The school year can often be a nightmare for parents as they try to get their children off to school, shuttle their children to after school activities, help with homework and put a home-cooked evening meal on the table. 

Preparing a delicious and healthy meal can be challenging when there is little time and energy left at the end of a busy day, but with some prior preparation and planning, there are other options to take out food.

Life gets hectic during the school year for Darla Legnon Louviere, the mother of six children ranging in ages from 3 to 20 years old. Louviere, 39, has to do some prior planning if she is to get a nourishing meal on the table for her children and husband, Jerry, at the end of the day. 

Although one child is a college student who lives away from home, much of the New Iberia resident’s day is devoted to getting the other five children off to school, shuttling the children to volleyball, soccer, softball, competition cheering practices and religion classes twice weekly. In addition, the Louvieres’ only son Bennett is a special needs child who suffers from a rare disorder, 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. But even with her busy lifestyle, Louviere manages to put a satisfying supper on the table in no time.

Louviere’s secrets to ending a busy day with a home-cooked meal for her family — keep it simple and prepare ahead. 

“I am always on the lookout for recipes that are hearty and quick. I usually have only an hour or so to cook a meal, so I really have to be organized and be prepared with a pantry that is well stocked. I try to stick with one-pot meals such as red beans and sausage or spaghetti that can be served with a salad, side vegetable and garlic bread,” said Louviere.

“A one-pot meal is a little cheaper to cook and there is less clean-up. It’s easier to serve if we have to eat at different times. I think eating together is important, but it is not always possible with a large family and all of the activities the children are involved in.” 

Louviere said she uses pre-cut seasonings to save on preparation time and keeps her pantry stocked with sauces and other bases for a quick start to a meal.

“If the onions and bell peppers are already cut up, it is easy to throw in the pot to sauté while you are getting the rest of the ingredients together.

For spaghetti, Louviere said she uses a combination of prepared jar spaghetti sauces with pre-cut seasonings, cooking it longer than the recommended directions.

“To save time, I use the prepared meatballs or I will either take rib-eye or chicken patties and make meatballs to throw in the sauce. I use a lot of marinated pork cut into small pieces for fast cooking and flavor,” she said.

“My family is not big on fast food. Eating out is too expensive with a large family, so I have to come up with a meal at the end of the day.”

Louviere often resorts to the cook one, eat twice method of cooking — doubling up on a recipe, serving half to the family for one meal and freezing the other for another meal.

Planning a second meal around leftovers can be a time saver. Using Monday night’s taco meat for Tuesday’s night taco salad can save kitchen time. Left over chicken can easily be turned into chicken quesadillas or jambalaya by adding sausage and rice.

On weekends, the kitchen is closed in the Louviere in home.

“No one is allowed in the kitchen, it is time from a break from cooking. We do a lot of grilling on weekends because it is fast and there is little mess to clean,” she said.