Busy days? Try these no-stress family dinners

"The best weeknight meals are ones that come together with minimal prep and a fairly short cooking time. Some can be largely prepared ahead or in batches - say in a slow cooker - and simply reheated. Choosing recipes that don't have you running all around town for an unusual ingredient also helps, as does picking one-pan dishes that guarantee easy cleanup."

"These four dinners can be assembled in a half-hour or less (one cooks all day long in a slow cooker) and use everyday ingredients. They include a meaty skillet lasagna that doesn't require boiling noodles in water; homemade fish sticks coated in a crunchy mix of panko and Parmesan; a four-ingredient fettuccine dish that makes the most of frozen baby peas; and a slow cooker chicken tortilla soup that marries boneless chicken breasts with fire-roasted tomatoes and the gentle heat of chipotle peppers in adobo."

Weeknight meals should require minimal prep and short cooking times. Some dishes can be made ahead or cooked in batches in a slow cooker and reheated. Choosing everyday ingredients and one-pan methods reduces shopping and cleanup. Four dinners that fit these criteria include a meaty skillet lasagna without boiling noodles, homemade fish sticks coated in panko and Parmesan, a four-ingredient fettuccine that uses frozen baby peas, and a slow cooker chicken tortilla soup with boneless breasts, fire-roasted tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobo. A simple fettuccine sauce combines grated Parmesan, olive oil, peas and some pasta cooking water. Reserve Friday for takeout.

Read at Boston Herald