May 17, 2021

Simple Shortcuts : Favorite Easy Meals

I’m so excited to share a new series with you – Clean Mama’s Simple Shortcuts. Every Monday for the next six weeks, I’ll be sharing my favorite simple shortcuts and gathering yours on Instagram. I’ll share them on Instagram as you are sharing them but I’ll also gather them up over the next six weeks and share them as a free printable at the end of the series. I’ve been feeling like I really need simple and easy right now – you too? I can’t wait for us to all gather tips that help us over the next six weeks. It’s going to be really fun and helpful with a community feel. Make sure you’re following along on Instagram too!

Today, we’re going to be talking about our favorite Simple Shortcuts for Favorite Easy Meals!  I’m going to list some of mine below, add yours to the comments here or head over to Instagram to add yours in the Stories question box or add them to this post’s comments. I’ll be back tomorrow with some of my favorite cookbooks and resources for Easy Meals.

My favorite Simple Shortcuts for Favorite Easy Meals? Let’s start with a list of Favorite Easy Meals. I’m going to list a few of mine but I’m also asking for your favorites too and we’ll add links to the free printable at the end of the series so you can find the recipes easily.

• Egg Roll in a Bowl from Pinch of Yum – I’ve mentioned this before but it’s so good and so easy. I use all the shortcuts I can. Shredded carrots, shredded cabbage and I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. So, so good.
• Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef from Thriving Home Blog – Thriving Home is one of my favorite easy meal/simple prep recipe sites. This is my favorite shredded beef recipe – it’s great for sandwiches or for a hearty meal on mashed potatoes or cauliflower.
• Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan from Skinny Taste – This is one of our kids’ favorites – simple and tastes like it’s cooked in the oven.

• Thai Chicken Coconut Curry from Averie Cooks – A 20 minute one dish coconut curry? This is delicious and simple. A great weeknight or weekend dinner!

Winner, winner sheet pan dinner! Sheet pan cooking makes for an easy dinner with light clean up. I line the pan with foil and a piece of parchment paper on top for even easier clean up. Here are two great sheet pan dinners.

• Low-Carb Kielbasa Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner from Skinny Taste
• Teriyaki Chicken + Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
• Dinner Salads – I love making giant dinner salads – I’ll use up roasted veggies and pre-cut veggies, leftover grilled chicken or steak, and typically just make an oil and vinegar dressing and a pre-washed salad mix. Add a crusty loaf of bread and some fresh fruit on the side and it’s a delicious dinner.
• Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot – I grab a jumbo pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs from Costco and put the whole thing straight in the Instant Pot – here’s the method I use – when I get home – cook, shred (or chop), use some for dinner, and freeze the rest in 2-3 packages for another night. We use shredded chicken in salads, enchiladas, tacos, casseroles, sandwiches, and wraps. This is one of our favorite recipes for shredded chicken – Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. If you don’t want to cook the chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken or two and bypass the cooking.

I also love using a Recipe Binder to save online recipes. I use the printable kit that’s included in the Dinner Rotation + Menu Planning Guide here.

If you want to jot down some Easy Meal ideas, grab the free printable here for the Meals to Try Planner.

Your turn!  What are your best Simple Shortcuts for Easy Meals? Share in the question box on Instagram Monday and Tuesday of this week or in the comments here on the blog.

My latest book, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Peaceful Home, goes into detail about setting up systems and rituals in your home and would be a great addition to your homekeeping journey.