Don’t Know What to Make for Dinner? Here are some of my go tos

Deciding what to eat each night

Sometimes deciding what to eat for dinner feels like the most difficult task of the day. It feels like it just looms over you. As soon as you wake up, you start thinking about what you are going to make for dinner. Trying to think of something that everyone will eat, and has at least some nutritional value.

I do something on Friday to make dinners for the next week easier. I like to write down a meal plan in my notes app for every day. Sometimes this just means writing down chicken quesadillas. Writing these meals down not only helps me to feel prepared for the week ahead, but it also helps me to save money on not eating out. Then, after I write down the meals to eat the following week, I go to the grocery store and get all of the ingredients I need.

My go-to meals

I have a few meals that I love making and eating, and therefore have on rotation, these meals include:

• Shepherd’s pie
• Chicken pot pie
• Angel chicken
• Copycat Olive Garden five cheese pasta
• Walking taco
• Texas chili

Recipes

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef
• 4 large potatoes
• Flour
• 1 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 bag frozen veggies (I like peas, carrots, corn)
• Cayenne, salt, and garlic powder to taste

Directions

• Ground hamburger beef
• Start on mashed potatoes
• Put flour in the hamburger to make a paste
• Put in beef broth, mix till it is non-liquidy
• Add frozen veggies
• Add seasonings
• Put meat and veggies in a deep pan
• Let cool while potatoes finish
• Add potatoes to the top
• Put in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 potato (peeled and diced)
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red Lobster biscuit mix

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• In a large saucepan, broth, potatoes, carrots, and peas
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes
• Add chicken, simmer 10 more min
• Melt butter in a separate saucepan, and stir in flour. Allow to boil, then add milk, nutmeg, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly until a paste forms. Pour into another saucepan, stir well.
• Pour the mixture into a pie pan and put the red lobster biscuit dough on top
• Bake 35-45min

Angel Chicken

Ingredients

• Salt
• Pepper
• 1.5 pounds chicken breast
• 4oz cream cheese (softened)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken soup
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 0.7oz packet of Good Seasons dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 16oz box angel hair pasta

Directions

• Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper
• Sear each side of the chicken breasts in a cast-iron skillet until golden brown. Remove from heat.
• In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and butter. Whisk until smooth.
• Add cream of chicken soup, garlic, chicken broth, and dry Italian salad dressing mix to that bowl. Whisk to fully combine
• Place the chicken breast in the bottom of a crock pot
• Pour the soup mixture over the top of the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
• Cook 16oz of angel hair pasta according to package instructions
• Take the chicken breast out of the crockpot, shred the chicken, and put it back in the crockpot.

Copycat Olive Garden Five Cheese Pasta

Ingredients

• 1lb pasta of choice
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 15oz drained diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Colby Jack
• 1/2 cups mozzerella cheese

Directions

• In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain the pasta, and set aside
• Combine the marinara sauce, heavy cream, diced tomatoes, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add the parmesan cheese, colby jack, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until bubbly.
• Add in the cooked pasta and stir it all together.

Walking Taco

Ingredients

• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1lb ground beef
• Dorritos/fritos
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Cheese
• Sour cream

Directions

• Cook ground beef
• Add in taco seasoning
• Put Doritos or Fritos in a bowl
• Put taco meat on top
• Use the toppings you want

Texas Chili

Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 packet of chili seasoning
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of mild chili beans
• 1 can of corn (drained)

Directions

• Brown the ground beef
• Add in chili seasoning
• Add meat, beans, and corn to a crockpot and put on low for at least 3 hours
• Add toppings of choice, I like sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips

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