7 Quick and Easy Meal Ideas to Try Entering the Busy Fall Months, Part 2

Did you see our last blog, where Amanda went over four great dinner ideas when you’re short on time and motivation (both of which I seem to be short on….a lot)? If you haven’t read it yet, stop what you’re doing and click here to check it out.

All caught up? Great! Because I’m here with three MORE ideas to help you get dinner on the table fast. And when I say dinner…I mean, get something on the table. You’ll see:)

Dinner #5: Deconstructed Dinner

Ok….let me explain. I’m not great at winging dinners, but I can follow a recipe. But lots of times I get held up when I’m missing one or 2 ingredients, or it takes too long (I’ve literally been in the middle of a recipe and realized this is never going to be done on time, fun!). That’s where deconstruction comes in! It’s basically taking an idea, think lasagna, and making a quicker, easier version of it. I love stuffed peppers, but making the filling, roasting the peppers, stuffing the peppers, cooking them AGAIN, yeesh! Who’s got time for that? How about making the filling like normal, but throwing some diced peppers in it and calling it a day? No oven required, only 1 pan used, and cut the time in half. SOLD!!!! Check out this recipe here.

Another deconstructed dinner is sushi. I’ve wanted to try and make my own sushi for YEARS, I even bought the kit that’s been sitting in my cabinet for almost as long, but in the meantime, lets try and make it deconstructed. Take the base ingredients: rice, seafood (cooked or not), veggies, and some yummy sauce (store bought is fine!- these look good) and let everyone make their own bowl (not roll! Get it!). So don’t get discouraged it, get creative and deconstruct those recipes that you’re missing an ingredient for, time, or skill to make.

Dinner #6: Breakfast for Dinner!

This is a classic! Some people hate breakfast, but not me, I love it!!! And I will eat it any time of day. So if I get to have it again, I’m game! Eggs are super easy and FAST! Keep it simple with scrambled eggs and some toast with a side of fruit. Make it a little fancier and try a frittata or egg bake. Try our DIY egg bake and use whatever cheese, meat, and veggies you’d like, or have lying around. Pro tip: It’s a great way to get rid of those veggies that are on their last leg.

If you’re not in the mood for eggs, or fresh out, try some pancakes or waffles. Throw some fruit in your pancakes and waffles for an antioxidant kick. And if it’s a really busy, rough night, cereal works really well too:) We’ve all been there!

Dinner #7: Picnic Style Dinner

I have done this on occasion and my kids love it! Check out our last blog (click the link above), idea #4 was sandwiches, so take it one step further and make it a picnic. Go all out and move it to the living room with a blanket and disposable plates. This would work great with leftovers. Turn the grilled chicken into chicken salad. Take the leftover pasta and make a quick pasta salad with Italian dressing. Chop up some fruit. Serve it all on a tray – self serve style.

Want it a little fancier? Try a charcuterie dinner. My husband and I used to do this all the time before kids, it was such a nice Friday night dinner. Easy, no cooking, more relaxing. With kids, it still works, but we just changed the options a little. Some Raisin Rosemary Crisps from Trader Joe’s for us, and Wheat Thins for them. Carrots and hummus for everyone, a few different cheeses, everyone has a favorite. Grapes and trail mix. Literally, anything! It’s a lot of fun to watch the kids explore and taste while I get some delicious blue cheese all to myself, cause we know they aren’t eating that!

Need a little help or inspiration? Check out Food Network’s Essential Guide to Building a Charcuterie Board.

Bonus Tips!

So now that you have 7 quick and easy meal ideas heading into the busy fall months, here are some bonus tips to help you get meals (and clean up) done even quicker!

From time to time use disposable plates and utensils to keep set up and clean up easy. We don’t do this often, but when we have 3 things in one night or just have run out of steam, it’s a great way to cut yourself some slack.
Do not forget about leftovers! If you are making a deconstructed meal, the slow cooker or sheet pan meal, don’t be afraid to go overboard and make a big batch. Leftovers can be used for the next day’s dinner or maybe someone’s lunch. We definitely have a “clean out the fridge night” every now and again when we have one or two servings from a couple different dinners. You’ve gotta move quick and claim what you want or your favorite leftovers will be eaten up!
When you can, think ahead! If you plan to cook up vegetables for dinner try chopping them up when you have a few minutes on your lunch break if working from home, or the night before once everyone is settled down. It will make preparing your meal even quicker! Or, reverse it. If you’re chopping up some peppers for the deconstructed stuffed peppers dinner, cut up an extra one and it can be used as salad toppings or with dip for a quick snack tomorrow during the day, just think ahead.
Divide and conquer! Ask the kids to place their dishes into the dishwasher or at least in the sink. Take the team approach with your significant other – one does clean up if the other cooked so one person isn’t stuck in the kitchen for hours. Our 4 year old can take his plate to the sink (not quite tall enough to get it into the sink, yet!), have everyone pitch in cleaning up dinner and it goes a LOT faster.

Now that you have 7 quick and easy meal ideas AND some bonus tips, what are you going to give a shot? We love to hear from you, so let us know!

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy

This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition. For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook. Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.