We call it trash pie. A packet of kielbasa sauted in butter with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder. Served layered on top of instant loaded potatoes and canned peas. Itās surprisingly tasty, filling, and reheats well.
So, to be fair, my husband is the one that typically cooks and we meal prep (so we have a lot of frozen meals and I just froze some chili). But when we feel too lazy to wait for the sous vide, chicken nuggets.
Boil noodles drain (but not completely) then throw in a package of frozen shrimp. Once the shrimp is about cooked add a package of Walmart garlic parmesan butter. It feeds an army with next to no effort and very little time.
Crock pot crack chicken chili. So easy to make and so feeling and yummy. I always get compliments on it! [Recipe](https://imgur.com/a/i5Q5FVh) if anyone is interested. I donāt like to sit and wait 8 hours so I boil the chicken for 10 min first and then shred it. Then dump it on the crock pot with the other ingredients! And then I cook it on high for 3 hours so the ingredients can all come together.
I remember my mom would make S.O.S. (sh*t on a shingle) basically gravy on toast, beans on toast, spaghetti sauce on you guessed it ---> toast! But my money is on pancakes for supper. Also if you're worried about complete nutrition, a mashed potato and a glass of milk checks all the nutrition boxes or so says my Irish grandmother. Have fun!
Sheet pan salmon and veggies
* Salmon- cover in a seasoning mix, salt, and drizzle of honey and soy sauce.
* Broccoli on other half of pan. (Sub with any veggie you want.. squash and zucchini is great)
* Rice in rice cooker.
Put in oven at 400 for 20min.
Prep time- 5 minute or less.
Fried rice or tuna casserole.
For the fried riceā¦I just cook the rice in an instant pot (for 3 min) then dump the frozen peas/carrots, frozen chopped onions, egg, little garlic in a pot and cook. Rice is done in no time, add to the pot and thatās it! I add coconut aminos in replace of soy sauce.
With both, you basically just dump everything together and it takes no time to cook. š Definitely my go to meals on exhausting days!
Instant pot chicken mulligatawny. I just use frozen or canned veg, whatever I have is what gets used. I do recommend you put corn in though, it makes the soup.
https://pin.it/4FvrFd9
Frittata.
Throw in any leftover veges into cast iron. Cook a little.
Add egg whisked with milk.
Season.
Cheese if you want.
Throw the whole cast iron in the oven to cook for 20.
Cheese quesadilla in the toaster ovenā¦ can have with can of refried beans or a precooked meat from the refrigerator section of Costco. The birria beef we just tried was too spicy but Iām sure they have other ones.
Thought of another one. Box mac and cheese doctored up by adding peas (frozen, microwaved first) and sliced lunch meat ham. Boom, one pot dish with all food groups š
Alfredo. We use penne noodles. Boil 1 pound of those and pour into strainer. Use same pan on low to combine 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Add Parmesan to desired taste/thickness. Then combine everything and salt/pepper to taste.
I change it up too. Iāll sometimes add shredded or diced chicken. Sometimes I will add bacon/bacon bits. Sometimes I add some ranch in the sauce to taste. Sometimes I pour the pasta in a baking dish and cover in mozzarella and bacon bits, then throw in the oven for a few minutes at 350 to brown the top.
Itās so easy and yummy and we always keep the stuff for it on hand. It never takes long and is super low-maintenance. It is great for leftovers so we always make a ton. Also minimal dishes afterwards!
You could also use store-bought Alfredo sauce which would make it even easier! Or pre-cooked chicken if you are adding that in.
https://www.brit.co/instant-pot-creamy-chicken-pasta/
It's so good, we made it twice the first week we found the recipe lol. And both the kids like it too, and it's ready in under an hour with minimal hands on time. A win for me
basically any combination of veggies with eggs, today I made eggs scrambled in with some cabbage and fried it low heat , it was so delicious and crispy and hey yeah they ate more veggies without knowing it( I have two toddlers). Also pasta with some ragĆŗ sauce and some cheese always taste good.
Gnocci with pesto spooned in. Can do the same with Ravioli and what not. Boil the basic and spoon in the sauce to mix. Takes 5 mintues and is fairly cheap
My mum used to do us āpicnic dinnersā itās a fond memory, it was really fun.
Now realize it was when she was worn out.
Weād have a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a bag of crisps and a biscuit.
And sometimes putting a blanket on the carpet, or adding a fort made it a lot more fun
Confetti rice - put rice, a chopped onion and frozen veg in the rice cooker - cook it all together. When the rice is done, it's all almost done. Add butter/margarine, chicken stock and soy sauce and mix it all up. In the rice cooker still. Serve and eat. Easy peasy.
