For the last few weeks, I’ve been planning my weekly menus over the weekend to keep on top of our meals. With three children, sports practices every night of the week, and lots of driving, planning ahead for dinner really helps a lot. But in the past, my goal to stay organized with meals has tended to fall apart.
One thing that’s changed for this year is I’ve decided to be realistic about what I can actually accomplish. A dinner that takes more than 30 minutes to assemble and cook is unrealistic for my family on most weeknights, unless I have a little free time to prep it ahead of time.
And I have a couple other issues weighing in as well.
One, my family doesn’t like breakfast for dinner, crockpot meals (although I keep trying to find a recipe they like!), or anything pre-made. Last year, I tried purchasing some pre-made gourmet dinners in an effort to save time. They weren’t inexpensive but the kids could tell they weren’t cooked by mom.
Two, the varying taste buds…two children prefer simpler meals, one is more of a “foodie” like myself. So I have to consider things like if I am making a sauce, can it be left off? I also don’t want to make the same things every week, and I want to continue to try new recipes. We’re trying a new roasted chicken recipe this week, three tried and true family favorites, and a variation on a chili recipe I haven’t made in quite a while.
Here’s my week in recipes…I’m a little late getting this out here, but I figure better late than never!
Monday: Lasagna and salad
We made this ahead this weekend!
Tuesday: Roasted chicken, homemade home fries, and sauteed green beans
Wednesday: Sausage and broccoli pasta
I make this recipe at least once or twice a month. It’s easy, fast and my family loves it. You’ll notice the recipe calls for broccoli rabe. I always use broccoli. I like broccoli rabe, but the kids like broccoli better.
Thursday: Pesto with pasta, vegetable from the farm*
There are tons of variations of pesto recipes, but my favorite comes from the Silver Palate cookbook. I received that cookbook as a gift when my husband and I were engaged, over 20 years ago, and it’s still one of my go-to cookbooks!
Friday: Cincinnati Chili and a vegetable from the farm*
*We belong to a local CSA and pick up our veggies on Thursday. We never know exactly what we are going to get till then!
Did you try a new recipe this week? Did you like it? Tell us about it in the comments…I’m always looking for new recipes to try!