3 Easy Recipes for Your Crazy Back to School Schedule
School is back in session for most of us, and that probably means that life is a little crazier! Carpools, after-school activities, homework- while you may feel that you have more time during the day, your afternoons and evenings get pretty busy to say the least! Which is why it's nice to have some easy meals up your sleeve so that you can take care of all the busy things and still provide a good home-cooked meal for your family! I've included 3 easy recipes for your family to enjoy below! Chicken Fajita Soup. Crockpots are wonderful, and especially for those crazy school days! I love that you can throw everything together early in the day when kids are at school, so that when your kids are actually home you can give them your full undivided attention- and yet still have a warm meal on the table at dinnertime! This particular soup is definitely a favorite around our house. I love it because it starts with a lot of basic canned ingredients that I typically have on hand, but you can garnish it with fresh avocado, tomato, etc to give it a little added nutrition. Plus, it just tastes super good! ;)
Chicken Fajita Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: 6
Serving size: 6
Calories per serving: 282
Ingredients:
Cook time:
Yield: 6
Serving size: 6
Calories per serving: 282
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
2 cups frozen corn
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
tomato, optional topping
avocado, optional topping
sour cream, optional topping
crushed tortilla chips, optional topping.
Directions:
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Place chicken into slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, salsa, corn, black beans, water, cumin, and cilantro. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (or high for 2-3 hours).
Remove chicken and shred using two forks.
Put chicken back into slow cooker, add cheese, and let cook for 15 more minutes.
Serve with your favorite fajita toppings.
Source: sixsistersstuff.com
Place chicken into slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, salsa, corn, black beans, water, cumin, and cilantro. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (or high for 2-3 hours).
Remove chicken and shred using two forks.
Put chicken back into slow cooker, add cheese, and let cook for 15 more minutes.
Serve with your favorite fajita toppings.
Source: sixsistersstuff.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies. Sometimes we have a little more time to prep a meal, but we certainly don't have the time or energy to do the dishes or have a giant clean-up after dinner! One pan dinners are perfect for these nights. I love that you can have a healthy serving of protein and veggies with very minimal dishes- I can definitely find the time to wash one pan! This particular recipe is another favorite around my house. I love the sweet flavor the honey marinade gives the broccoli and potatoes, and garlic is such a tasty flavor in and of itself- the combination is just fantastic!
One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies
Tender, juicy chicken breasts baked to perfection with potatoes and broccoli. All cooked on a single pan! EASY!
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield:
Serving size: 4
Calories per serving: 323
Ingredients:
Cook time:
Yield:
Serving size: 4
Calories per serving: 323
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
24 ounces broccoli florets (about 5 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
salt
pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic, oregano and basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
3. Place potatoes in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken in a single layer and brush each chicken breast with honey mixture.
4. Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.* Stir in broccoli during the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
*Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the potatoes.
Source: damndelicious.net
2. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic, oregano and basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
3. Place potatoes in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken in a single layer and brush each chicken breast with honey mixture.
4. Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.* Stir in broccoli during the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
*Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the potatoes.
Source: damndelicious.net
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Taco Casserole. Sticking with the one pan concept, but even simpler! Casseroles are a mom's best friend for a reason! They're generally inexpensive to make, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now! They're also so easy to put together- throw everything in a pan and let it bake. I like to keep some browned ground beef in the freezer so that I can keep recipes like this as simple as possible! You can assemble everything and get it baking in the oven and instead of spending 30 minutes babysitting something on the stove, you can spend that 30 minutes helping your child with homework, picking them up from marching band, whatever!
Taco Casserole
A quick easy meal that's flexible and tasty!
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield:
Serving size: 8
Calories per serving: 63
Ingredients:
Cook time:
Yield:
Serving size: 8
Calories per serving: 63
1 can chili
1 can corn
1 can pinto bean
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 pound browned ground beef
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix, or more if your kids can handle spice!
tortilla chips
shredded cheese
Directions:
Mix together the first 6 ingredients and pour into a 9x13 pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Crush tortilla chips and cover the casserole with the chips. Top with shredded cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. To get a delicous crispy melty cheese, uncover after 30 minutes and broil until the cheese starts to brown.
*You can add a cup of salsa, more corn, skip the ground beef- make it your own with what you've got on hand!
*You can add a cup of salsa, more corn, skip the ground beef- make it your own with what you've got on hand!
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
As crazy as this season may be, don't neglect family dinners! With kids at school and parents at work all day, it's so important to have that 30-60 minutes together as a family to regroup and reconnect. Even if it's only 15 minutes- having a consistent family dinner will be such a blessing to your family amidst the chaos! Hopefully these easy meals can help you make that happen! What are some of your favorite easy meals that are great for the crazy back to school season? I'd love to hear them!
Sources:
- https://damndelicious.net/2015/06/27/one-pan-honey-garlic-chicken-and-veggies/
- https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/slow-cooker-creamy-chicken-fajita-soup/
- https://www.maxpixel.net/Family-Stressed-Woman-Woman-Stressed-Work-Stress-3403423
Camille Hoffmann
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
