Y’allllll. This week is wild.
Orientation. Co-op. Party. Piano. Youth group. All good issues! However whew. I have to work on my afternoon stamina earlier than we add basketball and theater again into the combo sooner somewhat than later.
We’re nonetheless determining the rhythm of this new college yr and whereas our mornings are feeling fairly stable, the afternoons? Yeah… they’re taking somewhat extra adjusting. It’s only a problem when each considered one of them is completely different. I do know you perceive.
And everybody nonetheless must eat and I wish to feed my folks effectively, which, after all, means dinner must be EASY. But additionally good.
Not essentially 15-minute straightforward (although I’ll fortunately take that after I can get it), however acquainted, reliable, everybody-will-eat-it sort of straightforward. The meals I don’t should assume too laborious about and might both prep earlier within the day or throw collectively with out staring blankly into the fridge at 5:30.
So I believed I’d share what we’ve truly been consuming these days. Nothing groundbreaking right here, simply 5 tried-and-true dinners that work very well for this busy back-to-school season of life. Hoping they’ll encourage you to not reinvent the wheel both, however nonetheless eat effectively!
Mother’s Spaghetti Sauce
Beginning with probably the obvious consolation meals reply: spaghetti.
My mother’s spaghetti sauce is a type of recipes I’ve made roughly a million occasions at this level and I by no means get bored with it. It’s hearty and flavorful and, maybe most significantly throughout a busy week, I could make the sauce earlier within the day.
Then when dinner rolls round, I simply boil some noodles, heat the sauce, and name it good.
Generally I’ll make a salad. Generally I’ll heat up garlic bread. Generally everybody simply will get a large bowl of spaghetti and no one complains. It additionally makes sufficient for leftovers, which is principally gifting your future self dinner and freezes so effectively into 2 cup Souper Cubes.
Get my Mother’s Spaghetti Sauce recipe right here.
One Pan Lemon Hen and Orzo
I like a one-pan dinner. LOVE.
And this lemon hen and orzo has change into considered one of my favorites as a result of it looks like an actual, full dinner with out requiring a kitchen stuffed with soiled dishes. Plus, it’s H’s new favourite, which implies it’s up their competing heartily with Shepherd’s Pie and Taco Bowls.
You get the hen, the creamy orzo, the intense lemon taste… it’s simply so good. And regardless that my mind is already shifting towards fall, it’s nonetheless very a lot summer time temperatures round right here, so the lemon retains this one feeling contemporary sufficient for August.
I often serve it as-is or add one thing inexperienced on the aspect if I’ve it. And the truth that the whole lot cooks in a single pan? Bless.
Get my One Pan Lemon Hen and Orzo recipe right here.
Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup
Sure, I do know it’s August.
Sure, I’m already making soup.
I can’t assist myself. Partially as a result of it’s straightforward and multi functional pot (see above), but in addition as a result of it has a lot taste and goes so effectively with hearty rolls (which Okay loves).
This sausage, white bean, and kale soup is such an excellent transition meal as a result of it’s cozy with out feeling like full-on January meals. It’s hearty from the sausage and beans, has loads of kale combined in, and requires little or no effort.
That is one other nice one to make earlier within the day as a result of it reheats fantastically. Actually, like most soups, I feel it could be even higher after it sits for a bit.
Get my Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup recipe right here.
Coconut Lime Hen
This coconut lime hen is a type of recipes I neglect about for some time, make once more, and instantly marvel why I don’t make it extra typically.
It’s crispy and barely candy from the coconut and simply completely different sufficient from common hen to make dinner really feel somewhat extra enjoyable. Not that anybody complains about one other taco rice bowl, however typically it’s good to modify it up.
I often pair it with rice (noticing a sample? We <3 rice bowls) and broccoli or one other straightforward vegetable and dinner is finished. That is additionally one that everybody in my household truly likes, which mechanically earns it further factors throughout a busy week.
Get my Coconut Lime Hen recipe right here.
BBQ Hen Rice Bowls
Oh, take a look at that… one other bowl. However they honestly do make life simpler as a result of you’ll be able to serve it as a bowl, altogether, or as parts for youthful children, or in a tortilla for people who choose.
These BBQ hen rice bowls have been particularly good for busy evenings as a result of I could make nearly the whole lot forward of time. Cook dinner the hen (within the sluggish cooker). Make the rice. Chop no matter toppings we would like. Stick all of it within the fridge.
Then everybody can construct their very own bowl once they’re able to eat.
I often put out some mixture of corn, avocado, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, inexperienced onions, further BBQ sauce… no matter we now have and no matter sounds good. It’s much less of a recipe and extra of an meeting scenario, which is precisely the sort of dinner vitality I want proper now.
Get my BBQ Hen Rice Bowls recipe right here.
And there you could have it! Nothing fancy. Simply 5 dinners which are getting us fed throughout this very full season.
I actually do love this time of yr. I like having locations to go and watching the women get again into the issues they take pleasure in. I just like the return of some construction and routine. I even like seeing our household calendar begin to fill again up.
However I additionally know myself effectively sufficient to know that if I don’t have some sort of dinner plan, 4:30 PM Brittany goes to be very irritated with 8:00 AM Brittany for not considering forward. So these are the sorts of meals I’m leaning on proper now: acquainted, filling, healthful, and straightforward sufficient to suit into actual life.
Now assist me out—what’s your go-to dinner on a loopy college night time? Bonus factors if I could make it earlier within the day!
