Summer break is the easy, fun and exciting season for students. But it screams a whole different thing for exhausted parents all over the city. The kids get a break from school, but we don’t really get a break from work or from holding it all together at home. Then August has the audacity to show up (even though we all knew it was coming) with school supply lists, physicals to schedule, new school clothes, and a calendar that fills up overnight.
By the time the first week of school is behind us, most of us are running on fumes, dreading drop-off lines, hunting down homework folders and half-signed band forms while somebody forgets a backpack again. Dinner is the last thing anyone has energy to plan, let alone cook.
The good news is that I’m here to save you with three dinners with five ingredients each that can all be found in one trip to the grocery store. It’s nothing fancy or time-consuming to prepare. It’s just good food ready to set on the table before anyone has a meltdown.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
Grab a package of your favorite smoked sausage, a bag of tri-color bell peppers, a red onion, olive oil, and a jar of Italian seasoning. Slice everything, toss it on one sheet pan, and roast at 425 degrees until the edges char a little. It’s ready in about 25 minutes, with only one dish to wash, and it fills tummies in no time. And if you’re into doing a little weekend food prep, this dish can be made ahead of time and reheated on a sheet pan when you’re ready to enjoy it.
Quick Rotisserie Chicken Quesadillas
The deli rotisserie chicken is showing up for parents more than anything else for a simple dinner. And I won’t lie: Caterers love it, too. Shred it, layer it with your favorite grated cheese, a can of green chiles (mild or hot), and flour tortillas, then cook in a hot skillet on both sides until crisp. A tub of salsa or sour cream from the dairy case will quickly turn your dinner into a “chef’s kiss.” And if your kids are old enough to flip a quesadilla, they can take this one over entirely, so you can chill with a cold bevi.
Sausage and Spinach Skillet Tortellini
Grab a bag of cheese tortellini from the refrigerated section, a pound of ground Italian sausage (or links), a bag of baby spinach, a jar of marinara, and a block of Parmesan. Brown the sausage, stir in the marinara and a splash of water, drop in the tortellini and let simmer until tender, then fold in the spinach at the end. It’s one pot, ready in about 20 minutes, and the leftovers reheat well for the next chaotic afternoon.
Now if this were me, I’d probably add in more ingredients (like a dash of cinnamon, garlic and a splash of Pinot Noir into the marinara). But then I’d be lying to you about it only being 5 ingredients. Some seasons call for an ambitious dinner and some seasons call for getting everyone fed and back to homework. So, you do you, my dear!
And if this is the season where cooking one more thing feels like too much, that’s worth listening to. A meal service or a few nights of prepared food isn’t giving up; it’s borrowing back some of the time this month keeps taking. Amarillo has good options for that kind of help (mine included). Black Fig Food, 80/20 Meals, and Vivienne’s At Home put together family-friendly meals for exactly this stretch of the calendar, if you’d rather hand dinner off to someone else for a week or two. In the meantime, hang in there and let dinner be simple for a few more weeks.
