I have been doing back to school season for over a decade now, and I can tell you with full confidence that the first three weeks are the hardest.
The schedule does not exist yet. The lunch boxes are not packed yet.
The kids are tired and cranky and starving by 5 p.m. And dinner has to happen, and it has to happen fast.
These are the recipes I lean on hardest in the back to school crunch. Most of them are on the table in 30 minutes.
A few use the Instant Pot or the crockpot to do the work in the background while I am driving carpool. All of them feed a hungry crew without requiring me to find a second wind that does not exist.
“All of them feed a hungry crew without requiring me to find a second wind that does not exist.”
Dinner 01
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.
1) Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 2 cups diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 24 ounce bag Reames frozen homestyle egg noodles
- Dash of nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
- Pour the broth into a big pot and add the carrots, celery, onion and bay leaves.
- Simmer 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the chicken, nutmeg and lemon pepper and bring to a boil.
- Add the frozen noodles and boil about 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Fish out the bay leaves, taste for salt and pepper, and serve.
The 30 minute chicken noodle soup that is exactly what you want on the first cool school night of fall. Thick egg noodles, tender chicken, rich broth, a few vegetables, done before homework is finished. I serve this with a sleeve of crackers and call it dinner. Nobody is mad about that. Carol would say a bowl of chicken soup fixes most things, and back to school week is one of them.
If your noodles always turn to mush by the time you reheat leftovers, cook them a little on the firm side the first time around. They keep soaking up broth in the fridge overnight, so day two soup is naturally a little thicker and just as good. This one also freezes fine if you leave the noodles out of the batch you are freezing. Add fresh noodles when you reheat it and nobody will know it spent a month in the deep freezer. Easy Chicken Noodle Soup — the 30 minute bowl that fixes most things, back to school week included.
Dinner 02
Cheesy Beef Goulash.
2) Crock Pot Cheesy Beef Goulash
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Crock Pot Cheesy Beef Goulash recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 2 jars spaghetti sauce, 24 ounces each
- 1 jar of water, 24 ounces
- 16 ounce box cavatappi pasta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Cooking Instructions
- Brown and crumble the beef, then drain it. Stir the cream cheese, ricotta, garlic and parsley together in a bowl.
- Pour half a jar of sauce into a 6 quart slow cooker. Layer half the dry pasta, the rest of that jar of sauce, half a jar of water, and half the beef.
- Dollop the whole cream cheese mixture over the beef without stirring. Layer the rest of the pasta, the second jar of sauce, the other half jar of water, and the rest of the beef.
- Cover and cook on low about 4 hours or high for 2, then stir carefully but well.
- Top with the mozzarella, cover 15 to 20 minutes until melted, and broil the crock for 5 to 7 minutes if you want it browned.
One pan. Twenty five minutes. Ground beef, macaroni, tomatoes, and so much cheese the kids think they hit the dinner jackpot. This is the recipe that converted my picky kid into someone who actually eats dinner on weeknights. It is the textbook back to school dinner. Fast, filling, no leftover dishes that I will hate myself for in the morning.
This is a great one to double if you have a bigger crew or you just want lunch sorted for tomorrow. It reheats in the microwave better than most pasta dishes because the sauce stays creamy instead of drying out. Swap in whatever cheese is going soft in your fridge drawer. Cheddar, colby jack, even a mix of odds and ends all melt in just fine and nobody at my table has ever noticed the difference. Cheesy Beef Goulash — one pan, 25 minutes, no morning after dishes to hate yourself for.
Dinner 03
Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup.
3) Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Avocado, red onion, Mexican cheese and cilantro for the top
Cooking Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute on high and heat the oil. Cook the onion and all three peppers with salt and pepper, stirring, about 4 to 5 minutes until crisp tender with some color.
- Turn the pot off and move the vegetables to a bowl.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and put it in the pot with the tomatoes, broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano and garlic powder. Stir.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on manual high for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
- Shred the chicken in the pot with two forks and add the vegetables, black beans and lime juice.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then leave it on warm a few minutes so the beans heat through.
