Ugh, we had the same fight last winter! Try only doing the all-day stews on weekends when time feels free, and keep quick meals for busy weeknights. What's your usual schedule like during the week?
Honestly that argument sounds so familiar, we had the exact same one. Tbh we found a middle ground using a slow cooker, just dump everything in the morning. It cooks all day cheaply but doesn't tie up our evening.