How do you cook meals with crazy work schedule?

I plan a menu out for the week when I do my shopping, I know what I am going to have for each meal of the day.

Although my work schedule is hectic I don't have kids but do go to the gym as visit friends and family.

You need to visit websites likes bbc good food, they offer reipes that are quick and easy and don't alway take much cooking.
I also invested in a slow cooker and a george forman grill as cooking is easy then and quick, you can do a grilled chicken with salad in under 10 minutes.
easy!!!

When my daughter was home and we were transporting her to and from school where we lived out of district, I worked 50+ hours, on top of two music practices per week (2hrs each - my practices), the gym at 4:45am, and my commute to and from work was 45 minutes each day total - I did bulk cooking on either Saturday or Sunday.

3 Gal marinara
10# individual meatloaves
10# meatballs
10# seasoned burger patties (made my own, nothing boxed in my house - ever!)
3 Gal Chicken stock
3 Gal Beef stock
5 Gal homemade chicken vegetable soup
10# compound butter all different varieties per pound
I will purchase bulk meats on a quarterly basis and break them down myself - alot of work but the savings is so much more important:
1- 50# case of boneless skinless chicken breast
1- 40# case of Beef eye round
1- 40# case of pork tenderloin
1- 25# case of all natural pork belly - to make my own bacon
1- 25# case of whole roaster chickens and turkeys
Seafood was purchased the day we planned to consume it and it had to be a fresh shipment that-day, otherwise I will go elsewhere for my seafood purchase

I purchase alot of fresh produce: tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, rainbow bell peppers, white onions, white mushrooms, large portabella mushrooms, about 5# garlic (some for roasting, some for compound butter, some as is), about 10# butter, olive oil up the ying-yang, fresh herbs, dried herbs and seasonings, odds and ends like worcestershire sauce, kikkoman, and I always love me a good trip to the Asian market for my fresh ginger, lemongrass, mint leaves, scallions, mung beans, daikon, baby bok choy, shang hai celery, napa cabbage.... some of the vegetables gets prepped ahead while the rest remain whole.

During the week, I will take out a protein that I have previously seasoned to let it thaw in the fridge (most require a two-day thaw), by the time I get home, about 80% of everything is already prepped and ready to cook. Dinner is ready on average in 20-30 minutes.

20hrs is really nothing, even with kids to be honest.... that would feel like a vacation to me! LOL!

When my daughter was home and we were transporting her to and from school where we lived out of district, I worked 50+ hours, on top of two music practices per week (2hrs each - my practices), the gym at 4:45am, and my commute to and from work was 45 minutes each day total - I did bulk cooking on either Saturday or Sunday.

3 Gal marinara
10# individual meatloaves
10# meatballs
10# seasoned burger patties (made my own, nothing boxed in my house - ever!)
3 Gal Chicken stock
3 Gal Beef stock
5 Gal homemade chicken vegetable soup
10# compound butter all different varieties per pound
I will purchase bulk meats on a quarterly basis and break them down myself - alot of work but the savings is so much more important:
1- 50# case of boneless skinless chicken breast
1- 40# case of Beef eye round
1- 40# case of pork tenderloin
1- 25# case of all natural pork belly - to make my own bacon
1- 25# case of whole roaster chickens and turkeys
Seafood was purchased the day we planned to consume it and it had to be a fresh shipment that-day, otherwise I will go elsewhere for my seafood purchase

I purchase alot of fresh produce: tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, rainbow bell peppers, white onions, white mushrooms, large portabella mushrooms, about 5# garlic (some for roasting, some for compound butter, some as is), about 10# butter, olive oil up the ying-yang, fresh herbs, dried herbs and seasonings, odds and ends like worcestershire sauce, kikkoman, and I always love me a good trip to the Asian market for my fresh ginger, lemongrass, mint leaves, scallions, mung beans, daikon, baby bok choy, shang hai celery, napa cabbage.... some of the vegetables gets prepped ahead while the rest remain whole.

