6 Healthy and Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Parents
6 Easy Dinner Recipes
Three cheers for healthy, nearly effortless and delicious meals. We have six healthy and easy dinner recipes for busy families like yours. Tell the hungry kids to hold their horses because you’re about to whip up a fantastic meal in no time.
1. Black Forest Reubens
At Tacoma Boys, we are proud to carry the freshest organic ingredients in the south sound. Fresh, healthy ingredients make these meals possible. And these Rueben sandwiches are some of our favorites.
Spread one side of 2 slices of pumpernickel bread with softened organic butter. (2 slices for each person) You will be building these sandwiches with the buttery sides facing out.
In a separate bowl, mix:
- 3 tablespoons of dill pickle relish
- 1 finely chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon of chopped capers
- 4 tablespoons of Tacoma Boys spicy brown mustard
Add the mixture on 1 slice(s) of bread, then top it with a slice of Swiss cheese, a slice of corned beef and Black Forest ham, a small bit of drained red cabbage OR sauerkraut, and the other slice of bread.
Heat over a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.
And to compliment the Rueben, we love thinly sliced carrots and zucchini, boiled with a little butter and salt.
Yummy!
2. Crispy Cheese Chicken
This recipe is a fun twist on your classic breaded chicken – kids will love the cheesy crunch! No shake and bake from a box here; the breading is made with REAL cheese and simple ingredients from your kitchen.
Here’s how:
- Cut 4 chicken breasts into three pieces.
- Measure a cup of your favorite panko bread crumbs or a gluten-free version.
- Place the crumbs in a large container and mix in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.
- Pour 1/2 cup of skim milk and 3 cups of your favorite grated cheddar cheese (we like cougar gold) into two separate containers and line all three up.
- Dip chicken into the milk first, then cheese and bread crumb mix last.
- Sprinkle with parsley, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an extra 10 minutes.
You can serve this chicken with your favorite veggies like a spinach salad with strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette dressing from Tacoma Boys! In the last few minutes, whisk a 10-ounces of cream of chicken soup on the stovetop with 2 tablespoons each of low-fat organic sour cream and teaspoon of butter. Spoon it onto the chicken and serve.
You’ll never want crispy cheddar chicken another way.
3. Mushroom Pork Chops
Chicken and beef are the usual rotation for family dinner proteins, but this recipe is a great way to switch it up while keeping dinner quick, easy, healthy and delicious!
First, season 4 pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.
Brown the pork chops over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add 1 chopped onion and 1/2-pound sliced mushrooms and sauté for one minute. Add 10 ounces of condensed cream of mushroom soup.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Try some fresh green beans and a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and carrots for complementary and flavorful sides.
Enjoy!
4. Halibut on the stovetop
Many kids in the PNW grow up eating salmon, halibut and other local fish as youngsters. We love this recipe because it’s healthy, flavorful and the kids usually ask for seconds.
First pre-heat your oven to 425. Take your frozen or chilled, fresh Halibut and put a little lemon zest, garlic powder, lemon juice and salt over the meat side of the halibut.
Next, add butter, a little garlic and olive oil into a cast iron pan on medium and sear the meat side of the halibut slightly. Then, turn the halibut over so it’s lying on it’s flesh side.
Then, take the cast iron pan and put in oven for 8 – 10 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, fish will easily come apart from the flesh and it will be super flavorful and delicious. Sometimes we melt a little butter on top for extra flavor as well!
While the fish is baking, we chop up some broccoli and make a quick batch of whole grain rice to compliment the meal. Fresh and delicious in about 15 – 20 minutes!
5. Marinated Steak
Take one-part red wine and mix with one-part balsamic vinegar and a dash of olive oil in a large zip-lock bag. Throw in a dash of pepper, chopped onions and garlic for spice. Marinate with your choice of steaks all day and by dinner time, they’ll be ready to throw on the BBQ or pan fry with a little olive oil. Cook to temperature.
We love these steaks with a sweet potato, cut into slices with a little oregano, pepper, salt and olive oil and then broiled along with some steamed carrots or zucchini.
That’s all this delicious steak meal requires!
6. Sheet Panned Italian Chicken
In a sealable plastic bag add 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Then add some salt, olive oil and a quick pour of balsamic vinegar (⅓ cup). Add some italian seasoning, pepper, salt and garlic powder to your preference. (Some folks cheat and use a bottle of Italian dressing, but we think this version is much fresher). If you can refrigerate for 1 hour, that is ideal, but not necessary.
Then, we use cherry tomatoes, fresh green beans and diced summer squash to make this a full meal in one sheet pan. Toss the veggies around the outside of your chicken and season with a little salt, pepper and olive oil.
Take your entire sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
It’s a quick and easy taste of Italy.
Bon Appetit!
We hope these easy dinner recipes help you enjoy mealtime even in the midst of busy work schedule. The options are endless, and even the kids are sure to find something they love that is wholesome and delicious.
Remember, if you want quality food, you need the right ingredients. Stop by Tacoma Boys or H&L Produce! Quality is always the better buy. We’re located in three convenient locations: Puyallup, Tacoma, and Lakewood.
