Preparing a kid-friendly dinner doesn’t have to be stressful, especially with these pre-made meals for busy moms.
Get a jump into dinner while little ones are sleeping, at school, outside or otherwise busy earlier in the day – with these Ready meals for mothers.
Make recipes for the week ahead
This big list of easy prep meals is the perfect meal to prep for the week without the hassle of a meal planning system. A full meal planning system is great, but for some of us it’s just too much planning. What I love about being able to select a few of these meals each week to prepare ahead of time, it takes away my stress from weeknight dinners and the whole family can get together around an already prepared meal.
Instead of getting bogged down with a meal system today, just look at 2 or 3 nights that are available for meals this week, select them from the list, and then prepare them all at once if you have a few minutes over the weekend Have time or for me Monday evening seems to be normally open.
Quick and easy meal prep
Prepare in the afternoon whenever you have time and then have dinner cook or just hang in a warm oven until done. Everyone will wait patiently. You are fine.
And perhaps best of all, every recipe below has been child tested by moms like me. Gladly.
Best meals to freeze ahead of time
The good news is that all of these pre-prepared meals can be frozen. If you’re anything like me, something happens to your plans and suddenly dinner doesn’t work out! Do not worry. If you can’t fit the meal in the next day or two, just pop it in the freezer and try again next week.
If you are using ready meals from the freezer, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then cook as usual.
Make ahead meals with chicken
Many of these are home cooking or family favorites, packed with lots of flavor and hearty enough to fill your stomach! Best of all, many of these will save you so much money, require little planning, and leave you with leftovers and serve as freezer-friendly meals.
These easy recipes are great for dinner tonight, and not only will the whole family enjoy them, but there will be enough to make for dinner next time!
Plus, many of them are healthy, even better!
1. Oven Roasted Whole Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
This is a treat-the-plate favorite with us Groceries. Spend 15 minutes assembling, then slowly cook in the oven all afternoon. This easy chicken recipe is one of the most delicious dinner ideas.
2. Make Ahead BBQ Wings
One of my favorite Ahead recipes is this delicious and flavorful BBQ idea from beauty through imperfection. Great flavor in a kid-friendly serving: love and love.
3. White Chili One Dish
This chili recipe is full of juicy chicken and white beans The Chronicles of the Sweet Potato is the best way to serve chili to kids that has nothing to do with tomatoes.
4. Busy Weeknight’s Chicken Adobo
Elsie Marley‘s Chicken Thighs in a Thick, Rich, and Flavorful Tomato Sauce sounds great, but knowing you can make it days in advance sounds even better.
5. White Chicken Chili Recipe
This easy-to-prepare delicious meal is packed with high-protein white beans The Realistic Mom is one waiting right on the stove.
6. Broccoli, chicken and rice in a saucepan on the stove
I’m a fan of one pot meals! A stew from Groceries that cooks – and waits – on the stove until dinner (note: if my kids didn’t love it the first time, they’re believers now).
7. Turkey Pies with Biscuits
A tin of store-bought cookies quickly finishes off a dish that usually takes a lot longer to prepare, which is good news at the end of the day. Try this recipe Groceries.
8. Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Two popular flavors come together in this family favorite of all healthy recipes, Rotel Chicken Tortilla Soup. You know this one has to be good and the whole house smells amazing because of the slow cooker! Oh, and don’t forget the lime juice (or lime wedge) and fresh cilantro.
9. Moroccan Chicken Slow Cooker Casserole
I love introducing our kids to new flavors and the sweet cinnamon in this dish beauty through imperfection helps bring a little familiar flair to a new experience.
10. Easy Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot
Nothing waits like a slow cooker meal, and this one is a one-pot meal in the making. This recipe from The Realistic Mom makes an easy freezer meal too!
11. Chicken Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
Everything in one pot and go! Once you get it going, let it sit for about an hour and enjoy! The best part is that there are enough leftovers to last for days! Perfect! And it’s healthy! This recipe from Housework for God is a keeper!
