What are your go-to easy recipes for dinner?

[mackmama]

I am in a rut. I need some easy and healthy dinners that will please a 5yo and a picky DH. I think I've seen past threads on this but can't find them. What are your go-to easy recipes for dinner? Do you have a weekly schedule to make planning easier? I'm not a big cook, so the easier the better. Thanks!

[daisysmom]

I hate to cook and dinner is just a stressor for me, but my dh is never home in time to cook dinner so it falls to me. Our go to staples the last few weeks has been taco night once a week, chili with cornbread once a week, and salad with rotisserie chicken once a week. My dd doesn't like pasta or pizza but she swims a lit so we need energy food especially when we get home at 7 pm from an hour of hard swimming. I need to find some casserole recipes so I can out something in before we go, but without a noodle base.

[belovedgandp]

I love my crockpot.

Frozen chicken breasts, salsa, can of corn, and can of black beans in crockpot for day.

30-60 minutes before eating I shred the chicken and add cheese to the mixture. Kids eat it like a dip with chips. I eat it like a soup.

[MontrealMum]

I plan a weekly schedule on Sat. or Sun. for the week ahead because I send DH to the grocery store to shop on one of those two days Some of my fave quick and healthy dinners that all 3 of us actually eat are:

-Greek salad: equal parts cucumber, tomato, feta, and olives. You can add a vinagrette to it, DS prefers it w/o. The key is good quality olives and feta.

-convection oven chicken: http://www.food.com/recipe/convectio...er-oven-257638 Serve with rice or quinoa and a veggie.

-smoked salmon: I just buy smoked salmon and serve it with Krispbread or German rye and goat cheese. DS prefers his plain. I like Ikea's gravlax sauce on mine. I often do a 3 bean salad to go with.

-"make your own" pizza - (this is the cheater's version , for the "real" version I make dough in the breadmaker which takes much longer) I buy frozen pizza (Dr. Oetker's usually) and we all add our own toppings. Ready in 15 mins DS and I like this one because it has very little on it and the crust comes out nice and crispy: http://www.oetker.ca/ca-en/our-produ...ozzarella.html No need for a veggie because they're on the pizza!

-Irish stew. I consider this healthy because of the veggies, plus I like that it's a one pot meal . It's not a quick thing to make but it reheats super well so I will usually make a ton and freeze it. It's very easy to make. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_beef_stew/ I usually make soda bread to go with but that makes it not-so-healthy because we usually overindulge.

[MommyAllison]

I menu plan a week at a time - my DH would prefer a 2 or 4 week rotation but I love trying new recipes so a rotation wouldn't work for me, but I know others love it! Most of my recipes come from www.melskitchencafe.com she has lots of quick, normal ingredient recipes and most of them are pretty clean (she doesn't use many processed foods) if that's important to you.

For super quick meals, we do grilled cheese and tomato soup or breakfast for dinner. I've been using the crockpot a lot the last couple weeks as it's gotten cooler out, and it's so nice to have dinner ready with minimal time in the evening! Last night we had this http://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-...-italian-beef/ which is a family favorite!

[candaceb]

Here are 2 recipes that are in regular rotation here and enjoyed by everyone.
This one came from the BBB cooking board - I think catharine posted it a few years ago.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/f...p-recipe2.html

I use regular cream cheese and cheese in this instead of the low fat:
http://www.agirlinthesouth.com/2012/...ed-enchiladas/
I usually make the chicken in the crockpot but have also done it with a rotisserie chicken

[mousemom]

For quick meals, we do quesadillas - I make mine with spinach and black beans, plain cheese for the boys, normally a side of fruit or frozen veggies. We have lots of other quick meals, but they don't qualify as healthy. When we have time to prep ahead of time, we all like the crock pot chicken referred to above (usually serve with tortillas and rice). We also do italian beef in the crock pot that most everyone likes. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16427/s...or-sandwiches/

[azzeps]

I am at my dinner time best when I've planned the weeks dinners out and they're written down on my menu board! This week (bear in mind, DH is out of town for 3 of the nights, so I make "kid food" that's easier on me to prepare):

Sun - Steak and potatoes from Dream Dinners (do you have this franchise? Great to stock the freezer with these!)
Mon - Hot dogs, sweet potato fries, broccoli (those last two are both from frozen)
Tues - Tomato soup with cheese toasts
Weds - Chicken tacos (As posted above in the crockpot - frozen chicken breasts, jar of mild salsa, some taco seasoning, sometimes beans and corn, sometimes not), shredded cheese, tortillas, sour cream; sometimes I make DS a quesadilla because he won't eat the chicken
Thurs - Salmon burgers (from TJs), brown rice (frozen, from TJs), green beans (also from frozen)
Fri - chicken sausages, macaroni and cheese (boxed), cauliflower
Sat - planning on going out after trip to pumpkin patch

last week we also had english muffin pizzas, which were good. My DD is a pretty good eater, but my DS is terrible. I usually try to include a starch I think he might eat, and then I add a cut up fruit (tonight was pears). Sometimes all he eats are the fruits or the bland starch (plain pasta, mac n cheese, rice, etc.)

We have a lot of veggies in the freezer... I find we waste less if I don't buy them fresh, and there's no excuse for not having a veggie. Basically, from frozen, I put any vegetable in a corning ware dish with lid, add some olive oil and salt, and microwave them for 5 minutes.

[azzeps]

Forgot my go-to for Salmon, if you like it... I use Penzey's Northwoods seasoning on salmon. It's very tasty. I'm sure there are other similar seasoning blends, if you don't have a Penzey's. Put salmon on a foil lined pan and under the broiler. Cooks quickly, easy clean up. Also, if you are in a pinch you can defrost fish in the sink right before you cook it.

[almostmom]

Everyone likes breaded with panko boneless pork chops. Can be paired with steamed broccoli and rice or baguette.

Homemade pizza - I buy the dough at the store, make it into a circle, sauce and cheese, on the pizza stone, done.

chicken patty sandwiches.

whole wheat pancakes and sausage or bacon

quick pan fry of a steak, side of raw veggies and rolls or cornbread.

grilled chicken ceasar salad, with homemade croutons (bread cut into cubes that I keep in the freezer, tossed with salt and olive oil, toasted).

steamed cabbage and pan-fried tofu with peanut sauce.

pasta with steamed broccoli and chicken sausage.

Baked bbq chicken with cornbread and salad.