What are your go to quick, easy evening meals?

[ImaHogg]

I’m spending more and more time rushing about these days as I am caring for my mum. I am finding I am sticking frozen foods in the oven more often than not which isn’t ideal.
Any ideas for quick, easy, relatively healthy meals that I can rely on as go to’s for the family. We eat meat but ds is veggie so I usually have to do him something different then he has the same veggies as us.

Chopped up onions, peppers and broccoli. Fry in olive oil whilst cooking pasta. Add tinned tomatoes, chicken stock cube, salt and pepper (also garlic if you like). Mix pasta with sauce. Grate in cheese and mix. Cheesy veggie pasta.

Salmon, pasta, peas and pesto
Chicken kebabs - toss chicken, pepper and red onion in a spice and grill with either spicy microwave rice or pitta bread

Stew and tatties - frozen diced beef, frozen chopped carrots, frozen broccoli, frozen diced onions, potatoes quartered. Stick it all still frozen with a couple of those liquid stock things and a pint of boiling water into a big over proof pan. Into the oven really low (I have a slow cook bit of my oven). Leave it for hours.

Done. If you can be bothered make some ready dumpling mix and put them in 20 mins before serving.

Frozen is the way forward!

Peppers, onions, halloumi, whacked in a frying pan to cook.

I add in whichever veggies are looking sorry for themselves in the fridge. Usually courgette and beans/mange tout.

Sachet of cous cous in a jug with boiling water to pouf up. Flavoured one ideal, if plain, whack in a veg stock cube.

Dump the cous cous in the frying pan, mix up and cover liberally with sweet chilli sauce.

So good!

I know it's a salad but I had this yesterday and it was nice and easy
For 2 people
60g quinoa boiled and cooled
Feta cheese cubes (I had marinated it in Olive oil, garlic
and oregano)
Diced red pepper, cucumber carrot and avocado
Lemon juice and a little of the oil marinade for a dressing
I just did all the toppings by how much I wanted.

My go to quick meal is cook pasta. Add a spoon of marmite and grated cheese. Food of the gods.

Our quickies are-

Creamy chicken pasta where I basically chop and fry some onion and garlic, add some chicken (or chicken sausages), fry till cooked, then add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tub of reduced fat creme fraiche. Simmer for a few minutes while pasta cooks and then combine.

Chicken stirfry using a bag of prepared stirfry veg. Fry chicken in wok, add veg, throw noodles in water and while they're cooking, make up a sauce with soy sauce, housing, 5 spice, mirin and cornstarch. Quick and easy!

I also try and batch cook where possible so that we have a stash of meals in the freezer ready to go.

One thing that has been a game changer for me is designated days. Mondays is pasta. Tueday is tacos or fajitas (young children) wednesdays is something with rice, Thursdays something with sausages and Fridays something with fish.

It makes things so much easier to plan around. But if I am totally out of inspriation (like today) I just bung protein next to mashed potatos, steamed broccoli, sweet corn and honey butter carrots. Today for me is steak and the veg; DCs tempura chicken and the veg and Vegetarian DS is baked basil tofu (comes ready packed in health shops and in Morrisons) and the veg.

Jacket potatoes with tuna (microwaved for 10/15 first and finished under the grill) total of 25 mins or so.

Salmon tray bake (wedges given head start on one half of the pan for 15, then salmon in foil put on same tray for 20/25), have veg cooking during this time. Done in about 45 mins total min effort.

As another OP said, chorizo pasta using an aldi pasta sauce if in a big rush, if not I'll whip up a quick pasta sauce myself.

BATCH COOK: lentil curry, Smokey homemade beans, a fish pie, ragu/chilli con carne with grated carrot added in for extra veg (can't taste it at all, bulks it up cheaply and adds a slight sweetness)

Bangers and mash never disappoints and is super fast!

Oooooh and simple pizzas!

I use the What Mummy Makes recipe which is literally Greek yoghurt and flour with some baking powder. Honestly it is so so quick and just whack on a bit of tomato purée, some cheese and whatever you fancy. Ham and sweet corn, hummous, spinach, peppers whatever you have in. That took us about 40 mins the other day.

Often some sort of grilled meat or fish, with some
combo of salad, new potatoes, cous cous, rice, roasted or steamed veg. Often pull out of the freezer in the morning and leave in the fridge to marinate/defrost while I am out.

The Roasting Tin series of cookbooks is really good if you want some quick, easy traybakes.

Fried rice - scramble eggs, put to one side. Stir fry onions (I always have chopped frozen onion, garlic, herbs and chilli in the freezer), frozen peas and any other veg I have around like peppers, broccoli, carrots etc, add cooked rice (I use pouches) and stir until hot. Put egg back in and add some soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir. Done. You can add leftover cooked chicken too if you want.

Tiny Jersey Royal potatoes take 20 mins, serve with salmon cooked in foil in oven with lemon juice and frozen peas. Whole thing takes 20 mins.

Fresh tagliatelle cooked takes 4 mins and diced chicken breast, panchetta and creme fraise. Dry fry chicken and Panchetta, drain and add creme fresh and handful of peas pour over tagliatelle. Takes 13 mins.

Jacket potato cooked in microwave, then in oven for 10 mins with melted cheese and wafer thin ham. Serve with salad.

