Easier Dinners for Busy Parents

Sometimes, you just don't feel like cooking. When you are a working parent, time is limited, especially if you have more than one child. Once you get off from work, you don't feel like cooking (or maybe you aren't that good at it). It's very easy to turn to fish sticks or fast food restaurants, but that isn't really a healthy option for every day meals.

This is where shortcuts come in. You can still serve healthy dinners without serving up a ton of grease and saturated fat. In this day and time, I don't know many families that expect a home-cooked meal cooked from scratch seven days a week.

I often throw decent meals together when I am too tired or short on time. An already prepared bagged salad (with my own added salad toppings), baked chicken (marinate overnight and while at work, and just pop it in the oven when you get home), bread, and soup of your choice.

I also make sure to always cook extra food. If I'm cooking for Sunday, I make enough to freeze for future use. Things that freeze very well are soups, meat, chili, most pasta dishes, and almost anything you can think of. Also, freezing food is a good way to insure that if anything happens unexpectedly (i.e., emergency hospital stay), there is homemade food already cooked for the kids.

One of the best (and cheapest) things to invest in is a slow cooker. You can let the food cook while you're at work/school/church, and it will be ready for dinnertime.

Do you have a friend who is great at cooking? Another great idea is to trade cooking (of course, this will only work out if your friend likes your cooking skills). Trading meals with a friend is easy and cheaper than fast food. This is how it works: On Sunday, you decide to make chicken, green bean casserole, and macaroni and cheese. You make enough for your family, and also make enough for hers. Then, on another given day, she'll do the same for you. This idea will probably work best for small families of 2-3 people, otherwise you'll feel like you're cooking and shopping for a potluck.

There is nothing wrong with going to Boston Market or Pizza Hut sometimes, but if you want to save money and eat a little healthier, then learning to make the most of your kitchen time is essential.

Here is a recipe that I like to use on days when I'm tired from work:

Chik'n Chalupas (kraftfoods.com)

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen BOCA Meatless Spicy Chik'n Patties

1 cup refried black beans, warmed

4 corn tostada shells (6 inch)

1 cup shredded lettuce

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced

1/4 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

Make It

COOK chik'n patties as directed on package. Cut each patty into quarters.

SPREAD 1/4 cup of the warm beans into each tostada shell; top evenly with remaining ingredients.

Top with salsa if desired.