Dinner meal-planning tips for families

Posted in Good Eats
by Amber on October 15, 2012

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All the fixings for a potato bar.

Last year, my family went skiing and The Unmentionable happened:

I ran out of food in our condo.

If you're a skiing/riding family, you'll understand just how ominous this trespass is.

In March, my family will be staying four nights at Park City Mountain Resort so I am making a concerted effort to plan our meals.

Mostly because I want to live long enough to ski another day.

Here are a few ideas for quick and easy dinners. I've chosen items that carry over from night-to-night and require minimal ingredients and preparation.

Night One

Rotisserie chicken

Pre-packaged salad

Garlic bread

Potatoes

Note: Of course you can boil or bake potatoes but my favorite way is fast and easy. Simply slice the potatoes 1/8-inch thick, put on a plate, cut up a few pats of butter and scatter around the potatoes, along with a few slices of onion. Salt, pepper, cover in Saran Wrap and cook it in the microwave for eights minutes. The butter and onion meld together to create delicious potatoes!

Night Two

Chicken nachos

Use the leftover chicken and the sky is the limit with what you can add. Salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, olives, black beans.

Night Three

Potato Bar! This is another great choice because your family members can pick-and-choose their favorite ingredients. Some of our favorites:

Sour Cream

Bacon Bits

Chives or onion

Chili (lots of it, especially on a snowy night)

Cheese

Tomatoes

Black beans

Night Four

Lassagna! (Our favorite store-bought is STOUFFER'S Lasagna with meat sauce).

Garlic bread

Tip: Most store-bought lasagnas take at least one hour to bake (sometimes 90 minutes). If your family is ravenous, don't wait to cook your lasagna. I like to pop it in the oven and cook it while we're getting ready in the morning. That way, all you have to do when you come home is heat it up. Of course, you can always microwave it but I prefer the slow-bake method.

Suggested Shopping List:

• Rotisserie Chicken
• Pre-packaged salad
• Garlic Bread
• Potatoes
• Onion/chives
• Butter
• Saran wrap for storing leftovers (I ALWAYS seem to forget this).
• Tin foil (for potatoes, baking lasagna, or storage)
• Sour cream
• Bacon bits
• Tortilla chips
• Olives
• Salsa
• Chili
• Cheddar cheese
• Tomatoes
• Lasagna
• Guacamole
• Black beans

Don't know where to buy your food? Read Barb's post, Where to stock up on groceries in Park City.

Enjoy!