Quick weeknight dinner.
We got lazy this summer. We went to bed late, woke up late, ate breakfast when some people were thinking about lunch, ate lunch after the sun had crossed the sky’s zenith and sometimes just had popcorn and fruit for dinner.
Now school is back in session and if I don’t have dinner ready by 5:30 sharp, the kids are in the kitchen pulling out bread, peanut butter, crackers or whatever they can find because they are STARVING. This is so because instead of eating lunch at 2, they ate at 11 with only a tiny snack mid-afternoon.
The good news is, if I do have dinner ready at 5:30, they are STARVING, which means they might accidentally inhale a vegetable or two.
The other thing I am reluctantly starting to realize is that my children are reaching an age where they sometimes eat more than I do at a meal. The first time it happened, I was flipping pancakes, handing them out as each came off the skillet. As I poured the last batter into the pan, I realized they were still waiting for more and I hadn’t eaten a single one.
We’ve ordered pizza, and when I go back for a second slice, I’m staring at an empty cardboard box. If they eat like this at 7 and 9, what’s going to happen in a few years? I’m worried I’ll have to tap into my 401(k) to foot the grocery bill.
Because I just can’t get my act together enough to fully plan meals for a week, I need a few fast meals that rely on pantry staples and some standard early autumn fresh produce. And bonus if it’s cheap, so these little boys can eat their fill without breaking the bank.
I lifted this recipe from a hilariously written post from Bon Appetit, titled “A Date Night Recipe for the Rent Week Struggle” by Alex Delaney. Turns out, what makes a great date night meal when funds are low also makes a spectacular family weeknight meal (when funds are low).
So bust out the rice, a can opener and chop a few veggies — Wednesday night dinner is here, at 5:30 sharp.