Need Help or Suggestions for Food Preperation for Hectice Schedule

I went to HEB the other day and bought fajita frozen chicken breasts that are already cooked. I just cook it in the microwave and we can have chicken fajita tacos, chalupas, or quesadilla's. Add lettuce and tomato to it and it makes a good meal.

When I was preggo with #3 a wise woman told me to make friends with my crock pot. You can make ANYTHING in it. Get you a good crock pot cookbook (there are LOTS out there) and go from there.

I also know lots of mom's who cook on the weekend for the week. That way all they have to do is heat it up.

Good Luck!

Hi A.,
You received some great responses - the only thing I would add is to consider a bread machine. This is a yummy addition than can be cooking while you are away as well. And we are discovering the joys of packaged salads/cole slaw. Great side dishes, along with perhaps some fresh fruit, that you don't have to work on @ that crucial - just got home after a long day and need to eat and go to bed time. A crock pot meal, with homemade bread, salad, fruit will still be less expensive and better for you than just about any drive-thru food.

Hope this helps!

I hear you. This is one of those times when you will need to devote some weekend time to being ready for the week..
Make a menus for each day, so you do not have to decide or remember what was planned for the week. Post it on the fridge.We use our gas grill all of the time. It heats up fast, but not heat up the kitchen.Make sure to pull out your crockpot.

In your fridge always have washed and prepped veggies like carrots, Celery, Zucchini, lettuce, chopped onions, chopped peppers.. Whatever your family likes. Or purchase bags of salads so that you all can pop them open at any moment. Keep baking potatoes an sweet potatoes.

In the freezer keep 1lb or 2 lb bags of frozen peas, green beans, corn etc. so they can just be poured into a bowl and microwaved at any moment.

Keep bread, tortillas and Tostada chips always available.
I also like to purchase bags of the freeze dried "refried beans". They are instant and cook in the microwave. Sold next to the canned beans.

If you all like cereal, make sure you always have boxes of non sugar cereal and milk.This a good snack at any time.
Purchase lots of fruit and always have it on the counter.

Eggs, shredded cheeses, lunch meats and peanut butter should always be stocked. These can be used for on the run snacks or a meal.

Then on the weekends you all can prep the following items to help have half prepped ingredients for for the week.

Purchase a lot of ground meat and ground turkey. Cook it all up and season it for tacos. This freezes great. This can be used for tacos, on top of nachos, in burritos. You can add it to a crockpot for chili, it is already cooked and drained.

Grill a ton of chicken breast.. just season them with salt and pepper. These can be frozen or just refrigerated. They can be served as grilled chicken sandwiches on burger buns. Add jarred spaghetti sauce and melt cheese on top for a Italian styled chicken sandwich. Sliced and served on salads. Good on top of Baked potatoes.

Grill a ton of turkey sausages, use the same way as the chicken.. Grilled they freeze great and heat up in no time.

Cook up a huge pot of spaghetti or fettuccine.. after you drain the pasta, add a little olive oil to the pasta and stir. Let this TOTALLY cool. Place it in ziplock bags and store in the fridge.. Now you just pull out the amount you want all week and heat in the microwave or you can just pour some boiling water over it and it tastes just like it did when you first cooked it.. Keep jars of your favorite sauces in the pantry. We like it with just some heated olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and then we toss in Veggies and lightly stir to heat.. Then top with Italian cheese (I like to use the packet of Mr. Gattis cheese packets). Add some of the grilled sausages or sliced chicken breast to the sauce. As you heat up the sauce, the meat will also heat up.

Crock pot cooking can be really easy if you pre prep the ingredients.Purchase the crock pot liners.. They are sold where the ziploc bags are. I store the bags in the pot so I always know where they are..
Purchase roasts. Cut them into per serving sizes. Salt and pepper them lightly brown them, then let them cool. Place in ziplock bags and place in the fridge or do lots of these and separate into bags and store in the freezer for use later in the week. On the morning that you are going to cook the roast in the crock pot, your meat is prepped for the crock pot, add your pre prepped veggies, can of whole tomatoes, garlic some herbs and cook all day..