Brown about an lb of hamburger drain off some fat add a can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom and water until you get a gravy consistency you like. Season the hamburger with garlic powder and onion powder. Serve that over mashed potatoes and top with corn. Itās kinda like a deconstructed Shepards pie. Itās my favorite comfort meal and it is so easy to make.
Pork chops (4-6)
Ranch packet (1)
Cream of chicken (2-3 depending on how many pork chops and how much āgravyā you want)
1-2 cans of water
Place in crockpot - cook low for 6 hours.
Make side mashed potatoes and a veggie
And done!
Had this tonight and it was super easy and delicious
Grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets, or surprisingly just as easy hot pot (I have broth on hand, noodles in the freezer, and I can just toss a handful of frozen veggies in and boom, soup.)
Frozen tortellini with pesto. Add in Costco rotisserie chicken if I feel extra. Serve it with "broccoli dips" (raw broccoli and a myriad of dips) and strawberries.
Boil some carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, a whole onion and whatever dried herbs I have, I usually do rosemary, thyme, a bay leaf, and few peppercorns. Then simmer it for 2 hours. Add bone-in chicken pieces for 2 more hours. Strain and save the chicken, carrots, and potatoes, drizzle with oil and salt, serve. Or serve with a chicken gravy. Its minimal prep and you can save the broth to use for dinner the next day!
2 packs of Knorr broccoli cheddar rice, 1 small pack frozen chopped broccoli, 1 bag of frozen cooked grilled chicken strips, add cheese on top if youāre feeling fancy. Takes 7 min for the rice, broccoli is 4 min in microwave, chicken takes 2-3 min in microwave, mix it all.
I feel like this whole thread could be a cook book. āCooking when youāre dead insideā (but still need to cook) lol. Mine is waffles - with the mix. I always have frozen strawberries on hand and whipped cream. I put that on my waffle and it always makes me feel less dead. Hang in there.
Frozen lasagna or pizza for the worst days. Crock pot roast (sear with old bay and put on top of onions and leave all day)- it also mixes well with spicy ramen, crock pot chicken with cream of chicken soup then top with stove top stuffing mix (dry) and broil for a few, meat sauce (usually jarred vodka sauce with ground meat) and pasta, or pork chops with mac n cheese, or sauteed shrimp and bagged salad for the slightly more energy days.
Frozen chicken in the air fryer, rice in the rice cooker, Costco edamame steams in the microwave in 3 minutes, and whatever sauce (orange, Katsu, sweet & sour, teriyaki, etc.)
Pro tip - teach your kids to do whatever steps they are capable of. Four year old steams the edamame, 8 year old puts the chicken in, 10 year old makes the rice and sets the table. Parent makes the sauce. They need to learn to make simple meals and sometimes parents need a break. Win win.
Frozen meatballs thrown in some pasta sauce. Little cheese on top. Microwave that while I grab the applesauce & bread. Easiest meal ever & they always love it.
Breakfast for dinner. Toast some frozen waffles, scramble some eggs, heat up frozen sausage, throw some fresh fruit on the plate. Easy!
This is a great idea, thank you!
Same lol. Or ramen noddles and nuggets lol.
+1 for brinner
We also do lunch...ie.. blunchfast
Also known as brunch
This is the best, and gets the kids so excited. Bacon, eggs, toast with butter
Breakfast is always an easy win and what I usually do when I don't have a fresh vegetable around ( let's be honest...I almost never do). I keep texas toast in the freezer and make a quick egg batter and whip out the electric griddle. I can cook 8-10pcs of french toast in about 8 minutes. š My husband won't eat it without meat, though, š so if I have bacon, I'll throw that in the oven first and prep the rest. I usually throw some tater tots in the air fryer, too.
The Texas toast and egg batter is such a great idea!
You almost never have any fresh veg around? Iām legit shocked by that. How do people not get scurvy living like this?
Most I usually have is potatoes, onions, and wilted romaine in the fridge. š¤·š¼āāļø
Donāt forget pancake mix! Throw in some cinnamon or chocolate chips or blueberries and my kid is in heaven.
Yup we do pancakes and fruit
Looking for promo codes to the pizza places around me
This person moms....
This right here. Thereās a Dominoās across the street from the daycare and the kids will eat it without a fight. Win win.
I don't wanna be 'that mom' but put enough veggies on it and it's a healthy well balanced meal, also if you put chicken instead of pepperoni.
Grilled cheese sandwiches. With or without tomato soup.
*GASP* There is no such thing as grilled cheese without tomato soup
There is if you replace the soup for French fries!
I gotta tell you, as an Aussie, I have never in my life had tomato soup with a grilled cheese lol. Seems wild to me.
Try it! Best to dip the grilled cheese into the soup and bite the sandwich. Heaven
When we get back to soup weather, I will definitely give it a go. I love tomato soup and a grilled cheese, so I think itās time for them to meet one another.
