Need ideas for budget "make-ahead" meals

[ajh88]

I have started my "new" job (same place, just a promotion - but with worse hours!!). Anyway, I frequently close now, which means I work noon to 9 pm and don't get home until nearly 10 pm. This leaves DH and DD on their own for dinner at least 3 nights a week and I've noticed it has become a frozen pizza/spaghetti-o type diet.

I'm looking for some ideas on at least semi-healthy budget friendly meals that I could make ahead and stick in the fridge (or freezer) for DH to pop into the oven for a more substantial dinner.

I've just never known if it is OK to keep a casserole in the fridge then stick it directly into the oven....do people do this? Won't the dish break from the heat? I feel so dumb asking this - it has just never come up for us before!

All ideas are welcome - TIA!!

 

[prncess674]

I have started my "new" job (same place, just a promotion - but with worse hours!!). Anyway, I frequently close now, which means I work noon to 9 pm and don't get home until nearly 10 pm. This leaves DH and DD on their own for dinner at least 3 nights a week and I've noticed it has become a frozen pizza/spaghetti-o type diet.

I'm looking for some ideas on at least semi-healthy budget friendly meals that I could make ahead and stick in the fridge (or freezer) for DH to pop into the oven for a more substantial dinner.

I've just never known if it is OK to keep a casserole in the fridge then stick it directly into the oven....do people do this? Won't the dish break from the heat? I feel so dumb asking this - it has just never come up for us before!

All ideas are welcome - TIA!!

If you are worried about glass, then use a metal baking dish. Also why isn't your DH doing any cooking? You can have everything prepped(chicken marinated, veggies cut, etc) and just have him cook.

 

[Darcy03231]

Because of our schedules I do a lot of crock pot cooking. There are a lot of great recipes that have been posted to these boards and I invested in a couple of cookbooks. I also look for recipes on-line. Today I have Island Drumsticks in the crock pot (they're a family favorite), that I'll serve with pasta salad and tossed salad (its been really hot here). I made the pasta salad and tossed salad last night and prepped everything to go into the crockpot so this morning I just tossed everything in, set it on low and set the timer.

 

[GatorMama]

One of my favorite freezer meals is Black Bean Tortilla casserole. WAS making a double batch and splitting into 3 2-qt dishes, but last time I just made a single batch and split it in half. Used a 1.5 qt glass dish for dinner that night and put the rest in a disposable tray. Now I could use it for dinner for us or for a family with a new baby or ill family member. I also used dried beans for the first time last time and had enough leftover for 7 black bean burger patties.

Lasagna and a salad kit is easy too... especially when salad kits are B1G1. I've done meatloaf muffins before with luck too. Those can be frozen before or after cooking. Add a bag of frozen veggies and dinner is done.

If you don't want them eating spaghetti-o's that often, just don't buy them. Or ask your DH how much cooking he's willing to do. Can he grill up some burgers and heat up sweet potato fries one night? Maybe you two can work on your meal plans together now since you won't be the one doing most of the cooking anymore.

 

[Natalie's Mommy]

find some crock pot meals, or make ahead and freeze, or find some stuff that is just as easy to cook as what he is currently doing. One night a week i work outside the house and my husband does dinner. a few of his quick go to meals are spaghetti and meatballs (i make the meatballs from scratch and freeze them in serving sizes for 3, i also sometimes make soup from scratch), sloppy joe's all ya gotta do is brown some meat add tomato sauce and a packet of seasoning....or if you wanna skip the seasoning packets use, chili powder, 1/2 a cup of sugar (1/4 cup if you use brown sugar) and dried onion flakes. a great crock pot meal is cheesy chicken. 4-6 chicken breasts (i use 6), 3 cans of cream of chicken soup, one can of cheese soup (the southwest cheese is amazing) some onion and garlic powder. throw it all in the crockpot, mix together and cook on low for 6-8 hours! serve over rice (the steam bags are great and easy) super yummy!

you could go to the dollar store and buy some of those metal pans to use to make meals and freeze in and hubby can just throw the whole thing in the oven.

 

[annsteere]

Sure, it would be great if DH would cook. It would also be great if your cat would do the dishes

In the meantime, I bought several 8X8 pans--either glass or metal at garage sales. A casserole designed to be cooked in a 9X13 cake pan can be divided into two square pans and frozen. If you take a frozen pan and move it to the fridge in the morning, it will be ready to be take out and cooked with DH and DS are ready. I prefer the glass pans cause the look clean. . . .never have had any trouble with them going from fridge to oven.

 

[Mom_Rides]

I try to do a lot of prep on Sunday evenings for our week ahead. Simply for the reason that I know that if some of the work is done, we won't likely eat out when we don't feel like cooking. I also find if I do prep work the night before when we are finished with dinner (like taking meat out of the freezer) the same result is likely.

Some things I find easier to do that make a quick meal and easy prep:

Chicken fried rice. Cook the rice, boil the chicken and we use a seasoning packet.

Sloppy joes are easily made on th weekend and reheated during the week. Same with soups.

I agree with the crockpot suggestions as well.

As far as casseroles going from the fridge to oven, I've never had a problem with glass breaking. I tend to take the dish out a bit before I put it in the oven (like while the oven is heating) but using a metal dish will prevent that all together.

We've been on separate schedules before and it definately makes cooking a challenge. Good luck!

 

[*Seanaci*]

Spaghetti is super easy. Chili is super easy. We have been making pasta salad or macaroni salad or even a nice garden salad the beginning of the week and everyone eats on those.

As far as warming it up again...we store everything in plastic bowls and just throw them in the micro to heat up.

 

[ajh88]

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

And for the record (though I never understand why I feel the need to justify myself or my DH to strangers on a message board)...it isn't that DH *doesn't* cook - his repertoire is just not that extensive. He can make anything that requires a microwave, he can make spaghetti, he can re-heat (or heat things) in the oven, and he can prepare just about any dish that requires browning ground beef. He also does alright with mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. However, I'd like for our diet to vary just a bit from grilled cheese, sloppy joes, spaghetti, and tacos, KWIM?

Trust me, DH does plenty around the house and my point wasn't to say that he isn't cooking (he probably does more in terms of housework than I do in all honesty)...I would just like a bit more variety and I'm finding adjusting to this new schedule rather challenging.

Thanks again!

ETA: We love sloppy joes too - I never thought about them in the crock pot or anything. I may have DH start making a double batch so he can re-heat for lunch/dinner. It is just one thing that he knows how to cook...I didn't mean to sound like I didn't appreciate that idea, so sorry if I did!

 

[Madison'smommy]

I would definatly be using the crockpot those days! You could do something like sloppy joes with some fruit or cut up veggies. Make the sloppy joes the night before.. they can just reheat.

 

[mikkiwikki]

Go here
http://www.crock-pot.com/Recipes.aspx

Hundreds of recipes!

Honestly my family would not eat home cooked meals if it were not for my crock pot. I work 60 + hours a week so.... Crock pots are the only way to get fresh food into your fam IMHO!