• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Freebies
  • Gallery
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

The Yellow Birdhouse

Helping you live your best crafty life

  • Crafts & DIYs
    • Felt Crafts
    • Sewing & Embroidery
    • Crochet
    • Everything Else
    • My Favourite Felt Tools
  • Mom Life
    • Fun Stuff for Kids
    • Parenting
    • Decor
    • Printables
    • Homemaking
    • Life
  • Holidays
    • Birthdays
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Springtime/Mother’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Baby Showers
  • Creative Business
    • Etsy Tips
    • Pinterest Tips
    • Best Biz Tools
    • Work/Life Balance
  • Shop
    • Etsy Shop
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Flower Patterns
    • Ebooks

101 Meal Ideas for Busy Families: Simplifying Dinnertime Series Part 2

November 11, 2017 by Laura 11 Comments

Last Updated on April 25, 2021

In Part 1 of this series I talked about the importance of carefully composing a shopping list based on the sales.  I’ll say it again, when grocery shopping NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR ANYTHING! That post had a beautiful meal planning cheatsheet too, where you can create your plan based on which proteins are on sale.  This is the most frugal way to meal plan so to that end I’ve got an epic list of 101 protein based meal ideas! These meal ideas for busy families should help you easily fill in your meal plan cheatsheet in no time, getting you one step closer to simplifying dinnertime!

Do you struggle to come up with weeknight dinner ideas? Here is an epic list of 101 meal ideas for busy families, plus 18 bonus side dish ideas!

This post contains affiliate links. Read more.

Meal Ideas for Busy Families

Dinnertime is hard.  The last thing you need at the end of a long day is to be staring into your fridge desperately trying to come up with a decent meal while the kiddos climb up your legs and whine.  No thanks.

I’ve got an awesome list + printable cheatsheet of 101 protein based meal ideas so you can easily pick out the week’s meals while you make your shopping list.  Easy peasy.  Step 1: Find which protein is on sale. Step 2: Locate an idea from this list using that protein. Step 3: Fill in your shopping list.  Bam Done.

Some meals are linked to a recipe, but mostly these are just ideas to get you started! And there’s a handy dandy list that you can print off and refer to every week to plan your meals!

Ok, let’s do this!

Ground Meat

This could be beef, pork or chicken.  Get creative and work with what’s available! Recipes don’t always have to be followed to a tee.

  • Meatloaf – with chive mashed potatoes
  • Meatballs & Spaghetti
  • Burgers – there’s little a bajillion variations on a classic burger.  Go nuts.
  • Turkey Chili
  • Hamburger Soup – so hearty and filling!
  • Tourtiere – traditional Canadian meat pie
  • Stuffed Peppers
  • Sheppard’s Pie
  • Lasagna Rolls
  • Cabbage Rolls
  • Taco Salad
  • Stuffed Shells
  • Pizza Soup

Beef

Steak, strips, stewing beef or roast.

  • Stew
  • Open Faced Steak Sandwich – with thick cut tomatoes & mozzarella
  • Fajitas
  • Hungarian Goulash
  • Stroganoff
  • Grilled Steak – with roasted red pepper salsa
  • Pot Roast – slow cooked with hearty root veggies
  • Ginger Beef & Brocolli Stir Fry
  • Beef Stifado
  • Tamale Pie
  • Beef & Potato Turnovers
  • French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich

Pork

Typically the least expensive of the meats. I seem to struggle making pork taste delicious (unless it’s bacon, lol) but sometimes it’s the only choice. Maybe I just need new recipes!

    • Schnitzel – with creamy coleslaw
    • Sweet & Sour Pork – with pineapple & rice
    • Cranberry-stuffed Pork Loin
    • Bacon Carbonara
    • Pork Roast – with apple
    • Scalloped Potato & Ham Casserole
    • Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 

Sausage

  • Tortellini Soup
  • Jambalaya
  • Sausage with Gnocchi
  • Sausage & Brocoli Casserole
  • Sausage with Cream Sauce & Noodles
  • Paella
  • Sausage & Sauerkraut

Chicken or Turkey

You can save money by buying cuts of poultry that still have the skin & bones. I find with a little muscle that you can peel off the skins from chicken thighs. And turkey legs are sometimes a good buy. The key is to not be too fussy about the cut of meat and to work within your budget!

  • Chicken Parmesan
  • One Pan Roasted Chicken Dinner
  • Smothered Chicken
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Chicken & Dumplings
  • Chicken Ceasar Salad
  • Chicken Almondine – with green beans
  • Pulled Chicken Pizza
  • Turkey Cutlets with warm cranberry salsa
  • Chicken Fingers – with honey mustard dip
  • Cornflake Chicken
  • Enchiladas
  • Kebabs – with pineapple, red pepper & teriyaki sauce
  • Chinese Chicken Salad
  • Coconut Curry Chicken
  • Thai Turkey Meatballs
  • Chili-Lime Chicken
  • Butter Chicken
  • Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
  • Lemon Chicken Spaghetti
  • Monte Cristo Sandwich
  • Chicken Chow Mein
  • Chicken Cordon Bleu
  • Chicken Alfredo
  • Chicken Cacciatore
  • Gumbo

101 Meal Ideas for Busy Families

Fish/Seafood

Finding good quality fish at a reasonable price can be tricky. I will stock up whenever I find a good sale, like buy 1 get 1 on shrimp. Hearty fish chowder is a good way to use lesser quality/discounted fish, and canned tuna is always a fairly inexpensive option. Who doesn’t love a classic tuna noodle casserole, especially when it’s made with cans of cream of something soup! 🙂

  • Fish Tacos – with white fish or shrimp
  • Salmon Cakes or Burgers
  • Grilled Shrimp Salad
  • Shrimp & Avocado Lettuce Wraps
  • Fish Chowder
  • Crab Cakes – with real or fake crab meat
  • Greek Panzanella Salad with Grilled Shrimp
  • Tuna Nicoise Salad
  • Tuna Noodle Casserole
  • Grilled Maple Salmon

Eggs

I usually eat 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast, but when we’ve forgotten to take meat out of the freezer then eggs are our go-to to add some protein to our dinners.