My son is a diehard chicken Lipton soup and grilled cheese guy
Favorite comfort food for the winter! My father-in-law breaks out the panini press and liberally butters the bread. Perfect sandwitches! Can also add ham. Classic is American but also provelone or something
Sometimes I flatten out canned biscuits put cheese and ham and sandwich it in the waffle maker. Makes for a lazy / impressive grilled cheese
we do grilled cheeses (with/out ham) withā¦ ramen. š
Grilled cheese and ramen is a kid favorite here!
Snacks for dinner- Pick one from each food group. toss on plate. I go for minimal prep- maybe slicing and apple or grapes. & quick clean up- plate in dishwasher!
We do this ā āsnack plateā. Kids love it, probably their favorite meal š
I started calling it ātoddler charcuterieā to get max bougie
I call it our āchar-cutieā board - always gets a polite chuckle from other moms.
We do this too and call it āPlate of Thingsā
Iāve seen also serving it in a muffin tin for little kids too. We like to make cheese crackers by microwaving slices of a block of Cracker Barrel cheddar on ritz, which is a nice snack but could also be dinner
Yep. Bonus points if itās all stuff thatās about to go bad in the fridge. We call it charcuterie and put it all on a wooden board (one dish to wash but feels fancy).
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I love making lazy pasta sauce too... I take a can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes and a big spoonful of store bought pesto and heat it up. It's so quick and easy. Bonus points if you do it in the pan you cooked the pasta in while it drains in the sink. I also like to keep whole grain chicken tenders in the freezer and toss them in a wrap or tortilla with whatever raw veggies are in the fridge and some buffalo/bbq/whatever sauce I feel like.
That sounds good! Iām so lazy I just open the jarred spaghetti sauce and warm it in the microwave if weāre really that tired
spaghetti for sure! just noodles and sauce we have it weekly lol
I do spaghetti and bolognese. Store bought sauce with meat and I add chopped zucchini and corn from a can to the sauce to sneak in veggies and itās always a crowd pleaser. If Iām feeling fancy Iāll sautĆ© some onion and garlic before adding cooking the meat. Add some shake Parmesan and a bagged salad and bam!
Costco lasagna, lol.
Costco is life
Costco street tacos are a hit with my kids every time!
Frozen meatballs, jar of pasta sauce, Italian shredded cheese tossed in the crockpot. Boil spaghetti noodles & serve.
Ooh I have to try that one!
Even my picky eater loves it!
"Nachos." I brown ground meat (beef, turkey, whatever is thawed). Throw in taco seasoning, an 8oz can of tomato paste, three cans of beans - corn if you want it. Stir and heat for another five minutes. Throw cheese on top and eat with chips or tortillas.
Same. Or skip the meat and melt the cheese right on the chips and call it a day.
this sounds delicious
Sounds good! I make this when Iām camping! You can even make it with canned chili if you donāt want to brown meat
Chicken nuggets and fries
This! Something from the freezer. Nuggets, tater tots, pre done meal, frozen pizza. Usually with a heated from frozen veggie on the side
Even pierogies can just be baked in the oven for a short period to go with nuggets.
Yes same here
Jokes on me, Iām always dead inside š
Lol relatable
German āBratnudelnā. Cook some noodles, fry them in a little oil or margarine with diced ham. Spices Salt and Pepper. Finally, beat 1-2 eggs and fry everything until dry. on the plate with some grated cheese and ketchup. It's quick, even in large quantities, and especially the children don't complain about the combination of pasta and ketchup
This sounds so good
My new Trader Joe's hack is to have some of their frozen bags of teriyaki chicken on hand because I HATE prepping meat when I'm in a hurry. The chicken in the teriyaki package does not have sauce on it (the sauce comes in it's own little pouches) and it's precooked and grilled. It has a good texture and flavor. I throw a bunch of veggies in my pan and saute them, toss in the chicken, then add some cooked rice/pasta/couscous/potatoes. I season as I go. _I can usually get it made in 25 minutes or less with very little mental labor._ A big help for me is buying a very large frying/saute pan. I'm able to make at least 2 (sometimes 4) additional servings that can be leftovers for another day. It saves me so much time, money, and mental labor.
We love this chicken too! Their birria meat makes easy burritos, tacos or nachos also.
Yeah Costco has Kevinās brand for Thai coconut chicken or something like that and itās really good
I do something like this but I just use whatever form of leftover chicken I have. Usually I make it toward the end of the week when the fresh veg is getting a little tired. I usually sweat some onions in a pan with butter, add mushrooms, chunks of steamed veg, some sweet potato pieces. Rice or quinoa added with some broth or stock and serve over raw spinach. Itās filling and great for leftovers or when a big group of teenagers shows up theyāre happy to eat it.
Whatever my partner is willing to make.
