Y’allllll. This week is wild.
Orientation. Co-op. Birthday celebration. 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 fairly than later.
We’re nonetheless determining the rhythm of this new college yr and whereas our mornings are feeling fairly strong, the afternoons? Yeah… they’re taking somewhat extra adjusting. It’s only a problem when each one in all them is totally different. I do know you perceive.
And everybody nonetheless must eat and I wish to feed my folks properly, which, after all, means dinner must be EASY. But additionally good.
Not essentially 15-minute simple (although I’ll fortunately take that once I can get it), however acquainted, reliable, everybody-will-eat-it sort of simple. The meals I don’t need to assume too arduous about and may both prep earlier within the day or throw collectively with out staring blankly into the fridge at 5:30.
So I assumed I’d share what we’ve really been consuming these days. Nothing groundbreaking right here, simply 5 tried-and-true dinners that work rather well for this busy back-to-school season of life. Hoping they will encourage you to not reinvent the wheel both, however nonetheless eat properly!
Mother’s Spaghetti Sauce
Beginning with probably the obvious consolation meals reply: spaghetti.
My mother’s spaghetti sauce is a kind of recipes I’ve made roughly a million occasions at this level and I by no means get uninterested in 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.
Typically I’ll make a salad. Typically I’ll heat up garlic bread. Typically everybody simply will get an enormous bowl of spaghetti and no one complains. It additionally makes sufficient for leftovers, which is principally gifting your future self dinner and freezes so properly into 2 cup Souper Cubes.
Get my Mother’s Spaghetti Sauce recipe right here.
One Pan Lemon Rooster and Orzo
I like a one-pan dinner. LOVE.
And this lemon rooster and orzo has grow to be one in all my favorites as a result of it seems 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 rooster, the creamy orzo, the intense lemon taste… it’s simply so good. And despite the fact that my mind is already shifting towards fall, it’s nonetheless very a lot summer season temperatures round right here, so the lemon retains this one feeling recent sufficient for August.
I normally serve it as-is or add one thing inexperienced on the aspect if I’ve it. And the truth that every part cooks in a single pan? Bless.
Get my One Pan Lemon Rooster 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 simple and multi functional pot (see above), but additionally as a result of it has a lot taste and goes so properly with hearty rolls (which Ok loves).
This sausage, white bean, and kale soup is such a great 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. The truth is, like most soups, I feel it is likely to be even higher after it sits for a bit.
Get my Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup recipe right here.
Coconut Lime Rooster
This coconut lime rooster is a kind of recipes I overlook about for some time, make once more, and instantly marvel why I don’t make it extra usually.
It’s crispy and barely candy from the coconut and simply totally different sufficient from common rooster 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 normally pair it with rice (noticing a sample? We <3 rice bowls) and broccoli or one other simple vegetable and dinner is finished. That is additionally one that everybody in my household really likes, which robotically earns it additional factors throughout a busy week.
Get my Coconut Lime Rooster recipe right here.
BBQ Rooster Rice Bowls
Oh, have a look at that… one other bowl. However they honestly do make life simpler as a result of you possibly can serve it as a bowl, altogether, or as elements for youthful youngsters, or in a tortilla for those who choose.
These BBQ rooster rice bowls have been particularly good for busy evenings as a result of I could make virtually every part forward of time. Prepare dinner the rooster (within the sluggish cooker). Make the rice. Chop no matter toppings we wish. Stick all of it within the fridge.
Then everybody can construct their very own bowl after they’re able to eat.
I normally put out some mixture of corn, avocado, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, inexperienced onions, additional BBQ sauce… no matter we’ve got and no matter sounds good. It’s much less of a recipe and extra of an meeting state of affairs, which is precisely the sort of dinner power I would like proper now.
Get my BBQ Rooster Rice Bowls recipe right here.
And there you might 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 get pleasure from. 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 properly 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 pondering forward. So these are the sorts of meals I’m leaning on proper now: acquainted, filling, healthful, and simple 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!