We keep frozen pizzas (thin crust margarita)from Costco in the freezer and just grill them on our gas grill. Heat to 400 then lower the heat to medium. place the frozen pizzas on the grill and grill for about 12 to 14 minutes. You could add slice chicken or sausage to them. Will not heat up your kitchen! Serve with a giant salad.

Breakfast for dinner is always fast and easy.. I purchase the chubs of breakfast sausage. I slice and then cook them up and then freeze them so they can be heated up in the microwave at any moment. Heat up some giant biscuits or toast. Make biscuit sandwiches stacked with scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese..

CROCKPOT!!
There are so many meals you can make in the crockpot and if you have the digital one, it will turn itselfs to keep warm and stop cooking it.
Like right now I am cooking a whole chicken in it. You can make pork chops and veggies, pizza pie, some mexican casseroles, stew...and so much more.

Have you considered getting a slow cooker and a good slow cooker recipe book? On days when I know we are going to be running around after school I always plan a slow cooker meal so that I can get it started in the morning and then it's finished whenever we get home to eat.

I had an old crockpot for years that I used a lot and then my husband bought me a new one for Christmas. It's programmable so I can have it cook for 6 hours and then it will automatically just keep the food warm after that. I also have the "Fix It And Forget It Lightly" cookbook that has a lot of good recipes in it. There's a whole series of Fix It And Forget It cookbooks out there for the slow cooker.

Good luck,
K.

My suggestion would be to become a crockpot cooker.

You could start out by cooking two meals on Sunday or even Saturday. One meal you could cook and freeze and the other meal you can eat starting Monday.

Just put it in the microwave to heat up to serve.

Also, I would get a big crockpot this way you can cook a big enough meal which could possibly last for two days.

I would also invest in a rice cooker which steams vegetables. Both my rice cooker and crockpot automatically shut off so I can leave the house.

Here are two recipes to start you out:
Chicken w/ Cream of Mushroom
Throw thawed chicken (2 lbs.) and 3 cans of cream of mushroom in the crockpot. Cook for 4 hrs on high and 6 to 8 hrs on low. In the last half hour, throw in a bag of thawed vegetables. You can serve this over rice.

Red Beans and Rice
1 lb. dry red kidney beans
water to cover beans
2 ham hocks for flavoring (optional)
2-1/2 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cups finely chopped green bell peppers
5 bay leaves
salt to taste (1-2 tsp.) added when beans are nearly done
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1 lb. andouille smoked sausage or Polish sausage, cut into 3/4" pieces
4 cups hot cooked rice
Sort and wash beans well. Cover beans with water 2" above beans and soak overnight. Drain just before using.

Place ham hocks, beans, vegetables and seasonings in stockpot with ample water to cover beans by 1-2". Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hrs. or until beans are tender but not falling apart.

Remove ham hocks and pick meat from bone.

Add salt to beans at this time. Add sausage and continue cooking until beans start to break up. Add ham meat and serve immediately over hot cooked rice.

If you would like any other recipes, just email me.

Good luck.

A.,

I am sure that you will receive MANY recommendations to use a crock-pot or slow cooker; you simply cannot go wrong with them! There are hundreds of recipes online when you Google search "Crock-pot or "slow cooker" recipes, so you can choose the foods that your family loves. Of course there are a huge number of "one-dish" meals, like Crock-pot Chicken 'n Dressing, soups, stews, lasagna, stroganoff, chili, etc. But you should experiment with foods that you MIGHT cook in other ways (baking, grilling, sautéing, etc.) -- like meats, vegetables and fruits. I really recommend using MULTIPLE slow cookers for a single meal, so that you have the benefit of cooking foods separately. Perhaps you will cook a beef roast, BBQ pork ribs, or "shake 'n bake" chicken in one slow cooker, while cooking vegetables such as baked potatoes, glazed carrots, green beans with buttered almonds, or steamed broccoli (cheese can be melted over the hot broccoli after you get home and are getting the table set) in another. I like to cook a mix of vegetables that includes potatoes, eggplant, fresh tomatoes, onions -- drizzle them with olive oil and cook about 4 hours. You can even prepare dessert in a 3rd slow cooker. I like to make cobbler-like desserts using fresh seasonal fruits (peaches are great) - or using cherry or apple pie fillings - topped with buttery, crumb toppings. You can also bake apples (or peaches or pears) with a bit of brown sugar and butter in each. Breakfasts can be prepared in a slow cooker, too. Rule of Thumb: Pretty much ANYTHING can be cooked in a slow cooker, so get ready to experiment!

