Family dinners you can prep during nap time - inspiration required for a crap cook

[NoEuropeWho]

Currently I am catering for DC1 (4yo), DC2 (9mo) and me (30yo) to sit down about 5-6pm. DC2 is sometimes happy to amuse himself in his playpen but typically 4-5pm is very much not that time. So even ‘quick’ suppers which require 20 mins of sustained attention are a struggle at the moment.

He does however tend to have a decent pm nap so I’ve had some success prepping things like pasta bake or (not too salty) macaroni cheese while he has a kip which I can then bung in the oven later. Also cottage/shepherds pie although tbh I always find that slightly more faff than anticipated and end up frantically mashing while he yells from his cot.

Any other ideas? I have a slow cooker which has only been used for stews but I have the feeling may be an untapped resource.

DC1 is no fussier than average but, you know, he’s 4. DC2 will shovel anything in as long as it’s vaguely pick-up-able and gummable.

Help.

I was in the exact same situation as you about 3 years ago.

I used to try and prep dinner while DS2 napped and before DC1 came in from school.

I’d try to make things that we could all eat but the kids could have earlier than us.

Things that worked were:

Cottage or Shepherds pie. Use frozen mash as someone else suggested. You will not know the difference. Make the mince and veg part during nap time, put in a dish. Make mash in micro, fork it over the top with some cheese and out in oven half hour before needed. Sometimes i’d just do this part straight away and cover with foil to keep warm and lightly heat a portion in micro.

Spag Bol. Make the sauce at nap time, even cook the spagetti and drain into cold water to keep.

Fish Pie - same as cottage pie above

Mac n cheese as you have already done.

Baked potatoes - wrap each one in foil, put in slow cooker for 6 hours on low. Ta da! Instant dinner with choice of topping like beans, cheese, tuna, salad etc

Some nights it’s fine to just nuggets and chips for the kids and someone nicer for the grown ups!

Even now, despite both mine being in school, i still tend to prep dinner in the afternoons. I do have the luxury of not working afternoons tho which makes this work for me.

Trying to see to tired hungry kids whilst making dinner is THE WORST!

Sacrifice some time during nap time and do it ahead.

Monday morning chuck all this in your slow cooker:
I bag frozen chopped onions
Big squirt garlic paste
700g pack of minced beef (you can brown it first if you have time)
1 litre passata
Big squirt tomato purée
Half a bag of dried red lentils
Beef stock pot/cube
(You can add finely diced carrots and peppers if you have time)

Monday dinner - serve with pasta and pre grated cheese on top
Tuesday - oven cook in a dish with frozen mash on top and serve with frozen peas as cottage pie
Wednesday - add a tin of kidney beans and a bit of chilli powder to what’s left and serve with rice and frozen sweetcorn
Thursday - bung jacket potatoes in before witching hour, serve with baked beans and pre grated cheese, bit of salad veg if you can.
Friday - Fishfingers/sausages, chips/waffles and boiled broccoli/carrots/whatever’s in the fridge.

For the Friday dinner I cut veg during naptime and leave it in saucepans on the hob ready to go. I even put sausages on a tray in the fridge during naptime so I literally just have to chuck the tray in the oven closer to dinner time!

MonsterKidz I thought the whole point of frozen mash was that you could just whack it on top of the mince still frozen? That's what I do and then just give it a quick fork after it's been in the oven about 10 mins to make it look a bit more homemade.

Packet rice is another good cheat along with frozen rice. Most sauces work best on their second heating so do the prep and simmer during the nap and just warm it later. Same for pies or casseroles.
Vegetarian meals mean less worry about reheating or undercooking.

Reporting back 3 dinners later.

Sausage/apple/sweet potato/veg tray bake (with the least salty bangers I could find) prepped at nap time was a WIN.
Aubergine and lentil ragu thing in the slow cooker needs some work - I think I just need to adjust my seasoning and wetness (yuck, sorry, better word required) as a slow cooker novice but the concept of a slow cooked thing to put on pasta is promising. May try more trad Bolognese next time.
Tonight I cooked this genius thing (with a few minor tweaks) which is sort of fish pie adjacent for when you can’t be arsed - www.mrsrachelbrady.co.uk/2016/10/easy-gnocchi-salmon-and-pea-bake/ and it was actually very good
May do chicken/pepper thing from the Roasting Tin book tomorrow. Or nuggets and hoops. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

I am actually quite enjoying a bit of experimentation even if DC1 is a bit perturbed by all the NEW food I keep making him try. Thanks for the inspiration

Have also bought frozen onions, frozen peppers and frozen mash...

