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August 22, 2016 by: Marla

Easy Back-to-School 30 Minute Dinner Ideas

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Need some quick recipes for back-to-school? These 30 minute dinner ideas are easy, healthy, family-friendly, and perfect for busy weeknights.


True confession. When I was in college I was borderline obsessed with Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals on Food Network.

Yes, apparently college was that exciting for me.

Any of my friends can attest to this. I know a lot of people find her annoying or overly cheery, but seriously, you’ve got to hand it to her. 30 minutes? And dinner is done? With a smile?

Yes, yes, and yes.

These days I would consider myself more of a Barefoot Contessa or Pioneer Woman convert, but I will never forget my Rachel Ray days.

R.I.P. Free Time to Watch Endless Food Network.

printable meal planning cheat sheet | easy summer dinner ideas | 30 minute dinner ideas

But let’s get back to why we’re really here. 30 Minute Dinner Ideas. The busy weeknight’s best friend.

(PS. you can grab my printable weekly meal planner pictured above, here!)

Now, you know I love Pinterest. It’s just, sometimes Pinterest-finds require so much prep that they’re really more weekend projects and less get-dinner-on-the-table-now.

Since most of us are preparing (or already) back-to-school, it’s time for quick, easy, family-pleasing dinners. Which, you can TOTALLY find on Pinterest (if you know where to look) – and don’t worry, today I’ll show you how.

Related: How to Get Your Toddler Out the Door for Preschool

weeknight dinner ideas

Between packing lunches, and prepping waffles and muffins for the freezer I am sort of burned out when it comes to making dinner.

But at the same time, it feels to good to know that my freezer is stocked with nutritious, easy options for me and the girls.

Back-to-School Meal Planning Tip #1

Stock the Freezer (You Won’t Regret It)

easy preschool lunchbox ideas | stress=free preschool morning routine

Make a list of the foods your family eats most and set aside some time over the weekend to prep a bunch of food for the freezer.

If my 4 year old had it her way, we would eat pasta every night.

While it’s hard to disagree with that logic, I know my family needs wholesome, nourishing dinners with a variety of nutritious ingredients. By prepping foods in advance (and using tip # 2 below) I can avoid the pasta-every-night pitfall.

nutritious meal ideas for baby and toddler

Back-to-School Meal Planning Tip #2

Use a List Pad or Weekly Planner (and keep it near the fridge, in your mom bag, or in some kind of “command center-type” location.

easy toddler meals cheatsheet | daily routine with a toddler and preschooler | easy preschool lunchbox ideas

I like to jot down all of my meal ideas in the back of my planner. I also use this cute list pad from the Target dollar spot (pictured above) to plan out meals. I keep everything in my Happy Planner.

Back-to-School Meal Planning Tip # 3

Get Your Fridge & Freezer Organized

back to school meal planning tips

It’s much easier to plan meals and cook them when your fridge is clean and organized. I like to do this weekly before grocery shopping. If that sounds like too much to you, even cleaning out your fridge once a month is better than nothing!

Back-to-School Meal Planning Tip # 4

Make Life Easier for Yourself

8 healthy toddler breakfast ideas | easy toddler meals planning kit

Every weeknight meal does NOT need to be a showstopper. Weeknights are meant for quick cooking. Spaghetti and turkey meatballs. Fried Rice. Pizza on Naan bread. Simple ideas you can make while your kids watch a TV show.

What if I told you I could give you a TON of meal ideas (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) – including pictures? Plus recommendations for my favorite healthy groceries, plus a printable weekly meal planner? Our Easy Toddler Meals Planning Kit is made for busy moms like me and you.

BUY NOW

Back-to-School Meal Planning Tip # 5

Follow Me on Instagram (for Meal Planning Tips & Lunchbox Ideas)

I am always sharing the best meal planning tips, lunchbox ideas, plus my own weekly meal plans over on Instagram – I’d love for you to join me!

Follow Marla on Instagram

Alright, now on to the Meal Ideas. In honor of back-to-school time, today I am sharing 5 Pinterest finds, all of which can be made in 30 minutes!

That’s one school week full of easy weeknight meals. And you can easily create variations on these recipes by changing up the protein or starch.

I have made all of these recipes before, some multiple times (turkey chili mac), and can attest to the fact that they can all be made around the 30 minute time frame (this of course really depends on how many times you have to stop to referee your kids).

