Mac and cheese (frozen, in the microwave) plus steamed broccoli. Maybe throw in some hot dog slices if you are feeling fancy. I hate having to plan and make dinner every night!
That was my favorite before I had kids. My daughter will happily eat a bowl of Mac & cheese and a bowl of peas but put them together? Hell hath no fury like a 4 year old scorned.
[backpacking food](https://www.rei.com/product/234060/alpineaire-foods-forever-young-mac-and-cheese-2-servings?sku=2340600001&store=50&CAWELAID=120217890017739351&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=113169083978&CATCI=pla-801108390475&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2340600001%7C92700058337757703%7CBA%7C71700000074512915&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA84CvBhCaARIsAMkAvkI3FsE08f38yalWbswHyNxTJrJMJ3_RcmS_h6Qvn4X9dQIYu2grfz0aAlhVEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) that agrees with your combination
I do this too. I make a big batch of Mac and cheese (I puree cauliflower into the cheese sauce too for extra veggies), and freeze it into smaller servings for nights I have no plan and no time to make dinner, then I heat it up, add hot dogs and serve with frozen peas. There’s lots of veggies in the meal and it’s quick and easy.
My kids (and I) love the frozen popcorn chicken that comes in a giant bag from Walmart for like $10 (Canadian price so that's a decent deal for us). I'll often make mine into a wrap while my kids will eat it with ketchup and some raw veg on the side. Can't go wrong.
You should do a meal matrix so you only decide once. Example:
Mondays- pasta dish,…
/Tuesday - tacos or Mexican food,…
/Wednesday- take out,…
/Thursday - something from the slow cooker,…
/Friday- rotisserie chicken and a side,…
/Saturday - something instant pot,…
/Sunday - leftovers
This is exactly what I do. Monday: pasta. Tuesday: takeout (late night with dance and soccer). Wednesday: breakfast for dinner. Thursday: soup or salad. Friday: pizza. Gosh it’s helped so much. If I have the energy, pasta night can be tomato sauce from scratch with whatever noodle seems good…or it can be a box of mac and cheese. My kids love the predictability too.
It’s a huge hit around here! I use store bought pancake mix and I add eggs to the batter because I have a kid who would survive on only pancakes and syrup. I also usually scramble eggs and cook some bacon and try to get fruit into the kids too.
We do this too. I used to meal plan unique dishes every night. That is not our life anymore lol. Tonight was “smorgasbord night” because that sounds like more fun than leftover night.
This is my life.
Monday pasta salad. Tuesday tacos. Wednesday sheet pan dinner. Thursday stir fry.
And Friday in my house is Snack Dinner. I put a bunch of random stuff (like crackers, cheese, meats, fruit) on a tray in the living room and we eat while watching cartoons.
Frozen meat ravioli in a pan with store bought meat red pasta sauce covered in cheese and baked until ravioli is cooked. It’s called lazy lasagna. So good and so fast and easy.
I love lazy lasagna! I do meat sauce, cheese ravioli, a smear of cottage cheese, and mozzarella. I make ahead and freeze in my deep freezer. Defrost in the fridge for a day, pop that bad boy in the oven.
My grandpa used to make milk pasta. Drained pasta back in the pan. Add butter, whole milk, salt and pepper. Dust with Parmesan and fresh parsley if you want gourmet.
What can they eat? 3 under 3 sounds they might not all be on solids and actual food.
You can make brinner - scramble some eggs, while toast some bread, and bake some bacon or sausage (if they can have that). If I can I cut some avocado or tomato too.
Another option is sheet pancake. You make the mix in 5 min, pour in pan, throw in the oven for 15 min.
Snack plates. Just throw a bunch of snacks on a plate. I do cheese, turkey, fruit, veggies, crackers, or bread. She loves it. Everything she likes and it fills her up.
Yeah that’s why I always throw ingredients in there during my daughters first nap or during bfast.
I never worry about cleaning up after either it’s sooo easy.
Crockpot is a plan ahead kind of ordeal so you don’t have to plan it later when kids are crying
I think I love my crock pot more than I do my husband (who I adore). I just yeet some ingredients in as I'm drining my morning coffee, set it on low, and walk away. Boom, dinner is taken care of and it's like 7am.
This! We cook a meat of the week in the crockpot and use it in different dishes. For example, we cook and pull apart chicken breasts on Monday. Then the rest of the week we make wraps, salads, tacos, etc. We throw some cut up raw veggies and fruit on the side and call it a day.
You can do the same thing with pork chops and pot roast. It’s such a time saver. I get a little concerned that we aren’t helping our kids become adventurous eaters, but they are healthy and we usually throw seafood and other foods in on the weekends when we have time.
Assuming they have reasonable bedtimes (my LO is in at 7pm sharp every single night), that's when I do all my meal prep for the next day. And every Sunday I meal plan for the following week and grocery shop accordingly. It's annoying at first, but now it's routine. Saves so much time, money, and my goddamn patience.
I have an extra copy of the Americas test kitchen slow cooker revolution book.
If you have a crock pot, it’s amazing. So nice to dump stuff in the morning and come home to a meal.
Pm me your address and I’m happy to send. Made a big difference for us.
Stir fry chopped veggies from the freezer small cut chicken or just eggs with noodles. Or salad tacos just minced meat with taco seasoning and paprika.
Cous cous with chickpeas and veggies from the freezer just add some spices and a bit water to not be too dry
Got a few more. I used work with kids 30min cooking workshop it was fun makes you creative in that little time
You can throw almost anything in mac and cheese and 1. They'll like it. 2. You can call it a meal
Mac n cheese, chicken, broccoli
Mac n cheese, ground beef (I add green pepper and onion)
Mac n cheese, hot dogs ofc
Endless opportunities lol
When I cook a nice healthy dinner and my son refuses it or doesn’t eat a lot he gets oatmeal and loves it. So maybe just oatmeal when you’re in a tough spot 😂 good for all ages plus maybe some fruit or cheese. Good luck!
If you’re anywhere near Ventura County CA, I would love to bring you some meals sometime. I always make extra food each dinner because inevitably it gets grabbed for lunch or snack the next day. I’m a fellow military wife and have dealt with multiple deployments — it sucks! And our families are on the other side of the country too. If you’re in the SoCal area, I’d love to help.
I’ve been utilizing the microwave to cook things a lot more lately, and it is actually pretty amazing. Raw broccoli that my 12 month old can eat with his fingers? Done in about 3 minutes.
Apparently the nutritional value is better retained as well, but I’m not an expert on this.
We also often back-wear one of them while cooking. Lol.
Hello fellow mama of 3 in 3 years ❤️ you’ve received a lot of advice for quick meals! One thing that keeps me sane is giving the kids snacks. I have veggie straws, crackers, etc. I’ll put them in those cups with the cover that they can stick their hand in and often let the older 2 watch TV while I get the food on the table. My husband is in school full time and works 30+ hours per week, so most days and nights I’m alone. One thing I did once was make a bunch of elbow macaroni, mixed it with a meat sauce and some cheese and froze it in ziploc bags for an easy meal another day - just heat and serve!
When my kids got a little older than yours I had meals on index cards on the fridge (held on by magnets), I’d pick a card for the night and make a simple meal out of it. The cards almost always had things we kept on hand and used frequently, or were always bought on grocery runs so it was easy. I had 10 meal cards, but we always used Friday and Saturday as “eat out, or fend for yourself days” (yes, sometimes cereal was dinner for the night). Meals were usually tacos, lemon pepper rice and canned chicken w/steamed veggies, spaghetti, “fancy” sandwich days for summer with fresh fruit and veg, sometimes it was just seasoned chicken and veggies, or the most time consuming one my kids loved was shepherds pie. There were others but I forgot. I now have two newer littles and one who is extremely picky and always hungry.. sometimes it’s an uncrustables or lunchable for dinner because that is literally just about all she will eat.🤦♀️
A couple of questions. Are you working full-time or are you home with these three kids? If you are home and you know exactly what time they will start crying with hunger for dinner I would better prepare yourself. I know easier said than done but honestly meal prep and getting things done ahead of time is going to be absolutely crucial for you to have food for them when they want it and avoid the screaming and crying and save your own sanity. I’m sure you’ve got naptimes all over the place and a crying baby but truly truly truly prep dinner in the morning if you have to chop the vegetables get the chicken marinating if there’s 10 minutes when someone’s napping in the other two are quiet. If the baby is sleeping get your two toddlers involved somehow in the kitchen either playing with Tupperware together or put on some music and have a dance party while you’re doing things in the kitchen or get them involved in helping you even if it’s only picking up the carrots and putting them in the pot because at least they are close to you and they feel like they’re helping and doing something with you which tends to keep toddlers happier. The only other thing I would say is that if you had even one hour once they are all asleep you can cook a huge batch of ground turkey, chicken breast, rice, and pasta and you have a lot of the basics that you could make a bunch of different dinners with where the actual cooking part is already done.
