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Quick Dinner Ideas

Another busy weekend is winding down, and even though I love the weekends, and having my husband home, I don’t mind the routine of the weekdays either. We’ve had some beautiful sunshine, and I’m so looking forward to summer days. My oldest is finishing up his first year in college this week, and I’m thrilled he did very well, despite the fact that I home-schooled him for 10 out of his 13 years of primary education.  😛

I’m finishing up the school year with my two youngest, although we still continue to do a few things most summer days to keep the skills they learned this year fresh in their minds. I’ve bought a general comprehensive workbook for each of them relevant to their grade level, and I have them do a couple of pages each day during the summer, plus we’ll do handwriting since we struggle with that a bit around our house. I know a lot of schools aren’t teaching cursive any more, but I still teach it to my children…I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on whether you think kids should learn cursive handwriting or not?

Here’s this week’s edition of “Quick Dinner Ideas.”

To me, “quick” dinner ideas doesn’t necessarily mean a meal you can throw together in five minutes. To me, the quick part comes before dinner time by:

  • having a plan for this week’s dinners
  • having the ingredients on hand–(a.k.a. a trip to the grocery)

That is the biggest hurdle to jump in having a quick dinner. Once you do that, for the most part you are set!

For those nights however, that you literally may have minutes to spare, plan a few super simple dinner ideas:

  • light all beef kosher hot dogs (nitrate free if you can find them)
  • pasta
  • scrambled eggs
  • frozen veggie burgers
  • burritos with whatever fillings I have on hand
  • frozen chicken, veggie and pasta “dinner in a bag” from the freezer section of the grocery
  • a crockpot meal that you started in the morning and is ready at dinner time
  • keep raw veggies and fruits on hand to add to a less than ideal dinner

Check out my post 10 Ways to Make “Making Dinner” Easier.

To help with menu planning and grocery shopping, be sure to check out my free printables:
Dinner Planner and Grocery List Printable
Weekly Meal Planner
Printable Grocery List

Sometimes we get in a rut for breakfast and lunch, so here’s some ideas to get you started:

Breakfast Ideas:
(Any combination of the following)
French toast
Cereal
Fruit
Waffles
Toast
Eggs
Oatmeal
Poptarts
Egg whites and spinach (hubby’s choice)
Pancakes
English muffins
Muffins
Baked oatmeal
Breakfast cookies
Quiche
Cinnamon rolls
Pumpkin pancakes
Baked eggs and cheese casserole
Toasted peanut butter & banana sandwich
Coconut Quinoa Granola

Lunch Ideas:
(We like to add fruit and/or carrots to any of these “entrees”)
Pasta (my kids love it)
Ravioli
Macaroni and cheese
Vegetarian corn dogs
Vegetarian hamburgers
Hot dogs (We like Hebrew National)
Chicken, turkey or ham sandwiches
Graham crackers and milk
English muffins
Peanut butter and fluff sandwiches
Whole wheat toast
Soup
Yogurt or cheese sticks, crackers
Leftovers

Okie doke, on to this week’s quick dinner ideas:

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful HomemakingLasagna Soup
Grocery list:  Canned diced tomatoes, ground beef, pasta sauce, beef broth, pasta, Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Red Peppers and Spinach
Grocery List:  Ricotta cheese, red peppers, spinach, garlic, lemon and fettuccine noodles

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking

Pesto chicken salad sandwiches
Grocery list: Chicken, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise and Italian bread

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful HomemakingBrown beans (Pinto beans) and cornbread

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful HomemakingTaco pie and salad
Grocery list: Pie crust, ground beef, taco seasoning, olives, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, corn chips and salad ingredients

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful HomemakingMeatball Subs and raw veggies
Grocery list: Buns, meatballs, provolone cheese, pasta sauce and raw veggies

Here’s a lowfat but delicious dessert idea for the week:

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking2 Ingredient Apple Angel Food Cake

Hope you have a great week!

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