Bites Nearby: Fast Fix Dinner Ideas for Under $10 


On nights when you’re scrambling to get the kids off to sporting events and need to put a decent meal on the table that’s not fast food, try one of these delicious kid-friendly dinner ideas.

Pot Roast

There’s nothing like the savory flavors of a good pot roast during these chilly spring days. The only problem is you have never have time in the mornings to prepare the roast for the slow cooker. No worries—just shortcut the process and buy a traditional pot roast ($6.99).  

Simply place this already seasoned and cooked pot roast in the microwave for about three minutes. Presto! You have all the succulent, tender flavors of a slow-cooked pot roast. Of course, a little legwork is necessary—boiling up some golden Yukon potatoes and steaming some sweet baby carrots for sides, but that’s all you’ll need to do to put a great tasting pot roast dinner on the table in minutes flat.

Ribs

Rib lovers will want to take home the barbecue baby back pork ribs ($9.99/approximately 10 in a package). Since these ribs are so tasty, we suggest buying two packages if you’re a family of four with teens. 

These ribs are fully cooked and simply need to be reheated. For faster cleanup, place the ribs on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes and continue to slather these bad boys up with sauce to keep them “lip smacking” good. 

You can also grill these ribs for about 20 minutes. Cooking instructions are on the package. Tip: Continue to sauce them while on the grill to keep their distinctive smoky and caramelized flavors. Gooey macaroni and cheese, fresh baked cornbread and sliced, red-ripe strawberries are perfect sides for this meal.

Tacos and Burritos

Mexican dinner nights are always a big hit with kids because they can make their own tacos or burritos. The pre-cooked, Mexican style oven roasted pork carnita ,eat ($3.99) by Trader Joe’s is quick to fix and with no mess.

Place the meat in a shallow bowl and heat it in the microwave for about three minutes. The meat comes out moist, tender and falls apart at the touch of a fork. Use the fork to shred it. Serve buffet style with warm flour tortillas, hard shelled tacos, shredded cheddar cheese and lettuce, chopped fresh cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, refried beans, chips and salsa.

Buy some mango orange juice and vanilla yogurt, and blend up some healthy smoothies for the family—another perfect pairing!

Trader Joe's is located at 8960 Hudson Road in Woodbury. For more information call 651-735-0269.