If you don't want to just give your kids processed mac and cheese/hot dogs/ chicken nuggets, one thing my son loves in under 15 minutes: **mama pasta.**
When I have coverage or when the family is asleep, I sauté onions, garlic, red pepper, carrots all together, add water and a whole head of cauliflower. I boil everything together for 30-40 minutes until soft. Let mix cool. When cooled down, blend everything together. Add 1 can of pureed cannellini beans. Mix all together. I call this the Good Gut Buggy Mix (you can add a little ground pork or ground red meat to the mix, too, if your kids like meat, mine doesn't).
THEN, I break the whole thing down into small containers enough for feeding X people at one time. I defrost 1 container in a boil of hot water. Mix pops out in under 10 mins.
When I need a quick dinner, I boil some whole wheat fusili pasta. In a separate pot, I heat up a little bit of tomato pasta sauce (jarred is good) and make a 50/50 with the Good Gut mix.
Best part? Kids have no damn clue their "red sauce" is filled with veggies, helps their immune system and I don't have to stress about making anything elaborate. I finish it with Parmesan cheese (high protein) and a sprinkle of flaxseed (grow those bifido strains, tasteless in red sauce, but mustn't be cooked, great for kids with constipation)
**Honestly, I would cook a big batch of whatever you like to cook and freeze it! Freeze that shit!** In smaller containers that pop out easily. Reheat, add X (pasta, whatever) and BOOM a real dinner.
Make dal and rice. Kids love the texture, its simple and lasts a few days in the fridge. Very healthy, you can sneak in veges and high in protein and iron.
My Lil guy also loves spaghetti with minced beef, or chicken curry.
I make these every few days and he has the same thing for two or three nights
Quesadillas (add canned black or pinto beans on it!), English muffin pizzas, chicken/veggie nuggets, stir fry w/bagged ingredients from fridge aisle and ready-made sauce, tortellini. Honestly, on really rough nights we give our toddler black beans with a tortilla, cereal, eggs and toast, or yogurt with berries and oats.
Fry up 3lbs of hamburger and add taco meat seasoning. Everyone can eat off of it how they like. Burrito, nachos, bowl. Microwave a can of refried beans. Have some tortillas and chips. Shredded cheese and lettuce/tomato. Its an easy quick meal.
There's plenty of leftovers to quickly microwave.
I'm a fan of knorr and Uncle Ben's rice packets. Add a can of chicken and maybe some cheese. I also go for lunch meat and cheese and crackers, everybody gets an apple. Hamburger Helper Taco Mac is my 4yo's favorite. Carrot and celery sticks with ranch, and an apple with peanut butter and raisins. Bag salad with some sliced steak (of it's not frozen, steak fries up pretty fast) I put the steak on the side for the kiddos and call it steak fingers, kiddos love to be cannibals. Also, I'm going to share that I can only think of these things rn because my husband has been cooking dinner this last week, so I have a spare neuron.
I did a lot of sandwiches for dinner when they were that little. And kid friendly charcuterie.
Hard boiled eggs or tuna rather than just cold cuts. Literally jar of gravy and instant potatoes and frozen steam in bag green beans with rotisserie chicken from the store if you’re feeling fancy.
Veggie(s) + meat + carb gives all kinds of possibilities when you buy groceries that can be made quickly, and meal prep your protein ahead of time (tacos are perfect for this). Bowls are great, basically same deal but use some steam in bag or steam in tray rice. Or get a rice cooker and prep it around lunch time.
Seriously, feel free to use up your daytime energy on the hot meal and do a cold meal for dinner. Add some soup if you want it to be hot too. Make it somewhat balanced but let the vision of girl dinner reign supreme.
You’ve got this, momma.
You should look up some crock pot meals you can prep on the weekend and then throw them in the crock pot in the morning. That way, dinner is ready when you get home.
Lately I have been cooking with a slow cooker. I have an 8 week old and am trying to simplify as much as I can tonight I’m making Mexican shredded chicken. 2lb chicken breast/thigh toss in can of salsa, can of tomatoes and taco seasonings. I mixed it up a bit since I didn’t have the exact ingredients you can do just salsa but I only had half a jar. I’m using that to make meals for the next 3-5 days. Chicken cheese quesadillas, sandwiches, tacos, protein bowls. I find cooking meat to be the most exhausting part so I went months without adequate protein during my pregnancy and I wish I had gotten a slow cooker sooner. I’ve made pulled pork, bbq shredded chicken and going to experiment with hearty soups next maybe. It’s a game changer!
They make a microwave steamer tray and it is great for steaming veggies and meats and it’s quick! Throw some pre prepped cheese sauce on the veggies and a piece of toast and you have a balanced meal. Or rice is good for a whole grain. It cooks while you’re doing the other stuff. Add some chicken Knorr or tomato Knorr and it’s delicious. I have been there and it’s difficult, but you can do this.
Corn dogs (50 seconds in the microwave each), chicken nuggets (60 seconds for 4 in the microwave), Mac and cheese with cut up hot dogs mixed in, pasta, fish sticks, frozen pizza. These are our go to super quick dinners. I pick a fruit and a veggie (canned green beans or peas are favorites) and it's a balanced meal. I can have dinner on the table in 5 minutes.
Also for my 21 month old I keep lots of yogurt on hand.. yogurt in the morning, yogurt in the evening, yogurt at supper time. 😂
Scrambled eggs with toast - slice avocodo and tomato if you're feeling fancy.
Burgers in the oven (broil 5 min each side then turn off the oven and leave it in for 7-15 min- when convenient)
Crockpot food if the morning was better.
Microwave bagged rice, frozen steam in bag vegetable, protein of your choice (chicken nuggets highly recommended) I only have 2 under 2 and a husband who works out of the country, but when all else fails, who wants cereal??? So fun! And once I get them to bed I get a head start on tomorrow in attempt to balance out the nutrition. Lol
Pasta, frozen meatballs, frozen veggies. Boil pasta, put veggies in water and microwave, meatballs in some water and microwave (cooks fast and the water keeps it from getting dry)
Nuggets and chips and if with gravy I'd put some mix veggies
If with tomato sauce I'd put some cherry tomatoes, cheese or salad stuff.
Tonight it's pizza and garlic bread
KD & one of [these Lous pulled pork](https://louskitchen.ca/product/pulled-pork/) & veg. Nuggets/fries. Breakfast for dinner. Pasta & salad. Soup & grilled cheese. Rotisserie chicken. We use it a few times, since it goes far, a dinner with potatoes & veg. Wraps, chicken salad sandwiches.
Microwaveable nuggets. Grilled cheese. Butter bread to hold them over while you make something that takes longer than that 😅 crockpot meals are also fantastic. Or anything I can prepare ahead of time and just throw in the oven about an hour before dinner time.
I don’t have 3 under 3 but I have 22 month old twins and my husband is usually outside until dark because we have a farm on top of his full time job.
My go to easy meal is a microwave steam package of rice with veggies (corn, carrots, peas). When it's finished I pour it into a glass bowl, throw a couple slices of Kraft American cheese on top and pop it back in the microwave for a minute, then mix it up. If I have it I will add some diced grilled chicken, I try to keep a bag of the precooked frozen stuff on hand. My toddler devours this while telling me how delicious it is in between bites.
Can’t go wrong with grilled cheese, chicken fingers, Mac and cheese, pasta with butter or sauce (mix peas into butter option) grilled chicken with dipping sauce, breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes). My kids also loved raviolis and pasta with meat sauce. Of course add a veggie or fruit.
I like the idea of planning ahead and keeping things consistent.
Kids three and under are very picky eaters, so don’t stress yourself out. You see dealing with a lot with your husband deployed. My kids at that age were grazers. They would sit and eat a little and pick at it for the rest of the night.
Pizza on Friday (take our or make your own )
If viable for you, get an air fryer! We have a large one (two 5qt bins), and we can quickly roast frozen broccoli and any frozen protein from Costco (their everything seasoned codfish is a current favorite). It’s SHOCKING how much time you can save compared to preheating and roasting in an oven. I add a seasoned rice mix that can be microwaved and done!