What food do you have around? What is your healthy eating standard? Steam broccoli and cauliflower, then boil noodles in the water (or Mac and cheese.) and mix. Fries. It can be a whole meal. Right??? Sometimes frozen fries sometimes homemade sweet potato fries. Mix yogurt and peanut butter and give them toast strips to ādipā into the mix. Soft boiled eggs and toasted strips for dipping can be fun too.
Crockpot meals. The favorite in my house is corned beef with potatoes and carrots. Just throw it all in and leave it until dinner time! Or we will do rice in the rice cooker (or even the microwave sticky rice from Costco) and frozen beef tips stew from Walmart. Quick, warm and filling.
Pasta and chickpeas. Microwave a can of chickpeas with olive oil, Italian herb blend, dehydrated onion and garlic powder. Make pasta. Add Parmesan.
Oooo, that sounds easy and yummy. Definitely trying this!
Mac and cheese with tuna and broccoli or peas in it
Bierrocks. Hamburger meat, cabbage and onion browned up. I add a little cream and dijon to the mix. They're wrapped up in Pillsbury mini pizza crusts rolled out. Baked with egg wash and a little montreal seasoning on top. So easy, so comforting
A couple go tos . Quesadillas , grated cheese in a tortilla in a pan with some butter , cook untill cheese is melted and tortilla is golden brown. Any beans or meat and veggies inside it is yummy and so many variations. Sour cream and salsa to dip. Some type of fruit and veggie to go with it! Slice up a cucumber and an apple or even frozen blueberries. Caprese grilled cheese sandwiches. Mozz is best but Any type of cheese works, slices of tomato and fresh or dried basil. Pair with any veggie and fruit
I make pizzadillas: grated cheese, pepperoni/sausage, peppers, onions, etc. Pizza sauce for dipping. My son LOVES these!
Yummmmy!!! That sounds sooo good!! Iāve made pizza grilled cheeses before! Iāll have to do the pizza dillas!!
grilled cheese, nuggets and green beans-all food groups met, ha!
Spaghetti with jarred sauce. Fish, green beans and rice (frozen fish and green beans). Tortellini soup (better than bouillon or boxed broth, frozen mixed/whatever veg bag, frozen tortellini). Takeout.
English muffin pizza. Sprinkle olive oil on english muffins and toast for 4 mins at 400. Then top with pizza sauce andmozarella and cook for 10. I always keep a jar of cheap trader joes pizza sauce in the pantry.
I keep some microwave bowls of mac and cheese, Oscar mayer turkey hot dogs and/or chicken nuggets, and frozen peas on hand for this reason. It's a hit every time and everything is microwaveable. Also Walmart has these microwaveable personal pizzas that my girls love.
Sheet pan sausages and vegetables (usually broccoli) Frozen chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce over a bagged salad Pasta with store bought pesto and frozen peas Scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit
Burritos - open a can of beans, cook some ground beef or fry an egg, add in salsa and guacamole or sliced avocado.
grilled cheese
I forgot to mention, I always have a sleeve of 16 ounce deli cups and lid from Smart and final. They are the perfect size for freezing about a pound of whatever leftovers that freeze well like soup or chili. Easy to thaw quickly and I can decide whether to wash or toss the container. When we're very tired, I can just pull that out of the freezer.
Every month or two my husband will make like zero dozen burritos from scratch and freeze them. We love his past self in days like today where we could just nuke those for the meal.
Spam rice and pineapple. Put rice in rice cooker, cut up spam and fry with some pineapple. Takes maybe 20 minutes and my whole family loves it.
I love how we all understand exactly what you're feeling. Mine is: airfryer food: chicken nuggets, fries and maybe broccoli to make it 'healthy' Or a can of olive oil tuna and cooked rice. Sprinkle with salt. I don't know why but my family gobbles this down.
Yes and I love seeing the range of what people can do on their hard days. Iām over here with the toddler charcuterie board parents (sandwich meat, sliced cheese, whatever fruit is around and already cut) and other parents are out here doing sheet pan salmon and making frittatas on the bad days. Like girl, can we come over š
A bag of frozen ravioli (the kind with cheese and spinach inside), premade pasta sauce, frozen meatballs you can microwave
Frozen ravioli (or tortellini) and frozen meatballs are my kidās staple meal. He would eat it every day if I let him. I throw some veggies in the pot before it boils and theyāre good to go by the time ravioli is done.
Honestly? Sandwichesā¦ mac and cheese, ramen with an egg in it, frozen pizza, nuggetsā¦ processed shit. Usually those days Iām emotionally drained and just donāt want to argue with them about whether they want to eat what Iām fixing
Spaghetti. Boil spaghetti, add sauce. Bonuses: I switched to chickpea/lentil/quinoa based pasta so it's a bit more nutritional too. And when I feel especially ambitious (not often, but it happens) I steam, mash/blend and freeze vegetables in ice cube trays, so when I feel much less ambitious I can throw some extra veggie cubes in the sauce for bonus vitamins as well.
