Go-To Meal Plan (Seven Days Of Support)
Not every meal can be THE BEST or THE FAVORITE. These days, I often dread dealing with decisions about feeding myself and my family. The isolation and all the staying home over the last several months brings a feeling of redundancy to the day and repetitiveness to meal times. Not an hour passes without one (or all) of my kids sidling up to me with the question: What can I have to eat?
4 kids x 16 waking hours = TOO MANY TIMES ASKING FOR FOOD!!!
If you are struggling to come up with ideas for meals like me, I have pulled together a ideas that might get you through the next week.
When I want a meal without cooking that will suit everyone's preferences, I put together a platter of snacks. "Snack Platter" is the a simpler version of the Charcuterie board. You may remember this fancy appetizer option from the good old days of going out to restaurants. I found this option for a family of older kids and adults and this option for a family of young children.
Tacos. Every week tacos find their way onto our dinner plates. We have some wonderful taquerias here in Phoenix, Arizona. Most are offering take-out and delivery. When I have the energy and time, I like to make a taco bar. We use black beans, rice, slow-cooked pork and frozen fish sticks for the filling and top it with cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. I picked up a Mango Jicama Slaw with Lime Mango Vinaigrette from Trader Joe's and it was the perfect partner to the fish sticks for our version of baja fish tacos.
Burgers. I don't know what my family would do without burgers. While it's possible to make a burger from scratch, I depend on my favorite pre-formed (fresh or frozen) patties from my local grocery store. We usually stick with beef, but have tried chicken, turkey, and black bean. Last night, I picked up a beef burger with cheddar cheese and bacon mixed in. We grilled the burgers, but you can just as easily cook the patties in a pan. My daughter and I topped ours with avocado, mayo, and mustard. My husband and sons only wanted ketchup and mustard. We added a side of potato chips, a pre-made Corn & Quinoa Salad, and watermelon. I like to put tajin on my melon.
Tonight, I promised to make breakfast for dinner. Sometimes, that means cold cereal with milk and bananas or berries. Other times, it means an Egg-in-a-Nest with breakfast sausage. Tonight it means chocolate-chip pancakes. Add sides of your favorite fruit (fresh, canned, frozen, or dried) and some yogurt for balance and variety if it suits.
Sheet pan meals. Head over to my friend and colleague Ashley Munro's website for all the details on my family's favorite sheet pan meal.
For the love of everything good, just order a pizza. Consider adding boneless wings and a pre-made relish tray from the produce section.
Family-friendly Baked Potato Bar. Here is a step-by-step guide. My six and nine year old do not like baked potatoes, but they love the bacon and cheese. That's the only part they eat. I serve this meal with banana bread, apple sauce and a pre-packaged salad (Caesar IS king over here). I sit back and think, this is good enough.
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