One trick is NOT to cook so much. Won't your family eat leftovers? A casserole or pot of spaghetti, wraps/sandwiches, picnic eggs, cut up veggies... these are things that can be done all in one shot and eaten for several days.
I refrain from using extra dishes whenever possible. I steam veggies in my pot of noodles the last few minutes or use paper towels for "dishes" at times. We use the same cup all day and just rinse it out if we change what we're drinking.
I leave dinner dishes half the time and wait til after breakfast to do the dishes. Then I have hours of a dish free kitchen.
In the summer we usually have sandwiches for lunch.
Gotta go. Writing from IHOP in Oklahoma. : )