When I first went through my divorce, I would stumble into bed after a long day and wonder if I would ever survive. Not only did I survive but also, I thrived. I had to relearn many things such as budgeting, shopping, dating, and even cooking. I was used to cooking for a man, not two small children. Suddenly, dinner went from baked chicken, asparagus with cheddar cream sauce, and baked potatoes to “I want macaroni and cheese” or “hot dogs”.
Well, being a conscientious mother, I wanted to do things right. While I did not mind them having that type of food on occasion, I wanted to somehow, make sure my kids were still being fed healthy foods that they liked but also foods I had time to make. Remember, I left the house at 7:00 a.m. every morning and after picking the kids up, was not home until around 6:00. That meant I was exhausted and my kids hungry. What I did was decide I would not be defeated so I started looking for recipes specifically designed for the single parent. Some of my favorites are listed below. Keep in mind that you will have enough to freeze half for another night.
-Enchilada Casserole – You need 14 corn tortillas, about 24 ounces of mild enchilada sauce, 14 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese, one pound of hamburger and a small onion (optional but recommended). Put two-thirds of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13×9-inch pan; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350. Dice the onion and add to the hamburger in a skillet to brown; drain. In each tortilla, place meat and cheese. Roll up tortillas and place in the baking dish. Pour on remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle leftover cheese on top. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes or until heated.
-Breakfast Granola Bars – For this recipe, you need three cups unpeeled zucchini, one-half cup grated cheese, one-half cup parmesan cheese, one cup of baking mix, one-half cup chopped onion, and one-half cup chopped red peppers. For spices, you need one-half teaspoon oregano, two teaspoons fresh parsley, one teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon pepper, one clove minced garlic, and then six eggs, beaten. Preheat the oven to 375. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients. Spread into a 13×9-inch baking dish and bake for 40 minutes. Cut into bars, serving warm or cold.
-Crockpot Chicken Stew – This is a great recipe that requires four chicken leg quarters with the skin removed, one-third cup water, one cap cream of mushroom soup, three cubed potatoes, one cubed onion, one cup of frozen corn, thawed, eight ounces tomato sauce, one envelope of onion soup mix, and salt/pepper to taste. Mix the mushroom soup mix with water in the crockpot. Add the chicken and then remaining ingredients on top. Season the dish with salt and pepper. Cook on low for eight hours.
More great single parenting ideas for cooking can be found at the following blogs:
What Can You Make With Ground Beef?
Making the Most Out of Your Crock-Pot