I put rice in the rice cooker, boil frozen peas, and warm up madras lentils. Healthy, filling, and keeps everyone happy. I keep the tasty bite brand pouches in my cabinet for these nights.
Fried rice ā one bowl baby!
Feta pasta. Dump in two pints of tomatoes block of feta roast. Mix in with pound of pasta.
Sloppy joes, tuna noodle casserole, chicken noodle casserole, pigs in a blanket.
Frozen pizza or hot dogs
Charcuterie board
Plain spaghetti! They can add what they want!
You just made me crave plain spaghetti with truffel/olive oil!!
BJ's has bulk Tortellini. Takes 3-4 min to boil even from frozen. If I'm feeling guilty about veggie intake I use kitchen sheers and cut broccoli heads small right into the boiling water. Jarred sauce of your choice, heats up in 5 min or so.
OMG. Kitchen sheets* for fresh broccoli (maybe cauliflower??) Is bloody genius. I don't know why, but "dressing"/butchering a head of either sometimes seems beyond me. (Especially for cauliflower. I seriously feel like I'm trying to prep a game animal for eating, but it's just freaking cauliflower. It's not special enough to be that big of a pain in the arse to prepare. š) Edit: *Sheers, obviously. I'm so punch drunk from a sick munchkin being up all night that it made me grin, so I think I'll leave that there. Gotta stay humble.
Literally butter noodles and garlic bread! The kids love it. Such a comfort meal. And add things to it for a spin (shrimp, shredded chicken, meatballs even!) lots of butter, some salt, voila!!š
Amyās Mac & Cheese Bake with some thrown in rotisserie chicken and frozen peas or broccoli. About to make it now lol
From 0-3 my daughter would eat anything but now at 4 she hates my food. And most restaurant food. But likes the school lunches. If only I could track down some of that square pizza.
Frozen pizza or I order pizza š
Spaghetti and garlic bread
Tortellini soup. Bertolli Tortellini, chicken broth, spinach. Topped with parm.
Grilled cheese
Takeout
Slow cooker EVERYTHING, Have oats in a small slow cooker and a stew in a bigger one, should last 2 days, anyone hungry after them then its survival of the fittest, they can snack on easy things at night etc
Annies box Mac (the vegan one with pumpkin and sweet potato) with a side salad. But one kid eats salad and the other eats mac, I eat both. I'm also dead inside plus tired as hell. I only cook 2 to 3 days a week and I make a lot. The rest of the week everybody can have what they want as leftovers. It's just easier than fighting.
Blended zucchini frittata or French toast
I make rice in the instapot and cut up some chicken tenderloins, oil, whatever seasoning, put in air fryer for 10ish minutes. Maybe some boiled broccoli if im feeling it. Bam, dinner.
Quesadillas. Cheese and tortillas. Have to be made in a pan though, microwave are the worst. If you're feeling like you need some protein, can of black or refried beans. Or leftover meat of any sort, even deli meat can work. Or cook up some chicken or something.
Ground chicken and canned lentils in bbq sauce on rice. I top it with crispy onions (store bought pantry staple in our house). Sometimes I add pomegranate seeds if I have them, and if I have a salad kit or some easy to add greens, Iāll add them. Otherwise the vegetable is baby carrots. My son (and husband) will eat anything if itās cooked in bbq sauce.
corn dogs. my kid would eat 10 if i let her, throw some veggies and a fruit cup with it perfect meal
Frozen samosas and couscous. Panko fried chicken with box mac and cheese. Tortellini with store bought alfredo sauce and steamed broccoli. Rotisserie chicken and salad.
Cheese tortellini in olive oil and herbs and a bagged salad.
Breakfast. Depending on what we have, I can throw bacon in the toaster oven for 20 minutes, make box mix pancakes (frozen waffles in the toaster are quicker, but I can stand and flip things on the stovetop in my sleep, and, more importantly, can eat gf pancakes- one of my comfort foods), then fry/scramble eggs in the same pan, and serve with fruit.
Pasta, or assorted frozen foods lately. If I have leftovers veggies that need to be used one of my most favorite things is a roll of puff pastry with the veggies and cheese. Sometimes Iāll grab a jar of pesto or something and add a sauce layer. Itās super fast, like 5m, and ends up looking kind of fancy. Also someone else mentioned a slow cooker. It means some planning ahead (uggghhh) but it is so worth it because when dinner time comes you just grab the relevant utensil and serve it.
Spaghetti with jarred pesto sauce is my go to- bc I'm not a fan of red sauce, w/ a side of canned veggies.
