Instant Meals

looks like you have some good ideas. We always had my SD involved in making a "food menu/calendar" so that she would fill in the foods she liked, and then could expect to have them on her nights. As someone else mentioned, pizza, nachos and subs that they help make are great.

Ask the kids to see if they come up with anything more interesting as well, and have THEM help fill out the calendar.

also - hot dog roll ups-the hot dogs cut into half then rolled in crescent rolls and baked are great too.

Dont forget to add a space on the menu for green salad or veggies. Serving them as an appetizer with a dip is a great way to get them to eat it. Have it ready and set it out on the counter while everyone is making dinner.

good luck!

We like to cook taco meat and prepare all the fixings in containers ahead of time then all you have to do is microwave the meat. It's fast and easy.

Casserroles are good pre made, then just throw in the oven for 30 min to get hot and melt cheese if there is any on top. Tuna/noodle cass, enchiladas.....look up some casseroles on the food network website. Also, any kind of meat in a tortilla with cheese..pop in the microwave.. then add lettuce, tomato, sauce. Also works good with just beans and cheese. We like the frozen pierogies for a quick meal. You can eat them with spaghetti sauce, pesto, or just evoo and parm cheese. Make a bunch of lasagna one weekend and freeze for one meal each week. Salad, potato salad, pasta salad can all be premade. Fish cooks fast. Grill cheese and tomato soup is quick and healthy if you use wh wheat bread and real cheese.

Sara,
What about breakfast for dinner? Pancakes, sausage, toast? You could go with boxed pancake mix, or make the batter the day before; it's easy to find pre-baked sausage or bacon. Serve with a quick fruit salad, and there you go! Or grilled cheese sandwiches? Breakfast for dinner was always fun when I was growing up!
Good luck!
K.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Try this website Has some good recipes for the crock pot

Nacho night is a huge hit in my house. I try to add lots of veggies like peppers, tomatoes, olives to make it a little "healthier". Also, tuna melts are quick and easy. You also do a bean layered casserole in the crock. I also do minute rice with a bag of frozen veggies (heated) and then just add a little italian dressing to it...my kids love this! I do add chicken to it if I remember to thaw the chicken ahead of time :D
Check on line for some ideas too. Places like kraft.com will have some good ideas!

Kids usually enjoy "helping" to make food so here's one they might like: set out some hoagie buns, some of their favorite lunchmeats, cheese, toppings, maybe some dressing (italian works well for this) and let them fix their own sub sandwiches. Serve up with a side of Baked Lays or Sun Chips and some cut up fruit that you have ready in the fridge and voila! Quick, easy and pretty healthy overall.

Boboli pizzas (when you can get stuff on sale) is quick and fun for the kids too. We buy the individual size crusts so they can each make their own. They spread the sauce, sprinkle on mozzarella, pepperoni and veggie toppings (precut the night before and put in small dishes in the fridge) and into the oven. Done in less than 15 minutes when oven is preheated. Tip**Hubby and I use BBQ cause and grilled chicken strips with mozzarella and red onion to make a BBQ chicken pizza - yummy!

What about breakfast for dinner like pancakes or french toast or eggs. I have been known to do that when I am short on time and my kids love it.

My kids love "breakfast for dinner" nights. Pancakes, etc. Now that my kids are older they'll eat cereal or PBJs on nights I have to work late. I make a fruit smoothie later to balance the day. Also, sloppy joes, pulled pork sandwiches (I cook a pork loin in the crock pot on the weekend then shred and freeze. I make burritos with that, too) and good ol mac and cheese, if you can handle the fast stuff (Velvetta on boiled mac works good. I cut the cheese in half from whats on the pkg. directions. I think its gross, myself but they like it)

Here are my "go to" meals that I can do in just a few minutes (of course, from time to time I do throw in chicken nuggets & fries-not very often, but it's a big treat at our house when they do get it):

Ikea frozen sweadish meatballs (you can probably get get the same kind of thing at the grocery store). I put them in a microwave bowl with a can of cream of mushroom soup over it. They are already cooked so it only takes a few minutes to heat them up. I serve them over egg noodles. The kids love them. Serve with a canned vegetable.

I have a turbo cooker ("as seen on tv" kind). I also have one of those choppers that you can get at CVS (also "as seen on tv" kind) and I slice red potatoes about 1/4 in thick and put them in the chopper. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare them. I then put them in the turbo cooker with just about a tablespoon of olive oil. It doesn't take much. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to cook them in there. In the meantime, I put a polish sausage in a microwave dish with a little water in the bottom and put in the microwave for about 5 minutes. This is one of my kids favorites. And, the chopper is fun for the kids so usually my 6 year old does the chopping. Serve with a canned vegetable.

1 bag frozen italian meatballs with a jar of ragu makes a decent spaghetti sauce and it's super easy. You don't even have to brown meat. Just throw it in the microwave.

At Costco, they sell cooked turkey in strips (like what you would get on the top of your salad at a restuarant). These things are great. I take the strips and chop them up to chunks and put in a bowl with a can of cream of chicken and a bag of frozen vegetables. I then put it in a pie pan and mix up some bisquick and pour over it to make chicken pot pies. It's super easy and they freeze up nice. I usually try to make four pies at a time.

Mostly, though, what I do is try to cook every two to three days and always have leftovers the next night or two. I hate to cook so it feels like a vacation on the nights that I don't have to cook.

Hope that helps!

L.

How about taco meat in the crock pot and leave shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, and tortillas, and taco shells. I'm sure they'd love that!! Also, another good idea is nachos. All they need is the above and taco chips. My kids love bagel pizzas. They can make them themselves and put them in the microwave or toaster oven. How about cold cut subs??

