5 Easy Dinners I’m Making for a Hectic Week

And my two-year-old might even eat them!

By
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva is a trained chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. She runs Nosh with Micah, her personal blog.
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Published September 15, 2025
Micah Siva
A skillet filled with cheesy nachos topped with diced tomatoes and jalapeos marked with a Simply Weeknight Recipes label

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

I’m solo parenting this week, so it’s all about simple meals for my son and I as I juggle him, working, and trying to keep the house clean. My son is at such a fun age—nearing 22 months and talkative as ever. Sure, half of his words are grunts and shrieks, but he can now communicate about his day, his little friends, and his preferences. And boy, does he have preferences.

Yes cracker. No cracker. More cracker. All done cracker. Proceeds to throw crackers at our dog, cries, throws a cracker at me. Learns about gravity by throwing crackers down the stairs. Learns about water by putting crackers in the dog’s water bowl and then drinking the water like a dog.

As I practice my deep breathing and remind myself that patience is a virtue, meal times are fun… but hectic. With this constant battle, and my anxiety about him eating enough, I try to make meals something that we all might enjoy without resorting to takeout every night. These are the five dinners that will get us through this fun but hard week.

  • Pizza Lasagna

    Spatula Slightly Lifting a Slice of Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna From a Casserole Dish With the Rest of the Lasagna

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    My son is picky, and barely eats pasta. But if there’s one thing he is guaranteed to eat, it’s pizza. Pizza bagels, pizza toast, pizza everything. I’m going to try to trick him into loving pasta with a pizza-inspired lasagna. This recipe is so simple (it has just four ingredients), and I’m praying he’ll try it. If not, I’ll let him pick off the cheese and call it a day, while I eat whatever he throws on the floor. Who said parenting wasn’t glamorous?!

  • Tuna Melt Toasts

    Toasted bread topped with melted cheese and tuna mixture on a baking tray

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    Canned tuna was a staple lunch and dinner in my household growing up. We had tuna casserole, tuna salad, and our favorite, the tuna melt. Every Saturday, we’d have a tuna melt lunch after visiting our local farmers market. Instead of bread, we piled it onto pita bread that was rubbed with a raw garlic clove, and we’d burn our mouths on the melty cheese. A true delight. I’ll serve these on english muffins with crudité and hummus. Easy peasy!

  • Retro Plum Jam Chicken

    Retro Plum Jam Chicken thighs in a baking tin

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    Recipe developer Coco Morante says, "Whether it’s Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or any old day that I want to make my husband Brendan’s favorite dish, I whip up my take on his childhood favorite, plum jam chicken. My mother-in-law shared the recipe with me over ten years ago, and I’ve made little tweaks to it over the years while staying faithful to the spirit of the original dish." The sweet and savory glaze sounds irresistable.

  • Shortcut Matzo Ball Soup

    Matzo ball soup in a bowl

    Simply Recipes / Stephanie A Ganz

    They call it Jewish penicillin for a reason. I’m a believer that every bad day, sickness, or bad mood can be improved upon with a big bowl of matzo ball soup. Whether its the soup itself or the feeling and memories of family, I’ll never know, but as the Jewish holiday season approaches along with daycare sicknesses, I’ll take anything to make me feel a little better. I make extra and freeze the matzo balls on a wax paper lined sheet pan, then transfer them to a zip-top bag once frozen solid. I can pop them into my soup to reheat anytime.

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  • Enchilada Skillet

    A beef enchilada skillet topped with melted cheese, chopped tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos, served with sour cream and additional toppings in dishes

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

    Recipe developer Jessica Furniss says, "I love to change things up by substituting ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. This makes for a lighter-tasting but just as satisfying meal." She also notes you can swap the beef for canned beans, which I'll be doing for a vegetarian meal my son will love.

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