Now that we are well into week 5 of stay at home life, I am guessing, like me, you probably feel like you have cooked over 3,000 meals at this point, and don’t even get me started on the dishes people. Since we have long since exhausted our regular go to dishes, I have been on the hunt for some different ideas. I love seeing when someone on Instagram is sharing a new recipe because I usually get sucked in to see if it is something that would work for my family.

Today, I thought I would share a couple of our easy, go to meals and some ideas for some variations to them. I’ve shared a couple of these before but thought I would put into one post to make it easier. My hope is they can help someone like me find some meal prep inspiration.

Easy Meal #1-Pasta Salad

My sister-in-law gets credit for this one as this is one of her summer staples and my kids love it. Naturally, with two picky kids, I instantly get the recipe for anything they will both eat. This is an easy one for a quick weeknight meal or I used to make this ahead for my son to snack on during the week after sports.

Ingredients:

1 package of your favorite pasta (We use Rotini or Farfalle but anything works)

Cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced)

Mini pepperonis

Italian Salame

Mozzarella cheese (I just slice up string cheese)

Parmesan cheese

Italian dressing (We personally love the Olive Garden one but anything will work)

Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and try to cool for as long as possible. Chop the tomatoes, salame and mozzarella cheese (the amounts can vary depending on how much your family likes each). Toss all together with the dressing and add parmesan cheese to top.

Easy Meal #2-Chicken Tacos

I’m sure most of you know about this easy recipe by now but it has been a staple for us for as long as I can remember. We just take 4 frozen chicken breasts and put them in the crock pot for the day. Toss in a jar of salsa (we alternate between green and red). Cook on low for 6 hours, shred the chicken and serve with taco shells and all of the fixings.

You can also add chicken taco seasoning to this for an extra kick. I am also trying a variation this week that includes a can of black beans and a can of drained corn.

Easy Meal #3-Baked Salmon

This one only my husband and I will eat but it is so easy and a great, quick and healthy meal. I just grab two salmon fillets at Trader Joes. For his, I whip together a marinade that my mother-in-law gave me. It’s just 2 tbsp. of maple syrup plus 1 tbsp. of soy sauce. He loves the sweet texture but I prefer mine more simple. I typically just squeeze fresh lemon plus garlic salt and salt and pepper to taste. I wrap both pieces in foil and cook for 25 minutes, opening the foil for the last 5 minutes. We usually serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice.

Easy Meal #4-Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

This is another regular weekly staple around here. I take 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cut them into cubes. We saute them with teriyaki sauce over the stove until they are glazed. You can either steam or cook stir fry veggies to go with them or we just make some edamame, serve with rice and it’s on the table in less than 20 minutes.

Easy Meal #5-Tuna Casserole (Comfort food at its best)

Surprisingly, my picky kids love this meal. Next to pizza, I think it is one of their all time favorites.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook a package of egg noodles and drain. Combine with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and two cans of tuna. Add in approx. 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and mix together. Pour into a large casserole dish and cook covered for about 45 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 10-15 minutes to get the top brown. A definite crowd pleaser in my house every time.

I am definitely not a chef or even a cook for that matter. But I am a mom always looking for new, simple recipes to mix things up. Hope everyone is getting through this one meal at a time. On the bright side think about how many new meals we will have to add to our rotations when all of this is over.