Do you ever have one of “those” days? You know the kind I mean. You’ve got to work, pick the kids up from school, take them to their after-school activities, and run errands? Oh, and everyone is hungry and ready for dinner. I’ve had these days plenty of times! If you’ve ever wondered how to put on your “superwoman” hat and find quick meal solutions for a busy weekday, here are some tips to help.
5 Ways To Prepare Quick Weeknight Dinners
1. Make A Meal Plan– Have you found yourself staring into the pantry wondering what to cook? That can be discouraging when the entire family is saying, “I’m hungry NOW!” I’ve found the easiest way to combat this problem is to make a meal plan. I decide on a week’s worth of easy dishes, write down the ingredients I need and plan my shopping list around them. Having the ingredients on hand means I know I have everything I need. There’s no last minute trips to the store for one ingredient I’ve forgotten. My meal plan differs from a weekly menu because it’s a general list of dishes I can prepare. I’m not committed to preparing a dish on a certain day. If I (or my family) am not in the mood for a certain dish, I can whip up another.
One of the many reasons dinner might have to be rushed!
2. Prep in Advance- Have some spare time on the weekend? (Yes, I know that’s almost impossible.) Do the meal prep in advance. I like to buy a large package of chicken and divide it into family-sized portions. I place the chicken into gallon sized freezer bags, add seasonings or marinades, and pop the bags into the freezer. Other good options are to chop up veggies, like onions and peppers, and store them in the freezer. It’s no problem to pull out a bag and allow them to defrost in the fridge during the day and cook them in the evening.
3. Use a Crockpot– What’s better than coming home after a long day and finding dinner waiting for you? It’s my secret dream to arrive home and find someone cooking for me. Since that probably won’t happen, I settle for a crockpot. It’s a great way to prepare soups and stews, but there are lots of good recipes for crockpot casseroles and desserts available too.
4. Have One “Go To” Meal– Plan one dish that you can make quickly and keep the ingredients stocked at all times. It’s best to choose a meal with only a few ingredients that you can commit to memory.
5. Use Frozen Dinners – One of my meal planning secrets is to always have a frozen dinner on hand, like the family sized Bertolli Chicken Florentine . It comes in a 36-ounce size, so it feeds the entire family and contains yummy ingredients like chicken, spinach, and pasta. Since it can be prepared in a skillet, it’s a one-dish meal that saves on clean-up too! All I have to do is pour the mixture into the skillet, cover and heat 12 to 14 minutes. I stir it occasionally as I am preparing the rest of the meal. I like to round out my meal with some crusty Italian bread and a salad. Having a frozen dinner on hand means no matter how tired I am I have a meal I can prepare at home. There is also an Ibotta offer on the Bertolli and PF Chang’s Home Menu frozen meals. You can get a $1 off at Walmart!
Sure, it’s nice to go out and eat, but the cost can add up quickly. Plus, I prefer to be relaxed when I’m eating out, not rushed. Knowing I can prepare easy weeknight meals at home no matter how tired I am helps me save on my budget.
What are your best tips for preparing quick meals for your family?
P.F. Chang’s and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu® are registered trademarks owned by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. and are used with permission. Bertolli® is a registered trademark of R&B Foods, Inc., used under license.
When I was working outside the home I found that making a meal plan was essential. It got even more challenging once the kids became active in various evening activities. (I don’t miss those days! LOL)
One of my favorite brands to make pasta the cheating way. This is so good I love the whole collection.
The crock pot has been my best friend since the day i bought it. Saved me so much time and help me make delicious meals – fuss free! Our go-to meal is frozen pizza which we always have in stock at home.
Your tips are so spot on. If I don’t meal plan or prep on the weekend, I tend to order out during the week. My go to recipe is usually tacos in the slow cooker…what are your favorite standbys?
My ricecooker is a lifesaver. Whenever I want something, I research make it. One to go meal is always not enough for us. I will try to make one maybe and experiment more about how fast I can finished doing it.
