Think you’re too busy to cook dinner? Try these 4 no-stress dinners

Back-to-school season can release a floodgate of emotions for parents.

There’s the positive anticipation that goes with embarking on new adventures, but there’s also a lot of pressure and anxiety as the lazier routines of summer are reset.

Bed times change, homework has to be managed and there’s a lot more laundry. If you eat as a family (and research shows you definitely should), you also have to figure out what to make for dinner after a long day that starts with packing lunches and probably ends with sports practices and other extracurricular activities.

The best weeknight meals are ones that come together with minimal prep and a fairly short cooking time. Choosing recipes that don’t have you running all around town for an unusual ingredient also helps, as does picking one-pan dishes that guarantee easy cleanup.

Some can be largely prepared ahead or in batches — say in a slow cooker — and simply reheated. Make a big pot of soup and you can dole it out over several nights, freeze it for future meals or portion it into a thermos for lunches.

We can’t help with the stresses of suddenly being over-scheduled in a new school year or separation anxiety. (We’ve been there.) But we can help get a decent, economical dinner on the table on a busy weeknight.

These four dinners can be assembled in 30 minutes or less (one cooks all day long in a slow cooker) and use everyday ingredients. They include a meaty skillet lasagna that doesn’t require boiling noodles in water; homemade fish sticks coated in a crunchy mix of panko and Parmesan; a four-ingredient fettuccine dish that makes the most of frozen baby peas; and a slow cooker chicken tortilla soup that marries boneless chicken breasts with fire-roasted tomatoes and the gentle heat of chipotle peppers in adobo.

Serves 4.

Preparing a big bowl of pasta is always a great way to get dinner on the table in a hurry. This recipe from “The Art of Jacques Pepin: The Cookbook” (Harvest, $35) is an easy, satisfying and comforting dish that everyone in the family will enjoy. It may be the easiest pasta dish imaginable: The sauce has just four main ingredients — grated Parmesan, olive oil, peas and some of the cooking water from the pasta. I also tried this recipe using heavy cream instead of olive oil, with an additional tablespoon of grated Parmesan. If you love your pasta creamy, that’s the way to go.

Directions

Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot and add pasta. Mix well, bring the water back to boil and cook, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes, until pasta is done to your preference.

Meanwhile, place frozen peas in a strainer, then run them under hot tap water until the ice particles have melted and they are thawed.

When the pasta is cooked, remove ⅔ cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the bowl with the peas. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl.

Toss well and serve immediately, with more cheese if desired.

Serves 4.

This quick version of an old-time favorite goes from cupboard to table in less than a half-hour. Yet it doesn’t sacrifice on taste. The ingredient list looks long, but that’s only because there are three cheeses. Most everything else is a pantry item. From Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Directions

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add meat and cook, breaking apart, until lightly browned and no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

Scatter pasta over meat, then pour processed tomatoes over pasta. Cover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until pasta is tender, about 29 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and let stand off heat until cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Serves 8.

I usually make homemade tortilla soup with a sweet and smoky ancho chile and roasted tomato purée. But in this recipe, all ingredients go into a slow cooker at the same time to simmer all day. I like to add thinly sliced corn tortillas to the soup to thicken it, and also fry some in hot oil for a crunchy, low-cost topping. But the soup also can be served with bagged tortilla chips. From Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle chipotle chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper on top and mix to combine.

Add chopped onion and bell pepper, tomatoes, tomatoes and green chiles, chicken broth, tomato paste and chipotle pepper in adobo. Mix well to combine, place the lid on the slow cooker and set heat on low for 8 hours.

Remove cooked chicken from the cooker and allow to cool. Then, use two forks or your fingers to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back to pot, along with sliced corn tortillas. Cook another 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat and fry tortilla strips until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

When soup is ready to serve, stir in lime juice. Season to taste with additional salt or pepper, if needed.

Serves 6.

Kids might say they hate fish, but slice a fresh fillet into planks, add a crunchy coating and suddenly it’s delicious. I used cod for these homemade fish sticks, but any firm and meaty white fish will work. You could use salmon for a stronger “fish” taste. From Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly coat a baking sheet with oil.

Pat fish fillets dry with a paper towel and generously season both sides with kosher salt. Cut fillets into long, fat sticks (about 3 inches long and 1 to 1 ½ inches thick).

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat egg wash in a deeper dish or bowl. Combine bread crumbs, grated Parmesan and lemon zest in a third bowl placed next to the dish with egg wash.

Dip a fish stick in flour to coat both sides, then shake off excess flour. Dip it in egg wash, followed by the bread crumb-Parmesan mixture. Gently pat the fish with your fingers to help the coating stick. Repeat until all fish sticks have been coated.

Arrange coated fish sticks on a prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the tops with a little oil.

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the heated oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are golden brown.

To serve, give fish sticks a quick squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with ketchup, tartar sauce or both for dipping and additional lemon wedges.