School has begun, and already I’m falling into the trap of opting for the easy way out when it comes to making dinner. We’ve eaten 
out way too much and I’ve not stuck to my menu plan. I need to take more time when planning out my weekly menu and think about each evening carefully. I’m hoping to change things this week with a menu plan tailored to fit our busy schedule with soccer and other extra curricular after school activities.
I cannot stress enough how helpful it is to have a menu planned out for the week and how much time and money it saves me to plan ahead. You can visit my Menu Plan Archives to see samples of past menu plans I’ve used. Another thing that helps me with busy nights is to make meals ahead of time and freeze them. Whenever I’m making something that is a “freezable” meal I double the recipe so I can stock some of it away in the deep freeze for future use. This is a huge help! Here’s a list of my favorite Easy Dinner Ideas from the Deep Freeze.
I’ve been spending some time this week putting together a list of my favorite “Easy Dinner Ideas” that I can use as a reference when planning our menu. I hope this list helps you too!
Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Nights ::
Homemade Pizza ~ If you think ahead and have dough and sauce pre-made then making pizza for dinner can be easy. Not quite as easy as frozen pizza…but so much tastier and probably healthier too 😉
Black Beans ~ Cook up a big ol’ pot of Black Beans and then use them for burritos, pizza, quesadillas or serve over rice. So many options!
Tortellini & Sauce with Salad ~ I stock up on both the pasta and the sauce at Trader Joe’s to have on hand for easy dinner nights. We are huge fans of the Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Sauce, it’s SO GOOD. And if you want fresh bread with your dinner try the Easy No Knead Bread – you have to prep it the night before but it really is the easiest bread recipe I’ve ever made.
Taco Tuesday! Ok, we watch the Lego Movie. A LOT. I make a lot of taco meat on Taco Tuesday just using a taco seasoning packet and we have tacos and/or taco salad and then use the leftovers a few nights later to make a Taco Pizza. YUM!
Pizza Hoagies from Chef Barone’s (in Park Hills – you get a kit of ingredients to put together)
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce ~ This one takes some prep-work ahead of time, but it’s so delicious after cooking all day! And the recipe makes a TON of sauce, so you’ll have some to freeze for later.
Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon from Natasha’s Kitchen ~ Tastes super fancy, but it’s super easy to make!
Slow Cooker Three Envelope Pot Roast Sliders from Six Sisters Stuff
Snacks for Dinner ~ Get creative with your leftover night and cut everything up to serve it finger-food style. My kids LOVE this and it helps clear out a cluttered fridge.
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala from Mrs. Smith Cooks (Family Favorite!)
And if you are still looking for more recipe inspiration visit my Recipe Archives!
What’s your favorite “Easy Dinner”? Comment below, I’d love to have some new ideas to try!