My kids love those bow tie pasta especially the colorful ones from Italy. I like quick and easy recipes for busy days.
My kids are now so spoiled with these Bertolli meals that they won’t eat other brands! (I’m serious!) The flavor and quality is amazing.
We have crazy busy days, and it is tough to get dinner on the table. These are great ideas, and those Bertolli meals sound wonderful. I will have to check these out!
I religiously meal plan. Every single week. It saves me money, time and my sanity. However there are days when things don’t go as planned. For those days, we opt for frozen meals we have in stock in our freezer. Thanks for these tips too. There are always new hacks and tips to learn everyday!
My crock pot is a life saver! I love the convenience of being able to turn it on and do other stuff instead of slaving over a stove/oven!
Our go-to meal is chili Open cans of beans & chop some veggies…that’s all it takes! I need to add those Bertolli dishes to my grocery list for dinners full of flavor that don’t take forever.
If I were writing this list, it would say give up and just eat ice cream for dinner. This is a much better list! I love frozen meals for nights we have sports or other activities so I can get dinner done fast.
My crock pot is like my left arm. If I don’t have it, I don’t know how I would make it through the week!
Don’t tell my mom but I have Bertolli in my freezer. She’s even eaten it before but I omitted to tell her what it was LOL
Spaghetti is my go-to meal. I always have pasta and ground turkey on hand!
These are all awesome tips to make weeknight dinners easier! The crockpot is a blessing and it’s awesome how efficient and convenient it is!
There’s nothing like having a meal plan for the week! I could never live without a meal plan, I’ve gotten used to how convenient it makes life!
I love making meal plans because they make life convenient for me especially when we’re going to be busy for the week. I think these are all great tips!
I so needed to read this post. Our dinnertime can be so hectic and I need quick tips!
I do like having go-to meals and we shop for all 7 dinners each week. It helps a lot! We’ve had those Bertolli frozen meals before and they’re really good.
Great tips! I always try to batch cook over the weekend so I’m basically eating homemade frozen meals during the week.
I am a big fan of quick meals. I agree that prepping will save you a great deal.
With having kids in school, extracurricular activities and such, dinner ideas can become a chore! Thanks for sharing these tips on preparing quick weeknioght dinners!
I am always grateful for tips on getting dinner on the table faster! Pasta is always a big hit in my house.
Meal planning is really the only tip I’ve got. Ha! I have been meal planning for years now. It saves me time and money.
Love meal planning. Saves me time and money. Don’t have worry or decide what’s for dinner. Always prep all veggies ahead of time.
I try to pre-plan meals as much as possible because if I don’t, it turns into an “everyone fend for yourself” deal and that’s not super great. lol Thanks for the tips!
These are such great tips! I’m so busy all the time, anything that helps me save time is SO welcome!
You had me at quick. If I can do a meal that this quickly completed a happy camper. I am always busy and cooking is just something I do not enjoy. This will definitely help get people food without using too much time LOL.
Using My programmable crock pot is thing ever when it comes to quick meals. I can set it before I leave for work and everyone comes home from work & school to a delicious, home cooked dinner. I like your suggestion of the go to meal. Ours is tacos. Whether it’s chicken, turkey, ground beef or fish, we always have the ingredients on hand for taco night.
Can’t go wrong with a quick and delicious meal during the week. By the way, I love Bertoli! They have the best pasta meals.
I meal plan like it’s my job, and love having a go-to meal. I really need to stock up on some frozen dinners, though! These look delicious.
I love preparing semi-homemade meals. Adding fresh veggies and herbs and preparing in advance is a great time saver. All of your tips are so helpful when it comes to preparing quick weeknight meals.
I’m all about quick meals. All the time. I hate being in the kitchen and cooking. I love these Bertolli meals! I make them often.
I don’t necessarily love cooking, but I do want to make sure that my kids eat a good meal, you know? On busy nights – quick is best 🙂
These are really helpful tips. I do as much in advance as I can – it definitely helps to save time.