We understand that quick and easy meals are essential for single parents on the go. We provided some great meal and snack ideas to ensure your day runs smoothly and the kids are happy!
Pasta Primavera
This is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies and use up any extra ingredients in your refrigerator:
- Boil water and add pasta. Grab whatever vegetables you have in the refrigerator like onion, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic.
- Chop and add to a frying pan with some oil.
- Stir fry the veggies for a few minutes until you notice a nice aroma to the room.
- Add your favorite spaghetti sauce to the pan and heat. By this time the pasta should be ready.
- Pour veggies and sauce over pasta and serve.
Chicken Skewers
Yummy finger foods! You can make a big batch at one time and enjoy cold later on.
- Use chicken tenders or cut boneless chicken breasts down to a smaller size.
- Add chicken to a zip lock bag with Italian dressing and marinate for at least 20 minutes (this can be done in advance).
- Skewer each piece of chicken on a 6” bamboo skewer and place on a broiler tray or cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Be sure to turn the chicken over half way.
- Remove and serve with your favorite dipping sauce
Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms stuffed with just about anything are always a big hit in my kitchen. These stuffed mushrooms are easy to make and economical. Use extra ingredients in your refrigerator to make the stuffing.
Example Mixtures:
- Ham and Cheese
- Peppers and Onions
- Spinach & Artichoke Dip
My favorite mixture is made with ham, onion, and cheese. First shred the ham, then add diced onion, and cheese. The mixture should be a balanced mix of these three ingredients. Don’t worry about preparing too much mix. You can always use it in omelets later in the week!
Wash and dry the mushrooms, then stuff with the mix. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes and ENJOY!
Shredded Pork
This is an easy recipe for busy parents. Set your slow cooker in the morning and enjoy delicious pulled pork for dinner.
- Add 3 lbs. of pork, 1 package of onion soup mix, 1 cup of BBQ sauce, and water (to cover) to a slow cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours. A more marbleized cut of pork is preferred.
- Remove the pork around the 7 hour mark and shred. You can discard any fat and some liquid from slow cooker.
- Add the shredded meat back in slow cooker, add BBQ sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook for another hour or so.
- Remove and enjoy
Roasted Garlic Toast
Do you have some extra garlic cloves in your kitchen? Roast them and enjoy as a delicious spread.
Cut off the head so the garlic is exposed. Place the garlic on tin foil and drizzle some olive oil on top. Wrap the garlic in your tin foil and roast for 35-45 minutes. Remove the garlic once it is golden brown and serve when cool.
Roasted garlic pairs nicely with Italian or French bread and is good for your digestion.
Sliced Fruit
My children never woke up without a dish of sliced fruit waiting for them at the kitchen table. Knowing that they would never just grab an apple, pear, banana, or whatever was in the fruit bowl, and eat the fruit whole, I made it very simple, easy, and fast to eat something healthy. I thought of how quickly someone could eat a bag of chips and concocted my idea using fruit instead of starches and salt. There was never fruit left on my table. Not a bad idea for an after school snack, as well!
Edamame
Edamame, or soy beans, can be bought with individual servings included in one large package. Pop a serving in the microwave or boil in water for 3 minutes. The edamame can be served as is or add a small amount of garlic butter for extra flavor.
English Muffins
English muffins are a good staple to keep in your kitchen. They are lower in fats than most bread and can be used in a variety of ways. Just adding a slice of cheese to each half and melting it can please lots of kids. P B & J? Yummy. Spaghetti sauce and cheese makes a great start to mini pizzas. Knowing what tastes your kids prefer and your imagination is all that you need.
