Have you ever just hit the proverbial cooking wall?

That was me last night – my husband has been traveling extensively for work the last couple of weeks. Last week I did great. This week, probably because we’ve had no extra activities happening, the excitement of dinner has slowed to the crawl. It gets hard sometimes when it’s just the two of us.

I was stumped.

And probably just really lazy.

I wanted soup – my son gave me the “really?” face.

I suggested omelets or scrambled eggs. Breakfast for dinner has always been a favorite at our house. My son recently decided he doesn’t like eggs. He’ll eat them at my cajoling but the whole scene closely resembles making someone take their medicine. They know it’s good for them but they seriously do not like it.

So I did what any good mother does these days when she’s stumped – I went to my Facebook page and asked for the ideas of other moms. And, as usual, they didn’t disappoint.

I thought I’d share all of their great ideas here, in case you ever find yourself in a lazy, er stumped, dinner time moment.

Out of 35 or so comments, Breakfast for Dinner was by far the most popular suggestion, along with crockpot meals, and a little odd to me, popcorn even got a couple of votes. Grilled peanut butter and jelly was the suggestion earning “Most Creative” (but I’m still not sure I’d eat it).  For more suggestions, and for what we ended up having for dinner, keep reading.

Quick and Easy Ideas for Dinner

1. Ham/cheese “sliders” (on the Hawaiian sweet rolls)

2. Chicken spaghetti (easy recipe)

3. “Make your own pizza” with the little personal pizza store bought crusts and toppings.

4. Tacos

5. French bread pizza

6. Popcorn and shakes for a movie night

7. Green salad with other fresh veggies and grilled chicken slices. You can buy some premade chicken slices at the store. They are usually by the lunch meat

8. Omelet & toast.

9. Chicken and rice: two cans family sized cream of chicken soup, 1. can of milk, 2 cans veg-all, 2-3 cans chicken, and make minute rice. heat everything and bam instant success!

10. Grilled cheese and tomato soup

11. Breakfast for dinner (i.e. french toast and fruit salad),

12. Burgers and salad

13. Take-out Chinese

14. Spaghetti – simple and i really don’t have to do anything

15. Mac and cheese with some meat and peppers thrown in.

16. I love crockpot meals – set and forget. My favorite is to take 4-5 frozen chicken breasts wrapped in raw bacon. Place in crockpot. Mix up a cup of BBQ sauce, 3 tbls lemon juice (concentrate), and 1 apple (peeled and grated). Pour over chicken and set on low for 7-8 hours. It can be shredded and put on buns, too… Sure family pleaser.

17. Scrambled egg sandwiches…

18. Anything in the crock pot…

19. Scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast, pancakes/waffles/muffins that I’ve stored in the freezer with a side of fruit and yogurt. Breakfast meals are so easy!

20. Hamburger helper boxed meals….allthough my husband does not like them, so I don’t make them often, but when I do he knows I’m tired! (Note from Sara: I started avoiding Hamburger Helper meals a few years ago… probably because we ate them so often when we were first married. I know they’re cheap… but just can’t bring myself to have those in my house. Plus since I actually started cooking – they don’t taste all that great to me.)

21. Grilled Chicken and tortalini with alfredo sauce! Or Pizza!

22. French dips – pound of roast beef from the deli, provolone cheese, hoagie rolls, au jus mix. about 1 -2 hours before you want dinner, place the au jus mix in crock pot with the water and the roast beef. set the temp to warm. when ready to eat, toast and melt cheese hoagie rolls in oven, top with the roast beef, place some au jus in a bowl and dip away. I serve this with steak fries. It is one of my family favorites. You can also do this on the stove in a sauce pan right at dinner time. Had this for dinner tonight. (Note from Sara: Great suggestion! I think my husband would love this, especially!)

23. Pasta & salad (& a glass of wine) …

24. Have you done the crescent rolls with mozzarella and pepperoni? I serve little bowls of heated pizza sauce with it and the kids love it. (Note from Sara: We’ve done the hotdogs with crescent rolls wrapped around them – I’l have to try the mozzarella and pepperoni – Caleb I’m sure would love it!)

25. Bagel pizzas.

26. Salad with baked potatoes.

27. Eggs and potatoes with flour tortillas.

28. Southwest clazones: brown ground meet with taco seasoning and Rotel. Flatten one roll of crescent rolls, layer with cheese, add ground beef mixture, add and another layer of cheese, and top with another roll of crescent rolls. Bake.

29. Tuna Mac & Cheese, spaghetti or lasagna, homemade pizza, pancakes & meat, roast in the crockpot, soup & bread, fish ‘n chips (fries), salmon patties, chili, tacos, taco salad, salad with tuna or ham on top. (Note from Sara: Wow, that’s a big dinner. Just kidding.)

30. Crock pot cooking has saved me many days, but have to plan in advance. although once I threw frozen beef tips in there & cream mushroom soup & some beef stock & cream celery soup & by the evening VOILA! Beef Stroganoff ♥ Now its my kids FAVORITE. (remember to salt the meat) lol

31. I know it sounds weird, but have you ever grilled your peanut butter and jelly? (Note from Sara: Yes, that does sound a little weird…)

32. Tuna rice casserole…

33. On the nights my husband has meetings, I make a frozen pizza for the kids and I have a big bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine….I look forward to that night every other week. (Note from Sara: I am seriously going to have to discover what the magic is in eating popcorn for dinner, lol)

What did we end up eating? 

Pancakes! I had a Bisquick Shaker bottle, threw in a little vanilla and a little bit of sugar, and voila, nice fluffy pancakes that took five minutes to make. Really good with butter and syrup. And easy to clean up.

Now, what am I going to cook tonight…