3 Easy Meals to Get Back into the Swing of School

It is that busy time of year – the school season! Now that schools are back in session, I am sharing 3 easy meals to get back into the swing of school.

School time affects each family a little differently. In most cases though, getting back into the swing of things can be a little challenging.

If you have young kids who are home for the summer or in daycare, the start of school may be a little bit of a break.

As they get older, there are so many extracurricular activities to keep your nights filled. Even empty nesters can feel the heat if they have grandkids involved in activities.  

If you or your spouse work in education, there is definitely a learning curve to getting back into the swing of school after the summer break.

It can all get a little nuts, regardless of what category you fall into! Hopefully these 3 easy meals will help ease you into the new school year.

3 Easy Meals for Busy Weeknights

1 – 15 Minute Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Meal

I came up with this 15 minute dinner recipe on a night that we were low on groceries and time. I threw together the things I found on hand, and it turned out to be one of our go-to meals on busy nights.

This low carb meal is delicious, and you can change it up according to the things your family likes. In other words, use white rice if they don’t like cauliflower.

This delicious meal is a one pot dinner, so you hardly have any mess. It is also a healthy recipe that tastes like comfort food for the whole family!

You can use any variety of ingredients in this easy dinner recipe. These are the ingredients I like to use:

• Frozen/Microwavable Cauliflower Rice
• Canned or Shredded Chunks of Chicken
• Black Beans
• Rotel Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Sauteed Onions
• Cheddar Cheese
• On occasion, Corn

2 – Quick and Easy Spanish Chicken and Rice

This is another meal that the entire family enjoys, but it was the kids’ favorite growing up. You can use chicken breasts or chicken strips to make it cook even faster.

Top it with sour cream, salsa, and cheddar cheese, and serve it with refried beans. It is a delicious and hearty meal! It’s definitely a family favorite.

3 – Lemon Shrimp Linguini (In the Crock Pot)

This is such a refreshing meal. I normally don’t like a lot of lemon in my food, but this is an exception. In fact, the first time I made this, I started removing the cooked lemon rinds – DON’T remove them! They are delicious!

Since you are cooking it in a crock pot or slow cooker, it does take a little bit longer, but you are not having to do anything. You can go about your business and come back to a ready made meal.

Products to Help With Mealtimes

Whether it is a new school year, new job, or just the craziness of a weekly schedule, new routines are hard! I am glad there are some time savers and helps for these busy nights. 

If we use a combination of planning, easy dinner ideas, and a few products, our mealtimes will run much smoother. Take a look at some of these time saving products.

Crock Pot
Instant Pot
Glass Containers – For Leftovers

Quick and Easy Tips to Help With Your Weeknight Meals

• Plan out a weekly or monthly menu – See my Monthly Menu for August with more tips here. Try planning on Sundays, before the week really gets started.
• Do a monthly and/or weekly grocery store order to make sure you have all items needed.
• Get your family involved in the planning.
• Make extra portions so you can take it for lunch the next day. Go ahead and pack them into lunch bags or bento boxes as you are putting away the food.
• The best part of mealtime – a family meal together at the dinner table. It has nothing to do with saving time, but everything to do with building relationships.

Other Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners

There are so many ideas in this category. I actually have a whole print out of ideas. Here are a few to get you started:

• Beef Corn Dogs
• Tamale Casserole
• Taco Night or a Nacho Bar
• Baked Potato Bar or Sweet Potatoes – Have everyone’s favorite toppings.
• Fish Sticks
• Spaghetti
• Chili Dogs
• Frito Chili Pie
• Farmers’ Market Chicken
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Frozen Ravioli’s with Spaghetti Sauce
• Taco Salad
• Sloppy Joes
• Smothered Hamburger Steak
• Chicken Alfredo
• Baked Chicken, and all 9 Varieties
• Dinty Moore Beef Stew Biscuit Bake

For other 30 minute meals (or less), see the post here.

If you are in a busy season of life, I hope some of these ideas and easy meals will help you in some way. Share your family’s favorite quick and easy meal in the comments. Together, we can help each other through the craziness of life.

Until next time…

disclosure: Amazon affiliate advertising program (and other affiliate links) are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy on the website. 

“Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.” Genesis 9:3

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