Crockpot!

Sounds like soups and stews will be your friend then, if you have time to let them simmer for a bit or make them in the slow cooker. If not noodle stir frys are good, potentially using store bought sauces if you don't want the hassle of making your own (they will have more sugar/salt that homemade probably). In the summer some baked chicken and salad is yummy, healthy and fairly quick. What sort of things do your family like to eat?

Also how old are the kids? Can you get them to cook one night a week or once a month or something? And if the schedules work your husband should be helping out too doing half the cooking.

Here's a simple one we do when the Crock-Pot is in the dishwasher: microwave the heck out of frozen Brussels sprouts, until you can mash them. Then mash'em. If you're feeling fancy, get some bacon and crumble into your mash, otherwise sprinkle a little dried rosemary, splash a little olive oil, and mash some more. Then just poach or coddle or fry some eggs, put it on a plate and call it yummy.

I make a "burrito" filling.

2 cups of Minute Rice
2 cans refried beans (regular, fat free, vegetarian...your preference)
Thick & Chunky salsa, add to your taste
Grated cheese
Cooked ground beef/chicken/turkey, optional
Tortillas

Prepare the Minute Rice in a large saucepan (2+ quarts). Over low-med heat, add the refried beans and salsa (and meat) and stir until well blended and heated through.

Heat a skillet (large enough for the tortillas). Place a tortilla in the skillet for a few seconds, flip, remove.
Spoon filling into the tortilla, top with cheese, and roll up.

If making a LOT of these, lightly spray a 9x13 pan with Pam, place burritos in the pan until all are made. Top with more cheese and bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes.

Go to my pinterest page and look at some of my recipes. I am like you.. if it has more than like 5 ingredients, it's a no. And if it takes more than 10 minutes to throw together it's a no. So I have a lot of easy stuff pinned.

https://www.pinterest.com/lakeviewstable/recipes/

I have a few go to "easy" recipes:

- grilled chicken sandwiches (just thin slice boneless skinless chicken breast, season, grill or saute and throw on a store bought bun with some mayo, lettuce, and tomato)
- meatball subs (I buy frozen meatballs from the store, you could make your own and freeze them if you wanted, just warm the meatballs up in some marinara sauce, throw some hoagie rolls in the oven with some mozzarella or provolone cheese and then top with the meatballs/sauce)
- paninis (simple sandwich bread, lunch meat, and cheese, butter the outside of the bread like you would a grilled cheese and throw it in the pan, I put mayo and tomato on after they're toasted up)

Another thing I do to help ease one night of cooking is I plan to have leftovers and use the next night. Last night I made chicken thighs for dinner, I made about 6 more than I knew I needed and tonight I'll be using that chicken (chopped up) in a chicken Alfredo dish. So now tonight I only have to make the pasta and sauce since I already cooked the chicken last night! Works well for things like enchiladas, or soups too.

With a DH that really isn't a leftovers eater and two young children, I try to think of dishes I can incorporate into something else. I usually start my week by making a huge batch of Parmesan roasted carrots. Here's the recipe:

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/parmesan-roasted-carrots/

They're like crack in our house. I have to make so much, because we'll eat them all week. I serve them over couscous or rice with a veggie burger or put them on a salad.

I've been on a soup kick lately. Cheddar broccoli is a favorite because leftover, it can be heated up and served over a baked potato or leftover rice for our toddlers.

I also do a batch of par cooked potatoes for the week to cut down on cooking time when I go to use them for a meal. DH and I really like to make root hash (adding in roasted carrots) with a fried egg on top.

I've recently started roasting turkey breast cutlets to use for a couple meals like burgers or salads. Just toss the breasts in olive oil. Coat with sage, rosemary, chopped garlic, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. Obviously, can be cooked in the crock pot as well.

Chicken Ala King

1 precooked rotisserie chicken
2 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken with Herbs soup
Frozen mixed veggies, thawed (I put them in the sink before I leave for work)
Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits

Remove all of the chicken from the carcass, chop, and place into Texas skillet or Dutch oven.
Add the soups, plus 2 cans of water.
Add the veggies.
Cook over medium heat until heated through.
Bake the biscuits while the chicken "stew" is cooking.

Split the biscuits and place in a bowl or on a plate and ladle the chicken stew over the biscuits.

Crock Pot Lasagna YES I am serious

same way you make regular lasagna just layer in the crock pot (don't cook the noodles).

I like it better with homemade sauce instead of jar. I usually make a BIG pot of cause at least twice a month and freeze it.

I do taco night and spaghetti night too ! And chicken fajita night. I also make Sheppard pie a lot which is hanburgwr meat, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes and cheese baked. I do beef stroganoff by buying fajita steak meat and egg noodles and gravy and sour cream. We do chicken and waffles with chicken strips too

Love this in the winter!

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
About 6 servings

Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 medium potatoes, 8 - 9 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup)
3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
9 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
4 green onions, diced

Directions
To a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours (poke potatoes with a fork to check make sure they're soft).
Ladle out 2 cups liquid from soup mixture in crock pot into a liquid measuring cup, set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups liquid in measuring cup into butter mixture (it will thicken quickly). Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend. If desired, mash potatoes with a potato masher to break down into smaller pieces or use an emulsion blender to puree. Cover and cook on HIGH heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off (or to warm), stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions (you can just mix in those three remaining ingredients into slow cooker or top individual servings).

simply google

easy cheap meals....

millions of sites and the meals are cheap, and can be made with in 30min.... this is what I do, everyday a different meal lol, I do not care who likes it or not, if you do not like dinner - eat bread....

last night I made beef strips and veggies, with loads of fresh ginger, garlic and chilies.... my chinese style pan fry
then I simply added 2 packets of Ramin noodles.

I use slow cooker liners so I don't have to do much washing after cooking, just throw away liner. Bought on amazon

My family loves oven-baked vegetables with oregano:
Slice whatever vegetables you have (it's great to use that one potato or two carrots or whatever leftover in the fridge). I often use potatos, zuchinni, carrots, eggplant, anything, but make sure you use onions. It's just not the same without them.
Layer the vegetables sprinkling some olive oil, salt and oregano every 2 or 3 layers. Cover with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for about 40 minutes.
Then remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and put it back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Pasta with gorgonzola cheese sauce is also a huge hit with the kids.
To make the sauce, just melt the gorgonzola with a little milk. When it has melted, turn off the heat and add a little ricotta cream or half and half.