During the week, I will take out a protein that I have previously seasoned to let it thaw in the fridge (most require a two-day thaw), by the time I get home, about 80% of everything is already prepped and ready to cook. Dinner is ready on average in 20-30 minutes.

20hrs is really nothing, even with kids to be honest.... that would feel like a vacation to me! LOL!

I feel tired just reading that.

Nahhhhh.... its not done every weekend... meats are broken down quarterly. Soups, stocks and marinaras are probably done every month, give or take depending on my husband grabbing from the freezer.

I enjoy my time in the kitchen - I wont let my work schedule, my music practices or my gym time get in the way of always eating healthy....

My husband and I cook together on Sunday afternoon. Gives us some time together doing something we enjoy and we usually do that nights meal plus at least one meal for a night during the week (usually 2) while we are in the kitchen.

Plan ahead. You need to find a way to incorporate this into your lifestyle. Dont make this too complicated. It will be easiest if you find several things you like that you can take for lunches, and several meals you like to cook for dinners. Dont re-invent the wheel every night. Find what you like and rotate through 6-10 different options. Find meals that compliment each other. and yes to the cooking on the weekends. Cook some meals when you have the time and package them up to eat later.

Here are some of the combined meals that work for me

DINNER: grilled steak, chicken, or fish. If I have time in the morning I will throw a marinade on the meat. Grill when I get home, and make enough for leftovers. Eat the meat with a salad. I cut up other veggies for this, saving some for later
recycle the extra meat for a wrapfor LUNCH the next day. Meat, tortilla, lettuce from salad with the veggies (tom, onion, cuke, avocado, etc)

Stir fry. I have time and can use fresh veg. But if you dont have time use a bag of frozen veg made just for this. Cook some rice. Do an internet search to find an easy to make sauce, many will only have a few ingredients that can be made with items you already have. Make enough to have another portion for lunch for the next day or two.

Chicken sausage and sauerkraut with deli mustard. This takes less then 10 min! When I make this I will throw a spaghetti squash in the oven that night. I cook extra sausage and after Ive eaten dinner and the squash is done I make my lunch for the next day. (I dont eat pasta, but you could boil some noodles instead) For lunch I cut up the sausage and mix with a can of fresh tomatoes or a good jar of tomato sauce and eat on top of the spaghetti squash.

Chili. This can be made all from a can with the exception of a meat if you want it. I am lucky enough to have wild game meat from my husband (well I did, Im actually working a job away from home right now) I would brown some ground meat with garlic and onions, then open a can of beans and tomatoes. Throw it in the pot with some chili spices (my secret is oregano and basil...gives it a sweet flavor) Let it simmer while Im getting cozy for the night. Sure, some people want to cook chili all day, but I find its just fine if it only cooks 30 min. (sometimes less if im really hungry)

Crock pot is a great idea. I like my RICE COOKER with STEAMER even more. I will throw in some quinoa or rice to steam, and on the basket on top I load it with veg and fish. It takes 10 minutes to put it all together. While its cooking I have time to change my clothes, get settled in. 20-30 minutes later dinner is ready!

I will use extra quinoa to make a salad for lunches. I like to mix into it tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots, whatever i have handy. Some balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil and it done. Extra rice becomes filler for burritos, or used for stir fry later.

PLANNING AHEAD IS KEY! KNOW WHAT YOU WILL MAKE FOR DINNER BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE IN THE MORNING

I agree with nearly all that people have posted, plan a head, cook all your meals on weekends and freeze. Crock pot (if by crock pots you mean slow cookers)
That aside, your husband. Hmmm
So he works, and it’s so very hard to come home from a busy day and help?
He needs to ‘man the fush up’ and you; well you need to get a grip.

