Weeknight Staples
My family has strange weeknight eating habits. We used to have a pretty set schedule in terms of dinner (mondays would be chicken parm, tuesdays pizza, etc.) but we are so overworked by the time we get home and it's so late that we order take-out way too much. Could you suggest any meals (traditional or noontraditional) that are relatively quick, easy, but most importantly delicious that we could shop for earlier in the week?
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23 Comments:
Well, cooking the parm or a pasta dish ahead might make it easier to heat up.
Stuff your own baked potato night (with toppings and salads)
Fancy grilled cheese night and soup
'Breakfast for dinner'--eggs or pancakes, fruit, and sides
Veggie or regular homemade burgers can be healthy, and are quick to make
If you're really overwhelmed, doing a 'picnic' dinner of cold cuts, cold chicken if you eat meat, breads, cheeses, spreads, and salad
HeartofGlass at 6:44PM on 05/15/09
If you feel like you're a little less rushed in the morning, you could always throw some ingredients in a crock pot, and have it ready when you get home.
Soups, stews and chilis are pretty easy to put together, and you can let them cook all day on saturday or sunday. warm it up on the weeknights and pair with some salad or good bread.
CassieRose at 6:56PM on 05/15/09
Stir-frys. Keep a sauce you like on hand, and the combinations of veggies and proteins are endless. Cut up veggies into bite sizes ahead of time, use 10 minute rice, and you've got a healthy fresh meal in less than 30 minutes.
Embackus at 6:57PM on 05/15/09
Tuna Pasta Bake! Pre-Cook Pasta about 6 min, toss it with a jar of sauce and can of tuna and top with cheese. Bake 25 min.
Tacos are quick and easy, Chicken curry with boiled rice or chips, and definately second the stir fry idea
Aclunney at 7:08PM on 05/15/09
I am a sucker for pastas... my favorites are with marinated tomatoes, with a fresh spinach sauce , a red peper sauce, or an easy alfredo sauce. None of these sauces need to be cooked ahead of time. They're made in the time you basically boil the pasta.
I also love pastelones - these are very much like casseroles, I like to mash potatoes and create a filling of hummus, fried eggplant, or some spinach and tomatoes. Easy to make and filling, and do not need for you to be tending the stove/oven too much.
I always accomany my meals with a nice salad... it's important to eat raw veggies - so I sometimes make 1 vegetable salads, like just arugula, or chopped tomatoes with salt and olive oil or even a few slices of avocado. If you have the time and ingredients, then go ahead and combine away... I am partial to a spinach and strawberry salad when strawberries are in season...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 7:16PM on 05/15/09
ohhhh - and I forgot to mention also... I love to embellish rissotos from a box. I buy the Arbcher Farms basic 4 cheese Risotto mix and make it a zillion different ways with stuff I have around in my fridge:
Pumpkin Risotto
Spinach and Tomato Risotto
Smoked Gouda, Mushroom and Spinach Risotto
And the same with mac & cheeses - with butternut squash, , with carrots, with spinach, with cauliflower , and even a version where you do not need to cook the pasta ahead of time...
You put everything on the stove/oven, and by the time you take a shower, it's all done and you're ready to eat... nice, huh?
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 7:26PM on 05/15/09
We have been on a panini kick lately. Really fast and you can use home made bread or store bought and everyone can make their own. Meat or no meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, etc. Buy some tasty bread spreads, I have an artichoke and a garlic parmesan. We usually have these with soup or sweet potato fries or a salad.
xwafflesx at 8:05PM on 05/15/09
We always keep pasta and tomato sauce in the house, and I'll mix it with Italian shredded cheese and sauteed chicken for a pasta bake (everything cooked, tossed in baking dish @ 350 for 45 minutes). For a really lazy night, Hamburger Helper - doctored with Ro-tel and cheese. I also always keep ground beef and taco shells to - that's yumminess to me!
dharmon at 8:11PM on 05/15/09
Also, we love chicken enchiladas - easy recipe you can make and keep covered in the fridge:
1 package pre-seasoned, cooked fajita chicken (I like John Soules), diced and rolled inside flour or corn tortillas. Place inside a 9x9 (or 9x12 depending on the amount of chicken in a package) baking dish.
