Weeknight Rescue // Week 8 // Oct. 2018

I’ve got a delicious line up for Weeknight Rescue coming your way:  three dinner recipes, a batch cook item to use during the week, and an extra recipe to round out the rest. Find the printable shopping list at the bottom of the page.

Let’s do this!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH LASAGNA

This has become one of the most popular recipes on my site, and for good reason. It has everything to love about lasagna, just a whole lot lighter. I’m not a huge fan of spaghetti squash and I love this dish. Go figure. A couple of suggestions: 1) make the marinara sauce over the weekend, so you have less to do on a weeknight 2) skip the homemade marinara altogether and pick up store-bought sauce instead 3) speed things up by cooking the squash in the microwave (find the “how to” by heading here). Do up some garlic bread to serve on the side and your kids will love you (even though they already do…even the teenagers).  

EASY CHICKEN PAILLARD

Confession: I have small addiction to capers. If your kids don’t like them, just brush them off and this chicken will still be plenty delicious. It’s all done in a skillet in no time at all. I like to serve chicken paillard with a simple green salad and a vinaigrette, along some type of cooked whole grain. You can make a big batch of brown basmati rice…serve some with the chicken and save the rest for the Weeknight Fried Rice recipe below. 

WEEKNIGHT FRIED RICE 

This is a dinner built on leftovers. Rice, plus whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and whatever meat, tofu, or chicken is tucked in there too. You can also pick up a rotisserie chicken if the fridge is near empty. Leftover fried rice makes a terrific lunch.

SUPERFOOD TUNA SALAD

Make a batch (or double batch) to use for lunches and snacks (good on pretzel thins or tucked into Romaine lettuce leaves). The “superfood” part of the equation owes to the fact that it’s equal parts canned salmon and tuna, so big time omega-3s.  Don’t worry if your kids are salmon skeptics, mine never seem to notice they’re eating anything but tuna salad. 

PUMPKIN SPICE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

‘Tis the season for pumpkin and this is a good one to make over the weekend for weekday breakfasts, lunches, and after school snacks.  Since we are past berry season, I use frozen regular or wild blueberries. You can add them straight from freezer to mixing bowl, no defrosting required. For breakfast, I serve these with a glass of milk for a protein boost, or sometimes “frost” them with a shmear of whipped cream cheese. Yum.