What Are Some Easy Dinners I Can Make While Baby Naps That Is Worth Reheating?

I really like the new "one pot" ideas that are around. Basically you put everything in one dish and stew, bake, boil, etc. It's kind of like crock pot cooking in that you dump it all into one pot. Unlike crock pot cooking the method will vary. You don't have to go as posh as Martha Stewart, but I include the link to give you an idea of the variety available.

http://www.marthastewart.com/275672/one-dish-dinners/@cen...

I am the queen of quick and easy recipes. Today I'm making Tater Tot Casserole. Kid friendly because it's basically hamburger and potatoes. You can make it with canned green beans in the middle or serve them on the side. And its easy because you don't cook the hamburger first (some recipes you do but this one you don't):

Tater Tot Casserole
2# ground beef
2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
4 tbsp. dry onion soup mix
1 c milk
2# frozen tater tots

Press raw hamburger in the bottom of 9x13 inch pan. Mix 2 cans of COM soup with milk and onion soup mix. Pour over meat. Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 min. You can also add shredded cheese either before the tater tots or on top and heat until cheese melts.

I also will brown about 6# of hamburger at a time then freeze in single serving zip baggies and keep in the freezer until needed. Same for b/s chicken breasts, cook in a crockpot with some onion soup mix and then shred/chop and put in freezer zip baggies and take out as needed. I have used both for tacos, enchiladas, bbq sandwiches or sloppy joes, salads, soups, etc.

I also have a large Tupperware container that I keep salad in. I make it myself and keep a paper towel in the top and it will last all week. My kids are great salad eaters. In the winter I do the same thing with homemade soup. We can have a bowl whenever we want.

I will also get a ton of hamburger and make 3-4 meatloaves and put in the freezer. The dollar store has aluminum pans with lids (I get the round ones) and they are perfect to use. Then I just get one out, thaw it all day and stick it in the oven with instant potatoes, gravy and a veggie. Super fast.

I will also make a box of mac n cheese then add a can of chili in it, mix and heat. Serve with biscuits and a veggie. Super fast and easy.

Tostadas with pre-made shells, canned refried beans, lettuce and shredded lettuce is fast and easy too.

These are my quick and easy go to meals that everyone in my family likes. I have a lot of recipes I have saved to a Word document as I come across them. I think you would do best with the casseroles that you make several of and freeze. Then pull them out and bake for dinner after they are thawed. Then your husband can eat when he gets home since they are easy to heat up. Google is your friend when it comes to finding easy recipes since you only know what your family will eat. Good luck!

I think you can make any casserole during naptime, assemble the whole thing, then put it in the fridge until an hour before you wanna eat. Get it out when you turn on the oven to preheat to unchill it a little, then pop it in.

I would love to give more suggestions but I have no idea what you or your kids likes to eat.

I mostly cook for my husband. My 8 and 5 year old are happy with finger foods or sandwiches and I also have a 1 1/2 y/o so i know the pain of trying to cook with him around. Cooking for kids is different than cooking for grown men. If your husband is out of the picture for dinner time I would stick to kid stuff anyway. But maybe that's just me.

I actually like enchiladas and spaghetti better after they've sat and then reheated.

Find a good crock pot recipe book and start using a crock pot when you are short on cook time.

Take out and delivery work very well!
Get good with a crock pot - you can put everything into it in the morning and supper is ready and waiting for you in the evening.
Scrambled eggs are good any time of the day.

Use the crock pot - then you can do it in the morning or when baby is napping and it will be ready. Some of the things I will make the night ahead of time now are Tacos in a Pasta Shell (or TPS), Lasagna, Lima Bean Casserole, Chicken Divan, etc...basically any kind of casserole that cooks later.

You could also do all of the prep work during nap and just cook when the baby is awake. I found that the chopping/dicing/shredding was what took most of my time when the kids were wanting my attention.

I used to prep veggies or the dinner the night before, after my son went to bed. What helps too. I have a dry erase board with the days of the week. Sundays i write down what we are having each day. You know what needs to be done before hand. If i make sauce or chili, i go big, make a lot, separate and freeze. Btw theres nothing wrong with breakfast for dinner.

I don't have a specific recipe, but a few ideas.

During nap time you can put together a casserole, or a roast, store in the fridge, and pop in the oven later.

Tacos or fajitas - Grate cheese, shred lettuce, slice olives, and cook the meat at nap time. Meat can reheat well your putting everything on the table.

The only thing that doesn't reheat well is beef because it overlooks. Ground beef does reheat well.

Most items with a sauce will reheat well

I am going to look up this one pot idea thanks Diana!
So are you cooking for your husband too and just keeping it for him?
When my kids were little, I often made a big lasagna or something with salad so my husband always had a meal on hand he could heat up (he sometimes worked nights also). A nice crusty loaf there was a nice meal.
For kids, we would have scrambled eggs in a pinch, or fun and easy meals even pancakes for supper. So long as we had fruit and veggies for snacks or to nibble on when hungry, it was whatever worked.
But I would cook up lots of hamburger at once and bag it separately. Chili one bag. Meat sauce another. I had a little grill I did chicken breasts on then I would use that with salad, in sandwiches, add potatoes, etc. I did shake and bake.
I didn't do a lot of casseroles because my kids weren't fans. I am more simple meat and veggie kind of girl. I still find that quick. Right now I am into roasts, had no idea they were this easy. To me, season and in it goes and have food for a few days just serve different sides.
I guess I just got all my meat cooked in big batches that saved me the most time and just used in different ways over the week. My family wasn't into crock pot I wish they were because that is super easy.

Get a crock-pot and a cookbook to go with it. There are so many recipes for them now and it makes life much easier.

http://www.amazon.com/Fix-It-Forget-It-Big-Cookbook-Recip...

There are very few meals that don't reheat we'll in the microwave. Just about a thing you cook for dinner can be reheated later that day or even the next day.

I have a 2 yo and a 3 month old. I always prep (chop veg, thaw meat, pre measure spices, get pans/pots out, etc) during nap time, then throw it all together to cook at dinner.

On Sunday's we are both home and we always make a big dinner with leftovers we can have for lunch during the week. That way if Monday's are crappy I can order pizza or takeout.