4 Easy School Night Meals for Dinner

The kids are finally heading back to school! When they get home, do you know what to make in the hour before that evening movie, backyard party or game night with friends? You deserve an easy, quick recipe that will amaze your kids and fuel them up for the night’s homework. Want something for dinner that will feel kind of fancy but also is really, actually simple to make? Then check out these four school night dinners, all found at Together as Family. Enjoy!

• Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

You can have these super-quick wraps done in less than half an hour, especially if you have some of the prep work done already. And who wouldn’t want to keep this simple salad dressing on hand at all times? This is almost literally a “throw everything together in a bowl and call it done” recipe, so if you’re feeling adventurous, toss in a few other ingredients to spice up this dinner recipe! 

Ingredients

• about 1 cup Caesar Salad dressing
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup light tasting oil (avocado or extra virgin olive)
  • 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan, shredded from a wedge if possible
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 whole fresh squeezed)
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
• about 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped / shredded, perhaps a rotisserie
• 9 oz romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup croutons
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan, shredded from a wedge if possible
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 6 large tortillas (whole wheat, green spinach, carb-balanced, or gluten-free)

Instructions

1. Combine all Caesar Salad dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together
2. In a large bowl, combine dressing with chicken, lettuce, croutons and cheese
3. Ready tortilla and scoop just less than a cup of the chicken mix into the center, then sprinkle on tomatoes and roll up the tortilla

• Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

These hot and fast sandwiches take a little time in the oven or sandwich press, but should still be done in less than an hour. Most of the ingredients are actually things you can buy ready to go at the store, and the result is a buttery, cheesy ham slider on a sweet bun. Like any sandwich, if you want to add something to the middle layers, go right ahead!

Ingredients

• 20-pack Hawaiian rolls
• Jar of Mayonnaise
• 1 lb deli honey ham, thin sliced
• 8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded from a block if possible
• Butter Sauce
  • 5 tbsp salted butter, melted
  • 2 tsp dried onions, minced / flaked
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Cut the rolls into sandwich halves and place bottoms tightly into a 9×13 baking dish
2. Spread mayonnaise (as much as seems right) and layer on sliced ham, then sprinkle cheese evenly and add the roll tops back on
3. In a bowl, mix Butter Sauce ingredients with a fork, then use a spoon or brush to cover rolls in the dish while butter is still warm
4. Let the butter sauce cool and harden for about 10 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F
5. Cover rolls in baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake 5 minutes more

• Slow Cooker Chili Coney Dogs

Does a recipe count as quick and easy if you leave everything in a slow cooker for up to 5 hours? This recipe is best prepared at lunchtime so that everything will be ready for dinner, at which point all you really need to do is assemble and chow down. Plus, everyone has their own favorite toppings, so no chili dog ever needs to be the same!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• Chili Sauce
  • 15 oz tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp dried onion, minced /  flaked
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • dash of spices (curry, cayenne)
• 8 hot dogs, beef or turkey
• pack of buns
• chili dog toppings (shredded cheese, fine chopped onion, relish, crumbled chips, etc.)

Instructions

1. Over medium heat, cook and crumble ground beef in a skillet pan until no longer pink, then drain grease (not down the sink!) and place back on heat
2. Add all Chili Sauce ingredients and stir, then let simmer
3. Coat inside of slow cooker or crock pot with cooking spray, then lay out the hot dogs neatly for even cooking and pour beef chili on top
4. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3 to 5 hours
5. Use tongs to retrieve hot dogs and place in buns, then scoop out beef chili and add along with toppings

• Root Beer BBQ Shredded Chicken

This is another “quick” recipe that can take about 8 hours since you’re using the slow cooker again. If you trust the device to not boil over, you can set this up after breakfast and have soft, juicy chicken for dinner. This super-simple meal also makes great leftovers for sandwiches, throwing into a salad or atop fresh cooked rice. And kids love that their dinner was made using root beer!

Ingredients

• 4 large bone- and skin-less chicken breasts
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups root beer (not diet, and other flavored sodas work fine too)
• 1.5 cups BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Coat inside of slow cooker or crock pot with cooking spray, then lay out the chicken breasts neatly for even cooking
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all other ingredients before pouring over chicken
3. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours
4. Serve in large pieces or shred with forks, keeping meat in the juices to stay moist

If dinner time gets hectic, be sure to check out these tips I have on keeping your home peaceful!