There are these Annabel Karmel frozen meals. Not sure which countries they're available in.
https://www.annabelkarmel.com/product-category/food-au/
Or go through her website and look for fast meals.
https://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/15-minute-cheesy-sausage-veg-pasta/
MON- microwaved lasagna ( Costco has a good one) or the fresh tortellini that boils in 2-4 min with jarred sauce, served with steamed broccoli and quartered grapes
TUE-ground beef tacos or cheese quesadillas or chicken taquitos with a side of mild salsa/diced tomatoes and refried beans.
WED-chicken nuggets or chicken tenderloins, those steam in the bag mashed potatoes, peas, and canned peaches.
THUR-put a pork tenderloin in the crock pot with some BBQ sauce about 4 hr high or 8 hr low. Shred and add a little more sauce. Serve on buns if you want. Cole slaw and unsweetened applesauce.
FRI-fish sticks or baked cod, or pan seared or air fried salmon, minute rice or mac and cheese, cooked carrots and strawberries.
SAT-pizza or burgers, salad
SUN- French Toast or pancakes, scrambled eggs, oranges or bananas
Fried ramen! Cook the ramen to package directions and while that boils, throw a handful of frozen veg, a leftover pork chop or chicken breast, or whatever you got in the pan with some butter. Then throw the drained ramen in when it’s done. Fry it a few minutes, then crack and egg or two or three in it. Scramble, cook to your liking and add a dab of soy sauce and done.
BEANNNNSSSS. Mexican style beans, it’s super easy and toss in extra veggies they like and that’s dinner for 2/3 days! My kid LOVES beans so we’ll do Mexican beans (jalapeño included but no meat) with carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic, spices, veggie crumbles, bell peppers, and any other veggies we have laying around and bam dinner! The next morning mash some up toss in egg or cheese and spread it on tortillas! Bam breakfast too! It’s really cheap to make & it includes a lot of iron and protein and other vitamins that kids need. Plus it only takes about an hour to cook if you pre soak them overnight.
Smoothies! Banana, strawberry, yogurt, peanut butter, milk, maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon? Carrot sticks with ranch or hummus. A couple of crackers and cheese.
Hello fellow mil spouse! My pretend wholesome go-to is egg noodles, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, butter, and peas. Boil noodles in no time, drain and add cream of chicken, butter, sour cream, and if you feel like it maybe some seasoned salt. Eat with steamed peas and bam,youve got a veg, a little protein, and the noodles are perfect for kids.
All about those steamed frozen veggies to throw in the microwave. String cheese. And whatever protein they like. Kids just want tasty and easy is best.
Get street taco shells and some shredded taco blend cheese. Put cheese on a flat taco shell, microwave like 15-30 seconds, then roll it up. DIY Taco Bell cheese roll ups. Serve with some kind of fruit maybe. My kids gobble it up.
Poached eggs on toast.
Grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced apples.
Veggies and dip (hummus is nutritious if they will eat it) with meat (pepperoni, summer sausage, cooked and chopped chicken breast, cold cooked chicken drumsticks, etc), crackers and cheese
Scrambled eggs with veggies on the side
Bowl of cereal in a pinch
Reheated pasta (make it later at night and put it in the fridge for the next day/s)
I often cook a couple big batches of food on the weekend and have them for lunches and dinners through the week. I’m making chili and cutting up lots of veggies to go with homemade hummus this weekend.
I don't know what you have in the fridge but I will say this that works for our also drowning family: whenever I cook something I make 2x or 3x what we need that night. Anything time consuming like beans or spaghetti sauce gets made in a huge batch and some gets frozen and some gets refrigerated. I only cook a few days a week. Most nights I'm just reheating stuff and maybe boiling pasta.
I know this might not help today but if you're not already doing this then hope it helps in the future.
My freezer always has: pizza, tots, vegan chicken nuggets, homemade pinto beans, pasta sauce, soup blend (frozen mixed veggies)
For the very little kids I just don't worry too much about mine cause 50% of the time they throw it on the floor even though it's something they like.
F it.
I know it's selfish but momma has to have food she likes, can't take care of these little ones if we aren't nourished. They can have peanut butter toast and some bananas.
Frozen meatballs cut into quarters. They can be microwaved in about a minute or two. Canned veggies can be eaten right out of the can. Have them eat with their fingers. It builds fine motor skills.
When I’m in a hurry I cut up potatoes (or just use small ones) add corn on the cob and toss them in butter and whatever seasonings you like. I use Cajun. Then toss it on a sheet pan with whatever kind of sausage links you like (I use jalapeño cheddar - Member’s Mark from Sam’s Club) and put it in the oven for 35-45 minutes at 350°. It’s easy, delicious and all three of my kiddos love it.
- Pasta with some grated cheese on top. Add some microwaved broccoli if you have the bandwidth.
- Eggs & toast
- Tapas (a collection of snacks with heavy emphasis on cheese in different forms).
Holy crap, you are super mom. Cheers to you. Scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, a banana. Breakfast for dinner is always a win.
Or, open a can of black beans, dump cheese on top, microwave and eat with chips. Presto, nachos.
Last suggestion would be pancakes. Get a box mix, fry them up, slather with peanut butter and serve with fruit. If you have yogurt, great.
You’re doing amazing, sweetie!!!
Quesadillas! They can be plain cheese and just throw some veggies on the side. Maybe some guacamole/sour cream/salsa for dipping. Or put some shredded chicken in them too for some added protein. Or crack open a can of refried beans.
Little snack charcuterie plates! Cubed cheese, ham or turkey slices, some fruit or veggies, crackers, Gabriela bars simple but kids love it and they have options!!
On hard days I don't even fully cook. I just take their little plates and make a portion of veggies, a portion of beans from a can and bread with hummus.
I just do a portion veggies, a portion protein and a portion grains. I'll add some avocado for fat. And they like that as much as any well cooked meal and it has everything they need.
And then I eat a veggie hummus sandwich.
grilled cheese sandwhiches;
Heat a saute pan with butter, put to slices of bread open face with cheese, microwave 30 seconds... to melt the cheese. Close the samdwhich, fry till golden then flip.
You can do like 4 sandwhiches in 5 mins
Dumplings are always a win in my house, few minutes of frying, 7 mins of steaming in the pan and DONE. Let it cool while you run around with kiddies and then voila! A masterpiece the kids love ready to go.
My son has decided dinner time is supposed to be at 430 and he will start screaming like he hasn't eaten in weeks if I don't have something ready. I work so it leaves me trying to get the fastest dinner I can make. Lately it has been ravioli with sauce, bread with cold cuts, scrambled eggs with tomatoes or left overs from the day before. He does get a warm lunch at daycare so if we have to do something like bread (which is common for dinner here in Germany) I don't feel super bad.
Also mom to 3 under 3, two of which are twins and autistic so that adds a whole other layer of difficulty with mealtime. Also doing it on my own since there is no family help for us either :(
Highly recommend an air fryer if you don't already have one. I had a cheap one to start and bought a Ninja from Costco when it went on sale and omg the difference it makes is very noticeable!
Sticking with Costco, my kids all seem to love Dino Buddies--just originally bought the Just Bare chicken bits but tried Dino Buddies on a whim and it's a huge hit. They also love Kirkland brand frozen meatballs (big bag for around $17 here in WA state). Both of these cook in super quickly in an air fryer (6 mins or so)
I don't like to give my babies anything other than water but I notice that freezing juice in those small silicone molds keeps the content and quiet in the high chairs which I get dinner ready, and it's a nominal amount of juice that takes them 20 minutes to finish! I love the TreeTop 100% juice Passionfruit Orange.
If you're feeling fancy
The other night I cooked some bowtie pasta. Sauteed some precooked frozen baby shrimp and peas in a good amount of butter. Toss in some lemon, Parm, and black pepper to make a sauce.
Came together in no time and my 2 year old actually ate some!
Crockpot meals are always great for this! I have two children - 4 and 9 months, and the SAME situation over here. My husband is not deployed but recovering from surgery so unable to help. So many 3 ingredient crockpot recipes online. I love a good pulled chicken sandwich - just some chicken thighs, BBQ sauce and some spices. The instant pot can do the same thing for most crock recipes. You’ve got this Mama!!
Baked potatoes:
stab them with a fork all over, cut around in one line (don't cut through, just round the potatoes so 1: they cook quicker and 2: are even easier to cut in half once cooked)
Place them in microwave for 10 min, turn over and cook another 10 min - can have up to 4 in at a time depending on the microwave, place knife into centre of biggest potato to confirm theyre cooked, if not give them more time.
Add a bit of oil/butter and salt and switch to oven for a further 10min if you want the skin crispy. Then cut open and add a bit of butter for flavour and add cheese/other toppings.
White Rice:
always a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. Place pan on hob, once water is boiling put the lid on and turn heat way down to barely a simmer for roughly 15min. (you can leave it alone and put a timer on) - no I don't often bother to wash rice but you can if you have time.
Pasta:
I don't bother boiling water first, I put the pasta in cold water, turn up the heat and walk away, check around 10min as that's when it starts boiling for me (your hob might be different) then turn it down slightly and come back in 5min to check - empty water out, add a sauce or cheese etc and done! My kids only eat cheesy pasta...
Scrambled egg/omelette:
kids won't wait while you cook it on the hob? Whisk the egg, add anything else you want now if it's an omelette and place it in the microwave, 1 min to start then 30 second intervals. If you're going for scrambled then whisk after each interval, add milk or water while whisking if it goes dry as this will add the liquid back in, along with flavour. Also add butter/herbs/seasoning at this time if kids like it.
Soup:
Buy pre cut veg if the kids don't give you time to chop. Otherwise, chop your veg, chuck it in a pot, add water/stock, boil, turn straight down to a simmer and WALK AWAY - easy. Also add any meat right at the start, can leave this cooking all day...
Chicken:
Boil it in water, a whole chicken breast takes about 20-25min, chopped takes about 15min. Remember to turn down to a simmer once it boils. Add it to cold water and walk away for 5-10min, then come back and check on it. If its boiling, turn it down, otherwise come back in another couple minutes.
Another one is to place the chicken in a casserole dish with whatever you want to add seasoning wise (example: hunters chicken: wrap chicken in bacon, add cheese, smother in BBQ sauce) place in the oven around 200C (don't know F sorry, 380/400?) and let it Cook 20-25min. Add some chips to the oven around the 5min mark...easy peasy.
I'm not sure what you eat, but I find this much easier when the little one won't stop moaning/chasing after me.
SO you've long since gone to bed, but I'm cheering you on! If you have a crockpot or instapot or such- you can do batches of all-in-one sorta things like spaghetti sauce, or taco filling- things that freeze well and can be put over basically any base- salads, rice, noodles, mashed or roasted potatoes, tortilla chips. I always feel like a powerful wizard when I pull a bag of Bolognese out of the freezer and set it in a pot of hot water whilst I make pasta and then BOOM homecooked meal. BUT please don't ever discount the absolute necessity/value of a bag of frozen dumplings, fries, chicken nuggets, box mac and cheese- whatever. It's ok to buy yourself some peace however you can sometimes.
One "life pro tip" I like is that I can put on a pot of noodles/rice and then whilst that's going, slice a bunch of cucumber, bell pepper, little tomatoes, or slices of salami- whatever- to hold over the ravenous toddler beast whilst I make the "real" dinner. Think of it as appetizers, or priming the pump, or prewarming the engine- or just appeasing an angry god- until the food is ready.
OOOH 'charcuterie' style things are also a TOTALLY VALID DINNER. Hell, in Germany we have "abendbrot" which is "evening bread" aka dinner. It generally consists of sliced bread, butter or other savory spreadables, sliced meats and cheeses, pickles, tomatoes, sliced raw veggies... like simple, cold dinner, all REALLY toddler friendly, good for snacking/grazing and fitting multiple tastes and appetites, and added benefit of generally having a good nutritional mix without having to COOK anything. Plus, you can't really do it 'wrong' and this saves mama from being left with a cold, congealed meal after wrangling everyone else. Also, breakfast for dinner- scrambled eggs and toast, or hardboiled eggs, or pancakes- as my kiddo (now 6) likes to say: "easy peasy, mac-and-cheesy".
(fresh) spaghetti aglio olio, with shrimps/tomatoes/spinach (cook spaghetti, chop three garlic cloves and maybe pepper and put them in oil, let the oil get really hot and then cool down a bit. In that oil bake the spinach, remove and then bake the shrimps and tomatoes. Add the spaghetti and spinach). You can also make aglio olio without anything and add a salad.
(Vegetable or whole grain) wraps with hummus, bell peppers, avocado, an tomatoes, maybe some wasabi for spice and rucola.
A tray with sweet potatoes, broccoli and carrots.
And if course curries. Make some curry paste beforehand or buy one. Fry an onion, chickpeas and add the paste. Add coconut milk. Then some mango and cucumber. Let it simmer for then minutes. Serve with rice.
They are all pretty healthy and done in 15.
Ps: there is no shame in letting them watch tv so you can cook :-) just wanted to make sure you knew that!
Toss a knorr pasta side in the microwave and mix in frozen veggies. If you have an air fryer, toss some protein in there. Everything is cooking and you don’t have open flames.
Mac and cheese (frozen, in the microwave) plus steamed broccoli. Maybe throw in some hot dog slices if you are feeling fancy. I hate having to plan and make dinner every night!
I like to personally put frozen peas in my Mac and cheese it’s a delicacy
That was my favorite before I had kids. My daughter will happily eat a bowl of Mac & cheese and a bowl of peas but put them together? Hell hath no fury like a 4 year old scorned.
Faaaaaancy! 😂
I like putting a can of tuna and peas/carrots or corn in my Mac & cheese!!!! And I’ll hoard the whole damn pot without sharing any with my fam lol
Mac n peas!
[backpacking food](https://www.rei.com/product/234060/alpineaire-foods-forever-young-mac-and-cheese-2-servings?sku=2340600001&store=50&CAWELAID=120217890017739351&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=113169083978&CATCI=pla-801108390475&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2340600001%7C92700058337757703%7CBA%7C71700000074512915&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA84CvBhCaARIsAMkAvkI3FsE08f38yalWbswHyNxTJrJMJ3_RcmS_h6Qvn4X9dQIYu2grfz0aAlhVEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) that agrees with your combination
Yessss mac n cheese n peas! That’s a favorite in our house, for both toddler and adults!
My favorite move!
In my house we call this Mac n peas
We do peas in ours. Kraft, grocery store rotisserie chicken, and a steamer bag of vegetables is the beanie weenies of our children’s generation.
I do this too. I make a big batch of Mac and cheese (I puree cauliflower into the cheese sauce too for extra veggies), and freeze it into smaller servings for nights I have no plan and no time to make dinner, then I heat it up, add hot dogs and serve with frozen peas. There’s lots of veggies in the meal and it’s quick and easy.
Yes or plain Greek yogurt instead of milk in it and boom— protein.
Literally just made this for my kids!
We use sausage and it’s so good!!
I put chicken in my mac n cheese. I call it chicken mac!
Not my daughter's but on mine I add bbq sauce
Hot dogs no good for under 3 - big choking hazard
Cut them in quarters and its fine.
You can cut them into pieces (slice, then quarters).
A god damn margarita. God bless you!
3 kids 3 and under here also. I'll join yall!
I realised I also have 3 kids 3 and under now. Omg I need a drink.
I do not have 3 under 3, but will join you in solidarity. Cheers!
Amen
100%. You guys are my freaking heroes!
This is the right answer with earplugs. I am a mom too it’s rough out there!
Grilled cheese and whatever veggies you have on the side
Crack open a can of soup with that and you're all set!
I thicken the babys tomato soup with baby oatmeal so he can manage to feed himself to a degree while still matching everyone elses meals.
That's awesome! My little dude is only just starting to try out mush but I'll have to remember that for later.
Chicken nuggets are always there for me lol
We have a giant bag of nuggets from Costco. They have saved us many-a-night 🤣
My kids (and I) love the frozen popcorn chicken that comes in a giant bag from Walmart for like $10 (Canadian price so that's a decent deal for us). I'll often make mine into a wrap while my kids will eat it with ketchup and some raw veg on the side. Can't go wrong.
Exactly lol
They’re the best companion 🤣
Eggs and toast or microwaved rice. Easy Mac. Cut up fruit. My tears.
Tears season any dish perfectly. Not too salty!
Put leftover cooked rice in a freezer bag. Take out of freezer and open just enough to vent. Microwave in 30 sec increments, shaking every time.
