In a Rut: Cooking

[2China2009]

So I feel I am not the greatest cook. My family consists of 1 adult and 2 kids. My kids are 11&14. My 14 y/o old is a very healthy eater meaning she loves soup, fresh fruit and veggies etc and can really make anything she wants. My 11 y/o likes carbs: noodles, mac n cheese etc. I have no problem making what they want, but I feel I am in a rut. It is the same things all the time. Lately I have tried some new recipes that have not turned out so great or my kids do not like them. I am frustrated. I work full time, but get off early enough to have a nice dinner on the table. So I need some suggestions on tasteful food that can go in the crock pot or able to have something ready quickly on nights we have things going on. Things that are healthy, but filling. I also try to keep my grocery budget to $200/mos.

 

[DLgal]

So I feel I am not the greatest cook. My family consists of 1 adult and 2 kids. My kids are 11&14. My 14 y/o old is a very healthy eater meaning she loves soup, fresh fruit and veggies etc and can really make anything she wants. My 11 y/o likes carbs: noodles, mac n cheese etc. I have no problem making what they want, but I feel I am in a rut. It is the same things all the time. Lately I have tried some new recipes that have not turned out so great or my kids do not like them. I am frustrated. I work full time, but get off early enough to have a nice dinner on the table. So I need some suggestions on tasteful food that can go in the crock pot or able to have something ready quickly on nights we have things going on. Things that are healthy, but filling. I also try to keep my grocery budget to $200/mos.

Sorry, but $200 per MONTH for groceries for 3 people? There is no way I could suggest good meal ideas for so little money. I spend that much per week for our family of 4. Did you mean $200 per week?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So I feel I am not the greatest cook. My family consists of 1 adult and 2 kids. My kids are 11&14. My 14 y/o old is a very healthy eater meaning she loves soup, fresh fruit and veggies etc and can really make anything she wants. My 11 y/o likes carbs: noodles, mac n cheese etc. I have no problem making what they want, but I feel I am in a rut. It is the same things all the time. Lately I have tried some new recipes that have not turned out so great or my kids do not like them. I am frustrated. I work full time, but get off early enough to have a nice dinner on the table. So I need some suggestions on tasteful food that can go in the crock pot or able to have something ready quickly on nights we have things going on. Things that are healthy, but filling. I also try to keep my grocery budget to $200/mos.

My go-to crock pot meals: pulled chicken. Place 1 chicken breast per person in crock pot, cover with BBQ sauce (homemade or store bought). Cook on low 4 hours. Take each breast out and shred it using two forks and put back in crockpot with sliced onions. Cook on high an additional 30 minutes. Server over hamburger buns.

meatballs: cover with white gravy, OR BBQ sauce, OR sweet & sour sauce, OR tomato sauce of some sort. Cook for 2 hours on high. Serve with pasta, if you want.

I used to also made a really good beef stew, but I don't have that recipe handy.

 

[luvsJack]

I cook some pretty inexpensive meals but not sure it would stay at $200 a month.

Most of them take some time though and my kids loved these meals but I can’t say for your’s.

1. Red beans and rice with sausage on the side. Then use the red beans another night for red bean stew and maybe even chili. Red beans will cook great in a crock pot, but my preference is on the stove if I have time.

2 Boil a whole chicken with onion, celery and seasonings in the crock pot. Debone it and spilt into three meals. Chicken and noodles, chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings. Each are pretty quick to put together once you have the boiled chicken and the broth.

3. Make a big pot of homemade spaghetti sauce. Let it simmer all day in the crock pot. Use it for spaghetti, lasagna, meatball subs, any pasta dish really.

Honestly any of this can be as healthy or as not as you want it to be. Veggies can be added. Salad is my go to side.

 

[low-key]

I love Spaghetti, maybe just give your daughter something little on the side

 

[a1tinkfans]

Fun breakfast for dinner one night.

