5 More Easy Pantry Meals for Busy Weeknights

by Jessica on February 18, 2011

The following post is from Jessica of GoodCheapEats and LifeasMOM:

source: Good Cheap Eats

Dinnertime can be a crazy affair at our house. With six kids hungry and a husband, too, I can be pressed to get all the components on the table in short order. I want us to be able to savor mealtimes and not feel rushed. And I love it that we can reconnect with one another after a long day.

One thing that I’ve found to be helpful in meal planning is to have the meals build on each other throughout the week. In last month’s Pantry Meal Plan, leftover meal components from one night enhanced dinner on a second night. Sharing ingredients from night to night not only prevents waste, but it also helps save time. Prep work can be done in advance for a number of meals.

Bacon and Chicken are two fantastic proteins that go well in a lot of different applications. They are the stars in this month’s Pantry Meal Plan, featuring Bacon and Cheddar Quiche, Baked Chicken, Chicken & Rice Soup, Mac & Cheese, and Sandwich Night. You’ll find these meals easy to pull together, and several parts of each meal can be prepared in advance.

Solve a week’s worth of dinner dilemmas by keeping the fixings for these five easy meals on hand. They’re regular pantry and refrigerator staples that can come together quickly for great tasting suppers.

source: Good Cheap Eats

Want to make it even easier? Print out this printable shopping list and stock your pantry this very weekend.

The Staples

source: Good Cheap Eats

The Meal Plan

Bacon & Spinach Quiche, Green Salad, Fresh Fruit

This quiche is a quick one to prepare. For this week, use cheddar cheese instead of swiss. While you prep for it, think about the other nights in the week. Cook the whole pound of bacon. Crumble part of the bacon for the quiche and save the other slices for sandwich night. Grate cheese for the quiche, slice some for sandwiches, and cube more cheddar for the Mac and Cheese. As you prepare a green salad, leaf extra lettuce for sandwiches.

Baked Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Steamed Carrots & Green Beans

My children absolutely adore baked chicken. And it’s a no brainer. Simply rinse the bone-in chicken breasts, season generously with salt and pepper and bake at 375 ° for about 45 minutes. The rice pilaf comes together quickly for an elegant side dish. Steam carrots and green beans.

But think ahead to the other nights. Bake extra chicken and save 2-3 breasts for the soup and the sandwiches later in the week. Put aside a cup each of the rice, carrots, and green beans for soup.

Chicken and Rice Soup, Focaccia

Soup is not difficult to make from scratch. Chop an onion and saute it in a little butter. Stir in 6 cups of chicken broth. Add the diced, cooked chicken, rice, chopped green beans, and chopped carrots leftover from the Baked Chicken night. Simmer. Season with salt and pepper. And add a few pinches of your favorite herb, like dill weed or thyme. Serve one round of warmed focaccia on the side.

Mac and Cheese, Steamed Broccoli, Layered Fruit Salad

With only five ingredients, this macaroni and cheese is the easiest on the planet. Stir cooked macaroni into a mixture of sour cream, cubed cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Bake until hot and bubby. Serve with steamed broccoli and a layered fruit salad on the side.

Chicken, Bacon, and Cheddar on Foccacia, Soup

What could be easier than sandwich night? Having all the ingredients prepped ahead of time! Slice the focaccia rounds horizontally. Layer on shredded chicken, bacon, sliced cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato. Serve with a cup of leftover soup on the side.

Planning my meals so that they build on one another is one of my favorite short cuts in the kitchen.

Click here to download or print this meal plan and shopping list.

What’s a kitchen shortcut that you like to take?

A foodie at heart, Jessica Fisher has learned to reconcile a tight budget with her love for great food. As a busy mom of six voracious eaters, she regularly shares healthy, delicious and budget-friendly recipes at GoodCheapEats. She also writes at her parenting blog, LifeasMOM.

