Our weather has been crazy lately, and we had a two day week at school. We had Monday off for MLK Day, and then it snowed Tuesday and Wednesday. I feel like I’m never going to get my students back in a routine. We haven’t had more than 3 days in a row since winter break. Even though we didn’t have school many days, I still made my snow day make ahead meals.
Snow Day Make Ahead Meals
The weather has been so cold and snowy lately. My kids spent an hour outside playing in the snow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Of course, they needed some hot chocolate with marshmallows when they came inside. They also needed some warm dinners to defrost after sledding, building snowmen, and throwing snowballs.
Monday – Baby Back Ribs and Baked Potatoes
Even though I didn’t make this meal ahead of time, you could. Just bake the ribs in the oven over the weekend and heat them up on Monday night. I can attest to the fact that they are equally delicious as leftovers. The only problem is the smell will make you want to eat them right away.
I bought baby back ribs when they were on sale and froze them. I thawed them in the refrigerator and found a recipe for One-Pan Baby Back Ribs on Buzzfeed. The prep was really easy, and I got a lot of work done while they were in the oven. I also put a tray of baked potatoes drizzled with olive oil and salt in the oven at the same time.
When the ribs came out of the oven, they were juicy and falling off the bone. The potatoes were tender and perfect. Served with some green beans and dinner rolls, this was a delicious meal for Monday night.
Tuesday – Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
I had some ham broth frozen from our Christmas ham. I’ve never made ham broth before, but it was super easy and turned out delicious. All I did was put the ham bone in the slow cooker, cover it with water, and put it on high for about 6 hours.
Making it was easy, but then I needed to find a way to use it. I found the Ham and Potato Corn Chowder from Closet Cooking, and it sounded like something the whole family would like. I made it over the weekend and heated it up when the kids came in from playing in the snow. Everyone loved it, and both kids had seconds. If you don’t have ham broth, you can use chicken broth, and it will be equally delicious.
Wednesday – Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is one of my kids’ favorite meals. My go-to Mac and Cheese recipe is from Ina Garten on the Food Network website. It is so cheesy and good. I cooked it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and threw some baby carrots in the oven for the same amount of time. While the food was cooking, I got all my math tests graded. Plus, the leftovers made amazing lunches.
Thursday – Black Bean Burgers
I like to try different burger recipes. Usually, they include some sort of meat, but when I found the recipe for The Best Black Bean Burgers from Tastes Better from Scratch, I knew I had to try them. The problem I’ve had with veggie burgers in the past is that they don’t hold together. Usually, I form them into patties, put them into the pan, and they immediately crumble. I was very happy when these stuck together. With the Chipotle Mayo, these were delicious!
Friday – Cheese Quesadilla
My kids lucked out this week, because we had two of their favorite foods. If you can’t tell, they like cheese. Usually, Friday is pizza night, but this week my son, Jamison, requested quesadillas. They are just as easy as pizza, so I said yes. I just throw a tortilla into a pan over low heat, top it with some cheese, and throw another tortilla on top. You can experiment with other toppings, like chicken, but my kids like them with just cheese. They love dipping the quesadillas into sour cream and salsa.
Dessert – Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
When I was baking Christmas cookies this year, I didn’t have time to make thumbprint cookies. I’ve been craving them ever since, so I decided to bake a batch over the weekend. This recipe for Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction is perfect! The cookies come out so buttery and delicious, and the jam adds just the right amount of sweetness. I can’t wait to pack them in my lunches for the week!
You’re Invited!
Looking for ways to differentiate your lessons and meet the needs of all your students without adding more to your plate?
Join The Differentiation Conversation Community, a free community for elementary teachers where we share practical differentiation strategies, ready-to-use resources, and encouragement to help you meet the needs of all your learners.
What Do You Think?
Which of these snow day make ahead meals do you want to try this week?
Let me know in the comments below.
Get more ideas for make ahead meals – Cold Weather Make Ahead Meals
If you enjoyed this post and think your teacher friends will, too, please click the button to share it on your favorite social media platform.
Leave a Reply