7 No Fuss Weeknight Dinners

 7 No-Fuss Weeknight Dinners

If you are anything like me, or hey, anything like a normal human mother, you know how hectic life can get when you have a tiny human you have to take care of. So, when it comes to dinner time, you want it to be as quick and painless as possible. However, naturally our children are picky eaters. So we not only need to cook nutritious meals for these little boys and girls, we need to make their meals delicious too! Oh, and here's the kicker, we want to do it in 30 minutes or less! Welcome to motherhood Wonder Woman. 

What I have put together here is a compilation of dinners you can have ready in a half hour or less. I've also included a shopping list for all these wonderful recipes at the end of this post. (Yes, I DO love you that much!)

1. Quick and Easy 15 Minute Chicken Stir-Fry

This amazingly fast and easy Chinese dish is one of my favorite go to dinners for a busy weekday meal, and it's pretty nutritious too! There is even a video you can watch step by step. I don't know about you, but I get SO motivated watching cooking videos. Get the recipe here

2. Perfect Chicken Alfredo
There is nothing quite like the comfort of a hearty helping of fettuccine pasta and creamy Alfredo sauce. I happen to love love love pasta and this particular dish is ready in 30 minutes. You can even eliminate the chicken to make it even faster! Get the recipe here

3. Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs (by Tasty)

This has to be my favorite recipe of all time! SO it's not ready in 30 minutes, but it literally takes 10 minutes to prep and it cooks in 2 and a half hours in the slow cooker. I know it kind of clashes with my promise of a list of 30 minute meals, but I swear to you it is so easy, (it might be easier than a lot of these other recipes). I like to prep this dish ahead of time and freeze the stuffed meatballs and use them for meatball parm subs too! You can certainly make this dish in 30 minutes in a nice dutch oven on the stove, but it's worth waiting for, trust me. Get the recipe here

4. Cheesy Avocado Quesadillas
Want an award winning kid-friendly meal? Well you found it! Okay, so I don't know if it REALLY won any awards, but I know it does with my little munchkin. I love doing these as "Taco Tuesday." I mean, you can change it up on "Taco Tuesday" every now and then. Get the recipe here

5. Chicken Piccata
This lemony chicken dish is so delicious and tender, the chicken almost melts in your mouth. Capers give it a salty bite that's an explosion of flavor. Serve with a sauteed vegetable and mashed potatoes and you've got an elegant weeknight meal without all the extra cooking time. Get the recipe here

6. Hawaiian Style Hot Dog
This is definitely a little adventurous for some kids, but who doesn't like pineapple and hot dogs? The salsa makes this hot dog unexpectedly yummy!  Aloha Hawaiian Hot Dog! Get the recipe here

7. Pasta with Sauteed Peppers, Zucchini, and Smoked Mozzarella
This is a perfect dish for "Pasta Night," or "Meatless Monday." I love being able to give my family a healthy meal in less than 30 minutes. This might have pasta and cheese, but it's still a pretty wholesome meal for a Monday! Get the recipe here




Grocery List For ALL 7 Recipes!

Chicken Stir-Fry

- 1 Package Yakisoba Noodles

- 3 Tablespoons Oil (Vegetable or Canola)

- 2 Chicken Breast Cubed into 1" Pieces

- 1 Cup Crimini Mushrooms

- 1 Bundle Broccolini Florets

- 1 Cup Matchstick Carrots

- 1 Cup Chopped Red Bell Peppers

- 2 Baby Bok Choy

- 2 Green Onions

- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

- 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce

- 1/4 Cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock

- 1 Tablespoon Honey

- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

- 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic

- 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Perfect Chicken Alfredo

- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 2 Chicken Breast

- Kosher Salt

- Freshly Ground Black Pepper

- 1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk

- 1 1/2 Cups  Low Sodium Chicken Broth

- 2 Cloves Minced Garlic 

- 8oz Fettuccine Pasta

- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream 

- 1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmagiana Cheese

- Freshly Chopped Parsley (Optional) 

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs (by Tasty)

Meatballs

- 1 lb ground beef

- 1 lb mild sausage

- 1 cup breadcrumbs

- 1/3 cup onion; chopped

- 1/4 cup parmagiana cheese

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon dried thyme

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- 2 eggs

- 4 sticks mozzarella cut into 4-5 pcs each

- 1/2 cup whole milk

- 1/2 cup parsley

Sauce

- 7 cups crushed tomatoes

- 1/3 cup onion; chopped

- 2 garlic cloves; crushed

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano

- 1/2 teaspoon salt 

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cheesy Avocado Quesadillas

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 pound ground beef

- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning

- 1 (4.5oz) can chopped green chilies

- 8 (8inch) flour tortillas

- 1 (16oz) can refried beans

- 2 avocados

- 2 cups shredded mozzarella

- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Chicken Piccata

- 4 skinless boneless chicken breast

- Pinch cayenne pepper

- All purpose flour for dredging

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 tablespoon capers

- 1/2 cup white wine

- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

- 1/4 cup water

- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley; chopped

Hawaiian Style Hot Dog

- 3 tablespoons pineapple tidbits in juice; coarsely chopped

- 3 tablespoons diced red pepper

- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

- 4 hot dogs

- 4 teaspoons honey mustard

- 4 hot dog buns

  

Pasta with Sauteed Peppers, Zucchini, and Smoked Mozzarella

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

- 3 bell peppers; thinly sliced

- 1 small onion thinly sliced

- 2 medium zucchini

- 12 oz fettuccine pasta

- 4 oz smoked mozzarella (grated) about 1 cup

- 1/4 cup fresh basil