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Dittomommia

When I was reading over this information I saw that it was #2 can you give me the link for #1 please? Thank you.
Dittomommia

When I was reading over this information I saw that it was #2 can you give me the link for #1 please? Thank you.
http://creatingdaysofbliss.blogspot.com/ Cassie

I have been looking for a quiche recipe, I will have to try this out! Thanks
Abosibe

Help–my husband is Mr. Fussy–and with medical disabilities, now his food buds have changed. Meals he liked months ago, he can’t eat now. He won’t eat fish except for fishsticks. Very frustrating-I could cry sometimes trying to plan meals. Some tomatoe sauces he can’t tolerate at all. Any ideas will be greatfully appreciated. Frustrated Lady
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  I’m sorry, Abosibe, that must be very hard! My husband is fairly particular
  as well, and two things I’ve found that help are 1) asking him for ideas for
  what he’d like and 2) having backup meals that he can eat when I make
  something else that he may not like so that the whole family isn’t limited
  by his preferences. Would either of those work for you?
Cindy W

What does it smell like? Is it a strong coconut smell?
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  No, not at all, which is another reason my husband prefers it over straight coconut oil!
Blondwakboardr55

I love hard lotion, but prefer to make it myself because it is so simple!
- teres
  
  i would love your recipe for hard lotion! pleeeeeeeeeeeease? )
- teres
  
  i would love your recipe for hard lotion! pleeeeeeeeeeeease? )
Becki

We’re in the dry Sacramento area and go barefoot or sandals so much of the year, and nothing has really worked for my cracked & alligator heels. I got some of this hard lotion when she featured a special on your site, and oh my goodness! I didn’t know my heels could get back to smooth & uncracked that quickly — just a couple weeks max. I don’t feel embarrassed to be in sandals anymore (just as it’s heating up).

The rubbing of a “lotion” bar on my skin took some getting used to. I still find it easier on my heels & feet & shins than hands. I thought it would be used up quickly since my heels were like sandpaper, but it’s lasting well. I’m a definite convert.

Becki
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Awesome — thanks so much for sharing your experience, Becki!
josette000

I have a daughter who has “dry skin bumps” is the best way to say it. The pediatrician had called it something in the eczema line but the dermatologist said it’s dry skin bumps. Anyway, we have done the steroid cream before but I try to avoid them. I would rather use a bar that doesn’t smell like chocolate, so I’m wondering if you think the other bars would work equally well. I definitely would be interested in trying something new. I have used Aquaphor for her chapped face before and used Eucerin or another dermatologist recommended “intensive” lotion but I really dislike the heavy way they feel. Thanks so much for the review. I would never have tried something different without a personal testimony.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Oh, yep — the Bee Silk is actually the original, flagship program. The only difference with the chocolate one is the scent, so I absolutely think those will work just as well!
teres

when used on your hands, is it oily feeling or does it leave that ‘oily finger/hand print’ everywhere you touch?
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  You definitely feel it when you first apply it, but literally every time I’ve done it, I’ve thought that I should pay attention to see how long that feeling lasts, and every single time I forget, so I’m thinking it doesn’t last long, LOL!
teres

when used on your hands, is it oily feeling or does it leave that ‘oily finger/hand print’ everywhere you touch?
http://profiles.google.com/jackiehoryza Jackie Dodson

Thank you for posting about Hard Lotion. My husband has cracked heels all the time and can’t get rid of them. I get bad chapped lips so I’m constantly putting on chapstick, lip balm, etc. I just ordered the Beesilk lotion bar and beesilk lip balm to try. Can’t wait! Thanks!
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Definitely come back and tell us how you like it!!
Melissa

I have bought a lot of the made on hard lotion bars. My husband uses it on his hands and has passed them out at work. People at work now say that he has “miracle bars”. It’s an awesome product and I’m certain we will be life long users.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  That’s so cool, Melissa — thanks for sharing!!
http://www.feedourfamilies.com/ Gina Rau

We use glass jars for everything around our house. I love storing things in glass – even my daughter’s jewelry and hair clips!

We use canning jars for freezing, but also for taking leftovers to work since the bottle fits perfectly in my lunch tote.

