Quick n' Eazy Dinner Ideas to Help Alleviate Stress

Quick n’ Easy Dinner Ideas to Help Alleviate Stress - by Guest Author Brett H.

The demands of work alone are enough to drain people of all of their energy. The demands of cleaning the house, taking care of kids, and cooking can seem very overwhelming sometimes. Preparing dinner, in particular, can be a stressful activity after a long day. Many parents could definitely use some help in the kitchen. Here are some easy dinner ideas for starters.

   

1.      Stick with the Staples

Hamburgers and mac n’ cheese are the favorite dishes of most families. Unfortunately, you can’t serve these dishes every day for dinner. Luckily, there are some basic changes you can make to these meals to make them taste new and different, so your family never gets tired of them.

The local butchery and grocery store always have hamburger meat available for pick-up. In lieu of hamburgers, you can use hamburger meat to make dishes like Hamburger meatballs. This meal is rich in protein and super easy to make. Just add some eggs and seasoning to your ground beef and you’re set. This meal will take about 45 minutes to prepare. Try topping the meatballs with an interesting sauce like cranberry.

There are plenty of ways you can transform plain mac and cheese into something that will give your taste buds a jolt. Try mixing in some lobster to make macaroni and cheese classier. If you don’t have much time to experiment with different ingredients, don’t be afraid to fall back on a simple macaroni and cheese recipe to cut down how much time you have to spend in the kitchen.

2.      Use Small and Handy Appliances

Cooking equipment that saves you time is definitely a sound investment. Try a crock-pot. Slow-cooked meals are a sure-fire winner when it comes to taste, and easy beef stew is no exception. To make this dish, throw in a variety of vegetables, enhance the flavor using wines or sauces and spices, let the ingredients sit for eight hours while you’re away from home, and a delicious stew will be ready at dinnertime. You don’t have to limit yourself to making stews in a crock-pot. You can make family favorites like Texas Chili as well.

Another practical cooking aid is the panini grill. Just make a quick stop at your favorite baker’s shop, grab some fresh Italian bread, smear it with butter, stuff in some succulent ingredients, then grill your sandwich. It is as easy as 1-2-3, and hot sandwiches are ready in about ten minutes with a panini grill! If you’re tired of ordinary sandwiches, look into recipes online. The Food Network has excellent panini meal ideas like the eggplant-mozzarella panini.

Don’t think of eating at home as another ordeal. Just do yourself some favors to help eliminate the time you have to spend in the kitchen. If you follow the tips above, you will, without a doubt, soon be sitting eagerly down to dinner with the whole family, and you won’t feel worn out from cooking at all.