Lunches, Dinners and More – What We Eat During the Week

Recently a reader noted that most of the freezer cooking I do is for Shabbos and she was wondering what we eat during the week.

While it’s true that most of my freezer cooking is for our Shabbos meals we eat well during the week too! Our weekday lunches and dinners are simple and easy. I’ve posted them before, but figured I’d take the opportunity to post an updated version since things have changed a bit.

Lunches

Last year I bought myself a crock pot warmer and I’ve been using it ever since. I love hot food and it was a challenge to prepare myself a good meal to take to work.  Now I bring soup to work with me almost everyday.  Not only am I saving money, but I’m also eating healthier.

Each Sunday I take stock of what I have in the freezer. If we’re running low on soup I make another pot. I usually stick to easy recipes like tomato soup, vegetable soup or lentil soup. A few weeks ago I threw some vegetables and spices in a pot, boiled and blended it. It didn’t turn out that great, so I will probably be sticking to recipes going forward.

Once my soup is cooked and cooled I store it in small containers. Soup for each container is measured out so it will be exactly enough for one lunch. I freeze the containers and the night before work I put the container in the microwave for 4 minutes. It’s just enough time to defrost the soup so it fits into the metal bowl of my crock pot warmer. I then stick it in the fridge overnight and it warms up while I’m at work.

DH saw how well I was eating that he finally took the plunge and packs a crock pot warmer for lunch too.  Or rather, I pack it for him and he brings it to work.

Additional lunch ideas we’ve tried in the past include salad.  We used to prepare all the veggies in the beginning of the week so that the prep each night would be minimal.  Read more about the healthiest lunch I’ve ever had.

I’m not opposed to buying lunch, but it does get expensive and I don’t usually choose the healthiest choice.

My kids each bring a bagel with cream cheese, a yogurt or dinner leftovers for lunch.

Dinners

DH and I eat dinner very late.  By the time we get home and get the kids into bed we do not want to cook.  We just want to eat.  I’ve come up with a list of easy dinners and we add to the list every now and then.  None of these dinners are gourmet, but they are delicious and most importantly- easy to prepare.

Some of these dinners can be prepared straight from the freezer, while others may need a bit more prep in advance.

• Shabbos leftovers (I feel like I have to say this one…)
• Breaded fish- the frozen kind
• Chicken-less nuggets
• Chicken fajita
• Falafel- it’s really easy to make your own falafel balls, or you can go with the frozen ones to make it easier
• Fritatta
• Morning star burgers
• Pancakes- who said you can’t have breakfast for dinner?
• Pasta
• Pizza
• Salmon, veggies and couscous
• Salmon/Tuna croquettes
• Scrambled eggs/ omelets
• Chicken stir fry with rice
• Tuna noodle casserole
• Chili and rice- meat or pareve (Tabachnik’s is really good).  This is also really easy to prepare and freeze in advance.
• Meatballs
• Blintzes
• MealMart Chicken Pot Pie

While DH and I eat most of the items on this list, our kids eat a bit more simply.  They usually feast on leftovers, noodles, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and frozen pizza.  They like frozen veggies, so I always make sure to have some as a side dish to make the meal a bit healthier.

What do you eat for dinner?  Do you do a lot of freezer cooking for weeknights?

Until next time,
Shaindy