HINT 1: If you do not own a crock-pot (or two), then purchase a smaller one(s) with the removable crock(s); I like the oval-shaped crocks instead of the round ones. The crock part can go in the dishwasher and, if there is "stuck on" or overly-browned residue, you can spray on a little oven-cleaner and let it set while you load the dishwasher to make clean-up a breeze.

HINT 2: You can "start" your crock pots at different times during the day (or night) using TIMERS that you can purchase for a few dollars at a Target or Walmart.

I will also pass along my BEST recommendation for taking the "frantic" out of a hectic lifestyle; and I learned this through EXPERIENCE (though now retired, when working, I was a senior executive for a Fortune 100 company, so my life was hectic 24/7.) Being a Christian since I was a child, I always relied on my faith for strength and guidance. However, I spent years making my DAILY relationship with God a "secondary" priority. When things in my life were at the MOST frenetic, I started reading the Bible daily and spending a few minutes with Jesus in one-on-One prayer. To my surprise, when I began to make God a priority, not only did I get the spiritual boost I sought, but my SCHEDULE became calm, my mind clear and I received the incredible gift of His peace in my professional and personal life. EVERYTHING became easily manageable and it felt as if I had (much) MORE TIME each day. I cannot explain the stress-reduction aside from divine intervention, but I CAN tell you that investing a few minutes in fellowship with God every day will change your busy, crazy life for the better (calmer).

Too many of us live our lives "spiritually" malnourished. Here is my favorite (spiritual) meal or food-related Scripture: "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8 (New International Version)

I'm praying that Jesus will bless you and your family with His peace each day!
Blessings,
K.

I was going to suggest the crock-pot as well. There are many things you can make in it that will save so much time. Also if you have time on the weekends maybe you could cook meals ahead and freeze them. We are a very busy baseball family so I understand your problems. Good Luck!

Have you tried: http://www.supersuppers.com/index.php There's one on Anderson Mill & Bee Caves. I'm on their email list so when they 'clean out their fridge' I stock mine :) I also find myself cooking things on the weekend that we can eat on those busy days. My kids are only 4yrs & 6 yrs so I'm worried about how busy our days will get...I hope this helps! M.

Get a crockpot/slow cooker, buy a recipe book just for slow cookers. You can buy one that has a timer and shuts itself off/turns on, etc. Or, you can buy a light timer (for when you are out of town, shuts lights on and off, etc. ) and plug into that. Set it up for when you want it to start and stop. They also have liners that make clean up a breeze.

Some I use:
Pot roast, dry gravy seasoning poured on, a little water in the bottom, a can of new potatoes, maybe some carrots. Let this one cook on low all day.

4 Chicken breasts (bone in or boneless), salt and pepper (or any seasoning), a little water or lemon juice for the bottom. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours. Can dry out if cooked longer. If frozen or more breasts- cook longer.

Broiled pork chops are easy too. Defrost over night in frig. Then, when you come home, salt and pepper and put under broiler for 5-8 minutes and then turn over and do the other side about the same. Watch closely so they don't burn. Just throw a vegetable in the microwave or on the stove while they are cooking and done.

A.,
I'm in a similiar situation. But my girls are 7 & 9, and we are always on the go... I don't want to start them at this age into junk food.. junkies if we can figure something better out.
Hopefully your replys will help us also.

Hi A.,

Do you have a meal calendar? Plan your meals out a month at a time.

Utilize your slow coooker, when you do have the opportunity to cook make extra and freeze it.

