
Welcome to Week 7 of Back to School Readiness! Can you believe we are seven weeks into the planning! I must admit this is my favorite week!! Cooking and simple recipe week!!
If you are new to the series here is a break down of what has been covered so far.
- The introduction includes the free printable checklist
- Week 1: Plan it out includes free printable planner and important date reminders
- Week 2: Get Organized the basics included free printable shopping list templates
- Week 3: Organized to the extreme included printable meal plan and chore list
- Week 4: Morning Vs Night Changing your routines and implementing a few changes can change your whole school year
- Week 5: Home Ready: Get your home ready for the kiddos and you to succeed this school year, plus a free printable babysitter worksheet
Okay, Mamas! The number one struggle I have gotten from you is there is just not enough time to cook dinner between work, school, homework, and all the activities.
The struggle is real!! Even if you could find the time to cook who has the time to clean the mess cooking makes? I don’t know about you but the last thing I want to be doing when the kids go down for the night is housework.
As parents we work hard, we love harder, and at the end of the day we deserve not to have an extra to do list. Am I right!
What if I told you there are meals that only require one pan, or one sheet, or one pot? What if I told you they taste just as good as they look and most of these recipes take only a few minutes to prep. What if I up the ante and said that most of them can even be prepped in advance making them as easy to cook as a frozen lasagna?
You will probably think that I am playing a joke on you. But! I promise I’m not! Here is a peek into some of the recipes.
One Pot Wonders/Skillet Meals
My mom got me a cookbook many moons ago before I became a mom and was just a workaholic. I never knew you could make a complete meal in one pot unless it was soup. I am talking steak dinners, chicken dinners, pork dinners, and even seafood.
These dishes have your protein, veggies, and even a starch in them. So, when I say complete meal I mean complete meal!
One Pot meals are simple dinners made with convenience in mind. Easy prep, one pot or skillet, with easy cleanup.
Preview to One Pot Meals in Quick Easy Dinners
In a bind to make dinner during your busy week? Look no farther than this incredible recipe list for quick and easy dinner recipes
Skillet Chicken With Mushrooms
This skillet chicken recipe is flavorful and easy to make! Using your typical skillet and only four ingredients, you’ll have a fantastic dinner!
Peppers and Onions Chicken and Rice Skillet
This is your mother’s Chicken and Rice taken up a notch! With a slight Italian twist, this Peppers and Onions Chicken and Rice Skillet is a simple one-pan meal that is perfect for those busy weeknights.
Easy Skillet Lasagna {with NO Boil Noodles!} — Salt & Baker
Introducing, the most *AMAZING* Skillet Lasagna recipe! Bursting with herbs, creamy ricotta, and a flavorful sauce, one bite of this will make you go weak in the knees!
Skillet Vegetable Pie with Garlic Butter • The Cook Report
This skillet vegetable pie has a creamy vegetarian filling topped with puff pastry circles and drizzled with an incredible garlic parsley butter. It’s easy winter comfort food.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Skillet
Simplify dinnertime with this 30-minute Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta made in just one skillet!
Low Carb Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe
An easy low carb Chicken Parmesan recipe with crispy low carb breading that stays on! It's the best cheesy keto Chicken Parmesan ever, made in one pan with simple ingredients.
Sheet Pan Meals
Sheet Pan Meals are just like one pot wonders designed with concenience in mind. Easy prep, one cooking sheet, with easy clean up.
My one recommendation is to line your cooking sheet with baking parchment paper to make cleanup even easier.
Preview Sheet Pan Meals in Quick Easy Recipes
In a bind to make dinner during your busy week? Look no farther than this incredible recipe list for quick and easy dinner recipes.
Sheet Pan Korean Chicken and Vegetables
SHEET PAN KOREAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES ARE A DELICIOUS AND EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL THAT COOKS IN ONE PAN AND MAKES CRISPY TENDER VEGETABLES AND MOIST SWEET AND GARLICKY CHICKEN.
One Pan Parmesan Pork Chops with Asparagus
These One Pan Parmesan Pork Chops with Asparagus are full of cheesy flavor and on the table in less than 30 minutes. A delicious easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
Colorful and Easy Sheet Pan Pork Chops Recipe
Sheet pan pork chops are a relatively easy dinner to make. The sheet pan dinner recipe is extremely versatile. If you cannot find the potatoes listed, use quarter red potatoes instead. If you don’t like broccoli, try fresh cut green beans or asparagus. Choose potatoes and vegetables that your family likes to have a nice, balanced meal.
One Pan Mediterranean Chicken
One Pan Mediterranean Chicken with olives, capers, red onion, red pepper and grape tomatoes in a fresh lemon orange honey sauce. A hearty, easy meal!
