Back-to-school can be a crazy busy time, adjusting to new schedules, new sports, and new activities, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a good, homecooked dinner! Here are 4 quick and simple meals you can make when you’re short on time.

1. Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 1 10oz can stewed tomatoes (or salsa)
• Shredded cheese
• 1 bag of tortilla chips

Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, then add the taco seasoning and stewed tomatoes.
2. Simmer for a minute or two before transferring to a casserole dish.
3. Top with shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and gooey. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pro Tip: Swapping tortillas for tortilla chips makes this meal much easier for young kids to eat. Feel free to add diced onions or jalapenos. If your kids are past their “It’s too spicy” phase, swap the stewed tomatoes for your favorite salsa.

2. Ham & Broccoli Rollups

Ingredients:

• Precooked sliced ham (ham steaks, not thin deli slices)
• Cheese slices (Swiss works well)
• 1 10oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 bag microwavable steamable broccoli florets
• Toothpicks

Instructions:

1. Steam the broccoli in the microwave per package instructions.
2. Lay a ham steak flat and top with 1-2 slices of cheese.
3. Fill the ham steak with broccoli and fold it like a taco, using toothpicks to hold the shape.
4. Place in a casserole dish and repeat until you have your desired number of rollups.
5. Pour the cream of mushroom soup over the top of all rollups.
6. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the soup is bubbly.

Pro Tip: Serve with rolls or a side salad. You can use leftover slices from a Sunday ham, just make sure they’re big enough to hold the broccoli.

3. Pizza-dillas

Ingredients:

• Soft tortillas
• Jar of pizza sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni slices
• 1 Tbsp butter or cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Lay one tortilla flat. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of pizza sauce and a layer of cheese, leaving a small border.
2. Melt butter in a skillet on medium-low heat. Add the tortilla to the skillet.
3. Add pepperonis and more cheese if desired, then top with a second tortilla.
4. Cook until the cheese begins to melt and the bottom tortilla is golden, then flip.
5. Continue cooking until both tortillas are golden and the cheese is fully melted. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Pro Tip: Use any pizza toppings you prefer! For easier flipping, you can make half-quesadillas by filling only half of a tortilla and folding the empty side over.

4. Sausage and Peppers Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 precooked kielbasa, beef, or turkey sausage rope
• 2-3 veggies (bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash)
• Dried basil
• Soy sauce, to taste
• Rice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet to medium. If using rice, prepare it now.
2. Cut veggies into slices or bite-sized chunks and add them to the skillet with 1-2 Tbsp of soy sauce.
3. While the veggies cook, slice the sausage and add it to the skillet.
4. Add up to 1 Tbsp of dried basil and another 1-2 Tbsp of soy sauce.
5. Cook for about 15-20 minutes total, until veggies are tender and the sausage is heated through. Serve immediately, over rice if desired.

Pro Tip: This is incredibly easy to meal prep! Cut up all the veggies and sausage, put them into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, and freeze it. When ready, add the frozen contents to a hot skillet and cook until done.