Grab a turkey breast, in a bag.. throw in oven with tons of veggies ( we do this year round)

Skinless boneless chic thighs( I choose to quickly brown in a pan then) carrots, green pepper, Spanish onion, bone broth, a yam chopped up or a regular potato ( I’ve thrown in whatever veggies.. zucchini etc, that was handy) thrown in crockpot... I add can diced red tomatoes..
can serve over rice, noodles or enjoy plain

Make ur own pizzas... add a protein

Best of luck to you. We all get in a rut, lol. .. have u tried Pinterest?

 

[kimblebee]

Your kids are old enough to get them involved.

Tell them that you want their input and they have one week to research and print out three recipes that they want to try. Then, incorporate them and make tweaks as you see fit.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Your kids are old enough to get them involved.

Tell them that you want their input and they have one week to research and print out three recipes that they want to try. Then, incorporate them and make tweaks as you see fit.

Oooooo, I like this.

 

[Toolulu22]

I feel this way sometimes as well. We get in the habit of cooking the same things over and over again. When I feel in a rut I’ll pick up one of those cooking magazines at the grocery store- they always seem to have something right up my alley. “Quick Chicken Dishes”, “Soup’s On” etc. I have a bunch of these as well as some cookbooks and magazines, when I need inspiration I flip through one, or have my husband pick one out, and we go for it. We’ve definitely expanded our options by doing this.

 

[Imzadi]

My 11 y/o likes carbs: noodles, mac n cheese etc.

My suggestion to you is to switch to Barilla Protein Plus Pasta. It is the ONLY pasta I eat now as it is made specially to be high protein and low in carbs. Barilla Protein Plus is made with chick peas & other high protein, fiber & Omega 3 ingredients. Yet it tastes like regular pasta. It is a better choice for anyone who would still like to eat pasta, but not all the carbs. And it does NOT taste like boiled cardboard the way "whole wheat" pastas do. You do have to cook it a bit longer than regular pasta. And don't salt the water before cooking.

As it is a great protein replacement, you can actually use less meats in a dish. You can add cooked chicken to the Elbow or Rotini (corkscrew) pasta & salad greens to make a chicken pasta salad.

If you make a simple tomato spaghetti sauce, you can still know your son is getting a lot of protein, without making a more expensive meat sauce. Or you can make a pasta primavera (pasta & veggies) drizzled with olive oil, garlic, S&P, grated cheese and still get a good amount of protein.

https://www.target.com/p/proteinplu...i-pasta---14-5oz---barilla--174-/-/A-13156101

 

[amberpi]

My suggestion to you is to switch to Barilla Protein Plus Pasta. It is the ONLY pasta I eat now as it is made specially to be high protein and low in carbs. Barilla Protein Plus is made with chick peas & other high protein, fiber & Omega 3 ingredients. Yet it tastes like regular pasta. It is a better choice for anyone who would still like to eat pasta, but not all the carbs. And it does NOT taste like boiled cardboard the way "whole wheat" pastas do. You do have to cook it a bit longer than regular pasta. And don't salt the water before cooking.

Thanks so much for this idea. We use instacart so don't see a lot of new products but I need the most protein and calories I can get, so this seems like magic to m!

OP - Do you mean $200 a week? I can't imagine feeding a family of 3 on that for a month, unless like us, you go out a lot. I really need to cook more.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

What about a chicken Caesar salad with fresh Parmesan and croutons?

A Caprese salad is tasty - tomatoes sliced, fresh mozzarella sliced and fresh basil drizzled with balsamic vinagrette?

Where the lettuce is kept they now sell Asian and other salads you can mix together quickly that are good.

You can make garlic pitas with any of these (garlic and melted butter brushed on halved pitas and baked).

BLTs; turkey, apple and Brie paninis; meatball subs with provolone; fried egg sandwiches with bacon, etc.

Peppers stuffed w quinoa or hambuger and rice and topped w mozzarella. Stouffers makes good stuffed peppers too for nights you don't feel like cooking, found in the freezer case.

Aldi's sells little fresh hams that are sliced, I bake them with marmalade on top and serve with veggies; can use for sandwiches later. (Everyone seems to really like that when I make it.)

