Okay, let’s talk about sports nights. You know the drill. Someone’s got practice, someone else has a game, or maybe the big game is on TV. Trying to get a decent dinner on the table? Forget about it. Used to drive me nuts.
I remember trying to make actual, like, meals. Stir-fries with tons of chopping, pasta dishes that needed constant watching. Absolute chaos. The kids are running around hyped up or starving, the game’s about to start, and I’m stuck sweating over the stove. Wasn’t working. Just plain wasn’t.
Finding Something That Actually Works
So, I started thinking. There had to be a simpler way, right? Something quick, something mostly hands-off, something everyone would actually eat without complaining too much. And less washing up! That was key.
First thing I really leaned into was the sheet pan dinner. Sounds fancy, maybe? It’s not. Dead simple.
- Grabbed some sausages – italian, chicken, whatever looked good.
- Chopped up some veggies – onions, peppers, broccoli, potatoes sometimes. Didn’t even peel the potatoes half the time, just gave ’em a good scrub and cubed ’em.
- Threw all that stuff onto a big baking sheet. Like, literally just dumped it on there.
- Drizzled some olive oil over everything. Sprinkled on some salt, pepper, maybe some garlic powder or italian seasoning if I felt ambitious.
- Tossed it all together right there on the pan with my hands. Less bowls to wash!
- Whacked it in a hot oven. Around 400F (200C) usually works.
- Left it alone for maybe 20-30 minutes, flipped things around once if I remembered.
Boom. Dinner. Sausages cooked through, veggies roasted up nice. Served it straight from the pan pretty much. Minimal fuss, minimal mess. Covered the pan with foil first? Even easier cleanup.
Another Go-To: Super Simple Chili
When it gets colder, or if I just want something different, I do a really basic chili. Seriously basic.
I just brown some ground beef or turkey in a big pot. Drain off the fat. Then I just start dumping stuff in:
- A can or two of kidney beans, rinsed.
- A can of diced tomatoes. Don’t even drain ’em.
- A can of tomato sauce.
- A packet of chili seasoning, or just a good few spoonfuls of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder. Don’t really measure, just kinda eyeball it.
Stirred it all up. Let it simmer on low while everything else was happening. If it looked too thick, splashed in some water or broth. Too thin? Let it bubble away a bit longer. Served it up in bowls with maybe some shredded cheese on top, or crackers, or whatever bread we had lying around. Made a big batch, often had leftovers for lunch too. Easy peasy.
So yeah, that’s what works for me on those crazy nights. No fancy recipes, no stress. Just get food into people. It ain’t gourmet, but it gets the job done and lets me actually relax (a bit) instead of being a short-order cook while missing the game. Give it a try if your sports nights are as bonkers as mine used to be.
