Take Dinnertime to the Next Level with These Cooking Hacks from A Busy Mom

When cooking for my family, I love to tie in elements of comfort foods. What’s more comforting than mac and cheese? If I had all the time in the world, I’d be happy to spend the day with my daughter rolling out pasta and making a cheese sauce from scratch. But on back-to-school nights? Quick and easy is my modus operandi, and Walmart always has what I need.

With meal kits found at Walmart, like the Velveeta Ultimate Cheeseburger Skillet, I can make a satisfying riff on mac and cheese in less than 20 minutes, and with just one pot.

Weeknight dinners should involve as little prep work as possible (cutting boards are for weekends). Walmart’s convenient vegetable options help provide flexibility and good quality at an even better price point. My family’s favorite choices are Great Value steamed vegetables, which come pre-cut and only take three minutes to steam in the microwave.

With one-pot meals like the Velveeta Ultimate Cheeseburger Skillet, I simply cook the pasta per the kit instructions and then add the steamed vegetables for a nutritious boost of flavor.

With the addition of vegetables and protein, this meal kit can yield four to five servings at around $2.50 per person, proof that a good, home-cooked meal can definitely be accessible to everyone at everyday low prices.

Just turned five, my mini-me loves to be involved in food shopping. Some of my favorite moments are spent sprinting down the Walmart aisles with her, discovering what new tastes she’ll want to try.

To keep her engaged at mealtime, I allow her to set the table. She loves using construction paper as place mats so that she can doodle while she eats. We also encourage her to be involved in cleanup and praise her for helping. Walmart makes cleanup easy thanks to essentials like Great Value Disinfecting Wipes and Great Value Miracle Cleaning Eraser. When she does a great job of cleaning, she gets a special treat for dessert like an ice cream sandwich!