Quick Back to School Dinners

Kids everywhere are heading back to school! Parent’s are rejoicing and crying at the same time. My darling daughter, Peyton, started kindergarten last week. It’s an exciting but crazy time in our house. I have been spoiled with dropping my daughter off at daycare for the last 3 years. They fed her breakfast, lunch, snack and taught her new skills all while having a blast. Well, now I have to make breakfast, send a snack, plan out lunch AND get her to school on time looking fab. That’s a big change. To top it off I still have to think about dinner. It can all be a little bit overwhelming. So over the next month I am going to be featuring either a recipe or quick meal idea that you can add into your dinner rotation. Sometimes I might even through in some quick after school snacks. But I’m going to try and do one a day for next month or so. Just until we all get adjusted to our new routines. 

So what’s up first? This is a staple in our house because I can keep everything on hand and not worry about it spoiling. Spaghetti! I know it seems like a simple idea. And simple is good. Keep those weeknight dinners quick and simple. If you feel like you need to cook a big meal save it for Sundays. During the week there is just so much going on you shouldn’t be stressing over what’s for dinner. In my house I always keep 2-3 jars of spaghetti sauce on hand. It’s a great staple. I also like to keep 3-4 boxes of noodles. Fun noodles. This adds variety and excitement to the dinner plate. Kids are not going to want to eat the same spaghetti noodle over and over. At least, not my daughter. I also like to keep a few boxes of garlic bread or cheesy bread in the freezer too. They make great additions to many different meals.

So the meal itself is pretty self explanatory.  Boil a pan of water, cook your noodles, drain and add a little extra virgin olive oil to keep them from sticking together. At the same time dump the contents of your sauce into another pan and simmer on low. Now, if you need some meat in that sauce add some already cooked meatballs or cook up some chicken strips and toss them in. While all this is going on follow the directions on the bread and heat it up in the oven. The whole cook and prep time should take no more than 20 minutes. 

While I am waiting for the water to boil I usually take this time to pack a snack for the next day or toss the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Before you know it dinner is ready. This is one of my go to on nights we are just busy. It’s just myself and Peyton so anything I can do to make our meal time a little more relaxing I am going to do.