Make ahead dinners.

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bethfartman
bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I start school again next week and I'm trying to think of things I can prep ahead of time and warm up after I get home from class for a quick nutritious dinner. I used to eat frozen Amy's meals when I got home from class, but those take forever to heat and I'd rather eat more filling and nutritious food. I'm mostly thinking of cooking a big batch of lentils and roasting some veggies that can warm up while I bake a quick chicken breast, but I know there has to be tons of good ideas out there. I don't have a microwave, so everything has to be something that doesn't taste like poop when reheated on the stove or in the oven. I'd love to hear your suggestions!

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  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    You might want to look into a crockpot. You can leave things cooking while you're in class, then it's done when you are ready to eat. You can also batch cook casseroles or quiches or meatloaf muffins, portion them out and freeze. You can then grab one, pop it in the oven and there you have it. Roast some veggies in the oven with it or sautee some on the stove while it heats up.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Have you got a slow cooker? There are tons of recipes that you can put together in a slow cooker/crock pot and have a hot meal waiting for you as you walk through the door......
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    I never thought about using my crock pot, that's a great idea! For some reason I only think about using my crockpot for raining-stay-at-home days where I want to smell something yummy cooking while I watch movies and stuff. :-) Little meatloafs are also a fantastic idea. Thanks!
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
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    http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/foil-pack-chicken-broccoli-dinner-75460.aspx

    I've been making a bunch of these and then keeping them in the freezer until I'm ready to eat. The first ones I followed the recipe,but I didn't like the way the stuffing tasted (also I'm not a huge fan of stuffing to begin with), so I'm using rice now instead. I made some with rice, black beans, topped with chicken, broccoli, red peppers and some cheese.
  • depresseddancer
    depresseddancer Posts: 29 Member
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    Vegetable and chickpea tagine, it's yummy as anything and reheats well.
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    Vegetable and chickpea tagine, it's yummy as anything and reheats well.

    Yum! I just looked up recipes for that. It looks amazing! It looks like it would freeze well too. Thanks!
  • cecasteele
    cecasteele Posts: 3 Member
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    I bake (or grill) up a bunch of chicken (or other meat) on the weekends. Slice up my veggies, prep salads, etc every Sunday night. I put in about 1-1.5 hours on Sunday but then I can have dinner on the table within 10 minutes each day. The extra effort is worth it for me as it prevents me from grabbing something on the go. Plus, my son always has nutritious food to grab when he is hungry.

    The slower cooker is also another great option. I use it al the time--pinterest has a ton of great ideas.

    Good luck!

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