- Serve topped with avocado, red onion, cheese and cilantro.
If you have an Instant Pot, this is a 25 minute dinner that tastes like a much bigger production. Chicken, peppers, onions, broth, fajita spices, all done in one pot. Top it with cheese, sour cream, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips. I serve this on Mondays a lot, because the school week is starting and we all need something a little warm and a little spicy to wake us back up. Frozen chicken breasts go in straight from the freezer with no thawing required, which is exactly the kind of dinner I need on a Monday when I forgot to plan ahead.
Just add a few extra minutes to the cook time. Set out the toppings in little bowls and let everyone build their own. It turns a soup into something that feels more like a taco night, and picky eaters tend to come around when they get to choose. Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup — the Monday night dinner that wakes everyone back up at the start of the school week.
Dinner 04
Sloppy Joes.
4) Sloppy Joes
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Sloppy Joes recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 sandwich buns
- 8 slices American cheese, plus pickles and diced onion for serving
Cooking Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef with the onion and garlic until no pink is left. Drain it well.
- Spray a 5 quart slow cooker. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, chili powder and broth, and stir until smooth.
- Stir in the drained beef mixture.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- Spoon the beef onto buns and top each one with a slice of American cheese, pickles and diced onion.
The 20 minute sloppy joe that is a back to school staple in this house. Brown the beef, mix in the sauce, simmer for ten minutes, pile it on buns. Add chips on the side and you are done. This is the dinner I make on Wednesday nights, which seem to be the longest nights of every school week for some reason. The meat mixture freezes beautifully in a flat bag, so I like to make a double batch and tuck half away for a week when Wednesday feels even longer than usual.
Thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stove. Toasting the buns for a minute under the broiler keeps them from turning to mush under all that sauce. It is a small step but it makes the sandwich hold together so much better. Sloppy Joes — the 20 minute Wednesday night fix when the school week feels endless.
Dinner 05
Pizza Pasta Bake.
5) Pizza Pasta Bake
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Pizza Pasta Bake recipe card.
Ingredients
- 5 cups rotini pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 4 ounces water
- 4 ounces pepperoni
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Cooking Instructions
- Cook the rotini 1 to 2 minutes short of the box time, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Brown the sausage and beef together and drain. In the same pan, cook the onion and pepper in the butter until soft.
- Stir the noodles, sauce, water, meat and vegetables together in a big bowl. Dice all but 10 of the pepperoni and stir those in too.
- Pour it into a greased 9×13, top with the mozzarella, and lay the last 10 pepperoni on top.
- Bake uncovered at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.
The pasta bake that tastes like a pizza and comes together in about 30 minutes. Boil the pasta while you brown the beef, layer everything into a casserole dish, bake for 15 minutes. Done. The pepperoni on top makes the kids think I tried much harder than I did. I am okay with this misconception. This is a good one to assemble the night before and just slide into the oven the next evening.
It buys you back that whole 30 minutes on a night you know is going to be chaos. Throw in whatever pizza toppings your kids actually like, olives, mushrooms, extra pepperoni. It is a forgiving casserole and it does not care if you swap things around. Pizza Pasta Bake — the pepperoni on top makes the kids think you tried much harder than you did. “The kids think lasagna means I tried hard. The crockpot knows better.”
Dinner 06
Weeknight Cheesy Tortellini Casserole.
6) Weeknight Cheesy Tortellini Bake
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Weeknight Cheesy Tortellini Bake recipe card.
Ingredients
- 7 ounce package cheese tortellini
- 12 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces Alfredo sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions
- Boil the tortellini 2 to 3 minutes less than the package says and drain.
- In a medium pot, simmer the marinara, Alfredo and half the Italian seasoning together 10 minutes.
- Stir the tortellini into the sauce and pour into a greased 9 inch pie dish.
- Top with the mozzarella, Parmesan and the rest of the seasoning.