Delicious make-ahead dinner ideas that are meatless
Meatless is sometimes just better. I said SOMETIMES. So check out this list of these incredibly flavorful meatless recipes for you to try!
12. Sweet Potato Apple Soup
Pureed soups don’t get any tastier than these, packed with both of our kids’ favorite flavors, including my favorite sweet potatoes! Check out this recipe The Chronicles of the Sweet Potato.
13. Simply the best baked potatoes
What’s easier than a side dish that cooks itself in the oven? I think this recipe from The Realistic Mom would be even better with a little sprinkled cheddar cheese on top. This would pair well with ground beef, pork chops, boneless chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, tender chicken breasts, chicken tenders…any meat, really.
14. Meatless Meatballs Recipe
This vegetarian version of a popular Kids Activities Blog classic features eggs, nuts, cheese and three different kinds of something you’d never guess.
15. Baked Macaroni & Cheese (with carrots!)
There are times when a few carrots get shoved into an otherwise gooey pasta dish for a delicious and nutritious combination! This is one of them Groceries.
Amazing make-ahead recipes for busy days and busy nights
Making dinner has never been so easy!
16. Fried cabbage with crumbled bacon
Looking for simpler dishes? This is one of the healthier dinner ideas. If you (or the kids) think you don’t like cabbage, make this one Groceries tonight. The cabbage gets soft and buttery, the bacon gets salty and crispy, together it’s heaven.
17. Tex-Mex Rice, Beef, and Beans
All the flavor of beef tacos in one pot Groceries. This is one of those meals that we eat regularly on a Sunday afternoon or early dinner. This dinner packs a lot of flavor and actually only requires a handful of ingredients.
18. Baked eggs with cream, ham and Swiss cheese
This is one of our easiest and quickest meals ALSO waiting patiently in a warm oven until everyone is ready to eat. What? How is that possible? It’s one of the easiest recipes on the Kids Activities Blog
19. Delicious pork pierogi
This recipe might require some work to make ahead of time, but the make-ahead part is still true. You will have enough for a few nights work or dinner. This Pork Pierogi are so delicious. The best part is that you can use any filling in this pierogi recipe, like cheese and potatoes or sauerkraut and mushrooms. This recipe from Homemaking For God is totally worth it.
20. Bacon & Swiss Quiche
Our kids love eggs. And bacon. And Swiss cheese. But if they find out there’s a pie crust at dinner? There could be cheers and I think we’ve identified one of the ultimate comfort foods! Try this recipe This heart of mine.
21. Fritatta with spinach, pancetta and ricotta
An easy to make egg dish with rich Italian flavors that kids love Groceries. Just add buns! That’s sooo good. Fresh spinach, salted pancetta, and rich ricotta make a complete meal. Also, you get the protein from the eggs. Makes a perfect main course. I think I’d throw some roasted cherry tomatoes on top. Yummy!
22. Baked Risotto with Bacon and Peas
No, there is no stirring over the stove here. Just a rich and creamy rice dish that you can easily park in the oven until you’re ready to call the rascals to dinner. Check out this recipe Groceries
That makes the dinners you can make ahead of time, whether it’s earlier in the day or in the month. Take advantage of your Slow Cooker, Instant Pot Meal, Oven, Freezer and a little plan ahead!
Storing your make-ahead meals
Most of these recipes will leave you with delicious leftovers, which is great on a busy day!
You can keep these in individual servings or in enough for your family, but they all need to be kept in an airtight container.
Most of these also serve as simple frozen dishes. Roasts, BBQ’s and soups tend to freeze well. But they must come in freezer-safe containers.
Before you put your food out or try to freeze it, you need to let it cool to room temperature. We don’t want to let bacteria go mad and make anyone sick.
But making a big meal is a great way to make sure you have a quick meal for a quick weeknight meal.
More easy dinner recipes
What’s your favorite make-ahead meal? Share it in the comments!