# Dinner ideas for busy evenings?



## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Jun 7, 2010)

Well, the topic pretty much says it. I love to cook BUT ...

Currently we have no a/c, the temps are edging into the 100's, and after a busy day of trying to keep animals watered and comfortable, topped off with evening milking and settling all the animals into barns, coops, etc, I am about ready to melt in the evenings, am exhausted, and have no appetite anyway. 

If I could, I'd nap every afternoon and cook dinner around 11pm or so, but dh wants it around 6 or 7 pm. Just about when I am busiest, lol. 

Any great ideas for good summer entrees that can be prepared in the morning, maybe, or how to otherwise simplify dinnertime?  My cookbook has a recipe for slow-cooked lime chicken I want to try if they will put bone-in chicken at a reasonable price this week. Otherwise all my slow-cook recipes are more suited to cooler weather (chili, spicy beans, roasts, stews and soups, etc).

Thanks for any ideas. I figure I'm not the one who can use them.


----------



## savingdogs (Jun 7, 2010)

Well on a busy evening when I don't want to turn the oven on, I sometimes offer "breakfast for dinner" and make things like scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, or whatever breakfast material I have on hand. For some reason this is always popular at my house and we have a lot of eggs so it is always handy.


----------



## the funny farm6615 (Jun 8, 2010)

i make tuna and noodles 1 bag egg noodles(cooked), add 2 cans tuna, and 2 cans cream of mushroom. and crumbled chips on top, my mom bakes it but when it is hot i dont.

and spagetti caserolle- 1 pack of noodles(any kind my kids like the spirals) 1 pound of cooked sausage, 1 jar spagetti sauce, 2 cans of sliced mushrooms, chopped onion, put in a cake pan, top with shreded cheese, put in the oven just long enuff to melt the cheese. you can add or subtract as you like or dont like. we also sub the spaggetti sauce for pizza sauce.

on days that arent too hot or busy, i precook a lot of hamburger and sausage. cook, drain, cool, and put in ziplock bags in freezer. then i dont have to cook it in the heat.

i also make hubby grill, less heat in the kitchen!! hope it helps. i hate to cook in the heat


----------



## michickenwrangler (Jun 8, 2010)

You must have a barbecue, after all you live in Texas 

When it gets really hot, we will use the barbecue, although "hot" for us is 80 degrees.

Something like steak sandwiches with salad on the side would be good. Cooking strips of steak in a skillet cooks a lot quicker than a whole steak, throw in some onions and peppers too. The rest is all cold stuff.


----------



## savingdogs (Jun 8, 2010)

How about bean soup? You could make that in the morning in a crock pot. You don't even need a recipe for that, I just put in one package of beans, whatever veggies I have leftovers of, and fill the crock pot with water. A ham hock or two is good to throw in. Season in the evening to taste. 
Sometimes I throw in leftover meats instead. It all tastes good at the end of the day! You can just make a little cornbread or, easier still, toast with it, or serve crackers if you want to make it really easy. 

I also make a soup called Albondigas, you could partially make it ahead. You chop up veggies on hand, preferably zuchinni, carrots, potatos and onions, nice and small. Add a stockpot full of chicken stock, or water and a couple chicken bouillon. Throw in a whole chile if you like spicy.
You need leftover cooked rice for this one, mix about 3/4 of a cup into a pound of hamburger or ground round, with some dried parsley, cilantro and oregano mixed in. Shape into balls and put in fridge.
When you come home, you need to salt the soup (we eat low-sodium so I don't add much) and then throw in the meatballs when you have the soup cooking a little higher. When they are done, serve with fresh cilantro, fresh salsa and a little grated cheese and tortillas on the side or quesadilla if you have guests. This one is always a hit with my hubby and he takes the leftovers to work.

It is even better as leftovers, you can pull the fat off when it is cold too and it becomes a healthier meal before you heat it back up.


----------



## glenolam (Jun 8, 2010)

Our favorite lately is crispy chicken salad.  We buy the Tyson breaded appetizers chicken, either in strips or the popcorn chicken, bake it in the oven and put it on a salad.  You could also bread your own chicken, if you prefer, but we both work during the day, so 15 minute meals are where it's at for us!

A good quick side for the grill is roasted rosemary potatoes.  Take red potatoes (or whatever is your preference), cut up into 1/2 inch cubes and toss with olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper and anything else you want. Spray a long peice of tin foil with cooking spray or douse with a little oil and put potatoes on one side, cover with the other side and roll up the edges so the potatoes are now inside completely.

Cook on the top rack of the grill while you're cooking what ever else you want.


----------



## ksalvagno (Jun 8, 2010)

We had a "tuna salad" a lot as kids in the summer. I still make it once in a while. Basically make macaroni and cool it down. Add carrots, onions, celery, tuna and mayonnaise. Sometimes some salt and pepper would be added. Mix and refrigerate. My mom would make enough to last for a few days.


----------



## Hollywood Goats (Jun 8, 2010)

Cold sesame noodles, cold chicken salad, fish loaf with wasabi sauce (really good!) served cold. 

I don't know if you are into french foods but vichyssoise with a dollop of sour cream on top is the best on a really hot day.

I personally like to eat cold soups on really hot days.


----------



## patandchickens (Jun 8, 2010)

-- make pulled pork or bbq beef in slow cooker "whenever", then refrigerate or freeze in 1-meal size containers. For dinner, microwave it and put it in a bun or wrap in tortilla.

-- throw a piece of meat on the grill; when it is done, slice thin/small and put atop a large, diverse salad. 