We also use them for summer time picnics since I can pack each person’s food before leaving the house, and close them up for clean transport home.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Oh, I really like the idea of using them for picnics and such — what a fun
  way to serve food!
http://thefoodadvocate.net Beth

Respectfully, I have to say I find this post grossly irresponsible. Freezing food in glass jars in a wonderfully easy way to preserve food and store leftovers. However, reusing commercial jars that have not been manufactured to withstand intense temperature changes is dangerous. And silly, when there are easily accessible freezer-safe jars.

In fact, you even acknowledge the high likelihood that the jars will shatter. Meanwhile, I’ve been freezing food in appropriate, freezer-safe mason jars for years and have never had one shatter. NEVER.

We are not better off saving a few pennies when we have to scrape bits of semi-frozen food and glass shards off the sides of our freezer.

I have a much more responsible approach to freezing with glass jars that you can read here: http://thefoodadvocate.net/2009/09/30/frozen-dinners/
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  So, maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never really understood why there’s such a
  fear of glass. It breaks, you clean it up. End of story. I’m not sure I
  would be brave enough to still serve the food like Katie does (but even she
  makes it clear that that’s not recommended), but why is it such a big deal
  if one does break?
- http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball
  
  Beth,
  
  Since commercial jars are sealed in a canner, I can’t imagine that they’re not tempered for heat. I’ve had as many Mason jars as spaghetti sauce jars break, both in boiling to make yogurt and in freezing. It seems to depend solely on the amount of food packed in or the speed and intensity of the temperature change. I’ve never had any food leak out into the freezer from jars that the freezer cracked (only the one I slammed down too hard on top of another one, my fault entirely).
  
  For a buck a jar – and no guarantee that they won’t break, as I’ve certainly lost a couple – I’ll skip the Mason jars and stick with my free jars as much as I can. I appreciate Mandi’s attitude toward glass – as much as I hate cleaning up glass shards when I drop something, I’m not going to switch to plastic because of it, and the same with the freezer.
Catherine

Using rubbing alcohol will take permanent marker off the top of your lids. Or a dry-erase marker rubbed over the permanent mark a few times then wiped off will allow more room for dates
Great post!
Tuxgirl

Out of curiosity, do you ever wait until things are frozen before adding the lid? If not, why? It seems like that would help prevent there being too much pressure inside from the air getting compressed at the top of the jar, and even if you failed to leave enough head-room, at least then you’d just have a jar you couldn’t close (and could maybe stick in a ziplock bag?) rather than having to clean up broken glass.

I’ve never done this before, so I guess my main question is: is there some reason why that doesn’t work/isn’t a good option? I’m hoping to start doing this soon.
- http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball
  
  Tuxgirl,
  
  Since I only have a chest freezer, I would be too wary of my soup/broth/whatever tipping right out of the jar without a lid on it. If you’ve got nice, flat shelves, I see no reason why you couldn’t leave the lid off, unless you were worried about something falling in (no flies in the freezer, though, I imagine). You could even cover it without screwing the lid on.
  
  Ironically, I just remembered doing a science investigation with my third graders years ago trying to explore how freezing water could change the surface of the earth (like cracking sidewalks). I couldn’t get a glass jar to break in the freezer for the life of me!
  
  Katie
  - Tuxgirl
    
    Ah, thank you! I have an upright freezer, so that issue didn’t occur to me. Granted, it is kind-of stuffed currently, so I might actually have problems making shelf space, now that I think about it…
Johanna

I label ours jars and lids [and casserole dishes] with a grease pencil. it will stick through a dish washing, or just wipe off with a dry towel!
Katie

