Best family meals, so bloody bored of cooking/deciding

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I'm sure this has been done to death.

I'm single, and have a 3 and 5 yr old. Seperated when youngest was a baby. So it's been all on me, and I'm just so done with having to think about what to buy, cook and eat every bloody day. Evening meals in particular.

We've just had chicken goujons chips and corn on the cob because I just can't be arsed. Almost went to mcdonalds but the 3 yr old needed an emergency poo. (Nothing wrong with the meal or the McDonald's , I'm just all out of ideas and motivation)

So, what are your favourite family meals?

Preferably quick and easy to cook. I can cook, just .....done . I feel like an empty bloody she'll when it comes to this stuff.

God I know the monotony. Especially during lockdown I was so fucking sick of planning buying and cooking every single bloody meal for everyone!

This week we’ve had:
Caramelised onion quiche with salad and wedges
Toad in the hole with cauliflower cheese
Fajitas
Chilli

We’re vegetarian so all vegetarian versions.

Yes, I don't think lockdown has helped my current mindset!

Thanks for the suggestions, Toad in the hole, not done that ......I don't think ever since having DC!

We had a phase of fajitas but not for a while.

Hmm, my dd loves tomato sauce with meatballs and pasta.

Or basically pasta on any kind.🤪

Our family favourites (that we will all eat!) are
Spaghetti bolognese
Macaroni cheese
Build own burger
Build own pizza
Tacos (left over veggies great in frittata next lunch time)
Roast chicken
Butternut squash risotto
Coconut dal
Sausage and mash
Rissoles

I feel the same :(

Yesterday I oven cooked chicken breast pieces, sausage (the mattersons smoked sausage), a tin of mixed beans in tomato sauce and half a tin of Dolmio (or tin tomato would have done). Plus paprika and a little chilli powder. On a separate tray, cubed potatoes in oil with more paprika. It took 30-40 minutes. It was lovely.

Cottage pie? At that age, I did little portions in ramekins for the dc.

Soup - something thick like lentil or vegetable soup is a meal together with some bread and maybe cheese / ham if they’re super hungry.

Lazy-gal-recipe from me:
Buy meatballs or veggie version
Put in oven with oil
When they are nearly cooked tip a tin of tomatoes in
Cook more until the tomatoes are jammy and all cooked
Add grated mozzarella
Cook more
Eat with french stick and salad out of a packet.

O
I hate cooking

I batch cook beef stew and cottage pie etc but yes it's all boring after a while.
Sausages and mash
Pizza
Chicken curry
Salad (still love in this weather)

Argh. The story of my life. I used to enjoy cooking, when I had time to enjoy cooking. Now it's a case kd whatever is fastest.

Spaghetti bologniase
Meatballs and spaghetti
Sausage and mash
Mac n cheese.
Roast
Quiche and salad
Cold meats and salad
Homemade pizza
Filled jacket potato
Fish n chips
Posh fish with rice type side

There are the general sort of thing we have. Oh let's not forget beans on toast which is a good Friday meal when noone could be bothered.

Sorry to laugh, OP but the emergency poo comment is hilarious
Macaroni cheese
Meatballs and spaghetti
Chicken burger with gherkins and salad
Omelette
Soup and crusty bread/pasty/cheese toasties
Hotdogs
Quiche, salad, little potatoes, egg mayo
Fajitas
Jacket potatoes with anything
Pea and pancetta orzo
Sausage and mash
Cassoulet
Posh fish finger butties
Beans on toast
Moussaka
Pie and peas

These are all my bung in the oven type things. Lasagne can wait for a weekend!

Fish pie
Kedgeree
Risotto
When dc were small they loved the tinned meatballs with pasta
Tuna pasta
Creamy salmon pasta (cook pasta, finely chopped broccoli and dill. Drain. Stir in smoked salmon offcuts and creme fraiche.)
Anything in a wrap - so chicken in fajita seasoning, fish fingers and salad.
Burgers in bubs with a choice of cheese/salad/ dressing/ jalapeño or gherkins.
Filled fresh pasta with cream cheese/ cheese sauce
Pasta with bacon/bratwurst (aldi do some lovely chilli ones if you do spice) and tinned tomatoes.
Chilli with rice or jacket potatoes.
Beef stew and dumplings
Sausage and mash.
When the dc were small I would occasionally buy 'flipper dippers' and serve them with blue mash and sweetcorn to make a beach.
Or Turkey dinosaurs with a mashed potato volcano and baked bean lava

DS1 is pescetarian and fussy so sometimes I have to make 2 variations of something, or he has filled pasta/pizza instead of whatever I've made.