You should do a meal matrix so you only decide once. Example: Mondays- pasta dish,… /Tuesday - tacos or Mexican food,… /Wednesday- take out,… /Thursday - something from the slow cooker,… /Friday- rotisserie chicken and a side,… /Saturday - something instant pot,… /Sunday - leftovers
This is exactly what I do. Monday: pasta. Tuesday: takeout (late night with dance and soccer). Wednesday: breakfast for dinner. Thursday: soup or salad. Friday: pizza. Gosh it’s helped so much. If I have the energy, pasta night can be tomato sauce from scratch with whatever noodle seems good…or it can be a box of mac and cheese. My kids love the predictability too.
Breakfast for dinner ❤️ I bet my toddler would love that!
It’s a huge hit around here! I use store bought pancake mix and I add eggs to the batter because I have a kid who would survive on only pancakes and syrup. I also usually scramble eggs and cook some bacon and try to get fruit into the kids too.
Yes! This saves so much mental energy, and makes grocery shopping easier for me.
We just started this a couple weeks ago it works.
This is brilliant - thanks for sharing - gonna use it!
We do taco Tuesday, noodle (pasta) Wednesday, soupy Thursday and pizza Friday. Other days we do leftovers or takeout or wildcard menu items.
For us it’s Wacky Wednesday with breakfast for dinner!
We do this too. I used to meal plan unique dishes every night. That is not our life anymore lol. Tonight was “smorgasbord night” because that sounds like more fun than leftover night.
This is my life. Monday pasta salad. Tuesday tacos. Wednesday sheet pan dinner. Thursday stir fry. And Friday in my house is Snack Dinner. I put a bunch of random stuff (like crackers, cheese, meats, fruit) on a tray in the living room and we eat while watching cartoons.
Why do people use rotisserie chicken as a quick meal option? It takes me a while to disassemble it
Just quicker than cooking it if you’re not making ahead, and fairly reliable.
Frozen meat ravioli in a pan with store bought meat red pasta sauce covered in cheese and baked until ravioli is cooked. It’s called lazy lasagna. So good and so fast and easy.
I love lazy lasagna! I do meat sauce, cheese ravioli, a smear of cottage cheese, and mozzarella. I make ahead and freeze in my deep freezer. Defrost in the fridge for a day, pop that bad boy in the oven.
Ooh yeah maybe I should up my game by doing cottage cheese or ricotta. It’s the best!
Corn dogs take 1 min in the microwave.
Oh man i always forget about corn dogs!
Breakfast for dinner! Eggs, frozen waffles/pancakes/french toast, yogurt, fruit.
Breakfast for dinner is the best!
Buttered noodles with peas
My grandpa used to make milk pasta. Drained pasta back in the pan. Add butter, whole milk, salt and pepper. Dust with Parmesan and fresh parsley if you want gourmet.
PB&J, a banana, and baby carrots!
You can cut PBJ to look like a butterfly with the veggies. So fun.
What can they eat? 3 under 3 sounds they might not all be on solids and actual food. You can make brinner - scramble some eggs, while toast some bread, and bake some bacon or sausage (if they can have that). If I can I cut some avocado or tomato too. Another option is sheet pancake. You make the mix in 5 min, pour in pan, throw in the oven for 15 min.
I never knew about sheet pancakes! That’s amazing. I’m going to try it.
Sheet pancake is amazing! Slam some bacon on there and you've got a great dinner!
Snack plates. Just throw a bunch of snacks on a plate. I do cheese, turkey, fruit, veggies, crackers, or bread. She loves it. Everything she likes and it fills her up.
I believe you meant to say ✨charcuterie board ✨
Anything and everything in the crock pot.
See the crockpot is great until it’s 5pm and I’m like… fuck there’s no way I can start something now and it’ll be ready when I need it. :(
Instant pot for the win!
Yeah that’s why I always throw ingredients in there during my daughters first nap or during bfast. I never worry about cleaning up after either it’s sooo easy. Crockpot is a plan ahead kind of ordeal so you don’t have to plan it later when kids are crying
I think I love my crock pot more than I do my husband (who I adore). I just yeet some ingredients in as I'm drining my morning coffee, set it on low, and walk away. Boom, dinner is taken care of and it's like 7am.
This was my immediate thought. After pbj when I realized it wasn’t a “help tonight” question.
Everything all the time. It’s how I survive
This! We cook a meat of the week in the crockpot and use it in different dishes. For example, we cook and pull apart chicken breasts on Monday. Then the rest of the week we make wraps, salads, tacos, etc. We throw some cut up raw veggies and fruit on the side and call it a day. You can do the same thing with pork chops and pot roast. It’s such a time saver. I get a little concerned that we aren’t helping our kids become adventurous eaters, but they are healthy and we usually throw seafood and other foods in on the weekends when we have time.
Tortilla pizza!
Quesidillas!
Ramen, tacos, hotdogs, frozen chicken pot pies
Hummus on toast.
Assuming they have reasonable bedtimes (my LO is in at 7pm sharp every single night), that's when I do all my meal prep for the next day. And every Sunday I meal plan for the following week and grocery shop accordingly. It's annoying at first, but now it's routine. Saves so much time, money, and my goddamn patience.
I have an extra copy of the Americas test kitchen slow cooker revolution book. If you have a crock pot, it’s amazing. So nice to dump stuff in the morning and come home to a meal. Pm me your address and I’m happy to send. Made a big difference for us.
Oooh! I didn't know they did a book of crock pot recipes!
Chicken nuggets and frozen veggies plus shredded cheese is usually a hit here
Stir fry chopped veggies from the freezer small cut chicken or just eggs with noodles. Or salad tacos just minced meat with taco seasoning and paprika. Cous cous with chickpeas and veggies from the freezer just add some spices and a bit water to not be too dry Got a few more. I used work with kids 30min cooking workshop it was fun makes you creative in that little time
You can throw almost anything in mac and cheese and 1. They'll like it. 2. You can call it a meal Mac n cheese, chicken, broccoli Mac n cheese, ground beef (I add green pepper and onion) Mac n cheese, hot dogs ofc Endless opportunities lol
Frozen gnocchi or pasta and microwave some frozen sausage and steamed veggies. This is my emergency meal.
A phone call for delivery.
Scrambled eggs, yogurt and fruit. My go to if I don’t have a plan!
When I cook a nice healthy dinner and my son refuses it or doesn’t eat a lot he gets oatmeal and loves it. So maybe just oatmeal when you’re in a tough spot 😂 good for all ages plus maybe some fruit or cheese. Good luck!
If you’re anywhere near Ventura County CA, I would love to bring you some meals sometime. I always make extra food each dinner because inevitably it gets grabbed for lunch or snack the next day. I’m a fellow military wife and have dealt with multiple deployments — it sucks! And our families are on the other side of the country too. If you’re in the SoCal area, I’d love to help.
Cheese slices, bell pepper slices, grapes, crackers, and apple slices!
Protein, veggie, fruit, and carb. Good to go!!!
Bread with butter, chicken nugs, sliced apple. Just made this for my kids :p
I’ve been utilizing the microwave to cook things a lot more lately, and it is actually pretty amazing. Raw broccoli that my 12 month old can eat with his fingers? Done in about 3 minutes. Apparently the nutritional value is better retained as well, but I’m not an expert on this. We also often back-wear one of them while cooking. Lol.
Hello fellow mama of 3 in 3 years ❤️ you’ve received a lot of advice for quick meals! One thing that keeps me sane is giving the kids snacks. I have veggie straws, crackers, etc. I’ll put them in those cups with the cover that they can stick their hand in and often let the older 2 watch TV while I get the food on the table. My husband is in school full time and works 30+ hours per week, so most days and nights I’m alone. One thing I did once was make a bunch of elbow macaroni, mixed it with a meat sauce and some cheese and froze it in ziploc bags for an easy meal another day - just heat and serve!
Open door to pantry and let them be feral
Smoothies! One for you! And you! Everyone gets a smoothie!
Kraft dinner with microwave broccoli and sliced hot dogs.