Top with a mixture of 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cream of chicken, one can ro-tel, one diced green bell pepper, one diced red bell pepper, one diced yellow onion, and one bag shredded Mexican cheese. Cover in foil and bake at 350 for 30-40! Yummy!
dharmon at 8:17PM on 05/15/09
Thanksfor the suggestions. I can't wait to make all of this stuff. Keep 'em coming...
foodieteen at 8:19PM on 05/15/09
fish!
cooks up so quickly & so good for you...
sugartoast at 11:33PM on 05/15/09
I'm also a slow cooker fan. This week I put a brisket in the cooker with 2 bottles of BBQ sauce and some liquid smoke, and let it cook for 7-ish hours. When I came home it fell apart on its own. Good on buns, on potatoes, or by itself - all for about $6.
I also do NC style pulled pork, with a pork butt in the cooker for 6 hours with 2 cups apple cider vinegar, some salt, pepper, tabasco, and crushed red pepper. Put it on a bun with some coleslaw and you're set! It's nice to come home to an already cooked meal!
I can't totally relate to the essence of time when it comes to dinner, with it just being my hubby and me, but after being unemployed for a while I do still shop for markdowns at the store (having to watch $!). I find myself getting a lot of thin steaks on the cheap - so stir fries are perfect. I use instant rice in a pinch, and add some bell pepper, cilantro, and green onion for flavor. I flavor it with light soy sauce, sesame seeds, and plum sauce.
dharmon at 4:15AM on 05/16/09
Pound out poultry cuts for quicker cooking times, or just start straightaway with cutlets. Once the oil is heated, they could feasibly cook in as little time as 2 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Cooking up some pasta could take as little as 15 minutes. If you have the flexibility to get "really fancy," you could deglaze with wine or stock and maybe a touch of cream for a little sauce for the chicken and/or pasta. Total time could be as little as 30 minutes. I hope this helps!
mollykate678 at 10:28AM on 05/16/09
Monday nights I like to cut up whatever veggies sound good, toss with a little olive oil and whatever seasoning sounds good at the time, and roast or perhaps broil, depending on the veggie. When they're almost done, I pan roast some fish fillets.
I also like mollykate's suggestion, but I usually end up making chicken piccata. Turkey cutlets are even better.
I like stirfries as well, but I'm too lazy or time-crunched for rice, I boil some rice vermicelli or mung bean threads.
Zuni cafe's asparagus and wild rice soup is really tasty, filling with some bread, and easy and quick to make.
Frittatas are popular but I much prefer a simple spanish potato tortilla.
If I think ahead, I like to slice some chicken breast and marinate with olive oil, white wine, oregano, basil, and some lemon. Saute the slices in olive oil and serve in a buttered or mayo'ed baguette or crusty roll with some sliced scallion. Salad or soup on the side.
renzata at 4:28PM on 05/16/09
I always have a package of smoked sausage in the fridge to throw on the grill. If I have fresh corn we throw that on as well. Slice some tomatoes or make a salad. I also keep a can of German Potato salad and a can of kraut or pickled cabbage to serve with the sausage if it isnt grilling weather. WIth a good mustard you have a German meal that can be ready in 10 minutes. That and frozen pizza are the fall back meals around here.
ocarol at 6:09PM on 05/16/09
We rotate basically all those ideas around. At least once a week we do a crock pot meal, which is usually beans. Once a week we'll do an Asian stir fry. There's a lot of quick cooking noodles for Asian food, like rice or soba noodles. At least once a week we do an Italian pasta dish. And when we're really tired we do the "house specialty", quesadillas.
blankplate at 6:24PM on 05/16/09
I do fish a lot, since it's so good for you and cooks up so quickly. Two of my favorites are this">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/salmon-with-lentils-recipe/index.html>this one and this one. I really like the second one because you can do them ahead, in individual servings.
buffy at 9:00PM on 05/16/09
Second the fish ideas. Grilled swordfish will be ready in about 6-8 minutes, and only needs lemon and butter for garnish. Bag-o-lettuce with good quality olive oil and balsalmic, plus baguette from local French bakery, and meal is complete.