Sheet Pan Salmon With Veggies
Quick and easy baked salmon with sweet mustard glaze, Tenderstem® and potatoes! This healthy recipe is perfect for a mid-week dinner, and takes less than an hour to prepare.
Lemon Pepper Tilapia Sheet Pan Dinner
One pan dinners are my favorite during the week. This lemon pepper tilapia sheet pan dinner is not only quick and easy to prepare, but also a cinch to clean up. It is also naturally low carb so if you are on a low carb diet or just avoiding carbs in general, this sheet pan dinner recipe is a great option!
Crock Pot and Instant Pot Meals
Crock Pot meals have been around for decades. They are simple meals dumped into a crock pot/slow cooker and then left to cook low and slow. By the time you get home, the meal is ready to eat and enjoy.
Instant Pot meals are just like crock pot/slow cooker meals except they cook up faster. An Instant pot is a simple pressure cooker created to make mom life a bit easier.
Preview to Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Recipe Line Up
Make your busy work week simple with these incredibly simple yet delicious instant pots and slow cooker meals.
Instant Pot Turkey Chili with Andouille Sausage
This Instant Pot Turkey Chili is just the stuff to warm you up this winter season. Packed with spicy Andouille sausage, chunks of juicy turkey, corn, green chilies and Fritos, this easy turkey chili is the perfect way to use up that leftover turkey!
BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
It’s delicious and sweet and so simple to make, but what’s even better is that it’s easy enough for our toddler to make.
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup | Simply Happy Foodie
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup is a true dump and start one-pot meal. This is a zesty and flavorful soup, with tender chicken breast, beans, and veggies. You can make this pressure cooker chicken taco soup so easily, and in under an hour!
Slow Cooked Beef Barbacoa
No need to head to Chipotle when you can make mouth-watering beef barbacoa at home in a crock pot! This easy recipe is perfect for adding to tacos, burritos, tostadas, nachos or even eggs for breakfast!
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
This Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken is one of the easiest slow cooker dishes we have. There is no pre-cooking involved, you just put onions, chicken and a fresh tomato, herb and balsamic mix in to the slow cooker and let it cook for 3 hours. Serve with spaghetti, rice or with a light green salad for a delicious and fresh summer meal.
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Recipe
This slow cooker chicken parmesan recipe may be your next go to week night meal. This is a super simple meal to throw in the slow cooker before you leave in the morning. Come home and just boil pasta for a quick and delicious meal the entire family will love. The classic ingredients are easy to find and you can keep them on hand to whip this up any day of the week.
Make Ahead Breakfast Recipes
Never leave the house hungry again! Make the rush of the morning a breeze by spending less then an hour a month making make ahead and freeze breakfasts the whole family will enjoy!
As simple as take out the freezer microwave, grab, and go.
Preview of Make Ahead Breakfasts
Simplify your morning routine with this make-ahead breakfast recipe to help you get through your busy work week/school week morning.
Healthy Chewy No Bake Granola Bars • Happy Kitchen
Healthy Chewy No Bake Granola Bars Recipe: The only recipe for granola bars you’ll ever need. Easy, delicious and customizable portable snack or breakfast treat packed with nutrients and flavor! It makes a great homemade Christmas gift as well!
Sausage & Egg Breakfast Hot Pockets
Breakfasts are crazy around here!! With six kids to feed and one to ship off to school, I rely on delicious prep-ahead breakfasts like these Sausage & Egg Breakfast Hot Pockets to make mornings easier.
Homemade Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Could there be anything better for fall? This homemade cinnamon bread recipe is soft, yeasty, and a little sweet. So delicious when toasted and buttered!
Overnight Oats – 7 Day Breakfast Meal Prep
Easiest Overnight Oats Recipe Using Yogurt and Fresh Fruits. Made in 10 minutes. Breakfast Meal Prep for the Whole Week. Never Get Bored of Breakfast Again
Loaded Breakfast Sandwich Recipe
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Loaded Breakfast Sandwich Recipe: a quick and easy breakfast recipe that’s way better than any McMuffin!
Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito Perfect for Meal Prep • The Cook Report
There is nothing better than starting your day with Mexican food and this vegetarian breakfast burrito is the perfect make ahead breakfast. Stock your freezer with them and you’ll have healthy breakfasts all week long!
Thanks to all these amazing bloggers and recipe developers for participating in these round-ups! Thanks to them making simple delicious minimal effort minimal cleanup meals are possible! Now you no longer have to say “Who has time to cook?”
I hope you found these recipes as helpful and useful as I did!
See you back next week as we double check all of our hard work, squaring everything away so we can enjoy the remainder of summer!


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