Baked ziti is easy and leftovers are great.

Packages mixes of Foster's soups are great if you can get them. (I found some at Big Lots recently, but they sell them at supermarkets and online, too.) We made one last week using shredded rotisserie chicken and it was delicious. Low sodium, too. (Unlike many soups.) The chili was very, good, too - almost as good as one I make from scratch.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

OP, I realize that many people can't afford to spend anywhere close to $200 a week on groceries, so I'm trying to think of cheaper meals that are reasonably healthy.

Suggestions:
Tomato soup & grilled cheese
Chicken w/ rice or quinoa & black beans
Omelets w/ cheese, spinach, green peppers, onion, mushrooms or whatever you like in them
Tuna Cakes w/ veggies
Vegetable or vegetable beef soup w/ peanut butter sandwiches
Homemade Chili
Chicken Caesar Salad


The chicken with rice, soup & chili could give you two meals. I'll try to think of more suggestions & add them.

 

[anniemae]

I love skinnytaste.com for good healthy recipes. I have made a lot of her recipes and they are very good.

 

[HeatherC]

Eggs are cheap and can be made a million ways...scrambled, over easy, in a quiche, baked, ham and cheddar cups, egg salad, deviled eggs, etc..

 

[Christine]

So I feel I am not the greatest cook. My family consists of 1 adult and 2 kids. My kids are 11&14. My 14 y/o old is a very healthy eater meaning she loves soup, fresh fruit and veggies etc and can really make anything she wants. My 11 y/o likes carbs: noodles, mac n cheese etc. I have no problem making what they want, but I feel I am in a rut. It is the same things all the time. Lately I have tried some new recipes that have not turned out so great or my kids do not like them. I am frustrated. I work full time, but get off early enough to have a nice dinner on the table. So I need some suggestions on tasteful food that can go in the crock pot or able to have something ready quickly on nights we have things going on. Things that are healthy, but filling. I also try to keep my grocery budget to $200/mos.

OP, just for reference, what are some of the things you have made recently that were flops? Just trying to get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Here is a link to another recent thread asking for ideas for dinner:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/what’s-your-families-favorite-dinner.3716098/page-3#post-59945988

We use our crockpot at least once a week, sometimes more. One meal my family really likes is a burrito bowl. It is easy and goes in the crockpot but can also be done on the stove. I am not a great cook, so I use the same recipe every time, but it probably wouldn't be hard to substitute ingredients your family likes.

1-lb or cut up cooked chicken
14 oz can black beans
1 can white corn (can use frozen if you prefer)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3/4 cups rice
1 packet of taco seasoning (you can also use your own mix of spices if you prefer)

Serve topped with cheese if you like, lettuce and tomato, eat it with tortilla chips, however you like.

 

[neverlandsky]

With 2 teens we focus on build your own. We do build your own taco bowls bar. I can squeeze 2-3 dinners out of it. If there’s leftovers I’ll also do a Mexican scramble with hashbrowns.
We also do build your own sandwiches, pasta bowls, baked potatoes, chili, mini pizzas, etc.

 

[PollyannaMom]

OP, I know how you feel about getting in a rut. At the beginning of the school year, I kind of embrace it - sticking with x on Mondays, y on Tuesdays...for the first few weeks saves my sanity! But once the rest of life settles down into a routine, I start getting bored.

My best tip is to go to the library and check out a few cookbooks to flip through. (The kids can look too!) DS picked out bacon shrimp quesadillas from "The Cheese Lovers Cookbook" last week, and everybody here liked them.

The mini pizzas mentioned above are great because you can used English muffins, pitas, "sandwich rounds" - whatever's on sale that week, and each customize your toppings.

I also second the Barilla Protein Plus pasta!

 

[1GoldenSun]

I like that Barilla Protein Plus pasta too. My son can definitely tell the difference but that's just too bad for the little carb freak.


Edited to remove the "drinky" emoji that made no sense in this context. I was trying to add a simple smiley face to the end of the last sentence.