There are lots of great ideas here, but here are a couple of more ideas: frozen ravioli is great - only takes 5 minutes to cook in boiling water then add spaghetti sauce. It tastes so much better than the canned stuff. Also quaesedillas - have your cheese, meat, tomatoes, onions or whatever you want prepared ahead of time and it only takes a couple of minutes to heat in tortillas in a non-stick frying pan.

I'd check out some of the frozen meals in the freezer section and see if any would work in a crock pot or are skillet type dinners that heat up fairly quickly. Try time bake on your oven, or if you don't have this option - try buying a timer for Christmas tree lights. You can hook it up to an electric frying pay so it heats up the meal before he gets home...

Good luck, and try looking online for crock pot recipes as well.

Other ideas for crockpot stuff:
Frozen chicken breasts yummy
1 jar of salsa
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
8-10 hours on low and then add 1/2 package cream cheese before serving. DELICIOUS and a huge hit in our house

Baked Potatoes in the Crock Pot - wrap in foil and cook on low for 8-10. Then top with bacon, cheese, broccoli, sour cream, you name it.

There are a lot of other things you can make in the crock pot - including using steel cut oats to make a yummy porridge with cranberries and nuts, or even breakfast casserole, side dishes like rice and beans. Think outside the box with your crockpot and you will be pleasantly surprised.

We do tacos a lot. I cook a pork roast in the crock pot and then shred it and freeze portions of the cooked meat. Then taco night, take the meat out heat it up and wrap it up with toppings of your choice. You could also make a couple of Quesadillas with the shredded meat, some salsa, beans and then toppings like sour cream, guacamole, etc.

If you have a Trader Joes nearby they have a great frozen rice packets. 3 minutes in the microwave and you have delcious brown rice. Throw that with some ground beef you have cooked and froze and maybe can of diced tomatoes, play around with the spices you like and in 10 minutes dinner is served.

sloppy joes are awesome in the crock pot.
I also make beef tips in the crock pot...serve with butter noodles or instant rice (both are quick to make, or easy to reheat)
you cut up a sirloin steak into chunks, and sear them in a pan...just enough to brown a little...
put them in a crock pot...with a can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of red wine, 1/2 to 3/4 cup vernors soda, and a package of dry onion soup mix. (you can use just the vernors if you don't want to add the wine)
cook it on low all day... (but it is done after 4-5 hours)
easy...and good!
tacos is quick too
soup and sandwiches...spaghetti (like you said)...
LOVE the "subway at home" idea too...
you can make quick and easy french dip sandwiches too...buy roast beef lunch meat from the deli..and sub buns...cook the beef in some au jus (package of dry mix), throw the buns in the oven for a minute...assemble and eat...

On our nights like this, we either eat cold foods or reheat what I made the night before. I make spaghetti, enchilads, swiss steak, beef stoganoff, goulash, or chicken and rice the night before and then they just warm up their place with what they want. I also would consider taco's or taco salads. There are also frozen pasta meals by several companies that feed up to 4 for a low price and the kids can make it themselves. At the age of 7 and 11, they may want to help you decide what to make. The more involved they are the better it tastes!

Hi S.---A little late, but I'd like to add a couple of thoughts.

First, there is no such thing as an instant meal, unfortunately, especially if you want it to be as healthy as possible.

That kind of leads into my second point. To be effective at cooking healthy meals, it will take regular planning and a great weekly schedule. Sit down with your recipes one day, make the weekly menu, make your grocery list and then do as much prep work as you can on Sundays, or whatever night you choose. Involve the entire family. They should be helping you with this.

I've seen some great quick meal ideas at www.eatingwell.com. Fabulous recipes and they are healthy as well.

Another idea I learned from a Wellness class I'm taking from a naturopath, who has her PhD in Nutrition is this. Make a big pot of a cooked grain, like brown rich or wheat bulgar, quinoa or other healthy grain. That can be the basis of several meals such as soups, stews, casseroles, part of a healthy salad, etc. The possibilities are endless. Give me a call if you have any questions about these ideas. I hope they help.

In health, D. ###-###-####

S.,

You could make breakfast burrtios- precooked scrambled eggs, cheese, cooked potatoes, cooked veggies, or peppers, cooked meat. Anything they like and make them ahead individually wrap then freeze. When you need one for on the go: microwave for 1 minute and then wrap in foil it will stay hot for quite awhile. This method also works well to make frozen burritos.

Another option is to make a breakfast sandwich use a bagel, toast, or engilish muffin for the bread. Fry or scramble an egg, add a slice of cheese and some lunchmeat, microwave for a few seconds, then wrap in foil to take along. (shiny side in).

I cook hamburger, ground turkey, or bulk sausage in my crock pot. No need to add any additional liquid. On low for 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours. Then its ready for any recipe as soon as you get home. Makes a good sloppy joe.

I also will put a whole chicken in my crock pot with seasoning (salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder) add NO additional liquid. Put on low 8 hours and it tastes very much like a deli roasted chicken. You can also use the left overs to make chicken salad, and let the kids eat sandwiches or scoop it up with tortilla chips, or whole wheat crackers.

My boys also love egg salad. Sandwiches would be very easy and you can make the fillings ahead of time, (sometimes I will make sandwichs and individually wrap them and put them in the fridge for busy nights).

Scrambled eggs reheat really well, as do pancakes or french toast (just pop in the toaster). Sausage patties also are easy to reheat, and if you precook frozen hash brown patties I have reheated these in the toaster or toaster oven successfully too.

Sometimes we even make hamburger patties (make a bunch all at once and cook them on a cookie sheet in the oven 350 degrees for 20-30 min) then either refrigerate or individually freeze and when reheating put a slice of chees on top if you want and you have easy, fast cheeseburgers.

Good luck, and I hope I helped.

I do not have many recipes, but check out allrecipes.com there are a ton of recipes for every type of meal.