Most families and couples have the exact same conversation around three o’clock every afternoon. What’s for dinner? What do you want for dinner? Nothing sounds good; is there anything new we can make? For whatever reason, dinner is typically a difficult decision for people to make. At the end of the day, people don’t have the energy to make something elaborate, but they can’t handle eating the same exact foods all the time. Instead of considering take-out or delivery pizza, open your cupboard, and reach for the real maple syrup.
Is your first thought about having pancakes or waffles for dinner? If it’s August 24th, otherwise known as National Waffle Day, that may be encouraged, but most people don’t want to eat breakfast for dinner – at least not all the time. Maple syrup is actually a delicious ingredient that is essential for many different types of unique dinner dishes. Not convinced? Check out a list of possible dinner entrees to make this week:
Maple-infused Reuben sandwich in between waffles
Maple sausage casserole
Maple mustard glazed potatoes and brussel sprouts
Maple sweet potato quesadillas
Roasted pork chops with maple butter
Maple butternut squash with fresh herbs and butter
Maple orange glazed salmon
Recipes like these utilize the maple syrup to bring out the natural and rustic flavors of these delicious (and often healthy) foods. Depending on how much time you have to cook, maple syrup-inspired dinners can be very quick to prepare on weeknights (i.e. Sandwiches) and can be more intensive (i.e. Braised short ribs and mashed potatoes) on leisurely weekend days. To also streamline the dinner planning process, sit down with your family at the start of each week and map out different meals for each day. This way, the bulk of the grocery shopping can be done in one trip and a full fridge can prevent excuses for trying to order unhealthy take-out meals. Just make sure to stock up on plenty of real maple syrup on the next trip.