- Broil 5 minutes or less, until the cheese melts and starts to brown.
The store bought tortellini casserole that comes together in 30 minutes and tastes like lasagna without any of the layering. Tortellini, marinara, ground beef, mozzarella, into the oven. That is the recipe. This is the back to school dinner I make on the nights when nobody is on the same schedule and I need a dinner that holds up if it sits in the oven for a little extra time. Frozen cheese tortellini works just as well as fresh here, so I always keep a bag in the freezer for weeks like this.
No need to thaw it first, it just goes straight into the dish. A green salad or a bag of steamed broccoli on the side rounds it out without adding much work. This one also reheats well for lunch the next day if anyone actually leaves leftovers behind. Weeknight Cheesy Tortellini Casserole — lasagna flavor without the layering, holds up when everyone’s on a different schedule.
Dinner 07
Crockpot BBQ Chicken.
7) Crockpot BBQ Chicken
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe card.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 18 ounce bottle barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 sandwich buns
Cooking Instructions
- Lay the chicken breasts in the slow cooker in a single layer.
- Stir the barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire together in a measuring cup. Spoon it over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3.
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the sauce, stir, and let it sit 15 minutes with the lid off before piling it onto buns.
Not a 30 minute recipe in the active cooking sense, but a 5 minute recipe in the prep sense. Dump the chicken and barbecue sauce in the crockpot in the morning. Come home to dinner. This is the recipe I prep on Sunday for the busiest night of the week, which in my house is usually Tuesday. I throw the chicken breasts in frozen more often than not, straight from the deep freezer, no thawing, no planning ahead required.
Just add an extra hour or two of cook time and it shreds just as easily. Leftover shredded chicken makes a great lunch on a bun or piled onto a baked potato. It also freezes flat in a bag if you want to stash some away for a week you know is going to be rough. Crockpot BBQ Chicken — 5 minutes of prep in the morning, full dinner waiting when you walk in.
Dinner 08
Easy Crockpot Lasagna.
8) Easy Crockpot Lasagna
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Easy Crockpot Lasagna recipe card.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 45 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 20 ounces cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups mozzarella, divided
- 9 regular lasagna noodles, uncooked, broken in half
Cooking Instructions
- Brown the sausage and beef together, drain, and stir the meat into the spaghetti sauce. In another bowl, stir the cottage cheese, egg, parmesan and Italian seasoning together.
- Spray the crock pot. Layer a third of the meat sauce, 3 broken noodles, half the cottage cheese mixture, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Repeat: a third of the sauce, 3 noodles, the rest of the cottage cheese mixture, the second cup of mozzarella.
- Finish with the last 3 noodles and the last third of the sauce, covering every noodle.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, up to 6 depending on the crock pot. Do not use high. Rest 15 minutes with the lid on before cutting.
Lasagna without the oven and without the noodle boiling. Layer everything into the crockpot in the morning. Come home to lasagna. This is the recipe I love most for back to school nights because it feels like a real dinner without any real effort. The kids think lasagna means I tried hard. The crockpot knows better.
This one holds heat well, so if practice runs long and dinner sits on warm for an extra half hour, it is not going anywhere dry or sad. That flexibility alone makes it worth keeping in the rotation. Leftovers reheat great the next day, and honestly taste even better once the layers have had a night to set up in the fridge. Cut it into squares for easy lunchbox portions if you have any left. Easy Crockpot Lasagna — feels like a real dinner without any real effort.
Dinner 09
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup.
9) Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 pound red potatoes, chopped small
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Cooking Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute with the olive oil. Add the onion, beef, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook 6 to 7 minutes until the beef is browned.
- Cancel saute. Add the potatoes and broth, lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest and open the lid away from you.
- Stir a few spoonfuls of the hot broth into the cream to temper it, then stir the cream into the pot.