-- grill some meat, refrigerate, then for dinner cut in very thin slices, wrap in tortillas with other stuff (or make sandwiches)

-- frittata using whatever veggies are abundant at the time (yeah, it's made on the stove in a frypan, but doesn't take MUCH heat or time, and is super easy)

-- pasta salads! made in the morning.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat


----------



## DonnaBelle (Jun 8, 2010)

Well, this probably sounds crazy, but if DH and I are both hot and tired, we have a bowl of cheerios with frozen blueberries on top.

I know what you mean about the heat.  I'd rather eat a late lunch and then something cool at 6 pm.

And I agree, breakfast for dinner is always good.  I have plenty of eggs, and you can add leftover cooked steak, hot dogs, etc. chuncked up and heated first, then scramble some eggs and add them, plus some applesauce, cottage cheese, etc.  Along with some toast.  Nice fast fix dinner.

My DH is very old fashioned.  He thinks a womans place is in the kitchen at 5:00 in the evening.  Of course, it's OK for me to be in the barn at that time too.  We are women, can't we be in two places at once??

DonnaBelle

PS: I'd like to choke whoever wrote that commerical about "bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let him forget he's a man."  Remember that one??


----------



## glenolam (Jun 8, 2010)

My husband only _wishes_ my place was in the kitchen!  He pretends he's the boss, but we all know who really is!!!


----------



## the funny farm6615 (Jun 8, 2010)

if my husband was the boss, NOTHING would get done.


----------



## SweetDreams (Jun 8, 2010)

(Back on topic)


We make alot of "pea-salad"- basically the same as tuna salad, but with canned olives, frozen peas, carrots. Noodles and mayo all mixed together. Yummy!

Once a month we do a finger food night. Once again, canned olives (Chilled) with pickels, crackers, cold-cuts, tomato slices....you get the idea. Think chilled appetizers.

I like to just do simple cuts of meat, seared in a skillet for a few mintues (Beef), or Chicken breasts or pork chops in a little water the same way (it helps keep it moist); baked potatoes in the microwave, and a side salad.


We don't use the oven much during the summer- the heat tends to linger with it.


Sometimes its just a plain sandwich. My DH has learned to appreciate the small differences mayo or mustard can make... 

I will think of more later....


----------



## miss_thenorth (Jun 8, 2010)

Slowcooker meals--when it is really hot, I put the crock pot outside, cuz even that will heat up the house.

Potato salad, noodle salad, regular lettuce salads.

hardboiled eggs, veggies and dip.

Soups--made in advance and reheated when it's time to eat.

BLTs--precook bacon and keep in fridge until ready to use.

And of course, the barbecue can be your best friend-- get hubby to do the barbecuing though, I have convinced my dh that it is a manly thing to do, so I get alot fo the summer off as far as cooking goes--he does the grilling.


----------



## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for the great ideas!  I can't wait to try some of them. . 

Y'all reminded me of a few things I used to do too. I guess the heat has cooked my brain, lol. I used to buy extra-large packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts or ground turkey and I'd go ahead and cook the whole thing. The turkey I'd freeze up in small packages, usually spiced for either Mexican or Italian, and then pull them out and have most of the cooking done for spaghetti, burritos, etc. The chicken I would spice for Mexican in the same way for quesadillas, enchiladas, etc. Or Italian for an Alfredo sauce and fetuccini. Or with barbecue sauce for sandwiches. Or with something simple like lemon juice for a chicken-veggie-fruit salad (my favorite -- I kept about 20 different ingredients to toss into the salad). 

I have a few times put leftovers up and frozen them on a plate for homemade frozen dinners -- especially holiday leftovers. It worked well, but always got eaten pretty quickly so I don't know how it would keepl long- term in the freezer. 

I always think of crockpot meals as cold weather food but I believe I'll try some of them anyway. And I picked up a nice pork roast today to put in tomorrow for BBQ sandwiches. Speaking of BBQ. Yes of course we have a grill living in Texas. I think BBQ grills and trucks are required to live here lol. Dh has not bbq'd much but he's one of those guys that likes to learn to do things and improve on things, plus he's a pretty fair cook with many dishes anyway, so he has done it a few times and would be willing to do more. 

I want to add one of my favorites - fruit ambrosia. Dice a few apples of different colors, slice bananas (I dip those two in lemon juice), fresh strawberries and blueberries, different melons, kiwi, pineapple. My grandma used to add canned fruit cocktail or peaches but I usually avoid canned except maybe mandarin oranges. I don't like a dressing on mine. If it goes with the fruit I've selected I usually garnish with sweet coconut flakes, sliced pecans, and/or dried cranberries. A lot of people like canned cherries for garnish. It's best to keep it as dry as possible when mixing (not too much fruit juice) and it will keep covered tightly in the fridge up to 3 days (but sometimes less than a day -- you don't want to make it far in advance if you're planning it for company). 

I've also been blending us smoothies pretty often. Not a meal but I usually will skip a meal or two snce they are pretty filling -- especially if I add banana. My basic method is to fill the blender about 2/3 with sherbet (I like pineapple) and add 7-10 frozen strawberries cuz I have a lot of them. Maybe a few blueberries or a banana or some other fresh fruit and a few ounces of juice (my favorite is fresh pineapple and some pineapple juice) and blend.

I do bake a lot and except maybe to do it all just 1 or 2 days a week I don't know what to do about that. I like to make breads and we do a baked dessert about once a week. If only I could move the oven outside lol. I like the idea of setting even the crockpot outside!

Thanks again for the ideas. I gave back what I could think of cuz i really think many of us are probably looking for ideas like that. 

Oh yeah, and I remember that "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan" commercial. The thing plays in my head sometimes -- ugh!!!  (LOL!)


----------



## elevan (Oct 27, 2011)

I'm resurrecting this old thread because I'd love to hear what everyone cooks on busy evenings!


----------