You can get great deals on glass jars at Estate Sales – do a search on them specifically, not just garage sales. Craigs list is a good place to start.
The older generations never throw anything away, and their descendants often want nothing to do with that stuff!
And estate sale managers are happy they don’t have to haul that ‘cheap stuff to the dump’. Which is nice because if you gauge them well enough, you can offer to ‘haul it off for them’ for free.
I scored a huge commercial size pickle jar that they decided they couldn’t sell cuz it was half full. LOL – so as they were about to throw it in the trash I said – I’ll take the jar!
I get my gardening stuff here too. For about $20 I got about 50 plastic and ceramic planting pots – averaging 2 gallons. But a variety of smaller and larger ones. You can’t even get those for a buck at the dollar store!
The mason jars I got for less than a quarter each when I was able to take all of them, which of course I did. Just wish I had a car – I’m sure there’s some great estate sales I could score at today.
I just started last week so I have much more that I’m in need of and only was able to go to 3 in an afternoon. And have never canned before and plan to can a lot this year.
Thanks for this helpful information so now I know what to do with my jars in order to freeze in them. I’ve been a little leery, but now have the courage (and jars) to go for it!
Lholte77

We have had many of our canning jars break, both in the 1/2 gallon and quart sizes. We fill them within 1 1/2″ from the top and then put them in the fridge overnight and they still break. We’ve actually given up on them and are looking for something more reliable. I haven’t tried the jars we’ve been saving, ex. spaghetti jars, in the freezer yet but if they work, I’ll be thrilled. If anyone has further suggestions or maybe certain brands of jars they’ve had great success with, I’d love to hear.
- http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball
  
  L,
  So frustrating! There was a suggestion a few comments up that I love – fill the jars halfway, freeze, then top off. I wonder if that would help you? I find that jars tend to break worse when the temp change is drastic, like putting them in the coldest part of the freezer, or directly into the ice or something.
  
  I hope you find something that works! Katie
- Su4knuj
  
  Lholte77, are these Ball canning jars? I noticed on the side of the box I bought last year that the quart sizes and up are not freezer safe. Only the sizes smaller than a quart. HTH!
Veee

If you use a permanent marker, like a Sharpie, you can write right on the glass jar. To remove the writing, use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. It will come right off and you can reuse over and over,
Chelseamenth

I like reusing glass jars as cups for my children as well. If it breaks, oh well, and my kids are exposed to less plastic. Plus, they learn how to handle a cup. Less spills for sure.
Lori

I bought this for my 6 year old son who has skin issues. We are using it on his big toes, which get deep cracks in them which were difficult and painful to keep clean. I was afraid he would get an infection in his toes, because he gets so dirty in the woods every day. The cracks are gone after only a few days of use once to twice a day. We are amazed.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Wow, that’s incredible, Lori — thank you so much for sharing!
Su4knuj

After having a Ball quart jar of chili crack in our freezer (my one and only loss), I looked at the unopened package of half pints (bought on clearance for half price!) and saw a little chart of the different sizes and what they can be used for …. quart jars were NOT checked off as freezer safe. Only the smaller sizes were designated as freezer safe.

I had no idea! But ever since, we’ve used the smaller sizes for freezer storage and haven’t had a break yet.
Jamie

I have found that wet-erase markers work really well for marking jars and containers that you need the label to last, but eventually want to change it. As long as the ink stays dry or isn’t rubbed, it usually doesn’t wear off, but wipes off easily with a damp towel. I’ve done this both on the lid and actual jar.
http://www.journeysmother.com/ Lotion Bar

Good day! Thank You for sharing this really good experience. Iwas greatly interested to try it..I will recommend this to my friends also.
http://www.farfromflawlesslife.blogspot.com Missy June

I continue to make a conscious decision to keep my (three) children limited to one activity PER YEAR – not per week! I find our less than crammed schdule to allow much time for ministry, companionship, spontineity and relaxation. They are still young and I’m sure this will evolve and they grow, but I don’t regreat putting it off as long as possible.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=572546802 Alisa Lund

You can also find savings in looking at your monthly bills – like home phone, tv, internet, cell phone, home security, electric, natural gas…. In most cases, you can find a way to lower those bills to, without even cutting your services with them. I just did it. Pretty cool!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WVR4JHVX4Y6I4N3MXWHLJA3DFI northerncheapskate
  
  So true! Sometimes a few phone calls can get you discounts you would never learn about otherwise!
http://livingthebalancedlife.com Bernice Wood