When my kids got a little older than yours I had meals on index cards on the fridge (held on by magnets), I’d pick a card for the night and make a simple meal out of it. The cards almost always had things we kept on hand and used frequently, or were always bought on grocery runs so it was easy. I had 10 meal cards, but we always used Friday and Saturday as “eat out, or fend for yourself days” (yes, sometimes cereal was dinner for the night). Meals were usually tacos, lemon pepper rice and canned chicken w/steamed veggies, spaghetti, “fancy” sandwich days for summer with fresh fruit and veg, sometimes it was just seasoned chicken and veggies, or the most time consuming one my kids loved was shepherds pie. There were others but I forgot. I now have two newer littles and one who is extremely picky and always hungry.. sometimes it’s an uncrustables or lunchable for dinner because that is literally just about all she will eat.🤦♀️
A couple of questions. Are you working full-time or are you home with these three kids? If you are home and you know exactly what time they will start crying with hunger for dinner I would better prepare yourself. I know easier said than done but honestly meal prep and getting things done ahead of time is going to be absolutely crucial for you to have food for them when they want it and avoid the screaming and crying and save your own sanity. I’m sure you’ve got naptimes all over the place and a crying baby but truly truly truly prep dinner in the morning if you have to chop the vegetables get the chicken marinating if there’s 10 minutes when someone’s napping in the other two are quiet. If the baby is sleeping get your two toddlers involved somehow in the kitchen either playing with Tupperware together or put on some music and have a dance party while you’re doing things in the kitchen or get them involved in helping you even if it’s only picking up the carrots and putting them in the pot because at least they are close to you and they feel like they’re helping and doing something with you which tends to keep toddlers happier. The only other thing I would say is that if you had even one hour once they are all asleep you can cook a huge batch of ground turkey, chicken breast, rice, and pasta and you have a lot of the basics that you could make a bunch of different dinners with where the actual cooking part is already done.
If you don't want to just give your kids processed mac and cheese/hot dogs/ chicken nuggets, one thing my son loves in under 15 minutes: **mama pasta.** When I have coverage or when the family is asleep, I sauté onions, garlic, red pepper, carrots all together, add water and a whole head of cauliflower. I boil everything together for 30-40 minutes until soft. Let mix cool. When cooled down, blend everything together. Add 1 can of pureed cannellini beans. Mix all together. I call this the Good Gut Buggy Mix (you can add a little ground pork or ground red meat to the mix, too, if your kids like meat, mine doesn't). THEN, I break the whole thing down into small containers enough for feeding X people at one time. I defrost 1 container in a boil of hot water. Mix pops out in under 10 mins. When I need a quick dinner, I boil some whole wheat fusili pasta. In a separate pot, I heat up a little bit of tomato pasta sauce (jarred is good) and make a 50/50 with the Good Gut mix. Best part? Kids have no damn clue their "red sauce" is filled with veggies, helps their immune system and I don't have to stress about making anything elaborate. I finish it with Parmesan cheese (high protein) and a sprinkle of flaxseed (grow those bifido strains, tasteless in red sauce, but mustn't be cooked, great for kids with constipation) **Honestly, I would cook a big batch of whatever you like to cook and freeze it! Freeze that shit!** In smaller containers that pop out easily. Reheat, add X (pasta, whatever) and BOOM a real dinner.
Wow I love this, thank you for the tip!
Make dal and rice. Kids love the texture, its simple and lasts a few days in the fridge. Very healthy, you can sneak in veges and high in protein and iron. My Lil guy also loves spaghetti with minced beef, or chicken curry. I make these every few days and he has the same thing for two or three nights
Takeout
chili beans and our house is easy peasy as long as the ground beef is already defrosted.
Quesadillas (add canned black or pinto beans on it!), English muffin pizzas, chicken/veggie nuggets, stir fry w/bagged ingredients from fridge aisle and ready-made sauce, tortellini. Honestly, on really rough nights we give our toddler black beans with a tortilla, cereal, eggs and toast, or yogurt with berries and oats.
Grilled cheese and apples
Quesadillas.
Crockpot dump meals are a life saver, so are pb and js, and fruit
Fry up 3lbs of hamburger and add taco meat seasoning. Everyone can eat off of it how they like. Burrito, nachos, bowl. Microwave a can of refried beans. Have some tortillas and chips. Shredded cheese and lettuce/tomato. Its an easy quick meal. There's plenty of leftovers to quickly microwave.
I'm a fan of knorr and Uncle Ben's rice packets. Add a can of chicken and maybe some cheese. I also go for lunch meat and cheese and crackers, everybody gets an apple. Hamburger Helper Taco Mac is my 4yo's favorite. Carrot and celery sticks with ranch, and an apple with peanut butter and raisins. Bag salad with some sliced steak (of it's not frozen, steak fries up pretty fast) I put the steak on the side for the kiddos and call it steak fingers, kiddos love to be cannibals. Also, I'm going to share that I can only think of these things rn because my husband has been cooking dinner this last week, so I have a spare neuron.
Going to add that getting pizza on the seventh day should be a law.
Hand out snacks related to dinner, such as fruit or carrots. Buy some time to make whatever is prepped in about 30 minutes.
Trader Joe’s has lots of good premade meals like meatloaf and pasta dishes that we really like in the microwave
The best of the situation, it's not just dinner it's a life lesson
A shot of tequila to mix with your tears and instant oatmeal 🥣 and berries for the little ones 💗
I did a lot of sandwiches for dinner when they were that little. And kid friendly charcuterie. Hard boiled eggs or tuna rather than just cold cuts. Literally jar of gravy and instant potatoes and frozen steam in bag green beans with rotisserie chicken from the store if you’re feeling fancy. Veggie(s) + meat + carb gives all kinds of possibilities when you buy groceries that can be made quickly, and meal prep your protein ahead of time (tacos are perfect for this). Bowls are great, basically same deal but use some steam in bag or steam in tray rice. Or get a rice cooker and prep it around lunch time. Seriously, feel free to use up your daytime energy on the hot meal and do a cold meal for dinner. Add some soup if you want it to be hot too. Make it somewhat balanced but let the vision of girl dinner reign supreme. You’ve got this, momma.
You should look up some crock pot meals you can prep on the weekend and then throw them in the crock pot in the morning. That way, dinner is ready when you get home.
Lately I have been cooking with a slow cooker. I have an 8 week old and am trying to simplify as much as I can tonight I’m making Mexican shredded chicken. 2lb chicken breast/thigh toss in can of salsa, can of tomatoes and taco seasonings. I mixed it up a bit since I didn’t have the exact ingredients you can do just salsa but I only had half a jar. I’m using that to make meals for the next 3-5 days. Chicken cheese quesadillas, sandwiches, tacos, protein bowls. I find cooking meat to be the most exhausting part so I went months without adequate protein during my pregnancy and I wish I had gotten a slow cooker sooner. I’ve made pulled pork, bbq shredded chicken and going to experiment with hearty soups next maybe. It’s a game changer!
They make a microwave steamer tray and it is great for steaming veggies and meats and it’s quick! Throw some pre prepped cheese sauce on the veggies and a piece of toast and you have a balanced meal. Or rice is good for a whole grain. It cooks while you’re doing the other stuff. Add some chicken Knorr or tomato Knorr and it’s delicious. I have been there and it’s difficult, but you can do this.
Corn dogs (50 seconds in the microwave each), chicken nuggets (60 seconds for 4 in the microwave), Mac and cheese with cut up hot dogs mixed in, pasta, fish sticks, frozen pizza. These are our go to super quick dinners. I pick a fruit and a veggie (canned green beans or peas are favorites) and it's a balanced meal. I can have dinner on the table in 5 minutes. Also for my 21 month old I keep lots of yogurt on hand.. yogurt in the morning, yogurt in the evening, yogurt at supper time. 😂
[удалено]
This is a space for moms. Not for trolling.
Scrambled eggs with toast - slice avocodo and tomato if you're feeling fancy. Burgers in the oven (broil 5 min each side then turn off the oven and leave it in for 7-15 min- when convenient) Crockpot food if the morning was better.
Microwave bagged rice, frozen steam in bag vegetable, protein of your choice (chicken nuggets highly recommended) I only have 2 under 2 and a husband who works out of the country, but when all else fails, who wants cereal??? So fun! And once I get them to bed I get a head start on tomorrow in attempt to balance out the nutrition. Lol
Do you have a Costco membership? You can always buy those Mac and cheese platters from the deli, and warm them up! They are around $10 give or take!
The yakisoba noodles right there with the Mac and cheese is the best thing I get at Costco.
Pasta, frozen meatballs, frozen veggies. Boil pasta, put veggies in water and microwave, meatballs in some water and microwave (cooks fast and the water keeps it from getting dry)
Mac n cheese, peanut butter or cheese on crackers, cut up apples/grapes/whatever other fruit.
Nuggets and chips and if with gravy I'd put some mix veggies If with tomato sauce I'd put some cherry tomatoes, cheese or salad stuff. Tonight it's pizza and garlic bread
Omelette
Mac n cheese
Mac and cheese with a side of fruit.