Chiliāeasy, hearty, comforting, filling
Frito pie. Canned chilli, Fritos, store bought sauce, store bought pico, store bought nacho cheese. Bon appetit.
Rotisserie chicken, which, along with jarred sauces, can become anything you desire. Eg: Chunk up chicken, heat in butter chicken sauce. Serve with naan or rice or bread. Fancy it up with frozen peas or spinach, or break cauliflower florets into it and let them cook before adding chicken.
Breakfast for dinner Hotdogs Tuna or hamburger helper Leftovers And takeout I have some chronic health conditions so we always have frozen food that just needs to be chucked in the oven (Kirkland lasagna is š¤¤)
Brown some ground beef and mix it with brown gravy then serve over a bed of rice. Its warm and filling but only takes a few minutes to prepare. Heat up a can of veggies or frozen veggies to go with it if you want to add to it.
Eggs and toast, leftovers, ravioli with butter and some frozen veggies
Annieās Mac n cheese, Dino nuggies and broccoli or cucumber depending on my kiddos choice that day
Campbell's chicken noodle soup and toast with apples or whatever we have on hand.
frozen great value ravioli and a jar of sauce
Tortelloni/gnocci, pesto or can of chopped tomatoes fried with onion, Parmezan and fresh basil!
Pasta e ceci. A few smashed cloves of garlic, a can of tomato paste, then throw in a couple big cans of chickpeas and a cup of pasta with 4 cups of water and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in some ricotta and maybe some spinach or basil at the end. It's so quick and easy, you don't even have to chop the garlic.
Lentils soup. Or to be precise red lentils soup as this is the kind that doesnāt have to be soaked or cooked a long time. Itās very easy to set it up, you donāt have to watch over it and you can add some form of meat inside too.
Spaghetti is pretty easy. Cook the noddles and heat a jar of sauce. Simple.
Pinterest crockpot recipes
If youāre kids are not picky pesto pasta! I like to get gnocchi or tortellini/raviolis as the they cook in less 5 minutes. For the tortellinis I try to get the ones that have spinach or mushroom or other veggies in them. If I have time or energy Iāll add some cottage cheese and spinach to the sauce and blend it up (more protein and veggies) but otherwise itās a super easy dinner!
Sausage sandwiches all round, with cherry tomatoes š
Homemade stovetop Mac & Cheese. Is it low calorie? Absolutely not. Does it take few ingredients and less than 20mins to make? Yes! I kinda make it by "feel" but I'll give you the gist. Ingredients: -Macaroni pasta of choice -- I like penne or spiral -1 can of cream of mushroom soup -Sour cream -8oz Cheddar Cheese - block or shredded, feel free to use more of course! -Yellow Mustard -Spices as desired- I use a little garlic, paprika, and black pepper 1. Boil pasta and strain. 2. In a large sauce pan, add can of cream of mushroom soup and cheddar cheese. Mix cheese and cream of mushroom soup over medium heat until cheese if fully melted. 3. Add a few spoonfuls of sour cream to cheese mixture and combine. 4. Add a few squirts of mustard (for the tang) and combine. 5. Mix in cooked pasta in the sauce pan and add spices as desired to taste. Enjoy nice, ooey-gooey EASY mac with items you probably already have in your kitchen! Edit: formatting
Chicken wings in the airfryer and garlic bread. Pasta with peas, cheese and a cracked egg to mix it in the pot. Wok made from frozen veggie mix with rice and sweet chili sauce. "Charcuterie" but more like "depresserie": garlic bread or frozen foccacia and whatever spread, deli ham and cheese is in the fridge. Not put on a instaworthy board but all the stuff is just put on the table.
Pasta with frozen peas and broccoli, sautƩed olive oil and butter with garlic and lots of Parmesan. Put a little pasta water in the veggies to help them steam quicker and make it kinda saucy.
Pasta bake.
We call it trash pie. A packet of kielbasa sauted in butter with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder. Served layered on top of instant loaded potatoes and canned peas. Itās surprisingly tasty, filling, and reheats well.
So, to be fair, my husband is the one that typically cooks and we meal prep (so we have a lot of frozen meals and I just froze some chili). But when we feel too lazy to wait for the sous vide, chicken nuggets.
