I recently wrote a blog post about how I plan our weekly meals, but what about those weeks when you are just exhausted, or you have a million things going on? What do you cook then? I'm talking about meals you can literally throw together in five minutes, not thirty minutes. Don't get me wrong, I feel like takeout is a great option, but it can get old after awhile. Here are my throw together healthy meals, and even you can enjoy them, not just your kids:
- Breakfast for Dinner: Scrambled or over easy eggs, with sliced avocado, frozen wild blueberries/peaches with plain yogurt, drizzled with honey or maple syrup
- Roasted Organic Mild Italian Chicken Sausage, Roasted Green Beans and Sweet Potato Tots: Preheat oven to 400. On a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil/parchment paper lay the sausage (I get ours at trader joes, they are pre-cooked, and slice them lengthwise), green beans and tots next to each other. Drizzle the green beans with a little olive oil + sea salt/ freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve with ketchup for dipping, and mayonnaise if you're a mayo lover like Caroline.
- Cheese Plate: Who doesn't love a cheese plate? The kids love this meal and so do I. Two cheeses, one hard/one soft, hummus/veggies, cut up apples, olives, crackers, salami... whatever you're in the mood for. We always have cheese plate fixings on hand.
- Whole Wheat Tortilla Pizza Roll Ups with Marinara Sauce, Shredded Fresh Mozzarella + Fresh Spinach + Marinara Sauce for dipping: Preheat the oven to 400. Again, line a sheet pan(s) with aluminum foil/parchment (saves so much time on clean-up) Lay out the tortillas on the sheet pan (one per child, maybe one or two for you :) ) Spread the marinara sauce on each tortilla, followed by the mozzarella and spinach. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil. Cook for 10-12 minutes, then roll them up and let them sit for a minute or two. Cut into bite size rolls for the kids and serve with marinara for dipping.
- Weeknight Nachos: This is go-to when you really don't want to cook dinner. Throw it all on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and parchment, done. I add extra black beans for more protein and always extra avocado.
- Rotisserie Chicken with a greek yogurt/lemon dipping sauce, served with roasted broccoli + sweet potato fries: Another sheet pan dinner. Preheat the oven to 400. Line the pan as usual, and put the chicken, cut up broccoli, and frozen sweet potatoe fries. You could cut up the chicken, or leave it whole, but I would cover it with foil, so it doesn't dry out. Drizzle the broccoli with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes. Your fries may need a few more minutes, so when you pull out the chicken make sure to keep it covered, so it keeps the moisture in tact.
To make the dipping sauce, combine a half of a cup of plain greek yogurt/ and a tbsp. of lemon juice, salt + pepper.
What are your go-to easy meals when you truly don't feel like cooking? Post some ideas below.