Ok I have a dal recipe for you. I make it twice weekly.

Heat oil. Add cumin seeds. Add a big handful of red lentils. Stir. Add a teaspoon of cumin powder and half a teaspoon of ground turmeric. Add salt. If you want, squeeze in some tomato purée/tomato paste. Give it a good stir. Add water. Let it cook for 30-35 mins till the lentils are also cooked and almost mush. Your dal can be as thin or as thick as you like.

My kids will eat rice, dal and yogurt as a backup any day of the week. While the dal is cooking if you bake some vegetables cut up small and add it in, it’s quite a filling meal.

Slow cooker really is your friend here. I often do:

• cubes of lamb with aubergine, courgette, potatoes, onion, harrisa paste and then add some feta at the end
• Massaman or other thai curry - just only add a tiny bit of curry paste while it cooks, take some out for the baby and then stir in more to taste
• Casseroles

I don't cook this one in the slow cooker but fish pie mix, tin of chopped tomatoes, onion, some green veg like green beans or spinach and some lazy garlic/chillis to taste. Serve with rice.

Sorry HRFT but another vote for frozen mash, though I find it needs a good knob of butter and some black pepper. I love cooking but hate mashing pots with steamed up specs!

Comfort simple fish pie:
Frozen white fish fillets, or frozen salmon - cook slowly from frozen in some milk on hob
Cook frozen mash in microwave at the same time
When fish is 95% cooked, decant it into a lasagne style dish
Use the fishy milk to make a cheesy/white sauce made with cream cheese/or out of a packet sauce
Tip sauce over the fish
Top with the mash

Can reheat in the oven for tea a few hours later (mmm crispy mash) or serve straightaway with peas/broccoli

This fish pie is still both my teenage DSs comfort food of choice!

Salmon fillets, broccoli and baby pots. Prep time=5 mins
Pasta, pesto, broccoli, chicken and chorizo = prep time =5 mins

In case no one else has mentioned it, fish pie is better if you use fresh fish, no poaching nonsense, just a fish pie mix , pour over a cheese or white sauce, ( I make my own but you could use ready made ) and top with mash frozen or fresh,
Also if you can double up any freezable stuff like Bol sauce, or tomato sauce, even s small portion can be bulked out stirred into pasta with grated cheese on top
Ready rolled pastry topped with onion chutney ( jar) and goats cheese, baked off in the oven is super tasty too

I’m in a similar position op and try to prep dinner during the lunchtime nap.

I made this yesterday and just reheated on the hob later, went down really well...
recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/main-courses/provencal-chicken

I try to have meal components in the freezer so prep is quick. Mashed potatoes, tomato sauce (or tomato sauce with loads of veg whizzed in it too), white sauce, frozen peppers/spinach/onions.
Also cook double so one meal is in the freezer for another day.

I meal plan so I don’t have to decide what on earth I can cook that day. I always include a couple easy days for things like jacket pots, fish fingers, egg or beans on toast etc. The kids seem to like those days the best!

The slow cooker is great at this time of year. Try sausage stew, soups, bolognese etc.

Might be worth looking at dump bags on Pinterest for inspiration too.

Oh, i never thought about that with frozen mash!

I will try from frozen next week!

I did tray bakes all the time when DC were young.

Chicken drumsticks with peeled chunks of potato or sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash etc (whatever they will eat) all tossed in any herbs or spices you fancy, with a splash of oil and water in the base so it doesn't stick.

Or pork steaks (or sausages) with shallots or wedges of red onion, chunks of apple or pear and baby potatoes with a splash of cider and some fresh herbs.

Or boned chicken breasts or thighs, stirred through with chopped tinned tomatoes, diced peppers and onions, topped with grated mozzarella.