Meal ideas needed

DH works late on Thursday nights. I like to eat with him, but with just me taxiing the kids around, feeding them, and getting them to bed on my own, cooking is out of the question. Does anyone have ideas for dinners (other than coldcuts) that don't really require cooking?

And related: if I were to do a crock pot meal and start it at 7:30am, would it still be good at 9pm (it has an auto 'warm' function for when the cooking part is done, but can it be safe to eat if it's been in the warm setting since like 1pm?).

Tia!

Meal ideas needed

I cook in bulk on Sundays and portion everything out in the freezer. With 5 kids, it's how I survive. I make a big pot of sauce & meatballs, and then just take it out of the freezer in the morning. Boil some water for pasta, add a quick salad, and dinner is ready. Now that it is going to start to get colder out, I will do soups & chili. I will make a meatloaf, freeze it, then just pop it in the oven and add Uncle Ben's minute brown rice & a bag of microwave steamed veggies. I also buy those already cooked rotisserie chickens- again, just a quick steamed veggie & some rice or a baked potato.

Meal ideas needed

What are you feeding the kids? I would make enough and reheat when he comes home.

Besides that- things that don't really require cooking- Caesar salad (or any salad for that matter), rotisserie chicken, and slow cooker meals come to mind. And your slow cooker doesn't need to be on warm from 1pm on. Pack it up and reheat it later.

Re: Meal ideas needed

Thank you for the ideas and information!

Re: Meal ideas needed

Now that the school year is upon us and I am heading back to work, I go to trader joe's every 2-3 weeks just pick up a couple of meals that I can pop in a saucepan and heat up. There is always something that comes up once a week that throws off dinner prep and that makes it easier for me and dh.

Meal ideas needed

Like a PP posted stated, I do all my meal prep on Sunday and then just pop the dish into the oven when we are going to eat it. Things you can make ahead: Baked Ziti/Lasanga, Lasanga Roll Ups, Chili, Meatballs and Sausage, Enchiliadas, Soups, Meatloaf, Shredded Chicken for things like Quesadillas

I also find grilling things does not take a long time - chicken/steak/sausages/hamburgers are all done in like 10 minutes

You can easily put some frozen shrimp in the fridge in the am and it should be good to go by the evening when you want to eat.

ETA: make the slow cooker meals over the weekend and just reheat when you want to it OR put it on when you go to bed and stick it in the fridge when you wake up. I wouldn't feel comfortable keeping the crockpot on warm for that long.

Message edited 8/28/2016 6:58:22 AM.