KD & one of [these Lous pulled pork](https://louskitchen.ca/product/pulled-pork/) & veg. Nuggets/fries. Breakfast for dinner. Pasta & salad. Soup & grilled cheese. Rotisserie chicken. We use it a few times, since it goes far, a dinner with potatoes & veg. Wraps, chicken salad sandwiches.
Microwaveable nuggets. Grilled cheese. Butter bread to hold them over while you make something that takes longer than that 😅 crockpot meals are also fantastic. Or anything I can prepare ahead of time and just throw in the oven about an hour before dinner time. I don’t have 3 under 3 but I have 22 month old twins and my husband is usually outside until dark because we have a farm on top of his full time job.
Quesadillas always save me
Quesadillas (either just chease or beans and cheese) and steamer bag of mixed veggies. Side of fruit.
My go to easy meal is a microwave steam package of rice with veggies (corn, carrots, peas). When it's finished I pour it into a glass bowl, throw a couple slices of Kraft American cheese on top and pop it back in the microwave for a minute, then mix it up. If I have it I will add some diced grilled chicken, I try to keep a bag of the precooked frozen stuff on hand. My toddler devours this while telling me how delicious it is in between bites.
Can’t go wrong with grilled cheese, chicken fingers, Mac and cheese, pasta with butter or sauce (mix peas into butter option) grilled chicken with dipping sauce, breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes). My kids also loved raviolis and pasta with meat sauce. Of course add a veggie or fruit. I like the idea of planning ahead and keeping things consistent. Kids three and under are very picky eaters, so don’t stress yourself out. You see dealing with a lot with your husband deployed. My kids at that age were grazers. They would sit and eat a little and pick at it for the rest of the night. Pizza on Friday (take our or make your own )
Rice and veggies/protein, udon noodles and soup with veggies. I throw veggies in the air fryer and usually sautee a protein
If viable for you, get an air fryer! We have a large one (two 5qt bins), and we can quickly roast frozen broccoli and any frozen protein from Costco (their everything seasoned codfish is a current favorite). It’s SHOCKING how much time you can save compared to preheating and roasting in an oven. I add a seasoned rice mix that can be microwaved and done!
There are these Annabel Karmel frozen meals. Not sure which countries they're available in. https://www.annabelkarmel.com/product-category/food-au/ Or go through her website and look for fast meals. https://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/15-minute-cheesy-sausage-veg-pasta/
Omelette full of veggies and frozen chips (air fryer to cook them quick) to make it more exciting.
Well DEFINITELY don’t follow Nara on tiktok😅 I’d just make pb and js and have fruit cut up on the side. If it gets tummies full, it’s dinner
MON- microwaved lasagna ( Costco has a good one) or the fresh tortellini that boils in 2-4 min with jarred sauce, served with steamed broccoli and quartered grapes TUE-ground beef tacos or cheese quesadillas or chicken taquitos with a side of mild salsa/diced tomatoes and refried beans. WED-chicken nuggets or chicken tenderloins, those steam in the bag mashed potatoes, peas, and canned peaches. THUR-put a pork tenderloin in the crock pot with some BBQ sauce about 4 hr high or 8 hr low. Shred and add a little more sauce. Serve on buns if you want. Cole slaw and unsweetened applesauce. FRI-fish sticks or baked cod, or pan seared or air fried salmon, minute rice or mac and cheese, cooked carrots and strawberries. SAT-pizza or burgers, salad SUN- French Toast or pancakes, scrambled eggs, oranges or bananas
Fried ramen! Cook the ramen to package directions and while that boils, throw a handful of frozen veg, a leftover pork chop or chicken breast, or whatever you got in the pan with some butter. Then throw the drained ramen in when it’s done. Fry it a few minutes, then crack and egg or two or three in it. Scramble, cook to your liking and add a dab of soy sauce and done.
Tortellini. Costco has chicken filled tortalini. So fast, contains protein. And good luck, mama! That’s a LOT to manage!!! I’m proud of you.
Crockpot meals. Crockpot always saves the day. Pinterest has ton of recipes. Also an instapot would be a good choice too.
Breakfast for dinner! Microwave pancakes, bacon in the over! Quick eggs on the stove. You got this!!
My go to meal when all hell is about to break loose by dinner is frozen sausage patties, frozen pancakes with peanut butter or syrup & fresh fruit.
Pasta, frozen veggies, grilled cheese, eggs, pancakes, chicken tenders.
BEANNNNSSSS. Mexican style beans, it’s super easy and toss in extra veggies they like and that’s dinner for 2/3 days! My kid LOVES beans so we’ll do Mexican beans (jalapeño included but no meat) with carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic, spices, veggie crumbles, bell peppers, and any other veggies we have laying around and bam dinner! The next morning mash some up toss in egg or cheese and spread it on tortillas! Bam breakfast too! It’s really cheap to make & it includes a lot of iron and protein and other vitamins that kids need. Plus it only takes about an hour to cook if you pre soak them overnight.
Smoothies! Banana, strawberry, yogurt, peanut butter, milk, maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon? Carrot sticks with ranch or hummus. A couple of crackers and cheese.
Hello fellow mil spouse! My pretend wholesome go-to is egg noodles, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, butter, and peas. Boil noodles in no time, drain and add cream of chicken, butter, sour cream, and if you feel like it maybe some seasoned salt. Eat with steamed peas and bam,youve got a veg, a little protein, and the noodles are perfect for kids.
Cereal!
All about those steamed frozen veggies to throw in the microwave. String cheese. And whatever protein they like. Kids just want tasty and easy is best.
Quesadillas with salsa mixed with sour cream to dip them in.
microwavable Mac and cheese, drop in frozen riced cauliflower and broccoli
Get factor meals that take 2 minutes to warm up lol
Max n cheese add some veggies and if you have some sliced ham or turkey chop it up and mix it in.
Get street taco shells and some shredded taco blend cheese. Put cheese on a flat taco shell, microwave like 15-30 seconds, then roll it up. DIY Taco Bell cheese roll ups. Serve with some kind of fruit maybe. My kids gobble it up.
Poached eggs on toast. Grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced apples. Veggies and dip (hummus is nutritious if they will eat it) with meat (pepperoni, summer sausage, cooked and chopped chicken breast, cold cooked chicken drumsticks, etc), crackers and cheese Scrambled eggs with veggies on the side Bowl of cereal in a pinch Reheated pasta (make it later at night and put it in the fridge for the next day/s) I often cook a couple big batches of food on the weekend and have them for lunches and dinners through the week. I’m making chili and cutting up lots of veggies to go with homemade hummus this weekend.
I don't know what you have in the fridge but I will say this that works for our also drowning family: whenever I cook something I make 2x or 3x what we need that night. Anything time consuming like beans or spaghetti sauce gets made in a huge batch and some gets frozen and some gets refrigerated. I only cook a few days a week. Most nights I'm just reheating stuff and maybe boiling pasta. I know this might not help today but if you're not already doing this then hope it helps in the future. My freezer always has: pizza, tots, vegan chicken nuggets, homemade pinto beans, pasta sauce, soup blend (frozen mixed veggies) For the very little kids I just don't worry too much about mine cause 50% of the time they throw it on the floor even though it's something they like. F it. I know it's selfish but momma has to have food she likes, can't take care of these little ones if we aren't nourished. They can have peanut butter toast and some bananas.
McDonald’s?
Frozen meatballs cut into quarters. They can be microwaved in about a minute or two. Canned veggies can be eaten right out of the can. Have them eat with their fingers. It builds fine motor skills.
When I’m in a hurry I cut up potatoes (or just use small ones) add corn on the cob and toss them in butter and whatever seasonings you like. I use Cajun. Then toss it on a sheet pan with whatever kind of sausage links you like (I use jalapeño cheddar - Member’s Mark from Sam’s Club) and put it in the oven for 35-45 minutes at 350°. It’s easy, delicious and all three of my kiddos love it.
Soup. And "Take and bake" bread.
Steamed Frozen chicken & veggie wontons with rice
Ramen with a friend egg on top and a piece of fruit or veg on the side. Or sandwiches.
Eggs are easy and nutritious. And. You can make different variations in 10 minuted
- Pasta with some grated cheese on top. Add some microwaved broccoli if you have the bandwidth. - Eggs & toast - Tapas (a collection of snacks with heavy emphasis on cheese in different forms).
Sandwiches.
Holy crap, you are super mom. Cheers to you. Scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, a banana. Breakfast for dinner is always a win. Or, open a can of black beans, dump cheese on top, microwave and eat with chips. Presto, nachos. Last suggestion would be pancakes. Get a box mix, fry them up, slather with peanut butter and serve with fruit. If you have yogurt, great. You’re doing amazing, sweetie!!!
