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Quick Dinner Ideas

It’s a new week, and a new chance to re-asses my priorities, and to make sure I’m giving my loved ones my best.  My neighbor died completely unexpectedly on Saturday, and she was right around my age with a husband and two college-aged sons.  Please pray for comfort and strength for them, and make sure you squeeze and love on your family today.

If you need some inspiration for feeding your crew,
here’s some ideas for this new week:

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 HomemakingVegetable Lo Mein
Grocery list:  Noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, peppers, carrots, snow peas and leafy greens

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking

Chicken, Bacon and Corn Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Grocery List: Chicken, bacon, corn, avocado, lime, cilantro, greens, olive oil, honey and Dijon mustard

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful HomemakingRoasted Garlic Vegetable Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta
Grocery list:  Tomatoes, chicken, zucchini, asparagus, pasta, onion, lemon juice, thyme, oregano, parsley and basil

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking

Mini Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup
Grocery list:  Turkey or chicken meatballs, chicken broth, onion, celery, carrots, canned tomatoes, fresh spinach and seasonings

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking

Baked Oatmeal with Cranberries and scrambled eggs

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful Homemaking

Meatball Stuffed Biscuits and salad or raw veggies
Grocery list: Canned biscuits, leftover or frozen meatballs, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and veggies

For an easy, no bake dessert, this Peanut Butter Popcorn is scrumptious!

, Quick Dinner Ideas, Joyful HomemakingYummy Peanut Butter Popcorn

Have a great week!

2 Comments

  1. Margo, I am so sorry to hear about your neighbor. I will send good thought to her family. Things like that really make you rethink your priorities don’t they? There are so many things we do for our family, yet when we look back at them, many of them seem to actually take time away from our loved ones. I hope you find the balance you are looking for. Your menu looks great. Wonderful summer dishes. I stopped by from OrgJunkie!

    1. Thank you, she was a kind and seemingly healthy lady who was so generous to my children on holidays, and would bring her snow blower over and clean out our driveway sometimes when the weather was bad. These things really do remind me once again of what’s most important in life. Thank you for your sweet comment!

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