Bet On Dinner

I bet you thought this was going to be a cook-at-home version of takeout foods – but we’re talking about real takeout. Glorious, glorious takeout. We had A Day over here today – the kind that makes me look at my lovely meal plan and the delicious ingredients in my fridge and text Jay to let him know it would be a good idea to pick something up for dinner. As much as I love going to a restaurant with a three-year-old and a four-month-old (har har, NOT), that would mean at least some of us would have to get out of our pj’s and that’s not always in the cards. Also: Thanksgiving is in 7 days! and there’s going to be lots of time for homemade everything and serious kitchen endeavors next week. We need to rest up for this, yes? Today is a good day for takeout.

Here’s a quick list of our favorite takeout meals!

1. Chipotle. Hands down, this is my favorite. I love how fresh the ingredients are and I don’t mind paying a little more for the quality. Plus, it’s delicious. I want to tell you that I order a salad, but my go-to is a big ol’ burrito. Get in my belly. Price: $18.

2. Whole Foods Salad Bar. I love fancy salads but don’t usually bother with all the ingredients to make one. Wish granted! It’s also pretty easy to make a small plate for our three-year-old (grilled chicken, strawberries, peppers, and a little scoop of macaroni and cheese from the hot bar make her a happy girl). This tends to be a more expensive meal for us since they charge by weight. Price: varies, but usually around $20.

3. Outback. Curbside pickup for the win, my friends. I must confess that last time we did this, I fixed our three-year-old a gourmet plate of crackers and cheese and a banana and Jay picked up our grown-up dinner after bedtime! Here’s what we do: split a 12-oz Outback Special, which comes with two sides. We order two loaded baked potatoes and (okay, I talked like I was going to do this, but didn’t – but it’s a good idea!) microwaved some steam-in-the-bag frozen broccoli. Plus, it comes with that little loaf of happiness bread. Price: $18.

4. Mami Nora’s. This is a local place, but I’m sure you have your own hole-in-the-wall gem! Mami’s is awesome Peruvian rotisserie chicken with fun sides like yucca fries and plantains (although my favorite is the sautéed green beans/onions/tomatoes). They have a delicious Peruvian-style fried rice called chaufa that we sometimes get, but the best deal and our normal order is a whole chicken with two large sides – it feeds all of us with leftovers. Price: $15.50.

Prices are pre-tax, for 2 adults and 1 child unless otherwise noted, and kinda approximate. :o)

Also, our dog Lucy hadn’t had a blog cameo yet, so she’s representing today since I didn’t have pictures of takeout meals. She’s holding her beloved tennis ball, with a play food green pepper velcroed on. She puts up with a lot.

Leave a comment and let me know your favorite takeout! I’ll be back with a recipe next week, don’t you worry. :o)