Another thing you can do, and this is a good season for it, is to put children’s clothes in consignment sales. You can make money back from clothes previously purchased, plus as a seller, you typically get to go to the preview sales so you get better choices on buying your children’s needed items at a good deal.
I also have a bag of professional clothes I was waiting til fall got here to take to the consignment store.
Bernice
Frustrated with the ever-present mess?
Pingback: Easier mealtimes help you during busier times
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Great tip!
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Good call, Jennifer! That helps reduce stress on your freezer, too, since it doesn’t have to cool down hot food. Thanks! Katie
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

I’m wondering this and also things like bananas, which I peel and freeze
whole for baking, smoothies, etc.
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Susanna,
That’s a great question. I’m sure a glass jar would work and still be pretty space efficient, since the marinade and meat would fill the space (unlike the bananas, which I freeze, too, but still use plastic bags, to answer Mandi’s question. I need them to be pliable to break them apart…). Maybe a big old pickle jar? Or a half gallon? For my family, a quart of meat would do us, but I don’t know how many kiddos you have. Katie

PS – the great thing about broken freezer jars is that there isn’t a mess – everything is already frozen and stays right there, usually just a crack up the glass. So the risk is wasting the food and losing the glass, not, thankfully, a mess – which I’m so lazy about cleaning up too!
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Becca,
I love those white plastic lids – especially when you’re getting in and out of the jars, like yogurt or granola, it’s handy to just have one piece to spin on and off. I worry very little about the BPA in the canning lids, just because *most* of the time the food isn’t even touching the lid, esp. in freezing. I’m of the mindset that we can’t avoid everything, every time.

GREAT tip about filling halfway and then adding more! Thank you! Katie
Timkathleen

I use glass for most items, too. I definitely leave lots of head room when freezing. I also freeze overnight without the lid…and lid it the next morn. After having a bunch of glass stock jars burst in the freezer (not a happy discovery). I tried out some “freezer safe” plastic. That shattered and/or cracked too. So, I stick with glass. I would never risk serving food that has come into contact with broken glass to my family! The risk of ingesting an unseen shard would be too great! The monetary loss is minor compared to the potential complications.
Casey

I puree the banana bread (cheap) bananas from the store and freeze them in mason jars. Then I either defrost for banana bread, smoothies, or to replace oil in baked goods.
Leahmarie99

Last week, I had a 1/2 gallon jar of the best chicken stock I have ever made burst in the freezer. I was so upset, I went out and bought plastic to freeze my stock in. I hate plastic, but I also hate wasting food and I can’t afford it! I have jars break occasionally. I cool my food in the refrigerator first with a very loose lid. I leave lots of head room. I know sometimes if you leave the fat that rises to the top of the stock, it sticks to the jar and seals the liquid in so it can’t expand upward and the jar breaks.
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Barb,
I can’t say I caught that exact article. I have seen murmurs that plastic no. 5, which does not have BPA and is used often in food storage/packaging, maybe have “something else” in it that leaches and is just as bad as BPA, but it certainly hasn’t been well-publicized yet. So…I certainly use glass and stainless steel as often as I can, but I try not to freak out about plastic.

Basically, we never know what research may prove someday. Since plastic is reactive (can leach into foods, especially those that are hot, liquid, or high in fat), it’s always the last choice for food storage. Hot food leaches chemicals much faster than cold food – don’t be afraid of putting cold food in plastic or freezing plastic any more than you’d store room temp food in plastic. Cold temps increasing the leaching is a myth.

I hope that helps, even though I couldn’t quite replicate the info in the article for you! Thanks! Katie
http://twitter.com/kitchenstew Katie Kimball

Barb,
I can’t say I caught that exact article. I have seen murmurs that plastic no. 5, which does not have BPA and is used often in food storage/packaging, maybe have “something else” in it that leaches and is just as bad as BPA, but it certainly hasn’t been well-publicized yet. So…I certainly use glass and stainless steel as often as I can, but I try not to freak out about plastic.

