Washington Babies

Need meal ideas

Give me your absolute easiest meal ideas. I mean like - open box, stick in oven, wait 45 minutes.

DH is starting his busy season so I'm on my own with DD while I try to make dinner. Usually she gets really clingy around dinner time and I can't get my usual meals done (lots of prep, lots of time at the stove). So I'm looking for meal ideas that I can just stick in the oven or on the stove and mostly forget about until dinner time. Here's what I have so far:

Mexican Lasagna (from Costco)

Frozen Manacotti and a bagged salad

Grilled cheese and tomoato soup

Sausage, rice and veggies

I just need a couple more ideas to get me through the week before I head out the the grocery store. oh, and I don't want to do any take-out because it's too hard with DD in tow. What's your go-to easy meal?

Re: Need meal ideas

  • While you are at costco pick up a rotisserie chicken. You can eat it plain, or make up chicken salad or use for taco's/burritos.

    I like the Papa Murphy's delite (thin crust) pizzas for a quick dinner.

    Turkey, avocado, bacon sandwiches; either on focassia or croissants. Mason loves all the pieces just not on the bread. :)

    Could you make up meatloaf, lasagna, casseroles earlier in the day and just throw in the oven?  If so, split the recipe into 2 pans, and put one in the freezer for the next week.

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  • I can't remember if you're a SAHM or working mom, but could you do a crock pot meal?

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  • what about some crock pot meals?

    imageimage Brothers! image
  • Boneless chicken breast coated in parmesan cheese, basil, garlic and poultry seasoning, wrapped in a foil packet and tossed in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 375.

    French Dip. Cut a hoagy roll in half, put butter and roast beef on it, then slice sandwich in half on a diagonal. Wrap in foil and toss in oven for 10 minutes at 325. Mix up some au jus on the stove top or microwave. I love green beans with french dip.

    Throw a whole chicken in the crock pot with whatever seasonings you want. I prefer basil, poultry seasoning, garlic and Johnny's seasoning salt. Cook at high all day. Eat with rice for dinner #1. Next day tear up left over chicken off the bone. Boil egg noodles. Combine egg noodles, heavyv whipping cream, parmesan cheese and chicken pieces in a large pot, just stirring until well mixed. Homemade alfredo like dish. It might need some salt. For dinner #3 from the same chicken, you can use the left over torn pieces and make a chicken ceasar salad. Just buy a ready made salad and add your chicken.

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  • Tatertot casserole is a big hit in our house. It takes like 10 minutes to make, and 20 minutes to cook. I make it on a Saturday/Sunday and freeze it then pop it in the oven and serve with a pickle or canned green beans.

    Recipe:

    *Chop 1 onion and cook in skillet
    *Add 1lb ground beef to skillet and brown
    *Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup
    *Pour into 8x8 baking pan
    *Top with Tatertots
    *Cook as indicated on Tatertot packaging

    Serve with lots of ketchup!

  • Oh - Costco sells canned chicken that is great for quick chicken taco's or my fav - nacho's. Just open can and throw in a skillet with taco seasoning. Don't drain water or add water. Stir until heated and water has cooked down. It is on the salty side, but I like salty. It is my food vice. Besides sugar.
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  • imagepinktulips:
    Oh - Costco sells canned chicken that is great for quick chicken taco's or my fav - nacho's. Just open can and throw in a skillet with taco seasoning. Don't drain water or add water. Stir until heated and water has cooked down. It is on the salty side, but I like salty. It is my food vice. Besides sugar.

    LOL at your favorite foods : )
    If you want it less salty you could rinse it and cook it in fresh water.
    Boy 10.6.13
    Labored at freestanding birth center using hypnobirthing techniques
    Delivered via csection
  • Frozen chicken breasts or thighs are always easy.  Put them in a baking dish, top with your favorite italian salad dressing (Wishbone's italian dressing is great for this) and bake until done.  We also like the organic instant mashed potatoes from Costco.  I don't usually like instant mashed potatoes but these actually taste like potatoes and are quite good. They do require use of the stove for about 4 minutes though.

    Another oven dish could be meatloaf - you can prepare ahead of time and pop in the oven.

  • This "recipe" for crockpot pulled pork sandwiches.  It's so simple (4 ingredients!!), it uses rootbeer of all things, and it's GOOD!  The root beer does something magical to the meat.  I'd pair it with some deli potato/pasta salad and maybe some fruit and you're good to go!  You can use chicken breast if you like, but I think the pork is more flavorful.  :)

    https://deborahsw.blogspot.com/2007/07/slow-cooker-pulled-pork.html

    -Deborah
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  • If you're going to Coscto - one of our favorite Costco dishes from the frozen section is Garlic Chicken Pasta.  You can throw it in a pan, throw in the required water and let it simmer until it's done.

    That's it.

    Also - Marie Callendar Pot Pies (also at Costco) are some of our favorite if we're in a non-cooking mood.

  • Chicken salad sandwiches

    Costco's canned chicken, red grapes, celery, onion, mayo

  • Thanks for all the tips ladies. I ended up picking up the fixings for french dip (in addition to the things I listed). There were some great ideas here though so I'm going to keep this for next week (and the week after that and the week after that) since this will be my life through October 15th. Gotta love tax season.
  • Not a meal idea but when DS was that age, he went through the same thing.  My saving grace was to get him involved in the kitchen.  I got a big rubbermade of tupperware and he played with that and wooden spoons and pan lids while I cooked.  We also introduced magnets at that age and he's play on the fridge and we'd talk about the colors and letters.  I was still engaged with him but had free hands. 

    Good luck!!

    BIG Brother born 10/19/07 little Brother born 1/31/12
  • imageCDMay2006:

    imagepinktulips:
    Oh - Costco sells canned chicken that is great for quick chicken taco's or my fav - nacho's. Just open can and throw in a skillet with taco seasoning. Don't drain water or add water. Stir until heated and water has cooked down. It is on the salty side, but I like salty. It is my food vice. Besides sugar.

    LOL at your favorite foods : )
    If you want it less salty you could rinse it and cook it in fresh water.

    I have never thought of that. :)

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  • I'm made a pork tenderloin & black bean chili in my crock pot last night (its cooking away as we speak.  The prep was super easy, cut up some pork, open a few cans of black beans, throw in some salsa, chicken broth, onions, turn on the crock pot!  It took me about 10 mins. max of prep last night.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

    Also, I haven't tried this, but have heard it works well.  Microwave rissoto.  You can use whatever you have in the fridge, some cubed ham and peas, chicken & asparagus, etc.  The prep is simple, and you just throw everything into a microwave safe dish and nuke it. 

    I found both recipes online, I think foodnetwork.com and epicurious.

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