Ever wonder “what am I going to make for dinner?” or think “I hate planning meals”? That is what Bringing Back Dinner is all about. Helping you come up with easy meals to make each week and reminding you of the importance of dinnertime. A chance to build relationships, catch up on the day, share our hearts, and just be. A chance to bring back dinner into our lives.
Each week bringingbackdinner.com reviews 3-5 recipes telling you how long it takes, how hard it was, and gives it a review so that you know how it will turn out and if you want to give it a go while also encouraging you to take advantage of meal time to develop relationship and build memories. Enjoy!
1. Sit down, relax and plan 4-5 meals (or pick some meals from here, that’s what this is here for. I’ll pick so you don’t have to)
2. Make a grocery list and stick to it!!!! This saves time and money
3. Do the shopping-aim for one trip (My British friends will need to make several trips)
4. Bring Back Dinner and enjoy. Remember that there is such an opportunity to build friendships and family when gathered around a meal. Even if you mess it all up. So, just relax, experiment, and have fun. Don’t forget to include your friends.
This week was a pretty laid back week for meals, pita sandwiches, tacos, etc., but this doesn’t mean its not dinner or that you should feel guilty. Remember to skip the pre-made meals, for the most part, and use fresh ingredients so that you are still giving your family healthy meals, even if they are simple. That said, sometimes we just need to grab a mix, I’m not going to judge. Do what you need to do to make dinner happen so that you can sit down with your friends or family and just enjoy dinner.
The Meals:
Breakfast for Dinner! Sometimes it is just for the fun of it:
Time: 30-45 Minutes
Ease: Simple
Review: I love breakfast, but I really love breakfast for dinner! You can make this as simple or complex as you desire! Personally I used box pancake mix (yep, I admit it. Sometimes I do!) and added pecans, oats, and wheat germ to beef them up a bit! So good. When I don’t use a mix from the store I like Alton Browns, which makes a great pancake, plus it is economical to make your own mix.
If you plan breakfast for dinner try waffles, crepes, an omelet bar etc. Just be creative and have a good time!
Time: 40-45 Minutes
Ease: Simple
Review: I’ve mentioned before that we love tacos! Truth. We love them almost any way we can get them and never get tired of them. I have given this recipe before and probably will again. It is just a good recipe. Easy to make and the flavors are so much better than a packet. Don’t be afraid to cook from “scratch”. You can do it, even if your friends and family do faint. Give this one a try, you will be glad you did.
Pita Pocket Sandwiches
Remove the meats and make this a Meatless Monday meal!
Time: 10 Minutes
Ease: Simple
Review: One of our favorite quick dinners is Pita Pocket sandwiches. They are so easy and can be customized per each person’s taste. I usually set out bowls with chopped lunch meat (your choice), baby spinach, lettuce, red onion, tomato, cheese (sometimes I have several choices) etc. Set out mayonnaise, mustard, Ranch dressing, and Italian Dressing or your favorite dressings. To serve place the bowls on the table and let each person build their own. It is hard to find, but the best dressing, in my opinion, is the Golden Italian dressing from Winn-Dixie. Remember that a quick meal doesn’t mean you still can’t take a minute to get caught up with each other. Take the time to ask about each person’s day! This is fun when you have a crowd. Invite your friends and have each person bring their favorite salad topping, it will work well in the pita.
Peppers & Onions with Kielbasa – Hubby Makes Dinner!
Time: 15-20 minutes
Ease: Simple
Review: Sometimes when I am going to be away during dinner time my husband cooks, he is actually a good cook too! He and the kids love kielbasa and it is often the dinner of choice. Here is what to do:
Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and cook sliced kielbasa until lightly browned on each side. Remove from pan. Add green peppers and onions to the same pan and cook until tender, it may caramelize a bit which is even better. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to pasta, potatoes, etc. and enjoy. You can jazz this up by adding things like jalapenos, Cajun seasoning etc.
Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Ease: Simple
Review: My husband and I recently had a night at home all to ourselves! We made this dish with a nice glass of wine on fine china. It was a great night and great dish. This dish has a lot of flavor and looks complex, but is actually a very easy dish to recreate. We cooked it on a charcoal grill using a grill pan, the flavor was nice. My husband made yummy noises the whole meal! Approve!! You could also bake this if you don’t have a Grill.
Bringing Back Dinner Tip: Highs and Lows
Looking for a way to find out about each other’s day? Try asking each person to tell you their highest point of the day and their lowest point of the day. You will be surprised what you learn. This works well with friends too. Really listen to what they have to say. Be excited over the highs and have compassion over the lows. It may not seem low to you, but if it was the lowest point of their day it is probably a big deal.
Photos by lwburbach please feel free to contact me for permission to use photos.