What do you do for dinner when your family has to eat in shifts?

[TxAnn]

I have 4 kids too so we stay busy as well. There are some great replies, I'll have to give them a try!!

One thing that makes for an easier cooking week is to have DH bbq on Sunday. He'll cook many different meats: hot dogs, burgers, chicken (for salads, tacos, etc) and sausage. Then during the week we'll reheat as needed. It makes for very quick and very tasty meals.

 

[LovesTimone]

Those days are behind me now, but the memories are very fresh

The crock pot is your friend,repeat after me the Crock pot is my friend I used a large one for main dishes and a small one for veggie's or a side dish. I would make some kind of cold side dish, potato salad, pasta or macaroni salad, ect.. on Sunday for the week ahead, also I would make brownies, cookies, some kind of bar type dessert.

Chicken and yellow rice - English peas with mushrooms and onions

Chili - rice or macaroni - you can have shredded cheese and chopped onions in baggies ready to go.

Beef Stew - mashed potatoes / Rice or add potatoes to the stew and make a veggie in the small crock pot.

BBQ Chicken , beef or Pork - Scallop potatoes, or cheesy potatoes or go the baked bean route and used a cold salad that you prepared on Sunday.

Soup and grilled cheese - or cold sandwiches - if you call them sub's the kids will think that's okay

Open faced roast beef sandwiches - I have used left over roast added french onion soup and let it cook on low, mashed potatoes. -

Baked Potato bar with all the fixin's - sour cream, bacon, butter, chives - chili, cheese, onions, broccoli and cheese, BBQ chicken. (Note I would use whatever left overs I had for this that were the BBQ chicken came in, I had some leftover from earlier in the week, DH add it to his and I tasted it, I was back in the kitchen adding it to mine, yumm.)

Pasta and sauce - that always a quick go to.

I love "Taste of Home", their recipes are affordable and good. Check out the site, I get the magazine and have saved all my copies, I refer to them all the time.

Hope this helps.... one day you will look back and think I survived.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Another one I use is microwave bacon and pancakes. I mix the pancakes and leave the griddle out. Each person (my youngest is 11) can put the bacon in the microwave and fry up their own pancake when they are ready.

We have so many of these nights! I also find the ones who eat early to get to practice want to eat again when they get home. Dinner can last from 4 until 10:30!!!!!

 

[dizkids]

Today:

1 crockpot w/ taco meat and fixings on the side for 5 people in the family and 3 shifts for dinner.

 

[HM]

Casseroles and Crock Pot meals with salad. Easy to feed people at different times.

 

[Minnesota!]

I like to make a big batch of soup on the weekend, and then on busy nights just heat up a bowl on the stove and have a quick sandwich with it.

Or I do spaghetti sauce/meatballs and we just have some italian bread with it.

My kids love tortilla roll ups, too, for literal "out the door" dinner. Tortilla, spread, meat/cheese, lettuce, roll it up, add a few carrots or chips in a ziplock, and away they go!

We rarely use a microwave. We went 4+ years without one, and I hate the way it makes food taste. So everything is heated on the stove...and it still is a quick meal!

 

[KnearSeattle]

Our Costco has individually packaged frozen salmon fillets.

On our busiest night last week, I thawed four of the fillets in cold water (20 minutes) and made a pasta and vegetable salad, and threw it all in the fridge. Then, each person could microwave his salmon for five minutes and serve himself some salad. Easy and healthy. And the microwaved salmon was actually pretty good!

--Kim near Seattle

 

[hambirg]

I just did a series on my blog of dealing with dinner on sports nights. Here's the post about using the slow cooker. The recipes are broken down into categories. The last category is "ready to eat with minimal sides required". These are the recipes I go to when we need to eat in shifts.

I love your blog!

I have been using it for awhile now and so far we have liked everything. I just made the Chicken Shwarma in the Slow Cooker and it was a big hit.

ETA- I'm going to vouch for the Broccoli and Tomato Tortellini Salad that is on this weeks menu. The first time I made it, I made a double batch thinking I would have leftovers for a few days that way. Nope! It was all gone before the second day.

 

[jacksmom]

If it is a really busy night we do a rotisere chicken from Target along with microwave baked potatoes and a veggie side!

 

[TiffanyK]

I love your blog!

I have been using it for awhile now and so far we have liked everything. I just made the Chicken Shwarma in the Slow Cooker and it was a big hit.

ETA- I'm going to vouch for the Broccoli and Tomato Tortellini Salad that is on this weeks menu. The first time I made it, I made a double batch thinking I would have leftovers for a few days that way. Nope! It was all gone before the second day.

My family eats up the pasta salad too. They especially like it when I add grilled chicken. It keeps my meat-eating boys happy

 

[Tink_Or_Belle]

we always keep potatoes on hand I can bake then use various toppings there is usually stuff in the fridge that works on a potato (turkey, cheese , sour cream, broccoli, spinach, leftover chili etc)


when in a hurry they can be microwaved fast