Conagra Brands sponsored this post, but the opinions are my own. Are you feeling fall yet? Our temperatures are still lingering in the mid 70’s. I did feel the leaves crunching beneath my feet when I went for a walk today! It is hard to believe the holidays are hiding around the corner. And Caitlin is halfway through her first semester in college! Where is the time going people?!

If I said the life of a mom is a busy one, I bet I would be preaching to the choir, right?! Where do you find time to juggle everything you do? As the kids get older, I have more to juggle! One area I tend to struggle with is meal time. I want the kids to have a tasty home cooked me. But who has the dang time?! I decided it was time to work smarter not hard. That is why I came up with these clever meal time hacks for busy moms!

• Enlist Help: When you get help in the kitchen, you free yourself up for other things. Kids as young as two can help in the kitchen. They may not be much help but you are setting the foundation. Ask them to bring you a towel or a spoon. As kids get older, give them more responsibility. Older kids can wash vegetables, cut veggies (supervised) or prepare side dishes.
• Keep It Simple: For side dishes, we keep it easy. We serve lots of salads, vegetables, and bakery bread. The kids are teens, so they can make boxed sides like scalloped potatoes or rice.

• Easy Meals: I am all for a home cooked meal. Trouble is, I don’t have time for that during the week. Instead, I stock up on a family favorite that is warm, tasty and more like a full dinner for my family. We stock up on Banquet Pot Pies from Walmart. They are the perfect option for busy moms like me!
• Digital Apps: Take advantage of your mobile device. You can tap into coupons, rewards and keep a running shopping list. I love using the ibotta app for cash back rewards on everyday purchases. On grocery shopping day, you are ready to hit the ground running. It is one of my favorite clever meal time hacks for busy moms.

• Cook Extra: Whenever I cook, be it from scratch or a Banquet Pot Pies, I made plenty. This makes it easy to heat up leftovers the next day. When the kids are hungry, they can reheat them in the microwave.
• Grocery Pick Up Services: I will admit, I was skeptical of using the new grocery pick up services. Our local Walmart instituted theirs a few weeks ago. I am so picky about my produce. How could I trust someone to do my shopping for me? Well, at Walmart, I trust them and they never disappoint. I love shopping online, driving to Walmart and having my groceries ready when I get there. What a time saver!

I have been eating Banquet meals for as long as I can remember. I was raised by a single mom. She wanted foods my sister and I would love that were also affordable and easy to prepare. Banquet fit seamlessly into that plan. As a mom myself, I appreciate the homemade taste, convenience and wholesome ingredients. The pot pies from Banquet are as close to a from scratch meal as I can get!

When we head to Walmart for our weekly grocery shopping, we stock up on our favorite Banquet Pot Pies. There are so many flavors to choose from. They offer Chicken, Chicken Broccoli, Beef, Turkey, and Sausage Gravy. Currently, we cannot get enough of the Chicken Pot Pies. You get that golden flaky crust from scratch with that creamy goodness underneath. Then you get chunks of chicken, peas and carrots. Oh my yum! My kids will dip a piece of bread in to get the last bit of that filling!

On days like yesterday, I don’t have much time to get dinner on the table. With two hungry teens in the house, meal time is something they look forward to. And when they are hungry, they don’t want to wait for me to prepare a complex meal. Thank goodness for those Banquet Pot Pies! I heat up a loaf of $1 bread from the bakery, make a salad and dinner is on the table. I can feed my family in 30 minutes, and this busy mom loves that!

To get that beautiful flaky crust, be sure to make your Banquet Pot Pies in the oven. They only take about 30 minutes to cook. And trust me, you will thank me! The kids love that first time the fork breaks into that crust and the filling oozes out! And what makes buying these delicious pot pies from Walmart, are the savings! The prices at Walmart are already super affordable. And with ibotta, you save even more! Currently, when you buy 2 Banquet Pot Pies 16 oz. or smaller, you will earn $0.50 with ibotta. Aw yeah! So, let’s get dinner going ya’ll!

What are your favorite clever meal time hacks for busy moms (or dads!) I would love to hear in the comments below!