- Add the cheddar a cup at a time, stirring until each addition melts. Serve with parsley and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Thirty minutes in the Instant Pot and you have a hearty, cheesy soup that tastes like a cheeseburger. The kids who turn their noses up at soup absolutely come around for this one. I serve it with a sleeve of saltines and a big stack of napkins. That is the whole dinner. Nobody complains. If you want it to stretch further for a bigger family, add an extra potato or two and a splash more broth.
It does not water down the flavor the way you might expect. This is also a good make ahead soup. The flavor gets even better on day two, so I do not mind at all when there is some left in the good Tupperware for lunch tomorrow. Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup — the soup that gets soup haters past the soup hurdle. Serve with saltines and napkins.
Dinner 10
Chicken Tortilla Soup.
10) Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe card.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast or thighs, cooked and shredded
- 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
- 1 can stewed tomatoes
- 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk dry mix
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Sour cream, cheese, cilantro and tortilla chips for the top
Cooking Instructions
- Put the chicken, corn, beans, both cans of tomatoes, ranch mix, taco seasoning and broth in the Crock Pot and stir.
- Cook on low 2 to 4 hours.
- Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, cheese and crushed chips.
The 30 minute Mexican inspired soup that wakes everyone up on a tired Monday. Chicken, beans, corn, tomato, just enough heat to feel like a real meal. Top it with crushed tortilla chips, a little cheese, and a squeeze of lime. Serve it with shredded cheese on the side and let everyone build their own bowl. That is the trick to making any soup feel like dinner with kids. A rotisserie chicken from the store makes this even faster if you are short on time.
Just shred it in and skip the step of cooking chicken from scratch. This one also freezes well without the toppings, so I often make a double batch and freeze half for a week when Monday feels especially brutal. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and warm it on the stove. Chicken Tortilla Soup — let everyone build their own bowl. That is the trick to making any soup feel like dinner with kids.
Dinner 11
Maid Rite Loose Meat Sandwiches.
11) Maid Rite Loose Meat Sandwiches
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Maid Rite Loose Meat Sandwiches recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef, uncooked
- 1 cup warm water
- 3/4 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon low sodium beef base
- 3/4 teaspoon low sodium chicken base
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 8 hamburger buns, warmed
- Mustard, ketchup, dill pickles and diced onion for serving
Cooking Instructions
- Set the slow cooker to high. Add the raw ground beef and chop it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add the water, minced onion, brown sugar, beef base, chicken base, vinegar, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Stir until the beef is coated and no dry spots remain.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Uncover and break the meat into fine crumbles.
- Leave the lid off and keep cooking for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring now and then and breaking up any chunks, until the liquid has cooked down into the meat.
- Pile a heaping spoonful onto each warm bun and top with mustard, ketchup, pickles and onion.
Twenty minute crumbled beef sandwiches on soft buns. Add a bag of chips and a quick veggie tray and dinner is done. This is the back to school dinner that fills up the teenage stomachs without requiring me to do much of anything. One pound of beef makes about eight sandwiches. The math is forgiving even on the weeks I forgot to grocery shop.
This is a true Midwest classic, and it is the kind of thing that tastes even better after church potluck season teaches you the value of a good crumbled beef sandwich. Pickles on the side are basically nonnegotiable in my house. The meat keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so leftovers make an easy lunch. You can also freeze it in a bag and reheat it in a pan when you need dinner in a hurry. Maid Rite Loose Meat Sandwiches — one pound of beef, eight sandwiches, forgiving math on the weeks you forgot to shop.
Dinner 12
Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos.
12) Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos recipe card.
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 pound beef chuck roast
- 1 cup beef broth
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tortillas
- Cotija cheese, cilantro and diced onion for serving
Cooking Instructions
- Spread the diced onion in the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot and set the roast on top.
- Whisk the broth, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder and salt in a measuring cup until the paste dissolves, and pour it over the roast.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8.
- Shred the beef with two forks right in the tomato broth and let it soak for 10 minutes.
- Pile the beef onto warm tortillas and top with cotija, cilantro and onion.
