Meal ideas help

[livacreature]

Between DH and I, we work 7 days a week, both full time, and have an almost three month old.  While one of us works, the other is home with her.  Three nights a week, I don't get off work until 7pm, not home until 7:30pm.  DH has to get up at 5:30am for work.  He's not totally confident in the kitchen, but is getting better.  When we are both home, we like to spend time the three of us and cooking with the baby alone can sometimes get dicey.  We aren't vegetarians, but don't do a lot of meat.  Lately, dinners have been a veggie lasanga for a few nights, some version of a rice and protein dish, a night of hamburger helper here and there, frozen pizza, and veggie stirfrys.  Not the best, but most of the time it feels like all we can muster.  I don't love the weekly boxed dinner or frozen pizza, but alas, we're both exhausted from babycare and work when dinner rolls around. 

Help?  Suggestions?  Nifty quick recipes that aren't crap to try?

[NiteNicole]

Do you have a crock pot?  Can you double up when you do cook and save half for later?

We typically only cook three dinners a week - what's cooked is always eaten again as left overs and if possible, I double what I'm cooking and save half for later. It's SO NICE to remember that you just need to put something on the counter to thaw and steam some vegetables.  We rely pretty heavily on steamed or roasted vegetables.  I chop everything in one day and either steam it or roast it as dinner is warming up. 

I have one friend who does ALL her cooking for the week on Sunday but I don't think I'm up for that.

[kitchensqueen]

We have a three month old at home too and both work, although not staggered schedules like you guys have. The crockpot is the best thing ever - our favorites are rotisserie-style chicken, pulled pork, pot roast and all manner of soups and stews. You can spend 15 minutes prepping a crockpot meal the night before and just throw the insert in the fridge. In the morning pop in the crockpot and set it.

Freezer meals are great too, especially for stuff that takes a little more work. Take a Saturday afternoon every few weeks or so and do up some casseroles, pasta sauce, meatloaf, meatballs - what ever you like - and freeze it in foil pans. Then just you just have to defrost overnight in the fridge and pop it in the oven.