5 Weeknight Dinner Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Yesterday

Weeknights can be busy with activities, errands, and taking care of the kids. By the time you get home, you’re probably exhausted and don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen just to get a basic dinner for your family. That’s why we’ve rounded up five weeknight dinner hacks to help you prepare fast and delicious meals quickly.

These hacks come from our favorite chefs and food bloggers, who have 30-minute meals perfected. We’ll discuss some strategies to get dinner on the table sooner so you can get back to enjoying family time. If you want to save time while cooking weeknight dinners, keep reading.

Make Use of Leftovers

One of the easiest ways to save time during the week is by using leftovers. With a little creativity, you can transform food from the weekend into something completely new and delicious. You can easily shred leftover roast chicken and add it to tacos or a hearty soup. Diced leftover potatoes can be fried and served with eggs for breakfast or as a side dish for dinner.

Implement Meal Prepping

Meal prepping is another easy way to save time during the week and can be as basic or as elaborate as you’d like. A few ideas include hard-boiling eggs for salads throughout the week or chopping vegetables for stir-fries and pasta dishes. You can also prepare pressure cooker meals at night to cook overnight or pre-make sandwiches and wraps with condiments for on-the-go lunches.

Utilize Pressure Cooker Meals

Pressure-cooking meals like chilis and curries are always a winner for busy families because they require minimal effort and generally yield large quantities, which makes them perfect for preparing leftovers. Not only will you have dinner ready when you get home, but your house will smell delicious too.

Get Creative With Frozen Foods

Frozen vegetables, fruits, and pre-made meal components like noodles and dumplings can be essential when you are trying to get dinner on the table quickly at night. You don’t have to limit yourself to traditional options like fried rice or stir-fries. Try experimenting by combining a few of your favorite frozen ingredients with fresh produce to create something new. You can add Trader Joe’s frozen vegetable dumplings to freshly cooked ramen with a flavorful broth from pressure-cooked bones. You might be surprised at how delicious it turns out.

Get the Kids Involved

Getting the kids involved in dinner preparation is an ideal way to get dinner done quicker and teaches them valuable kitchen skills. Depending on their age, your kids can help rinse and chop vegetables, measure out ingredients, assemble food items like burritos or wraps, or mix up marinades. Not only will this reduce your workload in the kitchen, but it’s also a great opportunity for quality family time together.

Busy weeknights don’t have to be a source of stress. With these five-weeknight dinner hacks, you can save time, energy, and stress, while still providing your family with nutritious, delicious meals. Whether you’re relying on pre-made meal components or getting the kids involved, these hacks will help make your weeknights more manageable and enjoyable. Try one of these hacks tonight and enjoy a delicious, stress-free meal with your family.