Quick and easy ideas for late night dinners?

Question

I work until about 9pm every evening, and when I get home I'm tired and want to get food on the table for me and my boyfriend quick. Anybody have any good ideas or tips?

Answer 1

Here is a neat trick. Keep chicken breasts in the freezer, and Cream of mushroom soup in the cupboard. Boil some pasta and thaw the chicken in the micro. when you get home. while that's cooking throw some olive oil onions, and whatever frozen vegetable you like, in a pan sautee lightly then add the soup, and bring to a simmer. Toss the chicken in there and cover it until the chicken cooks. remove the chicken and toss the pasta in the remaining sauce in the pan. Youve got delicious pasta and matching chicken. Glamorous it's not, delicious, OH YEAh. Listen you can prepare food ahead of time and freez it yes. But if your anything like me, your never in the mood for whatever you made yesterday. Your best bet is to have those quick rice and pasta boxes on hand. Have a variety, also keep your fridge stocked with fresh veggies and proteins like beef, and chicken. Chicken is VERY versatile. Any chicken with almost any citrus fruit, is delicious. Lemon Chicken, Lime Chicken Pinapple chicken, go nuts. Even orange chicken. Also mixed frozen veggies make great side dishes. Just remember to season them. Sautee them in olive oil, with salt and pepper, add a touch of lime juice and WOW. Most people don't season anything thats why veggies go uneaten. Avoid Potatoes and yams, those take forever to cook. Just remember Proteins with citrus and seosoning makes a great quick dinner. I also have a great fish sauce, just ask

Answer 2

For the summer, how about a bacon and ranch pasta salad?

10 oz or so small pasta, shells or spirals
3/4 c. ranch dressing (you can use lite)
1/4 c. sour cream (you can use lite)
1/2 cup bacon cut up (If you use real bacon, you can cook it in the microwave so you don't deal with the splatter, then cool it in your freezer while making the rest)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
A little bit of veggies, maybe 1/4 small onion diced and 1/2 bell pepper diced

Cook and drain pasta. Run cold water over it to cool and and drain well. Mix the rest together, then combine with pasta. You can either eat immediately or chill overnight and come home to dinner the next day.

Answer 3

The trick is to look at some recipes that you like or sound good and see what you can prep before leaving for work. You can usually prepare casseroles ahead of time - just don't put in the oven to heat and put in the fridge. Then just throw them the oven to heat for 20-30 minutes when you get home, which gives you time to change your clothes and chat for a couple of minutes in the meantime.

Try a broiled steak, salad and garlic toast - takes about 15 minutes total.

If you want chicken, rub with spices and put in a baking dish before going to work, then just put it in the oven when you get home. Add a can of vegies, a quick pasta mix. (about 35 minutes, so may be a little too long for you.)

Pan fry some pork chops, heat a can of baked or ranch beans and a can of vegies. (about 15 minutes)

Put a roast, potatoes, celery, onions in a crockpot before work - come home to a ready-made meal.

Get bottled spaghetti sauce, cook some noodles and add a salad. (about 15 minutes).

Just try to pick simple things that are quick to put together and save the complicated stuff for your days off.

Have fun.

Answer 4

Easy, get your boyfriend to cook if he's home before you are . - if not, Soup with some bread on the side, pasta, - Cook a proper meal one night but make enough for leftovers...
In 20 min.... bake some chicken in the oven - Season the chicken with whatever, wrap it up in tinfoil and put it in the oven. while thats cooking, boil potatos and get them ready for mashing or home style (after their boiled you can pan fry them for a few) while your baking the CK and the Potato's,, do a stir fry vegies...

Answer 5

do your cooking on the weekend. you can then store them in the freezer using one of those food saver machines and then when you get home after work, just reheat. this way you will save time, have a home cooked meal and very little clean-up during the week. plus, if you have to stay late, it takes the guess work out of it for him if he has to eat without you, he can just heat it up and eat. i also keep a lot of soups on hand. i make up large batches of various soups and freeze them in serving sized plastic containers, makes a quick easy meal.

Answer 6

If you've a few moments the night before, buy a pre-made pizza crust and dress it up with tomato sauce, cheese, and other toppings....then freeze it and throw it in once you're home.

Otherwise, scrambled eggs and bacon are surprisingly tasty even at night....with a little shredded cheddar and dash of tabasco if you've got any.

Answer 7

"hot dog casserole" i got the idea from rachael ray, and "tweaked it"
1 pkg smoked sausage - cut into cubes and browned in pan
1 box shells and cheese
cook pasta, during last 5 mins of cooking of pasta add your favorite frozen veggie i.e. broccoli or peas
drain pasta and veggies
with whisk mix cheese pouch with 1/4 c ketchup and 2 tbsp mustard
add pasta veggies and sausage to cheese sauce and mix
it's really good:) and only takes about 20 minutes at most, and you have dairy, starch, veggie and protein all in one. happy eating

Answer 8

Be fore you go to work put something in the slow cooker, pork tenderloin is great. Look up slow cooker on line they have tons of easy recipes, that way your dinner will be ready with very little effort when you get home.

Answer 9

Taco Belle or warm up left overs.

Answer 10

easy mac or raman noodles. or just get another job.