I leave the house at 0600 and get home at 1930, I work 60 hours + a week, I cycle into work and home every day, I get home and if there isn’t a meal ready, I will cook. No drama.
My wife works 20+ hours and does voluntary work three days, we’ve a teen daughter she’s got three afterschool activities a week, and modern dance on a Friday.
Plan everything, and shop with that plan in mind, don’t waste money or time and more important don’t waste your life rushing from pillar to post missing out, just because you’re disorganised.
I still have time to garden and go to the gym, I get to go out with the boys for a beer, I also have ”me time” and “we time” as well as “family time”.

Spend a couple of hours once a month planning that month’s activity, write it on the calendar in the kitchen and stick to it. Someone wants some of your time, and then they have to fit into your schedule and not the other way round.
All for the sake of two hours planning, once a month. It’s not rocket science.

Crockpots are good.

Stir fries are fast.

Take any meat in small sections (hamburger, pork chop or smaller, chicken breast, fish), add a light barbecue sauce or Hoisan sauce or soy sauce. Stick under the broiler for 5 minutes on a side. While it's cooking, sautee vegetable of choice. Add salad on side.

Make an omelette with veggies on the side.

Make a roast chicken on Sunday in the crock pot. Fancy dinner. Take meat off the bones and boil bones in crockpot for the next nights' dinner: chicken soup. It will also last for several lunches or serve as a broth. Chop extra meat and add carrots, celery, and mayo or yoghurt with currants for chicken salad for several extra meals.

Make turkey meatloaf mix up at night and throw in fridge. When you get home, toss in oven while you collapse on the couch. Eat when it's done.

The more you cook the more efficient it gets.

crockpot... easy 5 ingredient recipes or I always keep all kinds of frozen veggies and brown rice on hand and throw together a stir fry of some kind. Any meat (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, whatever) season however you like.. Yummy and quick

I work one week 9-530 then the next week 1230-9.

On my late night work weeks I start by planning my food on Sunday.

Most of the time I cook enough chicken and beef for the week and all sorts of delicious fresh veggies and pack up 4-5 containers worth of dinners. So that I can easily bring them to work with me every day.

When my daughter was home and we were transporting her to and from school where we lived out of district, I worked 50+ hours, on top of two music practices per week (2hrs each - my practices), the gym at 4:45am, and my commute to and from work was 45 minutes each day total - I did bulk cooking on either Saturday or Sunday.

3 Gal marinara
10# individual meatloaves
10# meatballs
10# seasoned burger patties (made my own, nothing boxed in my house - ever!)
3 Gal Chicken stock
3 Gal Beef stock
5 Gal homemade chicken vegetable soup
10# compound butter all different varieties per pound
I will purchase bulk meats on a quarterly basis and break them down myself - alot of work but the savings is so much more important:
1- 50# case of boneless skinless chicken breast
1- 40# case of Beef eye round
1- 40# case of pork tenderloin
1- 25# case of all natural pork belly - to make my own bacon
1- 25# case of whole roaster chickens and turkeys
Seafood was purchased the day we planned to consume it and it had to be a fresh shipment that-day, otherwise I will go elsewhere for my seafood purchase

I purchase alot of fresh produce: tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, rainbow bell peppers, white onions, white mushrooms, large portabella mushrooms, about 5# garlic (some for roasting, some for compound butter, some as is), about 10# butter, olive oil up the ying-yang, fresh herbs, dried herbs and seasonings, odds and ends like worcestershire sauce, kikkoman, and I always love me a good trip to the Asian market for my fresh ginger, lemongrass, mint leaves, scallions, mung beans, daikon, baby bok choy, shang hai celery, napa cabbage.... some of the vegetables gets prepped ahead while the rest remain whole.

During the week, I will take out a protein that I have previously seasoned to let it thaw in the fridge (most require a two-day thaw), by the time I get home, about 80% of everything is already prepped and ready to cook. Dinner is ready on average in 20-30 minutes.

20hrs is really nothing, even with kids to be honest.... that would feel like a vacation to me! LOL!

I long to be that organised. Can you give me lessons?