2024 Dinner ideas

[Oldie13]

Sausage and Cabbage Skillet
cut sausage (like Eckrich) into coins, cook in skillet, remove but don’t drain. Add in 1/2 head of cabbage (no core) and cook til wilted. Put sausage back in. Add 2 heaping spoons (the ones you eat with) of a grainy mustard. Cook til desired doneness.

Chili Dog Casserole
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Break 8 hot dog buns in half, then cut each half into quarters, toss in dish. Top with a large can of chili. Top with chopped onions (if desired) and shredded cheese. Bake in oven 30 minutes—cheese melted and bubbly.

 

[TwoMisfits]

That was definitely my plan. Making meals so we would not be going out

Right, but are you going out b/c you don't want to cook at all or you don't want to eat what you have planned to cook? Which part is the boredom? You don't want another oven baked chicken breast from X marinade and you just want a cheesesteak or you just don't want to make anything you're thinking of?

It's why I suggested posting the meals you're getting at restaurants and cooking those b/c if you can make what your Subway, Chinese take out, KFC, IHOP, Outback, Olive Garden, Five Guys, Chipotle, etc is serving you, you won't have reason to go to them.

My pantry and freezer are always set with items my kids would love to eat out at. There's never a day that I don't have all-beef premade burger patties in my freezer, b/c burgers are my kids' #1 favorite meal. And I've got jarred sauces or premade spice mixes to make a host of Asian takeout with little effort b/c that's #2. And the meatballs are #3.

So, when kids are craving food out, I make the main dish be their desire, and then surround it with fresh fruits and veg that go with it, making it both way cheaper and way healthier than the takeout option, even if you could do a little better than burgers for health...

 

[SandyinMonterey]

The recipe would be great

1 carton (32 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ox) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, red and green pepper, drained
i can (10 oz) mild red enchilada sauce
! cup chopped onions
i can (4 oz.) chopped green Chiles
1 teaspoon ground cumin

I put all of the above ingredients in slow cooker. Low setting for a couple of hours (until everything is hot). Then I add chicken. To make it easy, I use rotisserie chicken. I also use frozen chopped onion. I top with tortilla strips (found in the salad dressing aisle) and a little bit of mexican cheese.

 

[Kestryl]

We have some fun-themed cook books (Disney, Bob's Burgers, Harry Potter), so when we're feeling particularly stuck we just pick something new from the book that looks interesting and try it out. It's been a lot of fun! (Especially the Bob's Burgers recipes. Who knew watermelon on a burger would be so good?)

 

[Wendy31]

We tend to go w/ the following meal schedule w/ variations, of course:

Sunday - breakfast for supper
Monday - some kind of pasta
Tuesday - some kind of Mexican
Wednesday - some kind of meat w/ a potato (or other starch) & vegetable side dishes
Thursday - some kind of casserole or maybe stir-fry, depending on what else is on the menu for the week
Friday - something that feels “Friday-y” like pizza
Saturday - something that feels “Saturday-y”… this time of year, maybe a soup or chili…

Our meal plan for this week is the following:

Tonight - Pasta Bake w/ sliced Cucumbers & Tomatoes
Tomorrow - Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wednesday - Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, & Green Beans
Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie w/ Salad
Friday - Meatball Subs w/ French Fries
Saturday - ??
Sunday - Super Bowl Food

I’ve also sometimes used the “Today is the National Day of…” Calendar for ideas & inspiration. For instance, on National Paella Day last year, we made a Paella.

 

[dpswift]

Right, but are you going out b/c you don't want to cook at all or you don't want to eat what you have planned to cook? Which part is the boredom? You don't want another oven baked chicken breast from X marinade and you just want a cheesesteak or you just don't want to make anything you're thinking of?

It's why I suggested posting the meals you're getting at restaurants and cooking those b/c if you can make what your Subway, Chinese take out, KFC, IHOP, Outback, Olive Garden, Five Guys, Chipotle, etc is serving you, you won't have reason to go to them.

My pantry and freezer are always set with items my kids would love to eat out at. There's never a day that I don't have all-beef premade burger patties in my freezer, b/c burgers are my kids' #1 favorite meal. And I've got jarred sauces or premade spice mixes to make a host of Asian takeout with little effort b/c that's #2. And the meatballs are #3.

So, when kids are craving food out, I make the main dish be their desire, and then surround it with fresh fruits and veg that go with it, making it both way cheaper and way healthier than the takeout option, even if you could do a little better than burgers for health...

It is actually my husband that doesn’t want what I have planned or to go out. We usually eat very basic foods when we go out. That is why I am trying to find recipes that interest him. I do love your idea of jazzing up meatball sub. Honestly I think it has been 20 years since we have been there

 

[slo]

This is our dinner tonight - I love it and can hardly wait!