    • Omelet
    • Frittata
    • Croque Monsieur
    • Huevos Rancheros
    • Quiche
    • Shakshuka

 

Vegetarian

Meat can get expensive if there aren’t any good sales.  Vegetarian options can also be good for your health, environment and wallet!

  • Veggie Sloppy Joes with Black Beans
  • Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese
  • Spanakopita
  • Caponata Toast
  • Chili
  • Tofu Pad Thai
  • Avocado, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich
  • Quesadillas – with beans
  • Veggie Calzones
  • Lentil Salad – with asparagus & tomato
  • Corn Chowder
  • White Bean Soup
  • Eggplant Parmesan
  • Veggie Lasagna
  • Pasta Primavera
  • French Onion Soup
  • Mushroom Burgers
  • Curried Cauliflower
  • Spaghetti Squash Bake
  • Veggie Curry

Sides

As a bonus I’ve also included 18 ideas for side dishes. It can be hard to find recipes for a complete meal and when put on the spot my only options seem to be plain rice or boiled potatoes. These options are sooo much better!

  • Mango Avocado Salsa
  • Hummus & Pitas
  • Potato Salad
  • Tabbouleh
  • Tomato Soup – with grilled cheese. Classic.
  • Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – ( I love it with coconut milk!)
  • Pasta Salad
  • Jeweled Rice
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Guacamole
  • Three Bean Greek Salad
  • Coleslaw
  • Tomato Salad – super simple with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
  • Latkes
  • Cheesy Biscuits
  • Cornbread
  • Spinach & Quinoa Salad – with apples & pecans. Yum.
  • Simple Pesto Pasta

I hope this list is a great jumping off point for you to start your weekly meal planning habit!

What are some of your family’s staple meals that you would see added to this list?

ps. Don’t forget to grab your printable list of these 101 meal ideas for busy families plus a price keeper cheatsheet, meal planner and grocery list, all in one free bundle!

Filed Under: Homemaking, Life, Parenting Tagged With: easy meal ideas for families, homemaking, meal ideas for busy families, meal ideas for buy moms, mom life, weeknight meal ideas

Previous Post: « Meal Planning on a Budget – Simplifying Dinnertime Series: Part 1
Next Post: 11 Teacher Gift Ideas »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sim says

    October 20, 2019 at 6:15 am

    By accident came across this. Brilliant! I’ve never thought of meal planning by protein. Thank you so much for this post. Now I’m curious to check out the rest of your site.

    Have a wonderful life!

    Reply
  2. Diane taber says

    August 5, 2019 at 3:01 pm

    Hi we want to really start making our own meals. And start saving money ln the long run.as I’ve had it with spending loads of money on food when we can do it our selves.& just buy all the meal prepping containers and foil containers.for us to do it in.and get some nice fresh vegetables and fresh meat.and some nice meal planning meals recipes and we’ll be away with it.just great in my view.and can’t wait to start doing it and also need some recipes though.

    Reply
  3. Madison Weaver says

    November 14, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    Wow this is such a great list! I need to refer back to this when I have no clue what to make for dinner! Lol. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      November 24, 2017 at 1:50 am

      I’m so glad you found it helpful!

      Reply
  4. Becca says

    November 14, 2017 at 12:33 am

    Such a great long list! Pinning for when I get stuck in a rut. So like tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Laura says

      November 24, 2017 at 1:49 am

      Haha, I hear ya! Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  5. Hannah Brown says

    November 13, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    Oooh I love this!!! Pinning for future reference!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      November 24, 2017 at 1:48 am

      Awesome! Glad you found it useful!

      Reply
  6. Nicole Kauffman says

    November 13, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    These look awesome! Love this long list!!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      November 24, 2017 at 1:44 am

      Thanks Nicole!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 7 Actionable Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget says:
    October 30, 2018 at 6:37 pm

    […] you checked out parts 1 & 2 of this series, then you’ve already got a start on building your meal plan and grocery lists. Once you’ve filled in the rest of your grocery list with the other items […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hey There!

I’m Laura, a busy work at home mama to two amazing boys. I help moms live their best crafty life, whether that’s with fun DIY projects or running an online shop. My passion is crafting with wool felt, but you’ll find a little bit of everything on the blog since I’m an unstoppable crafter and I love to share! Read More…

Recent Posts

  • 18 Free Cross Stitch Patterns for Valentine’s Day
  • Stuck On You – Free Printable Valentine DIY
  • My Top 10 Reads of 2022

Felt Woodland Animal Patterns:

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Legal Stuff

POLICIES
PRIVACY
DISCLOSURES

Copyright © 2023 · The Yellow Birdhouse

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this if you continue to visit this site. If not, feel free to leave, no hard feelings!Accept Read More
https://theyellowbirdhouse.com/privacy/

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT