Oh, Hectic Night!

Mr. Food's Cuban Shredded Beef is one of my family's favorite one-pot dinner recipes that I love to plan for busy nights!

From Mr. Food Team Member Jaime

Before I had a child, I thought my life was busy. I had no idea the true meaning of being busy. Then, as our son got older and started participating in sports and other after-school activities, our lives went from busy to down-right hectic. Monday and Wednesday he plays soccer, Tuesday is religious school and Thursday varies depending on the week. Did I mention I also work full time?

The weekends are for running errands, cleaning, laundry and all the other stuff there isn’t time for during the week. Unfortunately, eating dinner on Tuesday night cannot wait until I have time on the weekend. Picking up a pizza and making a Caesar Salad every now and then is fine, but not all the time. Now, throw the holidays on top of that and…yikes! Shopping and baking and company, oh my!

I figured out the key to feeding my family when life is crazy is all about planning. One of my favorites that takes very little effort is Cuban Shredded Beef. I let my slow-cooker do all the work; I don’t even have to be there. All I do is make a package of yellow rice, steam some broccoli and we’re good to go. Saucy White Chili, or any chili for that matter, is a great make-ahead. I think it’s even better the second day.

A staple in our house for weeknight dinners is pasta and meat sauce. To give something different a shot, I tried Chicken Bolognese one night and my family loved it.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in shopping, planning and entertaining at this time of year that we often lose sight of what’s important. Being with family and friends and enjoying each other is what it’s all about. It is necessary to take those mid-week breaks and sit down with your family to a home-cooked dinner rather than going to a drive-thru and eating in the car on the way to your next activity.

Cherish your children and the chaos they add to your life because, before you know it, they will be carting their own kids around! Whatever you cook, whatever you plan, I wish you a very happy holiday and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!