Easy meals for a busy, working Mom.

xBeautifulBreakdown
xBeautifulBreakdown Posts: 167 Member
edited October 2024 in Recipes
I am a single Mom, working full time. I am away from home for 12hrs M-F and when I get home I am exhausted! I need some new meal ideas. I like simple yummy foods and am interested in preparing lunch and dinner the night before work. What are some of your favorite, healthy, delicious and most importantly QUICK meals that you like to cook? My Mom just bought me a nice big crock pot so crock pot recipes would be great too.

Replies

  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    skinnytaste.com :D section on there for crockpots!!!
  • xBeautifulBreakdown
    xBeautifulBreakdown Posts: 167 Member
    skinnytaste.com :D section on there for crockpots!!!

    oh I forgot about that website! thank you!
  • lprewett86
    lprewett86 Posts: 43 Member
    bump :)
  • harleygirlT
    harleygirlT Posts: 223 Member
    Crockpots! Especially with the weather cooling down, yummy soups, stews, pot roast, chicken and dumplings!!!
  • msfitmom
    msfitmom Posts: 19 Member
    Hi there,
    I'm a busy working mom too and the only thing I've tried that works well for me is to reserve Sundays for cooking ALL my lean proteins and carbs for the week that day. Which means that on any given Sunday I'll be grilling chicken breasts and turkey and bison, boiling couscous, quinoa and pasta and making a sauce or two. That way, on any given day during the week I can mix and match the protein with the starch, throw a sauce on top and whip up a quick salad and I'm ready to go.

    This Sunday, I made:
    - 2 marinaded chicken breasts
    - 1 6oz lean strip steak
    - a batch of Lime Tahini Sauce from the cookbook Peas and Thank You (www.peasandthankyou.com)
    - Colorful String Beans from The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook (www.eatcleandiet.com)

    All that is PLENTY of food for a week for me and my son. I'll have leftovers for sure!

    _______
    Visit me at www.msfitmom.com
  • alaliberte
    alaliberte Posts: 205
    I love my crock pot. I throw everything in there and by the end of the day it's done! Trick to crock pot cooking is timing. Put in some ground turkey and form it into a loaf. Add in some frozen broccoli and some cut up red potatoes. Onions are good too! add a little water and cook. The potatoes should be sort of in the loaf...on the edges so they can cook but not burn.

    I'm currently making some root soup. I cut up a bunch of carrots, potatoes, turnip, sweet potatoes and some greens for flavor. This will likely take longer than overnight. Everything was raw when I put it in.

    also, don't dismiss frozen veggies, they are invaluable when cooking in a hurry. Put a mixed veggie bag into a skillet, add some leftover chicken or fish, add some leftover pasta or rice and add some sauce...olive oil and garlic or salt and pepper...viola! Dinner!

    One other trick I use is when I cook pasta or rice, I make extra. Always make extra and add to the next meal.

    Good luck!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Zatarains Red Beans and Rice with some kind of light sausage (had this last night).
    Black bean quesadillas
    Spaghetti with turkey sausage and whole wheat noodles.
    Whole wheat English muffin pizzas with turkey pepperoni, mushrooms
    Meatloaf made w/ oatmeal and either lean burger or turkey (takes an hour to cook, but easy prep)
    lean hamburgers w/ whole wheat buns, sweet potato fries
    baked fish and salad (and maybe some noodles from a box for the kids if you can skip them).
    whole roast chicken is really easy but takes a while to cook.
    baked chicken breast topped with bbq sauce, shredded cheese and those real bacon pieces
    tacos with lean burger or turkey and corn tortillas (lower cal, higher fiber than flour)
    Turkey brawts

    I also always have "salad" with dinner which is usually spinach leaves straight out of the bag. Today we had plain old hot dogs.
  • alaliberte
    alaliberte Posts: 205
    Sorry i forgot to say...things like rice or pasta when adding to crock pots...wait til the last hour or two unless you want them to turn to mush! Same with soft veggies like mushrooms and tomatoes.
  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
    I have a great cookbook called "A Potful of Recipes" by Joanna Lund. All the meals are crockpot recipes with nutritional breakdown using everyday ingredients. Good luck.
  • xBeautifulBreakdown
    xBeautifulBreakdown Posts: 167 Member
    So many great ideas. Thanks everyone!
  • melelana
    melelana Posts: 122 Member
    Quesadillas & Tacos always save the day for me... shop tomatoes, onion, and lettuce ahead of time and you cut even more time.

    *EDIT* Add more to quesadillas than just cheese. Slow cooker chicken or some ground turkey in there cooked with bell peppers= a meal
  • xBeautifulBreakdown
    xBeautifulBreakdown Posts: 167 Member
    Quesadillas & Tacos always save the day for me... shop tomatoes, onion, and lettuce ahead of time and you cut even more time.

    *EDIT* Add more to quesadillas than just cheese. Slow cooker chicken or some ground turkey in there cooked with bell peppers= a meal

    yum that sounds delish!
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