Super fast meal ideas to avoid buying a takeaway

[People1pleaser]

We seem to be running out of time to cook at the moment with small hungry children and getting delayed with after school clubs/unexpected traffic etc and have ended up with both McDonald's and chip shop in one week! I need some ideas for nights when this happens to avoid takeaway. The only super fast meal I can think of is Greek salad which is no good as the kids hate it and a frozen pizza which is no good as the kids both have cows milk intolerance. Any ideas anyone?

I also need to meal plan better as 5 nights out of 7 is a rush now with so many after school clubs, 4 nights a week now, and we're always out late on a Saturday too.

Stir fry? Pasta bake or curry (jar) not health food but a little more substantial than McDs and the like.

Or when you do something like spag bol make loads etc and freeze in batches.

Pasta, stir fry, Spanish omelette, anything grilled or fried is pretty speedy.

change dinner time?
have omlettes/pancakes instead of 'full dinner'

We do slow cooker meals on those days. Put everything in during the morning. All ready when we get home.

Omlette
Tuna pasta
Microwave jackets
Picnic Dinner (sandwich, fruit, cheese)
Chilled chunks of chicken in pasta with cheese and pesto
Stir fry
Wraps

Stir fry - prawns/chicken, rice noodles, veg and a sauce or just soy sauce 10-15 minutes depending on what protein

Baked salmon fillets in the oven with baby boiled potatoes and frozen peas - 20 minutes total

Pasta pesto with mushrooms/lardons/peas/sweetcorn - 15 minutes - or tuna pasta in either a tomato sauce or mayo, same

Cook jacket spuds night before. Microwave til piping, add beans/tuna mayo/prawn mayo etc

and yes to using the microwave.
some microwave meals are nice and nutritious nowadays. add some veg (frozen veg, again nutritious and tasty, cheap and quick)

Is a slow cooker an option? You could prep all different meals the night before or in the morning and its ready when u get in. Possibly freeze extras so have ready meals as well

Stir fry - can get frozen bags of veg too, pack of ready to wok noodles dinner is done in less than 10 mins.

Rice and baked beans - odd I know but my girls love it and only takes 15 mins to cook.

Couscous and vegetables - literally less than 10 mins. While the couscous is cooking from the kettle water I chop up salad veg and some ham then mix all together with pesto or tomato based sauce.

Pasta - either with cheese (vitalife is a pretty good alternative I use it as I'm dairy free) quorn mince bolognase or pesto.

Or ultimate fast food - cheese toastie chopped salad and some spaghetti hoops.

Scrambled eggs and or Beans on toast.

Dippy eggs ( fried or poached)

Pasta pesto / pasta and tomato sauce

Sandwiches with veg etc on the side

Soup tinned if you have not made any.

This is what I do in a pinch.

Cook pasta, chop up some cooked ham or fry bacon bits, toss hot pasta with pesto and a splash of cream plus bacon bits and peas (or chopped fresh baby leaf spinach) to up the veg content. Beans on toast passes as dinner in our house. If I've the energy I add a spoon of curry paste, halved cherry tomatoes, and chopped coriander and serve it with naas bread. Fish fingers or (shop bought) falafel in a wrap with grated carrot, baby leaf spinach and mayo in with the filling.

Hotdogs and corn on the cob.

Pittas or flatbreads with falafel and picky salad bits and tsatziki.

Pasta pesto with cherry tomatoes, rocket, peppers.

Qaesadillas and mango salsa.

Make dhal (it freezes well too) and serve with rice (microwave rice cooker makes this really easy or be lazy and use packet microwave rice) and a cucumber/onion/tomato salad.

Pasta mixed with tinned tuna, frozen peas and sweetcorn and mayo. Cheese on top if you like.

Or eggs, anything with eggs.

Thank you I will start making a list of ideas!

With stir fry what meat cooks quickly? I find chicken takes too long and I don't like prawns.

The same with the curry sauce what meat cooks quickly or would I have to use something like chickpeas? I need something that cooks as fast as possible

For the slow cooker what quick and easy things can I put in it? I would need to prep it the night before as no time in the morning but I just want something I can throw in without having to brown meat etc

What kinds of things do people put in wraps? My kids hate fajitas they are not a fan of chicken and are dairy free, they sometimes have ham wraps for lunch but I'm struggling to think of what dinners I could do with them.

Ooh just saw fishfingers or falafel in a wrap, thank you

Can you make cheese free Qaesadillas? What could I use instead?

Guacamole, sour cream/creme fraiche or BBQ sauce are good in cheese free quesadillas.

After watching Professional Masterchef last series I now know that spaghetti carbonara is the easiest dish in the world:

Put pasta on to boil
Fry bacon lardons
Whilst that's happening, beat together 2 eggs (I'd say 1 egg per person eating)
Reduce heat on bacon (so egg doesn't scramble)
Add cooked pasta to pan with bacon, then add beaten eggs. Cook for couple of mins to cook through eggs.

Done.

Sorry - missed the no cheese thing.
You could roast some butternut squash or sweet potatoes the day before and then mash and add some chilli, spices, maybe finely chopped red pepper and onion and use in qaesadillas.

I make a big pan of carrot and lentil soup a couple of times a week so it's ready for times like this. I take it to work for lunch so it gets used up evening if the kids don't have it. And I chop carrot, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes and have on a large plate for the kids to help themselves. Toast some rye bread/sour dough/whole meal bread and it's a quick nutritious dinner in cold weather.

My instinct was/is to make pesto/pasta with cheese in busy times so it's a conscious effort on my part to do this.

We do "picnic" quite often. Basically whatever you fancy - sandwiches, potato salad, sausage roll, boiled eggs, veg sticks & dips, pork pie, cheese etc. DD loves it, we quite often sit on a blanket on the living room floor & eat it, can have different things each time, can also use up any leftovers. Quite good for fussy eaters, diets or allergies & it's pretty easy to prepare.