Working Moms: 5 Easy Gourmet Meals to Prepare after a Long Work Week

If you love to cook for your family, then you probably wish that you had enough time to prepare intricate meals each day. Realistically, there will be days each work where you simply don’t have much time to cook, but that doesn’t mean that you have to phone it in and prepare the same few meals every time you have a busy day. Here are five quick and easy gourmet meals that are perfect after a long work week.

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Broiled Spicy Chicken Thighs

This dish might sound complicated, but it’s shockingly easy to prepare and tastes like a professionally-cooked meal. All you need to do for preparation is season the chicken with chili powder, some garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper before broiling it and topping with a sweet honey glaze if desired.

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Shrimp can be a lifesaver for busy days because it takes little time to prepare, and this garlic butter shrimp recipe is no exception. The rich garlic butter is perfect for serving the shrimp over pasta or slices of crusty bread, and the ingredients are simple and readily available. Best of all, preparation only takes about 20 minutes!

Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry

Stir frying is a great way to prepare quick meals during busy weeks, and because stir-frying is forgiving and adaptable, you never have to make the same meal twice. A good starting point is to make a traditional teriyaki stir fry, made with thinly-sliced strips of chicken, teriyaki sauce, rice wine vinegar, broccoli, and whatever other vegetables you have on hand. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and for a little added flair, you can sprinkle in sesame seeds and a bit of your favorite hot sauce.

Quick Veggie Pasta with Seasonal Vegetables

Pasta is always a good option for quick meals, and this adaptable recipes features whatever vegetables happen to be in season. While the pasta cooks, you simply sauté seasonal vegetables in oil with garlic, salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you desire, then toss with the pasta, olive oil, garlic and lemon.

Cornmeal Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup

Breakfast for dinner is always fun, and this meal, which can be prepared in 15 minutes or so, has an almost dessert-like feel. Warm cornmeal pancakes are topped with blackberry syrup, maple syrup and powdered sugar. If you want to make it even quicker and don’t want to prepare your own syrup, consider substituting a store-bought blackberry syrup, such as Monin sugar-free blackberry syrup.

Any of these five recipes are sure to wow your family while taking as little time as possible out of your busy day. They also all feature readily available ingredients to minimize time spent shopping. Next time you find yourself with only a half-hour or so to throw dinner together, turn to one of these simple and easy gourmet meals.