Common Meals

[SamSpade]

When I grew up, my mom made about ten meals - most of them, *something* with ground beef - spaghetti, spanish rice, ground beef and beans, macaroni beef, lasagna, shepherd's pie - something fairly quick and easy. She was never a great cook, but we didn't complain.

WE tend to have a lot of the same things - pork chops or chicken with something, chicken sandwiches with ham, swiss and dijon, chili, grilled sandwiches on panini bread, tacos or taco pie (recipe on Bisquick box). A few others. Hamburgers with curly fries. OCCASIONALLY something that takes more time - with my youngest I will make pork fried rice, beef bulgogi, pork lo mein, a few ways of seving bok choy.

What are some of YOUR quick meals you do, often, with your family? Some of our meals - the ideas are a little stale, BUT we also don't have a lot of variety.

I could use a few ideas.

 

[stgislander]

Regular go-to's are beef stroganoff, ham and cabbage, port chops or chicken thighs, and liver and onions.

 

[Dakota]

I make tons of soups and stews this time of year.

I also bookmark - copy - whatever - any recipes I see and am actually one to make it just for variety.

 

[LJ1999]

I tend to get in a rut too. Human nature. Typical dinners are a meat, a veggie and a starch but I do try to make bigger meals during the winter on the weekends, Always make a pot of soup/stew, a casserole and a roast of some sort. Then I just pull out leftovers and rotate sides during the week.

I realize that this doesn't answer your question at all, so, some of my quick go to's include:

Smoked Sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes. A one skillet meal.

Smoked Sausage with Red, Beans and Rice or Jambalaya

Fajitas

Breakfast for dinner is always a hit at my house

I always keep cheese filled tortellini and/or stuffed shells for a fast Italian dinner

As I am thinking and writing this, it really is Smoked Sausage that is my go to for a quick meal when I haven't planned anything. It thaws and cooks very fast and goes with all kinds of stuff.

 

[Sneakers]

Chicken fricassee w bisquick dumplings, sloppy joes, whole roasted chicken.

 

[Kyle]

Beefaroni, chili, spaghetti and Italian sausage, pork chops, baked chicken, Szechuan stirfry, roast beef and root vegetables, tacos, chicken salad, club sandwiches, Fried fish or shrimp, breakfast.

I forgot jambalaya.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm bored with eating and cooking and cleaning up, so my basic weekly menu is pretty much the same. A bunch of components that I cobble into a meal. Plus it cuts my grocery bill down.

I make burritos, then freeze them individually for quick lunch/dinner.
And I eat a lot of salmon or canned tuna over rice or noodles with whatever veggies I have and a couple shakes of soy sauce.
Today I got some smoky hotdogs - like little smokies, only it's hotdog size - that I'll wrap in a tortilla and grill.

There's nothing else I eat that your kids would like unless they're big on kefir smoothies and oatmeal with scrambled eggs.

 

[Merlin99]

Growing up our regular rotation had
Goulash
Potato soup
Pizza (out of a box, .15c each)
Banquet pot pies
Spaghetti
Chili
Grilled Cheese and soup
Beef stew
Fish sticks

Our kids growing up had
Fried chicken
Baked ziti
Hamburgers
Pancakes and bacon (when I cooked)

 

[frequentflier]

A pot roast in the crock pot with fresh carrots and spuds, a few stalks of celery (for flavor), hot & v-8 spicy juice, liptons onion (and/or mushroom dry mix), canned tomatoes and frozen veggies (peas, corn, green beans, lima beans) and some crushed garlic, pepper and a bay leaf or two.

I try to buy pot roast on sale as all beef has gotten so expensive. I love pot roast because it falls apart after cooking and is so tender. Leftovers are awesome, too.

 

[vraiblonde]

Banquet pot pies

This was a big treat when I was a kid. Chicken pot pie, had to wait forever for it to cook in the oven, then an eternity until it cooled down enough to eat. Sometimes my mom would get the cheapo pot pies instead of Banquet and they only had a top crust, no bottom.

 

[Bann]

If you get a rotisserie chicken OR have leftover chicken (baked, grilled) you can make quesadillas. OR you can use leftover beef pot roast OR pork roast. I make them all the time for Thing1. Whichever type of soft tortilla you like, whichever shredded cheese and whatever toppings. I use a lot of Greek Plain (non-fat) Yogurt for him, it takes the place of sour cream, for instance. You can literally make your quesadillas however!

Besides chicken - beef pot roast or a pork roast cooked in the crockpot can make great tacos or quesadillas later, too!

 

[PrchJrkr]

Now I want quesadillas.

 

[Bann]

Now I want quesadillas.

SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER easy to make!

 

[PrchJrkr]

SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER easy to make!

On Keto friendly tortillas.

 

[GURPS]

my wife buys

Pork Country Style Ribs Boneless

chops them up into bite sized pieces seasons and frys them up

 

[RoseRed]

Pot roast and cowboy stew.

 

[Kyle]

At my Grandfathers house it was almost always the seven same meals on the same days of the week.

Sunday - Fried Chicken
Monday - Pork Chops
Tuesday - Hamburger Steak
Wednesday - Lamb Chops
Thursday - Baked Chicken
Friday - Fish ( Even when it wasn't lent )
Saturday - Keilbasa or Hotdogs and Beans, sometimes Ham.

Breakfast was just as predictable.

 

[Sneakers]

At my Grandfathers house it was almost always the seven same meals on the same days of the week.

Sunday - Fried Chicken
Monday - Pork Chops
Tuesday - Hamburger Steak
Wednesday - Lamb Chops
Thursday - Baked Chicken
Friday - Fish ( Even when it wasn't lent )
Saturday - Keilbasa or Hotdogs and Beans, sometimes Ham.

Breakfast was just as predictable.

Well, you weren't brought up in NY, 'cause everyone knows Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day.

 

[my-thyme]

my wife buys

Pork Country Style Ribs Boneless

chops them up into bite sized pieces seasons and frys them up

Oh, that sounds good.

 

[my-thyme]

Whatever meat I'm making, I often do roast potatoes with it.

1 potato for each person, 1 for the pan, slice into sticks (no need to peel). Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Onto a rimmed cookie sheet, 425° for 25 minutes, stir, back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until how you like them done.

Chopped onion after the first 25 mins if you like, sometimes I add Old Bay or garlic powder.