Baked potatoes topped with broccoli or any leftover and reheated meat or veggie are also quick and easy.
Patsy's Basil Marinara sauce - expensive but worth it - on fusilli, with a real good quality parmesan (none of that pre-grated stuff!).
If you choose really good ingredients, you only need a few of them to have a quick, easy, fresh and healthy dinner. PS - I think there is a cookbook entitled 5-Ingredient Dinners or something like that. You may want to check Amazon. Hope this helps!
serious1 at 5:25AM on 05/17/09
One of my favorites that is really fast and healthier too...
Saute 3 cups of prepackaged stir-fry veggies until almost tender. Add 4 cups chicken broth and a 16oz package of frozen chicken pot stickers (gyoza). Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes until gyozas are done.
Veggies usually last for a week in the fridge so it's a good buy-ahead recipe too.
ericjpdx at 12:02PM on 05/17/09
i agree with some of the other folks, i was a single dad for several years and worked 2 jobs, the slow cooker saved my sanity.
olddad at 9:10PM on 05/17/09
This is an age-old problem - squeezing in a great, nutritious dinner after a l-o-n-g day of work. The best way to combat this is anything you can do in advance. Making a bit pot of gravy (tomato, meatballs, sausage, et al), roast off a turkey breast, make meat loaf - and/or grill extra chicken, etc. can provide you with the beginnings of weeknight meals.
There are great short cuts you can use - if you're a member of Sam's or Costco, grab one of those ginormous bags of stir fry veg. They're IQF so you can take out a little at a time. Keep lots of pasta in the cupboard and couscous and rice. Canned beans are a great and nutritious start to a weekly vegetarian meal or two...?
When you do have extra time on the weekends, possibly cook off some boneless chicken breasts and portion them out in ziplock bags, then freeze. Just do some S&P on the chix breast and you can use it for just about any recipe, added toward the end of cooking to heat it through.
Anytime you roast a chicken, roast two. You can portion off the cooked chix and reserve for use within 3 or 4 days in another menu. Chicken is one of those foods that's easy to transmogrify.
Don't sneeze at a Crock Pot either. As long as you don't put crap into it - you'll get great stuff out. SO many less-expensive cuts of meat lend themselves beautifully to stewing all day in a crock and the bonus is that wonderful aroma when you walk in the door after work.
Try to stay away from prepared food like lasagna or "complete" meals. They may save you some time but they are rarely if ever tasty and fresh food is certainly better for you.
Hang in there!! Willingness to make enough time to cook real food speaks volumes. Unless you're a 36 year old creepy man, I LOVE the fact that you are a foodieTEEN! (Let's hear it for the next generation!)
therealchiffonade at 7:59AM on 05/18/09
Yeah. I love to cook, but (especiialy now during exams) I am so crunched for time. My foodie-ness has led me to an aversion to getting take-out as much as we do (although a cheesesteak from our favorite pub is always comforting). We really have gotten out of hand, and I try to cook as much as possible. All of these ideas have helped so much as my mom and I plan out dinners for this week (something we should get into a habit of doing). I can't wait til summer when I'll have plenty of time to cook whatever I want. Thanks so much everyone!
foodieteen at 8:19AM on 05/18/09
I got this recipe from Wegmans years ago...I love making it during the week....Italian Sausage stuffed green peppers
4 large green peppers cut lengthwise & cleaned
1 # italian sausage - browned & drained (take out of casings & crumble to brown)
1 cup minute style rice
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 small onion diced
grated parmesan or romano cheese
Mix the sausage, rice, onion, & mozzarella cheese w/enough sauce to moisten it. Add a good handful of grated cheese. Stuff into peppers & arrange stuffing side up in a microwavable dish. I usually have to put them in 2 dishes. Pour remaining sauce over peppers, and top w/more grated cheese. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Microwave for 20 minutes until peppers are tender.
I don't usually do much microwave cooking, but this recipe does well this way!
mepolo at 8:35AM on 05/18/09