The longer days have me fooled. We hang out and play or work, and the next thing I know it’s 7:30 and I don’t feel like making dinner. Pizza and hot dogs might be the occasional remedy, but some thoughtful advance meal planning will ultimately save the day.
My preference is to have things done early, which I can usually do, because the boys like to sleep late. Yesterday morning I assembled Super Easy Cheese Lasagna (I make myself feel good about it by using high quality ingredients) and stashed it in the fridge, then set my cell phone timer to remind me to actually bake it. The long rest time in the fridge is actually good for the no-boil noodles. When it’s cooler out I take the time to make a hearty sauce and really craft the lasagna, but this is summer, and light and easy is the key.
Salads are always easy and cool. Start with some chopped lettuce and spinach (sneak in those veggies!), then look to see what’s in the fridge (when I grill, I try to make double for this very purpose). Leftover bbq chicken? Awesome. Chopped chicken, some shredded cheese, a few vegetables, croutons, and dressing made of bbq sauce and mayo or ranch. Steak goes well with a blue cheese dressing and red onion (ok, the kids might not like that, make theirs with ranch or italian. Deli meat turns into a chef’s salad with the addition of hard boiled eggs (10 minutes) and pickles. Any salad looks like you worked hard at it if you spread chopped lettuce on a platter and then arrange the toppings in rows (like a Cobb). Taco salads are always a hit, try using ground chicken or pork instead of beef.
Sandwiches go from lunch to dinner just by toasting them. One I really like is Grilled Pesto Ham and Swiss, but just about anything that has cheese works. Think panini without having to wash a panini maker (and take it from me – pressing down with a spatula or smaller frying pan is much easier than a foil wrapped brick).
Chicken/egg/tuna salads (click on the links for some twists on the standards) become fun when served in a romaine lettuce “boat”, which is an easy alternative to a lettuce wrap. You don’t need to use mayonnaise as the salad binder, an olive oil vinaigrette or favorite salad dressing will work just as well.
Have an easy meal - low dishwashing summer!
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