We fully embraced the laid-back summer at my house this year. The kids stayed up late and slept in late (mostly), we had many pajama days, and I took a long break from meal planning. Now that school is starting, my calendar is already filling up, and I know I need to get back into a routine.
The return of school also signals the return of extracurricular activities, and with a family of six, many of our weekday evenings will soon be filled with sports practices, games, and meetings.
One way I keep control of my schedule (and sanity) is by meal planning for the week. I allow flexibility in the plan and may switch meals around as needed, but having this visual on the wall has proven helpful for our family. My oldest two boys can read and don’t have to ask the dreaded “What’s for dinner?” question every day. As a family, we talk about what we’ll eat for the week and based on the schedule, I plan our meals. Friday night is always pizza night around here, so that doesn’t change.
If the idea of meal planning is overwhelming to you, Pioneer is here to help with their quick and easy back-to-school recipes. They have great tips for what you can do to prep meals ahead of time, as well as ideas for what to do with leftovers.
Pioneer can help you enjoy more time with your family while getting easy, filling meals on the table. Pioneer has a long history of providing quick and easy meals to families across the country. Their delicious line of gravy mixes is well known, but Pioneer also offers seasoning and baking mixes. See where to buy their products here.
We made the Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs using the Pioneer Roasted Beef Gravy Mix. For my family of six, I made 1.5x the recipe. I substituted fresh thyme from my garden instead of dried, and served the ribs with mashed potatoes, cucumbers, and carrots (always a veggie win for my kids).
By increasing the recipe, we had plenty, but we didn’t have any leftovers to make tacos the next night. I really liked that suggestion from Pioneer. I’ll double (or more) the recipe next time to ensure we get two meals out of it! Every adult and two out of my three oldest kids loved this dinner. That’s a huge win at this house!
See how I made the recipe here!
We’ve also made and enjoyed the Skillet Breakfast Casserole. This is great for “breakfast for dinner,” paired with biscuits and fruit. It would also be perfect for a weekend brunch.
The Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas and Chicken Pot Pie are my favorite kind of comfort food recipes. I’m looking forward to the weather cooling off a bit (someday, maybe, eventually??) to add those into our regular dinner rotation.
I’m officially obsessed with the recipes and tips on saving time and money…I recommend following Pioneer for all this plus even more meal inspiration as we stare down the beginning of another school year.
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Plus!
A DAY IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS GIVEAWAY!
Pioneer is offering an amazing giveaway for one lucky Dallas Moms reader. Enter to win A Day in Downtown Dallas, valued at $250. The prize package includes:
- 4 Tickets to the Perot Museum + Parking ($90 value)
- 4 Tickets to the Reunion Tower Observation Deck + Parking ($70 value)
- $75 Visa Gift Card to use at the Klyde Warren Park Food Trucks
ENTER TO WIN HERE!
