Sheet Pan Taco Bake, Curry Coconut Milk Roast Chicken Thighs, and Turkey Spinach Slider
Maybe you’ve already felt it, that cool breeze in the air, or spotted your first yellow bus on your way to work. Maybe you’re already in the thick of sending little ones off to school. No matter what late August means to you, we’re always thinking of those first days back to school. Such a long day and we were so hungry come dinner time! (All that thinking and playing.) We have three recipes that will fill hungry bellies no matter if they were learning long division or doing battle with the office copy machine. Again. Recipes that are filling but also a little fun. Here’s the rest of the year and school night dinner!
Sheet Pan Taco Bake: The Food Network
Imagine the ease of a sheet pan meal with the deliciousness of a taco combined. Both come together in this recipe for an easy and fun dinner solution. Hashbrown potatoes substitute for taco shells (which was a stroke of genius), piled with ground beef, melted cheese and any and all the taco toppings you love.
Tips:
- We both used frozen hash browns very successfully.
- Too tired to brown ground beef? Shred a rotisserie chicken or open a can of spicy black beans instead.
- Kate halved this recipe and was delighted.
Curry Coconut Milk Roast Chicken Thighs: White on Rice Couple
Braises are an excellent option for days when you’ve got a bit of time before dinner but can’t be stuck at the stove. Get all the curry ingredients going- onion, garlic, spices and coconut milk- add brown chicken thighs and throw it in the oven. Twenty minutes later you have a pot of heavenly scented chicken to go with white rice, naan or even a thick slice of bread.
Tips:
- Try this with boneless skinless thighs (no browning needed) or chicken breasts to speed things up. Test the chicken breasts after 10 minutes with your meat thermometer so they don’t overcook.
- Thick slices of pressed and browned tofu would be amazing.
- Dial the cayenne up or down depending on your spice preferences.
- We’re not encouraging you to buy six cans of coconut milk at a time, like Betsy, but having a can or two in the house means this is almost entirely a pantry meal.
Turkey Spinach Slider: Epicurious
After this recipe we’re convinced that sliders are just more fun than regular burgers. Cute and you can eat two burgers for dinner! Turkey-spinach sliders have all those perks and pack in some veggies with plenty of fresh spinach right in the patty. Get yourself some slider buns and have a little school night party of your own.
Tips:
- Hawaiian rolls are an excellent choice here. (Just ask Betsy’s kids.)
- Kate froze half her batch. Individually on a sheet pan, then popped into a gallon ziploc bag. Worked really well and will be a life saver one of these nights. Cook from frozen, adding a few more minutes to the recipe’s time.
- If you don’t freeze them, these were perfect for lunch boxes. With or without the bun.
From the Smorgasbord:
Betsy has been packing dinner leftovers for her kids’ lunches. Working really well! She packs lunches as dinner cleanup is happening. She likes these lunch containers from Sistema.
Make some meals ahead, if you’ve got the start-of-the-year enthusiasm now. (Maybe making that not super enthusiastic school night a little easier…) Kate’s been thinking about making:
School snacks are tricky but we’re loving a bran muffin right about now. Two options:
All Bran Muffin – The original that our mom used to bake. A classic for a reason.
Blue Sky Bran Muffins– A new classic, full of fruit.
You might also like…
Ginger Scallion Chicken (Episode 27: Back to School)
Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas (Episode 35: Sheet Pan Meals)