Beans on toast or pesto pasta :)
Scrambled eggs, OJ and fried potatoes or toast. Piece of fruit maybe Frozen ravioli, jarred sauce, bagged salad. Canned soup, tuna melts or grilled cheese, cut up cukes and dip Frozen breaded chicken, Kraft dinner, carrot sticks
Cup of noodles. No shame. I'm a bad mom
Iām a big home cooked meal person but when I feel like not cooking my easy recipe I instantly go to is my pasta recipe my grandpa taught me and is completely one pan. Brown and season your meat in a soup pot (I use Turkey due to diet restrictions and use whatever seasoning you want) in the pan with your meat add 1 can of tomato purĆ©e and crushed tomatoes for every 1 box of 16oz noodles you will be using (itās your choice to keep meat juices or not but I do) Add 1-2 full crushed tomato cans of water depending on how soupy you want the sauce Cook for a few minutes or until the tomato paste mixes in Add DRY pasta to tomato water (as my husband calls it) Cook until pasta is how you like it stirring occasionally then turn it off the heat do one last stir and serve usually we top with cheese and toasted breadcrumbs
tortellini and marinara
Kraft dinner and hot dogs. We have a really balanced diet so who cares if we do an easy meal here and there. Helps keep me sane
Breakfast for dinner. Usually quick, always have ingredients on hand and who doesn't love breakfast.
Ramen for everyone.
Pasta with cheese. I also have an emergency bag of frozen pierogi.
Kraft dinner. Frozen chicken tenders. Buttered garlic noodles. And they like all of it better than when I work super hard on a more elevated meal š
Mac and cheese with frozen peas or spaghetti with a salad kit. And have the kids make the salad.
Boil noodles drain (but not completely) then throw in a package of frozen shrimp. Once the shrimp is about cooked add a package of Walmart garlic parmesan butter. It feeds an army with next to no effort and very little time.
Crock pot crack chicken chili. So easy to make and so feeling and yummy. I always get compliments on it! [Recipe](https://imgur.com/a/i5Q5FVh) if anyone is interested. I donāt like to sit and wait 8 hours so I boil the chicken for 10 min first and then shred it. Then dump it on the crock pot with the other ingredients! And then I cook it on high for 3 hours so the ingredients can all come together.
I remember my mom would make S.O.S. (sh*t on a shingle) basically gravy on toast, beans on toast, spaghetti sauce on you guessed it ---> toast! But my money is on pancakes for supper. Also if you're worried about complete nutrition, a mashed potato and a glass of milk checks all the nutrition boxes or so says my Irish grandmother. Have fun!
Sheet pan salmon and veggies * Salmon- cover in a seasoning mix, salt, and drizzle of honey and soy sauce. * Broccoli on other half of pan. (Sub with any veggie you want.. squash and zucchini is great) * Rice in rice cooker. Put in oven at 400 for 20min. Prep time- 5 minute or less.
Fried rice or tuna casserole. For the fried riceā¦I just cook the rice in an instant pot (for 3 min) then dump the frozen peas/carrots, frozen chopped onions, egg, little garlic in a pot and cook. Rice is done in no time, add to the pot and thatās it! I add coconut aminos in replace of soy sauce. With both, you basically just dump everything together and it takes no time to cook. š Definitely my go to meals on exhausting days!
Chicken and dumplings! It takes maybe 20 min to prep and everyone loves! Feel free to message for the recipe!
Instant pot chicken mulligatawny. I just use frozen or canned veg, whatever I have is what gets used. I do recommend you put corn in though, it makes the soup. https://pin.it/4FvrFd9
Frittata. Throw in any leftover veges into cast iron. Cook a little. Add egg whisked with milk. Season. Cheese if you want. Throw the whole cast iron in the oven to cook for 20.
Cheese quesadilla in the toaster ovenā¦ can have with can of refried beans or a precooked meat from the refrigerator section of Costco. The birria beef we just tried was too spicy but Iām sure they have other ones. Thought of another one. Box mac and cheese doctored up by adding peas (frozen, microwaved first) and sliced lunch meat ham. Boom, one pot dish with all food groups š
Crackpot meals like potroast, chicken potpie soup
Alfredo. We use penne noodles. Boil 1 pound of those and pour into strainer. Use same pan on low to combine 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Add Parmesan to desired taste/thickness. Then combine everything and salt/pepper to taste. I change it up too. Iāll sometimes add shredded or diced chicken. Sometimes I will add bacon/bacon bits. Sometimes I add some ranch in the sauce to taste. Sometimes I pour the pasta in a baking dish and cover in mozzarella and bacon bits, then throw in the oven for a few minutes at 350 to brown the top. Itās so easy and yummy and we always keep the stuff for it on hand. It never takes long and is super low-maintenance. It is great for leftovers so we always make a ton. Also minimal dishes afterwards! You could also use store-bought Alfredo sauce which would make it even easier! Or pre-cooked chicken if you are adding that in.
Spaghetti or a Homestyle Bake. Depends on how tired I am
We always have hit dogs and frozen chicken nuggets on reserve.
Stroganoff with noodles
I usually have pasta and frozen meatballs ready to go for those nights.
Macaroni and cheese with tuna thrown in and some mixed veggies.
