Macaroni and Peas

If you’re like most parents, by the time you sit down at night, you’ve put in a full day at work, taken the kids to and from some practice or lesson, and run a few errands. I know the last thing I want to do after a day like that is spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Heck, I want dinner on the table fast; I’ve got a hungry kid to feed.

Dinner in 15 minutes? Really? Yes…it is more than possible. Here’s how to do it:

Prepared Foods

We’re talking canned beans, bottled sauces, and frozen veggies. Some of my all star staples: beans in chili sauce, tomatoes with great stuff added right in (onions, spices, chiles, etc.), bbq sauce, and steam in the bag frozen veggies. Worried about salt with all those canned foods and prepared sauces? There are two tricks: rinse the canned stuff that you can (beans and veggies without sauce), and buy low-sodium stuff whenever you can.

Quick Cooking Foods

Pasta, rice, and small cuts of meat are also huge time savers. While your pasta is cooking, steam your veggies; many pasta type pots come with a made to fit steam tray. Buy chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts; they cook twice as fast and make ideal chicken fingers. Instant rice cooks in five minutes flat - who doesn’t love that?

Planning Ahead

Crockpots may have been made to cook your grandma’s stew, but they are a crucial tool in the busy parent’s arsenal. Prep dinner in the morning, turn it on, and you’ll walk home to a house that smells amazing and dinner that’s table ready. I know that’s not exactly a fifteen minute dinner, but it’s still a huge time saver.
If you know you’ll need chopped veggies for a stir fry, either buy them chopped or chop them when you get home from the grocery store.

Put together tough meals like lasagna or enchiladas in advance and freeze them. Stick the dish in the fridge before you leave for work and pop it in the oven when you get home. Some of these dishes may take longer than 15 minutes, but how often do you get lasagna prepared from scratch?

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Image Credit: Sean Locke