Buy hamburger and other meats in large bulk 5-10lbs. Spend one day a month cooking/preparing/chopping your food for the entire month. For instance brown most of your hamburger,(save a lb or two out for meatloaf). You can carmelize your onions and add them to the hamburger too. After browning and cooling place it in 1lb freezer ziplock bags. You can use this hamburger in sloppy joes, spaghetti, taco salad, stroganoff,lasgana,tacos, enchiladas, hamburger gravy over mashed potatos etc.
Do the same for chicken, pork.

If you need additional ideas please contact me. I'll be happy to give more.

J.

I'd suggest a crock pot that has a built in timer. They are wonderful! You can throw everything in before you leave for work in the morning, it will cook all day and turn off just a few hours before you get home. The meal will stay warm in the pot until you serve it, and it's a breeze to clean up with disposable crock pot bags.

Look through a few of your easy meal cookbooks (I'm a lover of the small cookbooks found at the checkout counters) - or puruse the internet recipe sites - and made up 3-4 meals during the weekend and freeze them (I would suggest the Food Saver type product). We've done this on many occassions and it makes dinnertime so much easier with hectic schedules. When I've done this I usually have a cooking marathon on Friday night as soon as I get home from work or start early on Saturday AM.

Great question. Somehow I forgot all about my crockpot even though we are already into that same hectic school/work/sports schedule at our house, too! Thanks to all the mom's for the crockpot reminder and the motivation to get it fired up again. During the summer, I forgot all about it! One thing I did not see mentioned is that there are also great crockpot recipies online, too. Just do a google search... Thanks A. for the question and thanks mammas for great advice once again!
M.

Hi A.
I can certainly identify with your issue. Trying to find time for things like simply eating can really be a challenge with an active family. And, you will probably get this suggestion lots of times but here goes.....
Take one evening or day (which is easier for you) and cook up simple things.....for instance- spagetti one nite- make enough for two nites and put in individual freezing containers- smoke or bake a couple of chickens- de bone or cut up and do the same - freeze- make some HB patties etc- freeze individually so each one can pick and choose what he/she wants for the evening- .. then just pop in microwave and you are done....cook enough food on one day for several meals at nite ...they don;t have to be fancy- just nourshing -- add a salad or baked potato and kids are satisfied and you are not to frassled to help with homework lol......
good luck and blessings

I understand. Here are few things we do: brown 3 lbs of ground beef with onions, pepper and some season salt. Freeze it in 3 to 4 containers. This can later be used for quick spagehiti, chile, hamburger helper or whatever. The point is the meat is ready, just thaw it out and the other stuff. Takes about 15 mins to get a meal ready. Have plenty of canned vegetables on hand as sides.

Other - chicken and rice. We usually bake a large pack of chicken legs, boil the rice, add 2 large cans of cream of mushroom, season with pepper/season salt to taste, combine in 2 cooking pans and recook for about 40 mins in the oven. This can be eaten for 2 or 3 days, or frozen and saved.

Other - crockpot cooking. one we do is buy a package of stew meat, brown it with onions and green peppers, combine with potatos, carrots, can of corn, celery, and jar of salsa/picante sauce, can of whole tomatoes, whatever else you like in two crock pots. Cook on high about 6 to 8 hours. Eat on for several days or freeze.

Bottom line is to cook a 2 - 3 day meal on Sunday, that can get to Tues or Wed, do canned soup, fish sticks, sandwiches on Thursday......then it's Friday....order out/frozen pizza or eat out! Good luck

I agree the CrockPot is the way to go! Even making it easier would be to create the meals the day you bring the meat home from the grocery store, adding everything and putting it in a ziplock bag. (If you need some ideas for that, let me know and I will be glad to help you! )Then all you have to do is put that in the crockpot in the morning. You can also check out Homemadegourmet.com for some great microwave meals called Season and Steam. Believe it or not, it is real food from the microwave! Good luck!

I like to use the McCormick Grillmates marinades. The ones we really like are the tomato & basil, the white wine & garlic (both are great for chicken) and the mesquite (yummy pork chops). You can mix the marinade (I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar) in the morning, let it sit in the fridge all day, then saute it in about 30 minutes. I also like the Hormel pork tenderloins (the apple bourbon is delicious)--also easy because I don't have to do anything but throw it in the oven for 35 minutes. I also bake a Stouffer's frozen lasagna once or twice a month; it takes a couple of hours if it's frozen, about 45 minutes if it's thawed.