The 5 minute morning prep, 30 second night assembly version of taco night. The crockpot does the work. You just warm tortillas and let everyone build their own tacos at the table. Taco Tuesday becomes the easiest dinner of the school week, which is exactly the energy I need by Tuesday. A cheap chuck roast works great here and gets more tender the longer it cooks, so this is a forgiving recipe if your schedule runs later than planned.
Shred it right in the pot with two forks once it is done. Leftover beef is fantastic on nachos or in a quesadilla the next day, so I never mind making extra. It freezes well too if you want to stash some away for a future taco night with zero effort. Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos — turns Taco Tuesday into the easiest dinner of the school week.
Dinner 13
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup.
13) Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup recipe card.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups dry egg noodles
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons green onions, optional
Cooking Instructions
- Put the chicken, broth, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper in the crock pot.
- Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot.
- Add the egg noodles and cook on high 20 to 30 minutes more, until tender.
- Fish out the bay leaf and serve, topped with green onions.
Same chicken noodle soup, slow cooker version, for the days when I want dinner to be waiting when we walk through the door. Add the noodles in the last 20 minutes and you have a real homemade dinner without any active cooking. I make this on the days my kids have something every afternoon. It is the dinner equivalent of a friend who has it all together. If your afternoon runs later than expected, hold off on the noodles until you are closer to actually serving it.
They only need those last 20 minutes and they get mushy fast if they sit too long. This one is also easy to make ahead through the broth and vegetable stage, then finish with noodles right before dinner. It is a nice way to get a jump on the day when mornings are already a scramble. Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup — the dinner equivalent of a friend who has it all together.
Dinner 14
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff.
14) Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
✓ On its way! Check your inbox in a few minutes for the Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe card.
Ingredients
- 1 can golden mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 packet onion soup mix
- 1/2 cup chopped onion, optional
- 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained, optional
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut small
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 24 ounces egg noodles, cooked
Cooking Instructions
- Put both soups, the onion soup mix, onion, mushrooms, bouillon cube, beef, garlic and water in the slow cooker and stir.
- Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
- Boil and drain the egg noodles according to the bag during the last 15 minutes.
- Stir the cream cheese into the beef until it melts completely, then stir in the sour cream and turn the crock pot off.
- Spoon the beef and sauce over the noodles.
Tender beef in a creamy sauce over egg noodles. The crockpot does the long, slow work. You boil the noodles when you get home. The whole thing comes together in 10 minutes of active work. This is the dinner I make on the nights my kids have practice from 5 to 7. By the time they walk in the door starving, dinner is hot and on the table.
Keep the noodles separate from the beef and sauce if you are making this ahead or expecting leftovers. Boil a fresh batch each time you serve it so they never turn to mush sitting in the sauce. The beef and sauce on their own freeze beautifully in a flat bag in the deep freezer. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stove, then boil noodles fresh for a meal that tastes just as good as the first night. Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff — the 5 to 7 practice night dinner that is hot and on the table when they walk in starving.
Questions I Get About These Back to School Dinners
Can I make any of these ahead of time?
Most of the soups and the lasagna hold up great made a day ahead and just reheated. The pasta bakes are best assembled ahead and baked right before dinner so the noodles do not turn soft.
Do these recipes freeze well?
Yes, almost all of them freeze well, especially the soups, the shredded meats, and the beef stroganoff sauce. I like to freeze things flat in a bag so they thaw faster and stack neatly in the deep freezer.
Can I double a recipe for a bigger family or for meal prep?
Absolutely, and I do it often. The soups and slow cooker meals in particular double easily, you just may need to add a little extra cook time for the bigger batch.
What if my kids are picky eaters?
Anything with a build your own element, like the tacos or the tortilla soup, tends to win over picky eaters because they get to choose what goes on their plate. Starting mild on spice and letting kids add their own toppings works every time in my house.
Can I swap the protein in these recipes?
In most cases yes. Ground turkey works in place of ground beef, and a rotisserie chicken can stand in anywhere you see cooked shredded chicken called for.