Simple Dinner Meals

Get the Gerber graduate meals for you little one and give hubby a stack of takeout menus! Thats probably what he will want to eat while you are gone anyway. He is human and he can find food if he is hungry. Don't stress about it, go have fun! Hubby can find the store!

I'm a guy and I like to cook.

Bake a chicken the way he likes it and put it in the frig. It will keep for two to 4 days. Take the juice from the chicken, add a can of chicken broth with rice and sliced mushrooms. It makes a delightful rice pilaf. All he has to do is heat and eat. The chicken and rice compliment each other and your little one will like the flavor and texture. Or take the chicken juice from the baked chicken, add a can of chicken broth and mashed potato mix and cook. Place it in the frig beside the chicken and he can heat and eat. My little ones always like the mashed potatoes fixed this way.

Make a pot roast with carrots, potatoes, diced onions, diced celery leaves, and sliced fresh mushrooms. Take a can of cream of mushroom soup, add a can of beef broth or 2 cups of just plain water and spices. I like Canadian Steak Seasoning as well as garlic granuals (NOT garlic salt). Mix 1/2 tablespoon of flour with the broth or water before pouring it in the pot with the roast. As the roast cooks, the cream of mushroom soup and flour will mix to make a real nice gravy. He'll love the pot roast and gravy and he can use a fork to mash up the potatoes and carrots, add a little gravy and your 14 month old will love it. I use diced celery leaves, not celery stalks, because of the nice subtle flavor they give to everything.

Both things will survive in the frig over the weekend and, IF there are any left overs, you can enjoy some when you get back.

Good luck to you and yours.

Chili freezes well, and he could get a simple bag of salad to go with it and you could freeze it in serving sized baggies.

You could put a roast in the crockpot with potatoes, celery, carrots and onion (and a bit of water) the day you leave with instructions to turn it off at the time it will be finished. Roast for dinner, sandwiches the next day.

Spaghetti is easily reheated and is good leftover. I use a jar and add my own meat and a few spices (basil, oregano, garlic) to make it taste better.

I found a website that looks great for ideas: http://www.bulkfreezercooking.com/ You can click on the left sidebar to choose categories.

Here's another with pics: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Look around here: http://www.kids-meal-ideas.com/easy-freezer-meals.html You will find many tips as well as recipes there.

Here's a 12-page .pdf recipe booklet you can read or print if you want: http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/freezer_cooking.pdf It has some tips, some recipes. (Read online before printing, since ink is so expensive!)

A baked ziti type dish is really easy (brown meat, cook noodles, mix sauce and meat...mix in noodles and add cheese). You could do an enchilada layered thing and bake.

I recently made some super easy potato leek soup. My 3 year old gobbled it, my younger one a little less, but she ate it. If your husband is willing to put a chicken breast on the george forman to grill, they could share that easily.

7 layer bean dip is easy and nutritious. He could leave out chillis so it's easier on her system

baked penne with chicken

can he make toasted cheese sandwiches? Those with tomato soup are tasty and offer nutrition

At many stores at the check out (I got mine at Walmart) they have those mini cook books, one I have is one easy casseroles and it has some really good ones in it my hubby loves.

J.,

One of my families favorite meals when I take off for a few days, Picante chicken. Super duper easy. Chicken breasts in baking dish, pour favorite salsa over the top, sprinkle with cheese, olives if you want. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 - serve with sour cream. You can put it all together and have your hubby put it in the oven the day he wants to eat it.

You can also do frozen lasagna or my kids favorite Marie Calendar Pot Pies...I usually do one casserole and one frozen dinner if I'm gone for 2 days...Have a great time..

When we go camping, I like simple meals. I use canned chicken breast, add some salt, pepper, and oregano (dried) with a can of chicken broth, can of water (use broth can) and chopped carrots and celery. I cook this all together until carrots and celery are soft. Cook up some noodles of choice and add them at the end of the cooking time. Tadah, quick and easy chicken soup. Tastes great, will keep for a few days in fridge and pieces can be picked out for the little one or mashed up with some of the broth. Everything is soft and easy to eat. Your little one can feed him/her self if the broth is strained off that serving. Ultra easy.

My daughter loves camping and wondering what yummy food I will be making. She likes camping food better than at home. Sometimes I make the same foods, and she'll eat them camping, but says she doesn't like them at home. Go figure.

Oh, mac n cheese with broccoli flowers is always easy, too. He can probably make boxed mac n cheese and heat up some frozen broccoli in the microwave. Just mix it all together with the sauce. Yummy.

Maybe you can do some baked pasta dishes or simple pasta dishes that you can incorporate chicken or beef and even veggies in one dish so you husband don't have to reheat several dishes.

I have a son that just turned one and I would make this pasta dish with a milk and butter sauce and I mix in mashed veggies (like peas and carrots) and mince chicken or turkey. I know it doesn't sound appetizing and I am not a great cook but my son and husband both loved it ! I am glad my husband didn't mind the mashed veggies and mince meats in his pasta since my son only has two teeth he can't chew anything too big or tough.

Casseroles is a great idea too where you can incorporate alot of things in there as a one dish meal.

Good luck and have fun on your girls' trip.

Baked Spaghetti-that's how we like to eat leftover spaghetti. If you aren't planning on having your favorite batch of spaghetti soon, you can make some really quick just by browning a couple of pounds of ground beef, or turkey, throwing one or two jars ( however you like it) of spaghetti sauce on the meat and mix. And some cooked pasta, spirals work best for toddlers, mix. Throw that in a casserole, topped with shredded cheese and it's ready to go.
When I make spaghetti, I use up to 5 pounds of ground beef and pork-about 4 to 1, mostly beef-so even when all 3 of the children were living at home, I ALWAYS had a good amount left. I just freeze the extra, which also comes in handy if a friend is ill, has a baby, surgery, etc. to help the family out. It's extremely helpful for a dad to fix when he's in charge-you just pop it in the oven.
Also-leftover boneless, skinless chicken breasts and stuffing in a casserole make an easy pop-in-the-oven-to-reheat meal.
Have fun on your trip! ~Mary~

Check allrecipes.com for Chicken Noodle Casserole (submitted by lori gleason about 6 down the list). I add mushrooms, 1 zuccini, 1 yellow squash and some chopped spinach to make it healthier.
Also check for Jaime's Minestrone. So good if you are soup eaters! Note: add cooked pasta to the bowl just before serving. Don't mix it into the soup pot itself or it will end up mushy. I use dried herbs for this too- about 1-2 teaspoons of each (except salt and pepper- those just to taste!).