The last thing on anyone’s mind during harvest season is food. At least for me that’s the case. It always seems like food is an afterthought, and then I’m scrambling to throw something together last minute.

This year seems like a good time to change course. I don’t struggle to make lunch and dinner the rest of the year, so why does my mind go blank when harvest arrives? Well, it shouldn’t.

After some deep thinking — seriously, I have spent some long drives pondering harvest meal ideas — I’ve realized that the solution is simple: Stick to the staples. Everyone has a handful of meals that uphold the meal rotation in their house, so why not use those for harvest?

Always have on hand

There are a few food items I keep stocked in my house in case I need to whip up a meal with short notice. Keeping these items on hand ensures that I won’t be in a frenzy during those hectic harvest days. Here are the items I like to have available:

Noodles and pasta sauce. Pick your favorite type of noodles and pasta sauce to always keep on the pantry shelf. Pasta is easy to make quick, and it can keep warm in a thermos container for an on-the-go dinner.

Peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes, a simple PB&J sandwich can get the job done. I would recommend making your own jam or jelly in the summer, so you have a supply all year. I also always have bread on hand, so this is a simple lunch to throw together.

Hamburger Helper. This token food item is a little more controversial for me. I hated Hamburger Helper with a passion growing up, but I’ve come to realize that it is such an easy meal solution in a pinch. If you typically keep the freezer stocked with ground beef, then keeping Hamburger Helper on hand will ensure you always have a meal.

Chicken. Lately, I have bought bulk bags of frozen chicken. This makes it easy to throw together a crockpot meal at any time. Depending on what spices and vegetables you have, there are plenty of combinations to make.

Do not stress

The key is to not stress about harvest meals. Consider which meals are staples in your dinner rotation, and continue to make or modify those for harvest lunches and dinners.

The plethora of thermos containers, lunchboxes, utensil kits and food-storage containers on the market allows you to prep and pack almost anything — as long as it’s easy to eat in the cab. That brings me to my final point: Ensure you have enough storage containers and a large lunchbox heading into harvest season. Don’t forget a few reusable ice packs!

I am still new to the harvest dinner game, so this advice is simply what has worked for me so far. I’m sure you seasoned farm wives have quite a few more tricks up your sleeve, and I’d love to hear about them. If you have any harvest dinner prep suggestions or meals to share, please send them to [email protected].

Try this: Crockpot Mississippi chicken

A few months ago, I discovered a recipe for crockpot Mississippi chicken. It came from the TikTok user Cooking in the Midwest. His page is full of quick and easy recipes that have all become staples in my dinner rotation.

Here is the recipe for Mississippi chicken:

Add the chicken breasts to a crockpot. Season the chicken breasts with black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Au Jus gravy powder and ranch seasoning. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion and some pepperoncinis, as well as a splash of the pepperoncini juice.

Lay the butter pads over the top of the chicken. Cook on low for four to six hours, and flip the chicken halfway through cooking.

Shred the chicken and serve on a roll or bread of your choosing. Other options include serving over rice or mashed potatoes.

Head to @cookinginthemidwest on TikTok for more easy meal ideas.