What's for dinner? Back to school edition!
Top family friendly meals, tips, tricks and a weekly meal plan and shopping list...
‘What’s for dinner?’ is often the daily-dreaded question come September. Some of us are in the stage of life where we want to start enjoying family dinners with our young one - but feel overwhelmed with where to start as maybe your children only eat chicken fingers and boxed mac and cheese? We’ve been there! And we have a few tips for that! Some of us are in that stage of life where carpools and after-school activities are abundant and overwhelming and we no longer have that hour before dinner time to prep while the kids watch TV - this is where Leigh and I are!! We have tips for that too! OR, maybe you are just in a dinner inspiration rut and need some help. We have tips for that also! No matter where you are in your “making dinner” journey, we are here to try and make it a bit easier!
A Back to School Weekly Menu:
Monday: Thai Meatballs with Rice & Green Beans
Tuesday: Carnitas Tacos
Wednesday: Veggie & Sausage Ragu
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
Saturday: Dinner Out
Sunday: Chicken for Lazy People
‘Elegant yet Easy’ recipe (subscribers only): Sheet Pan BBQ Turkey Meatloaf with Ranchy Roasted Potatoes & Broccoli
Some other family favorites: My son will normally request this pasta, stuffed peppers, beef tacos or crispy chicken (I always make and freeze a big batch of this). My daughter loves all all meatballs, frequently requests slow cooker BBQ (which I serve with roasted sweet potatoes and a green veggie) and our loves our orange butter salmon with coconut rice.
Family Dinner Tips:
Meal plan on Sunday for the week! I am obsessed with this planner, and on Sunday I sit down and plan out the whole week. I ask the kids what they want that week, letting them each pick a meal (and they can’t pick the same thing two weeks in a row!). I look through the ‘dinner’ note on my phone where I jot down recipes I want to try when they come to mind, or peruse cookbooks (these are my favorites for family dinners) or search through what I have saved on Instagram. Then I make a plan we are all excited about! Bonus, our friends at James Point are offering 20% off their wonderful planner.
If you can double the recipe, do it! Then freeze half for another meal. We love these containers for freezing.
Don’t love to cook? Pick two or three dishes that everyone in your family will like and start making them. Each time you make a recipe, it will get easier and easier and and soon it WILL be ‘easy’:)
Making family dinners feel special will at least have you feeling like they are worth the effort! Set the table, or better yet have your kids set the table! Jobs and purpose are good for them, and having a set table shows that family dinner is a sacred time. We love these wipeable mats, no iron napkins, and have found that putting glasses and a pitcher of water on the table is easier for the kids then filling individual glasses.
We are not experts when it comes to feeding kids, but we can share what has worked for us! When we transitioned from toddler foods (yes, feeding them what you eat the whole time is ideal but not always realistic), we started by making sure there was always something on their plate that they liked - it could be rice or pasta! And eventually they start to try/eat all parts of the meal. Give it time! My kids have done the 100 new foods challenge twice! When they hit 100, they pick their prize. (My kids chose dinner at a Hibachi Grill.)
Always have your freezer stocked with a few back-up items from the grocery store (Trader Joes has great frozen meatballs, dumplings, stir frys and pastas). “Breakfast for dinner” is always a great option as well! Leigh’s family has breakfast for dinner at least once every other week!
Having these few items in your kitchen will really make executing family dinners easier: an extra large baking sheet, a not at all fancy or expensive slow cooker, good non-stick pans, the perfect spatula, and a good dutch oven that you will have for life.
Three things that make me not hate cooking and dishes: I wear plastic gloves when handling meat, latex gloves when washing dishes, and am always listening to a podcast or audiobook when cooking and cleaning so it feels joyful instead of dreadful.
We also rounded up at few of our favorite cookbooks that have great family friendly dinner ideas that we turn to again and again when meal planning!
Family Dinner Essentials:
For Subscribers Only:
NEW ‘Elegant yet Easy’ Recipe- Sheet Pan BBQ Turkey Meatloaf with Ranchy Roasted Potatoes & Broccoli
Family Dinners Shopping List & Prep Timeline
There is something about meatloaf that just screams family dinner, and there are several reasons why you need this for your recipe box. Meatloaf is a lot like meatballs without the effort of rolling out meatballs, and this one bakes on a sheet pan with perfectly seasoned, crisp potatoes and broccoli (this is the formula for making sure everyone will gobble up broccoli - even you broccoli haters!). You can put this together in less than thirty minutes, which really simplifies and streamlines dinner. The ground turkey is mixed with a few ingredients that create a flavor bomb - guaranteeing that everyone will gobble this up! I love the idea of serving this for a Sunday Supper and sharing it with family and friends. It’s also perfect for weeknight meals! If you have busy weekdays like we do, I have included directions on how you can prep this in advance so it can be popped in the oven for a quick weeknight meal.