Pizza night is a big hit! The girls love choosing their own toppings, I can skip the cheese, and we have fun cooking together. I make our own pizza dough, but you can buy this at the store pretty easily {we use 2lbs for two small & two medium pizzas}. We do meat {usually sausage, occasionally pepperoni or leftover chicken}, a variety of veggies {caramelized onions are a favourite, sautéed broccoli, spinach/greens, and sliced grape tomatoes a great too}, cheese, red sauce, and sometimes pineapple. They bake up in just 15-20mins and everything costs $10-20 depending on toppings.
Pub burgers are another quick & delicious dinner! These are great for mama-doesn't-want-to-cook nights since my husband does the grilling and I can relax. We buy meat at the local market, good rolls {I haven't tried making these yet}, caramelize some onions, maybe a cook up little bacon, or slice fresh tomatoes, and sometimes top with Swiss or cheddar cheese. I usually make oven fries or grab a bag of chips to go with it and always grill those rolls with a little butter to take it the next level. This is another $20ish meal and the husband eats two burgers {we make 6-7 for the cost}!
Lastly, and this was definitely a top choice before the no dairy thing, we like to make nachos. If they are on my meal plan, I will have pulled pork {sometimes BBQ-style} or shredded chicken ready to go. But usually we make seasoned ground beef or use a tub of Lloyd's BBQ {I know, I know. Not the healthiest choice, but it's quick}, cheese, tortilla chips, black beans, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and green onions. This makes a 9x13 pan full of goodness in 15mins for just $15-20.
Pair any of these with a salad {it's only $5ish for a box of organic greens} and beer {for the parentals...maybe lemonade or something fun for the kids}, and you've got an awesome meal that's a snap to make at a fraction of the cost of takeout. And, if you're like me and wearing PJ pants by 4p {okay, noon...or maybe I just put on real pants to run to the bus stop}, it's a big bonus to be able to stay at home and be comfy {my husband usually grabs anything we need on his way home for ultimate mama laziness}.