I know what you mean. I usually enjoy cooking but also go through periods have having zero mojo. My zero mojo meals are shop-bought pie/lasagne and a side of veg and potato in some form.
Pizza also an easy go-to. I buy the cheapest plain pizzas (under £1) and then pimp them. Add extra cheese, ham, frozen peppers, frozen onion, caramelised onion etc and you end up with a great pizza. Kids get involved too.

Meals when I have more motivation are stir-fry with noodles or rice. Sometimes chicken, some quorn.
Quorn & cauliflower curry- I use shop bought curry, usually the Aldi one with spices & a sauce. Use small pieces of cauliflower then no one realises its in the there! Add a side of naan and mango chutney.
Roast chicken breast, peppers, onion, b.nut squash in a large tray. Add various spices for different flavours.
Gammon in the slow cooker is so simple and really tasty.

We've just had chicken goujons chips and corn on the cob because I just can't be arsed

Don't be so hard on yourself. This is a perfectly acceptable meal in my world!

Fajitas tonight
Paella yesterday
Minestrone with meatballs
Cheesy vegetable pasta
Salad, cold meat, cheese etc
Jacket pots.

That's been our last few

This week
Roast gammon with all the trimmings
Grilled, butterflied garlic chicken breasts in ciabatta with salad
Root veg and bean stew.
Falafel in pitas
(Veggie) Sausage casserole with green beans and broccoli
Pasta arabiata
Shakshuka

@formerbabe I did just think that myself - I feel like I've failed somehow, but realised if someone else we beating themselves up over that sort of meal I'd tell them it was fine!

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to make a note of them.

I need to vary the quick kids pasta meal, so nice to see some options.

@BobbinThreadbare123 I was just turning the car in the direction of the golden arches when....."my tummy hurts...."

Creamy garlic chicken pasta. Goes down lovely here, complete silence at dinner time. Oil, garlic (fry off gently) add cooked chicken, add double cream, pasta on, ta dah! Easy.
Gammon roast dinner on Sunday, use leftover gammon for ham, egg and chips.
Jacket potatoes with fillings.
Sausage and mash.
Fajitas.

Oh i like the garlic chicken pasta idea, that's the sort of easiness I'm after.

Child 2 does not like beans. So beans on toast is out, as is jacket spud with cheese and beans.

Is jacket spud eith cheese snd beans, or tuna sweetcorn mayo, a legitimate dinner? I know thats what if I'd have id it was just me.

Jacket potato and filling is definitely a meal!

@ImFree2doasiwant it’s such an easy thing to make and keeps the troops happy and quiet. My two are 9 and 11 and still love it. You can hear a pin drop at dinner.

This week:

Salmon (throw in oven)
Fishfingers
A takeaway
Omelette

You can see I’ve lost my mojo with cooking well and truly!!

We do loads of pasta. Pesto, cheesy, tomato in various guises, etc. I just bung some frozen veg in the pan as I’m boiling the pasta to make me believe it’s healthy.

Jacket potato and a filling is clearly a meal.

Burritos? My 18 month old has his all deconstructed but yours are older and might manage better - I keep the spice separate.

Pork and mash. Don’t bother with peeling the spuds and chuck some study leafy greens (something like a bag of spring greens or kale) in for the last few minutes of the potato’s boiling. Crush rather than proper mashing them both together and add cheese and spring onions.

Cooked Breakfast for dinner.

My I don’t bloody know lunch is a picnic plate. Some sort of bread type item (crackers or a scone counts in my book but a pitta chopped up works). A protein (cheese cubes/fish/deli meat) a spread or dipping item (soft cheese/hummus) and some veg sticks.

My kids favourite is sausage meat pasta. Cut chunks of sausage and fry off, add onion, garlic, herbs, s&p, pasata and tinned toms. Cook til thickened, add in cooked pasta (sometimes i add pesto to the pasta as well). It’s a really simple tasty recipe and I always end up making loads for leftovers.
Other faves include chilli in wraps with rice and cheese - I use frozen mince, jar chilli sauce and micro rice when time is of the essence!
Teriyaki beef rice - frozen mince, onion, teriyaki sauce with jasmine rice. Side salad of ribbon cucumber and carrots with sesame seeds. Again quick and easy.
They also love “picky teas” (sorry I know people hate that!) - bits of cold meat, sausage, cheese, some cucumber, crisps, grapes etc. Good for when they’ve had a hot lunch.
Trying to get them into corned beef hash as it’s my favourite, not there yet but I’ll persevere!
Mine are all bloody fussy and won’t eat eggs, beans, jackets etc. I feel your pain.