I’ve been back to work for 6 months, but I am still committed to cooking Sunday-Thursday. For me, homemade meals are cheaper, more nutritious and often, tastes better than what we get when we eat out. It also keeps the ‘eat together as a family’ tradition going!
But, let’s face it, working all day, then coming home to cook isn’t always easy.
The lifesaver for me – a menu for the week. Every Saturday I write out the menu for the week. This takes the pressure off of me to think of a meal every day, which for me is the hard part of weekday dinners. This also gives me time to plan out the meals according to what we have going on that week. Soccer practice at 6? We’ll make sure it’s a quick meal. No meetings nor practices? I like to take some time. Long track meets? Well, those are days I just give in and we head to a quick meal at a local eatery.
Here are some of my favorite go to weekday meals.
Chicken salsa wraps – no recipe needed. Cook chicken breasts in the crock-pot oven with taco seasoning, lime juice and salsa. At night, shred cheddar cheese, chop onions, tomatoes and avocado, warm tortillas and you have chicken salsa wraps. My kids love to take the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad – so easy! I use this blackened seasoning recipe, but you can also buy yours at the store. I try to make the seasoning in the morning before I leave for work, so when I come home, I just need to cook the salmon and assemble the salad. The BEST Blackening Seasoning Recipe | The Wicked Noodle
Turkey Burgers with Fruit Salad and Fries – I like to mix my ground turkey with soy sauce, worcestchire sauce and BBQ sauce to ensure the are flavorful and moist. I also like making fruit salads at least once a week – an easy side in place of vegetables that is always a hit!
Baked Chicken Nuggets – this one is also super easy. I bake the nuggets in the oven so they don’t have all the fat from frying. I also use cornflake crumbs and cooking spray to make sure they are crispy. Finally, to make the nuggets feel even better than those from Chick Fil-A, I like to provide a variety of sauces, including homemade honey mustard, BBQ and even copy-cat Chick Fil-A sauce. But go easy on the sauces, it’s easy to get carried away! How to Make Chick Fil A Sauce That Tastes Like the Real Thing! (thefrugalnavywife.com)
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