These are our "easy" meals for when the kids have been at clubs etc.
Pesto pasta
Mozzarella stuffed meatballs. I batch cook lots and bung in however many we need.
Naan bread pizzas (naan, bit of pizza sauce, cheese and whatever toppings the kids want. 10mins in oven)
Fishfinger pie (fishfingers, parsley sauce with frozen peas, smash on top when pressed for time)
Rotisserie chicken makes us a couple of meals. (Simply with new potatoes/butter/parsley and a salad, thrown into a quick curry etc.)
Chilli con carne (jar of sauce), throw some nachos topped with cheese in an oven dish under the grill and the kids think christmas has come early.
Cheesy chicken is also a hit.

I don’t have a slow cooker but have wondered if it may be a wise investment especially in the winter?

Yes it will be.

I use mine for roasting meat, just stick a joint or a chicken in and leave for 5+ hours.

I have a small slow cooker too and this is easy tasty and can be adapted

2 chicken breasts or three thighs, left whole or chopped.
Chopped / sliced mushrooms
1 sliced leek
1 jar of creme fraiche
1 tin Campbells condensed mushroom soup - this has all the seasoning you need

Stick it all in the slow cooker and come home to a lovely creamy chicken, I usually eat half with rice and veg and then I put the other half in a foil dish and top with puff pastry - either eat or freeze.

For a family you would need to double the amounts.

Really quick and easy pasta dish

You need pasta
cream cheese Philadelphia is fine but fancier cheese works too

Optional - whatever you have in the kitchen so mushrooms, onions, garlic, leeks, peppers, seasonings

Put the pasta in a pan and heat, when it is cooked (or 2 mins before) DO NOT DRAIN but turn off the hob.

If you are using anything optional fry in a little oil, and I mean a little, 1/2 a teaspoon.

Once your optionals are cooked put in a good dollop of cream cheese per person, stir with a wooden spoon. Add 2 dessertspoons per person of the pasta cooking water and stir.

Drain the pasta and toss in the cheese mixture.

We are all veggie and our quick cook meals are:

Bake ready made falafel in the oven. Slice some peppers, salad - put the falafel, peppers and salad in the pitta and serve with salsa, hummus, guacamole.

Spanish omelette with crusty bread and salad - eggs, manchego cheese, baby potatoes (use tinned for quickness) add in any other veg - mix together, put in frying pan, then to firm up the top pop it under the grill for a few mins.

Fajitas are quick - buy a fajita kit and use the vivera vegetarian kebab meat, couple of peppers and an onion.

Halloumi pittas - grill slices of halloumi and serve in pittas with olives, red onion, peppers, salad etc.

Ratatouille pasta - fry courgette, aubergine, onion, cherry tomatoes, olives - add fresh tomato pasta sauce - serve with penne and garlic bread.

Gnocchi and sauce or pesto

Gousto recipe boxes are great and they have a range that takes 10 mins to cook, or 5 mins to prep, or “chopped” so all the prep is done!

Our easy dinners are:
Pasta pesto with some frozen vegetables.
Jacket potatoes with beans, cheese salad and eggs.
Pan fried chicken breast with spices (cajun, fajita usually), mash potato and vegetables.
Fry up - sausages, bacon, hash browns, slice of toast, beans and an egg.
Chilli - variety of beans, quorn mince, chopped tomatoes, and chilli spices. With tortillas and rice.
Soup with bread.
Minted lamb kebabs from tesco (fresh section 2 for £7) with homemade wedges.
Honey glazed gammon (also tesco 2 for £7) with homemade chips and beans.
Chicken goujons in brioche buns/wraps with chips and salad.
Pasta bake with salad.

I'm gluten and dairy free and all of these are adaptable so kids have regular versions and I have mine so easy to substitute for your veggie son :)

Just a thought, maybe get a raclette?

You can then just put out bowls of meat, veg, salad, cheese and let everyone cook their own.

Mine is similar to this www.bestron.com/en/arc650.html

Rice vermicelli stir fry. Soak the noodles in warm water for a few mins. During that time, chop veg / chicken breast / chorizo and whisk eggs. Fry up veg, add chicken, eggs, chorizo, noodles and soy sauce.

And look up the secret recipes thread in Classics.

And Recipetineats.

@ImaHogg I wouldn't bother with a slow cooker and would get a multicooker instead. I ditched my slow cooker as my multicooker slow cooks, pressure cooks, sautes etc and does it all and quicker too. I would never go back and havent used a single kitchen gadget more than this, it has been worth its weight in gold.

How old are the children? Are any at an age where they can pick up some of the cooking? By about 13 I was competent enough to cook a family meal a couple of times a week and quite enjoyed it. I have some brilliant veggie cookbooks but the two I can't stop using at the moment are Jamie Oliver's Veg and Meera Sodha's East. DS might be interested in trying some
of the recipes.

Cooked chicken from supermarket delivery counter (hot)
Bag new pots, with butter and spring onions added
Bag of salad with some cherry Tom's thrown in
Tub of coleslaw

Ready made quiche, ham, with cous cous instead of pots and as above

Lamb steaks with Greek salad and new potatoes

Salmon filllets with stir fried veg and noodles

Bought soup, crusty bread, cheese, pate and salad.

Oh baked casement, crusty bread, anti-pasti

Pasta with a slosh of wine and boursin crumbled and stirred in.

Decant two bought lasagne into a serving dish, layer of sliced Tom's and cheddar and serve with salad.

Gammon, egg and chips

Tray of chicken tights with juice of a lemon, garlic, paprika and salt and pepper - oven for 45 mins.

Bagged salad is your friend - takes about 45 secs to throw together a salad with Tom's, cu, peppers, spring onion and you can add feta and black olives or avocado to ring the changes.

Just snip some coriander and add juice of a lemon with a little marigold stock to cous cous.