More Dinnertime Resources

  • How to Plan Your Toddlers Meals (the easy way!)
  • Printable Meal Planning Cheat Sheet
  • What I Fed My Kids This Week
easy 30 minute meal ideas

Easy Back-to-School 30 Minute Dinner Ideas

*Meal Planning Tip* – One way to make weekly meal planning much easier is to pick “themes” for each night. This helps to narrow down all.the.dinner.ideas into a few basic ideas based on your nightly theme!

Meatless Monday: Cauliflower Burrito Bowls from Pinch of Yum

Taco Tuesday: Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas from Kevin & Amanda

One Pot Wednesday: Easy Cheesy Turkey Chili Mac from Kitchen Meets Girl

Thursday: Kid-Friendly Sloppy Joes from The Many Little Joys

Fun Friday: Buffalo Chicken French Bread Pizzas from How Sweet Eats or Buffalo Chicken Skewers from Jamie Deen

meal planning hacks | printable meal planning cheat sheet

Pinterest Pro-Tip: Use Pinterest like you would Google.

  • In the search bar, type in a key word.
  • Below, you can see I typed in “30 Minutes”
  • Then select “Your Pins” – so any pins that have the key word “30 Minutes” in the description will show up.
  • Easy!

You could also search “All Pins” but usually I like to see what I’ve already pinned before I go searching for more (aka the blackhole that is Pinterest).

Easy, 30 Minute Meal Ideas to get dinner on the table fast!


For more easy recipe ideas, check out:

  • Life-Changing Meal Planning Hacks
  • No-Recipe-Required Dinner Ideas from Real Moms
  • Toddler Meal Planning Cheat Sheet

What’s your go-to weeknight meal? Any other quick, 30 minute meal ideas??

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure policy, here.

Easy Back-to-School 30 Minute Dinner Ideas
8 Healthy Toddler Breakfast Ideas
Crazy Easy 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes

Comments

  1. Sarah Louise says

    August 23, 2016 at 1:04 PM

    I also like to just plan out like 3 meals and have a couple nights for leftovers! Less cooking and planning 🙂
    Sarah | http://www.sugarmaplenotes.com

    • Marla says

      August 23, 2016 at 2:44 PM

      Yes! That is always a good strategy. I used to hate leftovers, then I had a baby. Now I love them!

      • beansandpeanut says

        August 23, 2016 at 4:00 PM

        I do the same!

  2. Christina Rambo says

    August 23, 2016 at 2:55 PM

    I am always looking for fast meals. I love that you do Meatless Monday too!!

    • Marla says

      August 23, 2016 at 3:13 PM

      Yay! We always make it a point to do that every week. Easy on the budget and we feel good about doing it!

  3. beansandpeanut says

    August 23, 2016 at 4:01 PM

    These sounds delicious! Pinning for sure!

    • Marla says

      August 23, 2016 at 9:07 PM

      Yay!

  4. Jenni Laplow says

    August 23, 2016 at 6:59 PM

    Yum! Sign me up for Fun Friday! My family is a big fan of buffalo chicken meals 🙂

    • Marla says

      August 23, 2016 at 9:08 PM

      Right? Something so addictive about it!

  5. Naya @ Lactivist in Louboutins says

    August 23, 2016 at 10:16 PM

    We started school this week and we. are. beat. You’ve got so many great ideas. I pinned this post for reference when meal planning! Thank you!

    • Marla says

      August 24, 2016 at 7:51 AM

      Thank you! Yay! So glad to help 🙂

  6. Jenna says

    August 24, 2016 at 9:13 AM

    I was totally obsessed with Rachel Ray in college too! I used to make her meals all the time back then! She did get annoying but I still adored her perkiness. These recipes are great ideas for quick meals on busy nights!

    • Marla says

      August 28, 2016 at 8:23 PM

      Haha, yay! Glad I’m not alone there.

  7. sayhellonature says

    August 25, 2016 at 11:50 AM

    These all sound delicious! Love quick meals during the week.

    • Marla says

      August 25, 2016 at 12:00 PM

      Busy moms lifesaver!

  8. GiGi Eats Celebrities says

    September 1, 2016 at 11:08 PM

    I eat out a TON unfortunately – but if I do cook at home – SALMON!!! Salmon is ALWAYS my go-to!! 😀

    • Marla says

      September 2, 2016 at 2:25 PM

      We love salmon around here! Especially grilled. Although I love saving money, I actually LOVE eating out more (no dishes!!)

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Welcome to Because I Said So, Baby, where we are sharing practical solutions for everyday momlife. Where you can find everything from simple baby-led weaning recipes to practical toddler parenting tips. So put those kids down for a nap, grab some coffee, and stay awhile!
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