Last week felt like the week from hell, as I finished up a big project and the kids’ after-school activities kicked into gear. When I get busy like that, I fall back on the easiest of the easy:
Tacos. I brown one pound of lean ground beef, use a premixed spice packet, and serve with flour tortillas, crispy corn taco shells, shredded cheese and Pace Picante Sauce. Everyone loves it. Four-year-old Laura calls the crispy tacos “break tacos.”
Pizza. Ordered from a local place. Healthy? Not really. Yummy and easy? Yes.
Chicken Rice-A-Roni Skillet Dinner. Cook up a family-sized box of chicken-flavored Rice-a-Roni. After it has simmered long enough for the broth to be absorbed, stir in one 10 to 12-oz can white meat chicken, drained, then cover and let sit for five minutes for chicken to warm through. You can keep both ingredients in the pantry. Takes less than 30 minutes.
Sauteed Paprika Chicken Breasts. Mix 1 tablespoon paprika, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt in a shallow dish. Pat four boneless, skinless chicken breast halves dry, then rub down with paprika mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken for 3 minutes on each side, then cover skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about ten minutes until done (firm inside, no more pink).
Tuna-Bean Salad. Drain 1 (12-oz) can water-packed tuna and 2 (16 oz) cans cannellini beans. Mix with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar, and salt to taste. For flavor, add one or more of the following: chopped fresh basil, a tablespoon or two of prepared pesto, chopped sundried tomatoes marinated in olive oil, chopped olives of whatever sort you like, finely minced red onion. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese, if you like. I like this served over brown rice, as the friend who shared the recipe with me likes to serve it.
Pasta with marinara. Cook whatever pasta and whatever jarred sauce is in the pantry. Serve with lots of parmesan cheese.
What do you serve when you’re having a day or week from hell?
3 Comments
Hello Anne,
our households super quick meal is tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. “Imagine’s” boxed tomato soup is our current favorite. Tastes extra good with our new spoons!
Do the short members of your house (I don’t remember their ages) eat the tuna-bean salad? My oldest is 4 and I can’t imagine him eating something so tasty. Maybe I don’t give him enough credit. Or maybe it’s that I’ve see him turn his nose up at everything he can’t identify.
Catherine: no, the kids won’t eat the tuna-bean salad, even the 11-year-old who’s quite a gourmet. They’ll eat the brown rice I serve with it though and then I cook chicken nuggets or fish sticks. Not ideal.