Let’s Eat: Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners

There’s something that I’ve come to dread since becoming a working mom of three and that’s cooking dinner. I feel that I’ve lost my creativity when it comes to cooking and something that I used to look forward to, I now despise.

Maybe it’s because two out of the three children are incredibly picky eaters or maybe because by the end of the day I am just wiped out, but either way, I’ve found myself ordering food for us rather than spending the time in the kitchen. I try not to make it a habit of eating out all of the time, so on the nights that I do cook, I want it to be quick, easy, and something that the kids will actually enjoy.

Our evenings are pretty packed, between after school activities, homework, and preparing for the next day, I have 45 minutes total to get dinner cooked and the kids fed. Any dish that is a one-pot dish and packed with nutrients is always a winner in our house.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to visit an ALDI store for the first time. Not only was I surprised at the low prices, but I also loved the wide-variety of ALDI brands. Not only are these brands sold at a lower cost than national brands (Switching to ALDI-exclusive brands saves you up to 50%* over national brands on the things you buy the most,) but they are made of the same, or even higher, quality than those brands as. And knowing that ALDI stands behind their products makes me even more confident to shop in their store. All of their products are backed by their Double Guarantee. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with any product, ALDI will gladly replace the product AND refund your money. That’s a guarantee of a company that stands behind their customers and their products.

With the help of the recipes on ALDI’s site, I was able to get all of the ingredients I needed for two quick weeknight meals that were delicious. If you’re always looking for meals that the entire family will enjoy, take a look at these recipes.

Creamy Pasta with Broccoli and Chick Peas

What You’ll Need:

• 1/2 pound Priano Short Cut Pasta
• 1 tablespoon + 1/4 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Iodized Salt (divided)
• 1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into bite-sized florets
• 2 tablespoons Carlini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Crushed Red Pepper, plus additional to taste
• 15.5 ounces Dakota’s Pride Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)
• 1/2 cup Happy Farms Preferred Ricotta Cheese
• 1/2 cup Priano Shredded Parmesan Cheese, plus additional to taste
• Stonemill Essentials Ground Black Pepper to taste

What To Do: 

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, asking 1 tablespoon of salt to boiling water. During the last two minutes of cook time, add the broccoli. Before draining, remove 1 cup of cooking water; reserve. Drain pasta and broccoli.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chick peas and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the ricotta and parmesan cheese with 3 tablespoons of reserved cooking water. Add more water by the tablespoon, as necessary, to create a creamy sauce.
4. Return the skillet with chick peas to the stove over medium heat. Add the fusilli and broccoli. Fold in the cheese mixture, stirring gently. Add more reserved water to loosen the mixture, as needed.
5. Serve with additional parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper and black pepper, to taste.

Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings

What You’ll Need: 

• Carlini Cooking Spray
• 1 1/2 cups of Kirkwood Grilled Chicken Strips, chopped
• 2 10.5-ounce cans Fit & Active Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 14.5 ounces Happy Harvest Cut Green Beans, drained and rinsed
• 14.5 ounces Happy Harvest Sliced Carrots, drained and rinsed
• 15.25 ounces Happy Harvest Whole Kernel Corn, drained and rinsed
• 14.5 ounces Happy Harvest Whole Potatoes, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon Stonemill Essentials Ground Black Pepper
• 16 ounces Bake House Creations Jumbo Flaky Biscuits

What To Do: 

1. Preheat oven to 450˚. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, mushroom soup, green beans, carrots, corn, potatoes and pepper.
3. Cut biscuits into quarters.
4. Pour mushroom soup mixture into prepared pan, and top with cut biscuits.
5. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil, return to oven for a additional 13 minutes. Serve immediately.

All photos taken by Ana of AnaPhoto.