Back-to-school means routines and changes in just about every area of a momma’s life, and here we are smack dab in the middle of it.
I am a planner and like to have a plan for even our plans, so when the schedule changes and you add in their sports and lessons and still try to squeeze in their outside playtime before the weather turns cold, you’ve got a lot to juggle.
I’m not a gourmet cook, but I can plan and prepare healthy meals for my family. Sometimes, you just need to start with a plan and tweak it to fit your family’s ever-changing needs.
I like to start with what the kiddos like and then add to it to make it a good meal for the rest of us. After a long day of school for my kids and a long day of work for my husband and me, the last thing I want to do is come home and stand in the kitchen for hours while I get more tired and everyone gets hangry.
I like to use the Crockpot all year round and find it an easy time saver for us.
Here are a few easy and quick back-to-school meal ideas for you:
Olive Garden Chicken Pasta (Thanks to Instagram for the recipe!)
Combine four chicken breasts in the Crockpot with a bottle of Olive Garden Italian dressing and a cup of parmesan cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, shred chicken and add a block of cream cheese. Allow cheese to melt and then add your choice of cooked pasta (I like penne or linguine with this), Sprinkle on more parmesan cheese, stir and serve. Easy and delicious.
Ravioli Crockpot Bake
Put a small layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of the crock pot, then a layer of frozen ravioli, then a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, and then repeat four or five times. Cook on low until heated thoroughly (4-5 hours) and serve with a salad or broccoli.
Crockpot Warm Chicken Salad
Four chicken breasts cubed and cooked, add 1/2 cup mayo, 2 cups of shredded cheese (any kind), 2 tbsp lemon juice, and slivered almonds (if you like onion, chop fine and add). Mix together and cook on low for a few hours until it is hot and gooey and delicious. Serve on King’s Hawaiian Rolls and with a veggie tray. You can always put this delish dish in the oven and bake it and changed the name to Baked Chicken Salad.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese Quesadillas, and dino chicken nuggets work, too. Give yourself some grace momma; back-to-school time can be crazy, but you got this.