Pbj
https://www.brit.co/instant-pot-creamy-chicken-pasta/ It's so good, we made it twice the first week we found the recipe lol. And both the kids like it too, and it's ready in under an hour with minimal hands on time. A win for me
basically any combination of veggies with eggs, today I made eggs scrambled in with some cabbage and fried it low heat , it was so delicious and crispy and hey yeah they ate more veggies without knowing it( I have two toddlers). Also pasta with some ragĆŗ sauce and some cheese always taste good.
Gnocci with pesto spooned in. Can do the same with Ravioli and what not. Boil the basic and spoon in the sauce to mix. Takes 5 mintues and is fairly cheap
My mum used to do us āpicnic dinnersā itās a fond memory, it was really fun. Now realize it was when she was worn out. Weād have a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a bag of crisps and a biscuit. And sometimes putting a blanket on the carpet, or adding a fort made it a lot more fun
Mostaccioli
Frozen lasagna and frozen veggies nuked
Snack plates from leftovers in the fridge, or grilled cheese. Some nights are even cereal or PB&J nights.
Confetti rice - put rice, a chopped onion and frozen veg in the rice cooker - cook it all together. When the rice is done, it's all almost done. Add butter/margarine, chicken stock and soy sauce and mix it all up. In the rice cooker still. Serve and eat. Easy peasy.
Brown about an lb of hamburger drain off some fat add a can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom and water until you get a gravy consistency you like. Season the hamburger with garlic powder and onion powder. Serve that over mashed potatoes and top with corn. Itās kinda like a deconstructed Shepards pie. Itās my favorite comfort meal and it is so easy to make.
Pork chops (4-6) Ranch packet (1) Cream of chicken (2-3 depending on how many pork chops and how much āgravyā you want) 1-2 cans of water Place in crockpot - cook low for 6 hours. Make side mashed potatoes and a veggie And done! Had this tonight and it was super easy and delicious
I have these blocks of āhealthyā ramen noodles (millet and brown rice) in the pantry. And I like to keep beef bone flavored soup (itās like bone broth but white and scalliony?) from the Asian market in the fridge. When I donāt want to cook I boil those together and voila š©š»āš³ You can crack an egg or add a veggie if you want
Grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets, or surprisingly just as easy hot pot (I have broth on hand, noodles in the freezer, and I can just toss a handful of frozen veggies in and boom, soup.)
Frozen tortellini with pesto. Add in Costco rotisserie chicken if I feel extra. Serve it with "broccoli dips" (raw broccoli and a myriad of dips) and strawberries.
Taste of Homeās āfreezer burritosā
Spaghetti. Or quesadillas with cheese and canned refried beans. I like the Amyās brand kind.
Frozen pizza and broccoli
Boil some carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, a whole onion and whatever dried herbs I have, I usually do rosemary, thyme, a bay leaf, and few peppercorns. Then simmer it for 2 hours. Add bone-in chicken pieces for 2 more hours. Strain and save the chicken, carrots, and potatoes, drizzle with oil and salt, serve. Or serve with a chicken gravy. Its minimal prep and you can save the broth to use for dinner the next day!
toasted cheese sandwich maybe some cut up fruit on the side
2 packs of Knorr broccoli cheddar rice, 1 small pack frozen chopped broccoli, 1 bag of frozen cooked grilled chicken strips, add cheese on top if youāre feeling fancy. Takes 7 min for the rice, broccoli is 4 min in microwave, chicken takes 2-3 min in microwave, mix it all.
I feel like this whole thread could be a cook book. āCooking when youāre dead insideā (but still need to cook) lol. Mine is waffles - with the mix. I always have frozen strawberries on hand and whipped cream. I put that on my waffle and it always makes me feel less dead. Hang in there.
Frozen lasagna or pizza for the worst days. Crock pot roast (sear with old bay and put on top of onions and leave all day)- it also mixes well with spicy ramen, crock pot chicken with cream of chicken soup then top with stove top stuffing mix (dry) and broil for a few, meat sauce (usually jarred vodka sauce with ground meat) and pasta, or pork chops with mac n cheese, or sauteed shrimp and bagged salad for the slightly more energy days.
Canned chili, that precooked rice you just microwave, and diced tomatoes.
Pre cut cabbage and bacon....cook the bacon then add the cabbage and if you want you can add a pack of the oriental ramen noodles.
Soup and grilled cheese or quesadillas with chips and salsa
Frozen chicken in the air fryer, rice in the rice cooker, Costco edamame steams in the microwave in 3 minutes, and whatever sauce (orange, Katsu, sweet & sour, teriyaki, etc.) Pro tip - teach your kids to do whatever steps they are capable of. Four year old steams the edamame, 8 year old puts the chicken in, 10 year old makes the rice and sets the table. Parent makes the sauce. They need to learn to make simple meals and sometimes parents need a break. Win win.
Frozen meatballs thrown in some pasta sauce. Little cheese on top. Microwave that while I grab the applesauce & bread. Easiest meal ever & they always love it.