I like to cook in the crock pot. I just throw all the food in and turn it on. When it is ready I switch it to "warm" and leave it for several hours. When my family is ready to eat they just scoop out what they want. It is really easy to eat this way and I fix things this way when we have hectic schedules.

One suggestion or one recipe is burritos. I make these from a better homes and gardens recipe I found. I made a bunch and freeze them and then just defrost as we need them. I put seasoned ground beef, mexican rice, beans and cheese. I also make some vegetarian and leave out the meat. You could make a bunch and freeze them for later. They are yummy, my husband loves them! You could always change up the innards-black beans, wheat tortillas, whatever to make them even more healthy. Let me know if you want the recipe!

Hi A.
The last thing I want to do when I get home after working all day is fix a big meal! The biggest problem I face is planning - I am trying to get better and find that when I actually have a plan ahead of time, the evening goes much smoother!

My biggest advice for your hectic schedule is a crock pot! There are TONS of great recipes online and in special cook books for healthy meals in a crock pot. Get it ready in the morning or even the night before and set it to cook for you while you're at work. Then walk in the house and it's all done! Grab and go if necessary or sit down to a quick family meal!!

My crock pot is one of my favorite kitchen tools!!

Good luck!

I do this when traveling so that my family can have good meals when I am gone. I cook in advance and freeze individual portions that can be easily put in the microwave for a quick meal. Because our schedules are often so different this insures the family will eat a nourishing dinner when I am not able to be home to cook for them.

A.-
I see that pretty much everyone suggested crockpot coooking to you. I have 3 crockpots in varying sizes. Here is a link to a lady who decided to cook something different in her crockpot everyday. Sometimes she plans out a recipe and sometimes she just uses what she already has on hand. She provides pictures of the ingredients and the finished product. She also tells whether or not her hubby or children liked the meal that she tried out. The coolest thing about the website is you can search by the main ingredient. I've tried out many of the recipes like the whole chicken and they were great. She also says if the recipe didn't quite work out that well.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

have you tried cooking the night before?

With the navy life my family and all the going from all directions with the family I hit on several.
Taco salad (use canned chili instead of the cooked meat)
it has all the sauce in it already just put everything
that each person likes and top off with the chili an
cheese.
King Ranch (can use the pre cooked chicken)
Steamed sea food
Meat wrapped with any vegetable season to your taste small
amount of water and cream of chicken or mushroom soup
right out of the can.(This can be done ahead of time)
Just put in the oven.
One pot stews # 1 (with onions if you want)
brown and drain ground beef,frozen mixed vegetables
canned new potatoes (do not drain sliced) 1-2
cans tomato soup right out of the can .
Serve when hot
One pot stew #2 (with onions if you want)
ground beef browned and drained,2-3 cans green beans
with the liquid lg. can tomato soup.simmer til hot top
with mashed potatoe's can use the instant by big spoon
fulls.
Last the crock pot

You should check into freezer "cooking" or Once-A-Month-Cooking (OAMC). I have been doing this since my oldest was a baby and it takes so much stress out of evening meal preparation! What you do is make up a bunch of meals when you do have the time (say a weekend). You can do a search online for Freezer Cooking or OAMC and find several links. There are lots of good cookbooks available too (my library has several). BTW, it's not just casseroles that go into the freezer--some of our favorites are meat or chicken that we add a marinade to and put in a baggie. Pull it out of the freezer in the morning and it is thawed and marinated during the day for you to throw on the grill or put in the oven to cook--easy!

Your kids are old enough that you can have them help in the kitchen too. I have been cooking with my children since they were toddlers--they both love it and will actually eat more of the things that THEY prepare! For you that may mean helping on freezer cooking day, putting something in the crockpot that you've prepared the night before and turning it on, or helping with some sides like salads.

You might want to check out my blog too for ideas and links to more meal planning sites....it is www.mealplanningmagic.blogspot.com. I do not sell anything--just comb the net and do cookbook reviews, etc. to bring it all together for my readers!

Good luck and have fun!