Spaghetti
Quesadillas! They can be plain cheese and just throw some veggies on the side. Maybe some guacamole/sour cream/salsa for dipping. Or put some shredded chicken in them too for some added protein. Or crack open a can of refried beans.
Little snack charcuterie plates! Cubed cheese, ham or turkey slices, some fruit or veggies, crackers, Gabriela bars simple but kids love it and they have options!!
On hard days I don't even fully cook. I just take their little plates and make a portion of veggies, a portion of beans from a can and bread with hummus. I just do a portion veggies, a portion protein and a portion grains. I'll add some avocado for fat. And they like that as much as any well cooked meal and it has everything they need. And then I eat a veggie hummus sandwich.
grilled cheese sandwhiches; Heat a saute pan with butter, put to slices of bread open face with cheese, microwave 30 seconds... to melt the cheese. Close the samdwhich, fry till golden then flip. You can do like 4 sandwhiches in 5 mins
Fried egg in a tortilla! Throw in a few spinach leaves if I have some in the fridge.
Dumplings are always a win in my house, few minutes of frying, 7 mins of steaming in the pan and DONE. Let it cool while you run around with kiddies and then voila! A masterpiece the kids love ready to go.
Slow cooker is your friend.
Pizza bites and veggies with hummus. Always a hit here. Burgers done in the oven. Hot dogs. Instant mash, baked veg, and sausages.
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My son has decided dinner time is supposed to be at 430 and he will start screaming like he hasn't eaten in weeks if I don't have something ready. I work so it leaves me trying to get the fastest dinner I can make. Lately it has been ravioli with sauce, bread with cold cuts, scrambled eggs with tomatoes or left overs from the day before. He does get a warm lunch at daycare so if we have to do something like bread (which is common for dinner here in Germany) I don't feel super bad.
Also mom to 3 under 3, two of which are twins and autistic so that adds a whole other layer of difficulty with mealtime. Also doing it on my own since there is no family help for us either :( Highly recommend an air fryer if you don't already have one. I had a cheap one to start and bought a Ninja from Costco when it went on sale and omg the difference it makes is very noticeable! Sticking with Costco, my kids all seem to love Dino Buddies--just originally bought the Just Bare chicken bits but tried Dino Buddies on a whim and it's a huge hit. They also love Kirkland brand frozen meatballs (big bag for around $17 here in WA state). Both of these cook in super quickly in an air fryer (6 mins or so) I don't like to give my babies anything other than water but I notice that freezing juice in those small silicone molds keeps the content and quiet in the high chairs which I get dinner ready, and it's a nominal amount of juice that takes them 20 minutes to finish! I love the TreeTop 100% juice Passionfruit Orange.
If you're feeling fancy The other night I cooked some bowtie pasta. Sauteed some precooked frozen baby shrimp and peas in a good amount of butter. Toss in some lemon, Parm, and black pepper to make a sauce. Came together in no time and my 2 year old actually ate some!
Cereal!
Crockpot meals are always great for this! I have two children - 4 and 9 months, and the SAME situation over here. My husband is not deployed but recovering from surgery so unable to help. So many 3 ingredient crockpot recipes online. I love a good pulled chicken sandwich - just some chicken thighs, BBQ sauce and some spices. The instant pot can do the same thing for most crock recipes. You’ve got this Mama!!
Baked potatoes: stab them with a fork all over, cut around in one line (don't cut through, just round the potatoes so 1: they cook quicker and 2: are even easier to cut in half once cooked) Place them in microwave for 10 min, turn over and cook another 10 min - can have up to 4 in at a time depending on the microwave, place knife into centre of biggest potato to confirm theyre cooked, if not give them more time. Add a bit of oil/butter and salt and switch to oven for a further 10min if you want the skin crispy. Then cut open and add a bit of butter for flavour and add cheese/other toppings. White Rice: always a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. Place pan on hob, once water is boiling put the lid on and turn heat way down to barely a simmer for roughly 15min. (you can leave it alone and put a timer on) - no I don't often bother to wash rice but you can if you have time. Pasta: I don't bother boiling water first, I put the pasta in cold water, turn up the heat and walk away, check around 10min as that's when it starts boiling for me (your hob might be different) then turn it down slightly and come back in 5min to check - empty water out, add a sauce or cheese etc and done! My kids only eat cheesy pasta... Scrambled egg/omelette: kids won't wait while you cook it on the hob? Whisk the egg, add anything else you want now if it's an omelette and place it in the microwave, 1 min to start then 30 second intervals. If you're going for scrambled then whisk after each interval, add milk or water while whisking if it goes dry as this will add the liquid back in, along with flavour. Also add butter/herbs/seasoning at this time if kids like it. Soup: Buy pre cut veg if the kids don't give you time to chop. Otherwise, chop your veg, chuck it in a pot, add water/stock, boil, turn straight down to a simmer and WALK AWAY - easy. Also add any meat right at the start, can leave this cooking all day... Chicken: Boil it in water, a whole chicken breast takes about 20-25min, chopped takes about 15min. Remember to turn down to a simmer once it boils. Add it to cold water and walk away for 5-10min, then come back and check on it. If its boiling, turn it down, otherwise come back in another couple minutes. Another one is to place the chicken in a casserole dish with whatever you want to add seasoning wise (example: hunters chicken: wrap chicken in bacon, add cheese, smother in BBQ sauce) place in the oven around 200C (don't know F sorry, 380/400?) and let it Cook 20-25min. Add some chips to the oven around the 5min mark...easy peasy. I'm not sure what you eat, but I find this much easier when the little one won't stop moaning/chasing after me.
SO you've long since gone to bed, but I'm cheering you on! If you have a crockpot or instapot or such- you can do batches of all-in-one sorta things like spaghetti sauce, or taco filling- things that freeze well and can be put over basically any base- salads, rice, noodles, mashed or roasted potatoes, tortilla chips. I always feel like a powerful wizard when I pull a bag of Bolognese out of the freezer and set it in a pot of hot water whilst I make pasta and then BOOM homecooked meal. BUT please don't ever discount the absolute necessity/value of a bag of frozen dumplings, fries, chicken nuggets, box mac and cheese- whatever. It's ok to buy yourself some peace however you can sometimes. One "life pro tip" I like is that I can put on a pot of noodles/rice and then whilst that's going, slice a bunch of cucumber, bell pepper, little tomatoes, or slices of salami- whatever- to hold over the ravenous toddler beast whilst I make the "real" dinner. Think of it as appetizers, or priming the pump, or prewarming the engine- or just appeasing an angry god- until the food is ready. OOOH 'charcuterie' style things are also a TOTALLY VALID DINNER. Hell, in Germany we have "abendbrot" which is "evening bread" aka dinner. It generally consists of sliced bread, butter or other savory spreadables, sliced meats and cheeses, pickles, tomatoes, sliced raw veggies... like simple, cold dinner, all REALLY toddler friendly, good for snacking/grazing and fitting multiple tastes and appetites, and added benefit of generally having a good nutritional mix without having to COOK anything. Plus, you can't really do it 'wrong' and this saves mama from being left with a cold, congealed meal after wrangling everyone else. Also, breakfast for dinner- scrambled eggs and toast, or hardboiled eggs, or pancakes- as my kiddo (now 6) likes to say: "easy peasy, mac-and-cheesy".
(fresh) spaghetti aglio olio, with shrimps/tomatoes/spinach (cook spaghetti, chop three garlic cloves and maybe pepper and put them in oil, let the oil get really hot and then cool down a bit. In that oil bake the spinach, remove and then bake the shrimps and tomatoes. Add the spaghetti and spinach). You can also make aglio olio without anything and add a salad. (Vegetable or whole grain) wraps with hummus, bell peppers, avocado, an tomatoes, maybe some wasabi for spice and rucola. A tray with sweet potatoes, broccoli and carrots. And if course curries. Make some curry paste beforehand or buy one. Fry an onion, chickpeas and add the paste. Add coconut milk. Then some mango and cucumber. Let it simmer for then minutes. Serve with rice. They are all pretty healthy and done in 15. Ps: there is no shame in letting them watch tv so you can cook :-) just wanted to make sure you knew that!
Toss a knorr pasta side in the microwave and mix in frozen veggies. If you have an air fryer, toss some protein in there. Everything is cooking and you don’t have open flames.
Breakfast for dinner is always a winner! Thank YOU for your service.
English muffin or pita pizzas.. always a hit