It’s a new year, which means many of you have made resolutions. Or, as I like to call them, “goals.”  I recently saw a friend post on Facebook how she was overwhelmed with the dinnertime process with two small kids. She asked for advice and tips on how everyone does it. This is a topic I’m often asked about, and one that I’m pretty well versed in. I figured this would be a great time to share some of my own tips and tricks. It’s a new year, and if you have a goal to cook more, I’m here to help you.

Typically, I cook five dinners a week Sunday-Thursday. I try my best to go to Publix only 1-2 times a week. I meal plan on a Saturday/Sunday and then shop on Sunday/Monday depending on the menu I come up with and the ingredients I have on hand. Yes, I actually cook that many meals a week. I also cook breakfast and plan lunches. I plan every single ingredient and try to overlap some ingredients so that I ensure no food is wasted and it’s all consumed. If one recipe calls for cilantro, I try to plan another meal later in the week that will use the rest of the fresh cilantro. Planning the menu each and every week is key if you really want to get serious about eating in more often. I also have it written down on a board in my house, so everyone knows what’s for dinner. If you’re new to menu planning, I wouldn’t try for 5 days – I would aim for 2-3 days until you get the hang of it, then slowly add in another night or two.

Here is a sample menu:

Sunday-Spaghetti (make a double batch and save half for Wednesday night) with Bolognese sauce (make a large pot of sauce and freeze half of it to use for dinner in a few weeks), salad, and garlic bread.

Monday-Sheet pan lemon chicken with potatoes and asparagus (checkout KatiesCucina.com for the recipe).

Tuesday-Tacos! (Always Mexican food on Tuesday nights in my house. Whether it’s beef, chicken, fish tacos or fajitas, or enchiladas.)

Wednesday-Shrimp scampi with roasted broccoli and garlic bread (reheat the leftover spaghetti from Sunday night).

Thursday-Chicken curry with naan bread.

On Sunday, as I’m working on the Bolognese sauce, I will chop extra onions and garlic for other meals in the week and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. I always keep frozen shrimp and fish on hand in my freezer for an easy Friday or Saturday night dinner in case kids don’t nap and are crazy and we don’t venture out to dinner.

I love to switch up my menus each week and use a combination of store bought and homemade. I have two young kids, and everyone eats the same meal in my house. I make meals I know everyone will eat, and if it’s a night where one of my kids can’t eat it, I have leftovers for them. I’m also big on everyone eating together, so we eat between 5-6 p.m. I realize that doesn’t work for some families, so you need to do what works best for you and your family. Most weeks I’ll grab a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s Club and use up leftover chicken in enchiladas or even make a pot of soup! One of my favorite easy side dishes lately has been roasting vegetables. Grab a package of pre-chopped fresh broccoli, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Same goes with green beans and asparagus.

I’m sharing one of my family’s favorite recipes this month. Every home needs a good Bolognese sauce in their back pocket, and that’s what I’m providing for you here. I hope all my tips and tricks will help get you on track to making more meals at home this year and enjoying a little extra family time here in the Nonahood.  

Bolognese Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 75 minutes

Yield: 10

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1lb. ground pork
• 1lb. lean ground beef
• 12 pepperoni, diced
• (2) 28oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
• (1) 12oz. can of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh parsley, basil, and parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil and butter. Add onion and carrot and cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic ground beef, ground pork and pepperoni to the pot. Cook on medium heat, breaking up the meat for 10 minutes or until the ground beef and pork are no longer pink.
2. Once the meat is cooked, add in the crushed tomatoes, can of tomato paste, dried parsley, sugar, red pepper flakes, whole milk, and salt and pepper to taste (I like to add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper at a time). Mix well, place heat to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has thickened, pour it over pasta and garnish with fresh parsley, basil, and Parmesan cheese.