Easy School Night Dinner Ideas
Ingredients
Easy Pasta with Shrimp and Peas
Mornings are orchestrated chaos, getting the kids off to school with their books and notes and a packed lunch. Then you get home and realize, what’s for dinner? On nights when I have’t had a moment to think about dinner, let alone get to the grocery store and shop, I turn to this easy Pasta with Shrimp and Peas. It’s the most comforting meal after a harried day and the best part is most of the ingredients come from your freezer or pantry. I try to always keep Vermouth to add some depth to pasta sauces (it’s like white wine, but never goes bad, even after opening!) and cream in the fridge. A little splash brightens up this simple, classic pasta meal. Frozen peas add nice texture and a healthy green veggie, so that checks off my list for a balanced meal!
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb medium shells pasta
- 1 lb frozen, peeled shrimp
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- splash of vermouth
- chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- shredded parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Add a large pinch of salt, then add pasta shells.
- Cook for 7 minutes.
- Add the frozen shrimp and frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes.
- In a saute pan set to medium heat, add the oil and garlic, saute for 15 seconds, then add the pasta and shrimp mixture.
- Toss and add cream and vermouth and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat and garnish with parsley and parmesan serve immediately.
Keywords: pasta, shrimp, peas, dinner
Tex-Mex Chicken Parmesan
Now that you finally have your pantry stocked with breakfast items for the school week, why not use a staple, cereal, to create a delicious chicken dinner! This Tex-Mex version of a classic Italian meal is now a family favorite. The secret to cutting down on cooking time is slicing the chicken ultra thin. The thinner the meat, the quicker it cooks!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts 2 cups of Chex corn cereal (you might need more depending on how large the chicken breasts are)
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large jar Mrs. Renfro’s Mild salsa
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- oil for pan frying
- 1–2 avocados (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Turn oven on to 375 to begin heating.
- Trim the chicken of fat and slice each breast lengthwise in half so they are thinner.
- In a large ziplock bag, pour in the Chex cereal and the taco seasoning and pound with a meat tenderizer until fine.
- In a bowl, mix the eggs and water.
- Dredge each chicken breasts in the egg mixture and then place in the ziplock bag.
- Shake until completely coated.
- Pan fry on medium heat until golden on one side (about 3 minutes) then flip and cook for another 2.
- Remove and place in a baking dish.
- Pour salsa over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles and browns.
- Serve with sliced avocado.
Notes
A delicious side dish is sautéed corn and black beans or cilantro rice.
Keywords: tex-mex, chicken, parmesan, dinner
