Dinners for Daddy

I used to sit down every 2 weeks or so and find 4 or 5 new recipes to try out. Then I would make a grocery list and go buy the stuff to make those meals. Garret and I cooked together nearly every other night, alternating with leftovers from the night before. From when I started that system, we didn't even start repeating recipes, aside from a few of our very faves, for about 4 years! Then I realized, hey, if we really like something, I should hang onto it and make it again. Duh. So I made a Google site called Keepers to organize recipes that got 2 thumbs up from me and Garret.

Then a tiny baby came and took over our lives. She doesn't like us to cook together because that doesn't leave anyone free to bounce her and tell her how adorable and special she is. She also doesn't like me to cook before Daddy gets home, and she has to go to bed early to get her cutie rest so there isn't time after he gets home either. So I needed a new plan. Somehow I thought that might happen.

Freezer meals have saved us from a diet of fast food and spaghetti. I had to venture into the panic-inducing realm of Pinterest to get started, but once I found a couple blogs with recipes for meals that freeze well, we were off and running. Most of the ones I have tried come from The Virtuous Wife and Six Sisters' Stuff. I have integrated them into my site, but in an attempt to pass along the favor, I'm highlighting some of the recipes that have come in handy for feeding the grown-ups around here since the lifestyle-revolutionizing arrival of Miss Marin.

These recipes have minimal prepwork. You can just throw it together in 10 minutes or less and let it cook. Just keep the supplies in the pantry/freezer and you'll have stuff to make dinner without a trip to the grocery store. They also freeze well.

• Chicken & Rice Bake
• Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
• Forgotten Jambalaya
• Turkey Bean Chili

The next few have more prepwork, like for a Saturday when your husband/mother/BFF will hang out with your kid(s) while you cook, but then you can freeze them and pop them in the oven at a later date.

• Chicken Enchiladas (My mom says they are as good as any restaurant's.)
• Chicken Pot Pie (This got rave reviews from Garret when Kali made it for us.)
• Lasagna

These are just plain quick and easy, not too much prepwork for a weeknight, and the ones with a * freeze well, too. (Not to say the others don't, just that I haven't tried it.)

• Beef & Cheese Enchiladas
• Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce
• Baked Chicken Parmesan
• Parmesan-Dijon Chicken
• Chicken Pasta Bake*
• Mexican Chicken Alfredo*
• Peppered Shrimp Alfredo
• Tuna Tetrazzini*
• Beef Stew*
• Mexican Pozole (slow cooker method)
• White Chili*

These oddballs aren't dinners, but they're easy and very tasty.

• Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes (Please use real maple syrup.)
• Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

And lastly, if you ever find the time, I highly recommend the Sweet & Sour Pork recipe. It is just really good, totally worth the time, and chicken works just as well.