After a long day of school, the last thing we want to hear is, “What’s for dinner?” as you stare into an empty fridge. Or maybe you have hangry toddlers clinging to your leg around noon while you rummage for Cheerios in the pantry having no idea what to do for lunch. Having some quick and easy recipes to create healthy and delicious meals will help you avoid the panic that comes with trying to figure out a meal to throw together at 5 pm after a long school day. As a bonus, I have included recipes for the instant pot or slow cooker.
Today, I will share my go quick and easy recipes for busy homeschool moms. I will share recipes in the following categories:
• Healthy Breakfast ideas
• Easy Healthy Lunch ideas
• Easy Dinner ideas
• Bonus: Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Recipes
These meals are not only be healthy and delicious, but can be made in less than 1 hour or be made ahead of time and stored. They will have easy to find ingredients that can also be stocked up on.
I have included meals that use chicken, beef, ground turkey, and lots of veggies. There are also some meatless options for Fridays!
Healthy Breakfast ideas
I love to give my kids a hearty and satisfying breakfast. These quick and easy recipes check all of my boxes and are easy to adapt to your needs and preferences.
1. Overnight Oats Recipe
This is my number one breakfast choice for busy homeschool families! My kids love it and they can even help make it. The possibilities for mix ins are endless. Below is a basic recipe, but feel free to add chocolate chips, berries, nut butter, or mango!
2. Homemade Granola and Yogurt
My next go-to breakfast recipe is homemade granola and yogurt. This recipe is the absolute BEST! I double it using to big half sheet pans and freeze the extra per her directions in the post. You will have to make this ahead, but it’s quick and doubling it makes a lot. My kids love it on top of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey. Easy, quick, and delicious!
3. Scrambled Eggs in a Mug
This one is so easy the kids can make it themselves, and you only dirty a mug and a fork. Here is a base recipe, but we also like to mix in cheddar or cooked leftover veggies like broccoli or bell pepper.
4. One Bowl Pancakes
These can be made in about 45 minutes in the morning or the night before and refrigerated. They also freeze well. It is easy, quick, and tasty!
Easy Healthy Lunch ideas
1. Fruit, Veggie, Cheese and Cracker Platter
This is always a hit! For this, you simply need to make a plate with your choices of the following: your favorite cheese (sliced), celery, baby carrots, sliced radishes, apple slices, berries, snap peas, edamame, hummus, crackers, and pretzels. It’s like a mini charcuterie board!
2. Greek Platter
This is similar to the previous recipe, just Greek themed. Fill a plate with pita hummus, tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, tomato wedges and feta cheese. Let everyone pick and choose what they would like.
3. Black Bean Bowls with Taco Fixings.
Here is an easy black bean recipe that comes together quickly and is satisfying when your want a hot lunch.
I serve it with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado.
4. Twice Baked Potatoes
This is something the kids can prepare! It can be made completely in the microwave and is delicious and healthy!
Easy Dinner ideas
These recipes are easy to memorize and easy to cook so you can put dinner on the table ASAP!
1. Easy Ground Turkey Picadillo (taco night)
This is easy and yummy for taco night! I make a big batch of the sofrito and freeze it in ice cube trays or small mason jars so I can throw this together even more quickly. We love it with hard or soft taco shells, chips, salsa, sour cream, cheddar, avocado, and any other taco fixings you can think of! I usually double it so that we have leftovers.
2. Baked Chicken Thighs and Salad
This is probably the easiest dinner recipe on my list! You will need:
chicken thighs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Salad kit or favorite salad ingredients
We love a basic salad with lettuce, cucumbers, and bell pepper with this dressing.
3. No Rise Mini Pizzas
My kids love homemade pizza, but I always forget to start the dough early enough to rise. This recipe solves that problem since the dough is yeast free! You honestly cannot tell the difference. We love these.
Double the dough! To make them mini just take balls (about the size of your palm) and flatten them out. Poke 2-3 sets holes in each pizza with a fork. Then, bake for 5 minutes without toppings, add toppings, and bake until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned (about 10 more min).
4. Baked Salmon and Sweet Potatoes
Learning to cook salmon from frozen was a game changer for me! Nothing to thaw and comes out perfectly!
Just add a side of baked sweet potatoes to round out the meal.
For the potatoes, poke 4 sets of holes in each clean potato and put on a microwave safe plate. Cook for 10 minutes. Flip potatoes and cook for another 5-10 minutes until a fork easily pierces the potato.
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Recipes
I use my slow cooker/instant pot combo appliance a lot. I have this one. These recipes are on heavy rotation in our house!
1. Slow Cooker Lentil Tomato Soup
The slow cooker is great for quickly preparing a meal earlier in the day so that dinner is ready with no effort. You can even add other veggies, such as sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, corn, etc
2. IP Beef Barbacoa (taco night)
Here’s another idea for an easy taco night. We serve this with hard taco shells and all of the fixings (sour cream, salsa, avocado, lettuce, and cheddar). I also leave out the chipotle chilis since they are too spicy for my family.
3. Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken with Broccoli and Rice
This recipe is amazing when we are craving Chinese takeout. I usually double it so that I have dinner for 2 nights with very little effort. I also steam a bag of frozen broccoli and cook some rice and it’s an awesome meal!
4. IP Chicken and Dumplings
This meal has a few extra steps than the others, but is the easiest Chicken and Dumplings recipe I have seen! All made in one pot. Doubling the dumpling dough is a must for my family, and the cook time is the same even with double the amount of dumplings. You’re welcome.
Easy Recipe Roundup
There you have it! My 16 go to easy recipes for busy moms! What recipe do you want to try first? Please share your go to recipes in the comments!
Love it my angel.
Thanks, Papou!
Great collection of recipies. I love how you personalized sharing you family likes & dislikes.
Thank you, Mary! And thanks for reading!