Surviving Weekday Dinners

Dinner during the week is a struggle for me.  And, based on recent Facebook posts, I'm not alone.  My days are stressful and by the time the day is over and I go to the gym, I am done.  To be truthful, I am done before the gym, but that is a different story.

I'm a cook.  Even when I lived by myself and was in graduate school, I still cooked.  We're trying to be healthier and to spend less money eating out, so I've made it a priority to cook most of our meals during the week and then we eat out on the weekend.  I try to cook 2-3 meals a week and eat leftovers for lunch and two other nights.  

Here is how I survive dinner during the work week:

Meal Plan

I plan my meals out for the week over the weekend.  Not necessarily every meal, but I know what meals I plan on making, what ingredients I will need and how much time each meal will take.  Then I can look at my schedule and determine what night is best to make each meal. 

Sunday Preparation

I try to prep most of my meals on Sunday afternoons.  Last week I made a chicken casserole for one of our dinners.  I prepared it on Sunday then popped it in the oven when I got home from Zumba on Tuesday. Anytime I use the crock pot, I prepare it on Sunday.  Anything that you can pre-chop ahead of time makes your life easier.  Last week, I didn't actually cook anything during the week, just popped it in the oven or turned on the crock pot.

Chili in the crock pot and chicken casserole - ready for the week!

Have Back-ups

I always have ingredients for "back-up" meals.  Meals for weeks you don't have time to go to the grocery store.  Weeks that are just insane and you forget to lay anything out (if you freeze meat).  Back-up meals can be your savior.  Here are mine.

• Spaghetti - I always have spaghetti noodles and some sort of sauce. If I'm feeling creative, I throw whatever meat and veggies in that we have in the fridge or freezer.
• Chicken and veggies - I buy the individually wrapped chicken breasts.  They are easy to thaw (15 minutes in cold water) and are the right portion.  If you are cheap, you can also buy boneless chicken breasts, split them (if necessary), and then wrap them in freezer portion bags and freeze them.  I'm just too lazy to actually do it. In a pinch, I can make chicken breasts with some sort of vegetable (I keep either canned or frozen on hand). I've baked them and I've used the Foreman.  For baking, I cover in some butter and then put some oregano and basil on it, for the Foreman, I marinade for about 10-15 minutes in balsamic vinegar dressings.
• Homemade pizza - Pizza crusts or pizza dough, pizza sauce or marinara sauce, cheese and whatever you have in fridge works great. 

I don't really do salads, but those are good ideas too. 

Happy dinner making!