Simple nightly quick meals. Any suggestions help... Busy mom...?

Question

I would like some great recipes for Monday - Thursday. Quick tasty meals. Quick desserts for Friday & Saturday kid friendly. Any meals are greatly appreciated.


Thank you in advance.

I have recently tried the muffin-shaped brownies with the hershey kiss inserted in the middle for a added treat.

Answer 1

The modern parent dilemma! What to feed them when you have 20 minutes tops!

Other than preparing stuff on the weekend and freezing it for during the week (like pasta sauces, curries, soups etc), here are a couple of really quick ones.

Quick curry:
Onion, garlic in frypan (we don't use oil anymore - non stick pans - we use a little water instead at the start), then add 2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces.
Brown chicken, and when almost done, use curry powder (we have a local fruit and vege store that has a range of herbs etc in small clipseal bags - I prefer Madras curry powder). Sprinkle enough curry powder to cover the chicken and add a little water, adding red capsicum (bell pepper), as well as any other veges that suit (we have added potato cubes and pumpkin cubes at this point but it depends on how long you want the recipe to take - without potato and pumpkin it will be ready much quicker.)
Separately cook rice or cous cous and serve. Cous cous is great because it can be done in the microwave quite quickly.

Home made pizza using lebanese bread as a base can be really quick too. Use tomato paste and then add anything you have on hand, including fresh tomato and veges under the cheese if you can coax the kids into it. Throw a quick salad together whilst it's cooking.

Taco's, stir fry, pasta bakes...all quick and especially stir fry can be changed for variety with chicken, beef or frozen shrimp, and seasoned with a stir in sauce (which I don't use but for convenience would be great) or use fresh herbs, garlic, onion, fennel, zucchini or whatever you have on hand.

Desserts aren't really my specialty, so hopefully someone else will come on board with that.

I have thrown a couple of free recipe sites that I use from time to time below...don't be put off by the fact that they might be supplied by food companies, they are pretty good...

Good luck!

Answer 2

Really Thick Home Made Vegetable Soup & Toast.

Vegetable Fried Rice.
Make up a heap and keep it resonably plain. For the first meal add some smoked flaked fish to that portion
For another meal add some shredded chicken or cold meat.
Fry or poach an egg so the yolk acts as a flavouring instead of soy sauce.

Curried sausages& onions with mashed potatoes.

Fruit and Jello

Pikelets with Jam and cream

Answer 3

I am all for one dish meals:

Omelets are as great quick one pan meal. Satue the veg (and veg and or meat cooked) can use peeled potatoes you have baked in the microwave and sliced - and then add the beaten eggs cook for 3 mins on high and transfer entire pan to 400 degree oven. Cook for 20 mins, cover with grated cheese cook from another 5-10 mins.

Stew is a good one pan meal you can do slow cooking method.

Pasta with chicken and spinach and mushrooms - cook pasta drain put aside, cook spinach and mushrooms in some butter in a large pan - you can add onions and or garlic - 1 can Campbells mushroom soup one half can milk or cream - Toss the pasta in and eat. You can sprinkle with red pepper flakes, dress it up with green or black olives, you can add chopped egg, grated cheese, pimento, Chicken or pork leftovers.

Fried Rice - one pan - all sorts of vegetables with meat or not and cooked rice. Serve with frozen egg rolls and salad.

Barbequed Pork, Beef or Chicken. Take a baking pan, crock pot or casserole. Put the meat in pour a large bottle of Hickory Smoke barbecue sauce on top (put a little underneath the meat) cook on low heat for at least 5 hours.
You can also make chicken wings in the oven this way with worchestershire sauce, hot tabasco and a little lemon cover and back for and hour if not frozen and two hours if frozen.

Roast - beef chuck or shoulder - put some wine in the bottom of a roasting pan. Put the beef on top put lots of pepper the take 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup dried and sprinkle on and around the meat. Add 2 cups red wine around the sides of the meat and 1 cup apple juice. Bake for 2 hours at 325 then add peeled carrots and potatoes (take some of the juice and put it on the vegs) put the top back on and cook another hour. Baste it all cover again and cook another half an hour.

Answer 4

great dessert is chocolate pudding with cool whip mixed with a couple tablespoons of pnut butter make pudding as directed mix pnut butter with small container of cool whip then layer use a cool glass to serve in if watching calories use sugar free both items

Answer 5

kraftcanada.com is a great website for this they have a section where you can select and print simple weekly menus and the grocery lists to go along with them. I use this feature all the time when planning dinners.

Answer 6

one night a week we enjoy toast with beans and a fried egg on it, with a tall glass of cold milk and canned peaches with ice cream for dessert. Kids have always like it and it is easy, and nitrous with a side salad.

Answer 7

Kids love Mac&Cheese.Another good one is fish sticks.Meat ball hero sandwiches are good.As far as treats go whatever fresh fruit in season is better for them that sweets.

Answer 8

for quick desserts jello is good and cheap.you can change it up by adding canned fruit or little marshmallows or cool whip.good luck.

Answer 9

jello with smarties in it!!!

Also rice krispy squares are very quick to make and tastey! fun to make WITH you kids too!