Basically, we never know what research may prove someday. Since plastic is reactive (can leach into foods, especially those that are hot, liquid, or high in fat), it’s always the last choice for food storage. Hot food leaches chemicals much faster than cold food – don’t be afraid of putting cold food in plastic or freezing plastic any more than you’d store room temp food in plastic. Cold temps increasing the leaching is a myth.

I hope that helps, even though I couldn’t quite replicate the info in the article for you! Thanks! Katie
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Ooh, good tip — thanks!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Oh, interesting — thanks so much for sharing that!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WVR4JHVX4Y6I4N3MXWHLJA3DFI northerncheapskate

Thanks for reminding me of this tip, Audrey! This has worked great for us (we have a medical FSA) for many years. I like that it makes you think (and budget for) medical expenses.
Ann

I am VERY used to working long and
hard without getting paid. I have a
history of sacrificing a lot in time, sleep, and finances to pursue something I’m
excited about. However that is something
I’m determined to change – I need to learn to balance my life better and work
more productively on those plans that will produce a revenue. I have trouble getting distracted with
busy-work sometimes.
http://donabumgarner.typepad.com/ Dona

I’m willing to work hard – not looking for easy money. But I have such limited time and energy that I’m not very willing to work very long without pay. I have already slashed my budget and given up a lot just in quitting my job to stay home with my baby. The material losses don’t faze me, but being home and available for my little one is non-negotiable.
http://donabumgarner.typepad.com/ Dona

Yes, I’m pretty clear on these. I know how much I need to earn, I know I want to be available with my baby – not willing to work more than a certain number of hours and not willing to commute to work, for example. In my last career I always said I’d quit doing it when it wasn’t fun any more. I think I overstayed 6 months or so, but I needed that time to get my plans lined up to walk away. I think that’s a pretty good measure for me to use in future endeavors. ”Fun” doesn’t mean “not hard,” but I have to be jazzed about it somehow to do the hard.
http://donabumgarner.typepad.com/ Dona

So far I’m really just squeezing in tiny things while the baby naps or after she’s in bed for the night. But as I consider finding help to have longer chunks of time, I do feel guilty. Because I wanted to be home with her! Why am I talking about leaving? Finding that balance is going to be hard. Leaving her enough to allow me to stay home most of the time…
http://donabumgarner.typepad.com/ Dona

I have some emotional support and some childcare support. I could use a bit more of each. My mom takes my daughter a few hours a week and that’s invaluable, but I need a bit more time than that. I have a great cheering section in the form of some good friends who flat out believe I can do anything I set my mind to. And my partner feels the same way. But I think I need some support to keep me accountable to my goals, like a coach or an “accounta-buddy” who I can check in with on a regular basis.
http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Ha, no, I completely get it. It’s one reason it took me so long to give up transcription and why I tried things like blog coaching even though I don’t really enjoy it. I think it really stems from fear: “What if I make the wrong decision? What if that income stream dries up?” There has to be a healthy balance between not putting all of your eggs in one basket and trying to do too much out of fear, but I’m not sure there are any hard and fast rules about how to strike that balance!
http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

I think you’ll find it easier to schedule work time without leaving her — if that’s what you choose — as she gets older too. Naps get longer, and then they can turn into afternoon quiet time (an invaluable routine, IMO). Kids can be encouraged to play by themselves for short periods of time, etc. The baby stage is definitely the hardest!
http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

I love the way you worded this. I tend to find the hard things the most fun, but you definitely know in your heart when something isn’t fun anymore!
http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Dona, I think that’s really understandable…having a tiny baby in the house may be a good time for dreaming and brainstorming and not actually building a business. That can come later when you’re getting more sleep and have more energy!
http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

For some reason I didn’t see your comment at first, Stacy, but I’m surprised to hear that you get résumés like this for non-creative jobs. They seem absolutely appropriate to me for graphic designers, web developers, etc., and I’d think you’d want to see someone’s creativity at work if that’s an important trait in the position you’re trying to fill. No?