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Original poster

Your quick and easy go to meals

28 replies

Mummyof279 · 08/02/2022 15:14

What meals do you make when you are in a rush and have very little time. Today I am collecting the kids from school , then picking cat up from vets and have to get the dinner made and kids fed in around 30 mins. I have prepped the veggies for an
omelette and just going to give that with some yoghurt. Often have days like this and just don't know what to make that is quite healthy but quick that they will eat. What do you do?

OP posts:
QforCucumber · 08/02/2022 15:18

Cheese on toast with beans, cucumber and cherry tomatoes
Omelette and beans
Sometimes the kids are happy with porridge with mashed banana and cinnamon and abit of dark choc grated on top

Most days our meals are ready in 30-40 mins of getting home (I get in with them at 5:30 and we always eat by 6:15, slow cooker is used twice a week too.

AiryFairy1 · 08/02/2022 15:21

Following. I’m kind of tempted to try mine with a tin of tomato soup with cut up hotdogs one day, after seeing it in This Is Us…. not especially healthy though!

emmathedilemma · 08/02/2022 15:42

Jacket potatoes & beans (if you've got an oven timer learn how to use it!)
Stir fry with a bag of ready chopped veg, cooked chicken or prawns and microwave rice or noodles.
Pizza - not that healthy but whack some salad bits on the side
Chicken, brocolli & pesto pasta - boil the brocolli in with the pasta, fry off diced chicken breast, mix it all up with pesto and heat through.
Soup, hummus & pitta breads to dip

emmathedilemma · 08/02/2022 15:43

Smoked salmon & scrambled eggs on bagels

PurpleDaisies · 08/02/2022 15:48

Stuff from the freezer.
Last night was batch cooked smoky beans with rice, guacamole and cottage cheese (no sour cream in).
Pasta with whatever veg are suitable from the fridge, passata, dried herbs and frozen veggie meat balls. Soya mince of tinned lentil bolognese is also really quick.

We often have a frozen pizza with salad /garlic bread if we are in a rush and don’t want to cook.

itwasntaparty · 08/02/2022 15:52

Fresh pasta and sauce
Stir fry
Quesadillas
Chicken wraps and salad

Fivemoreminutes1 · 08/02/2022 16:13

Tomato soup with toasted cheese sandwich
10 minute lentil ragu
Crispy noodles
Salmon fried rice

MrsPnut · 08/02/2022 20:55

Tonight I made nasi goreng using frozen chopped mixed vegetables and frozen chopped onions fried with sambal olek paste before adding 2 pouches of basmati micro rice and ketjap manis. Top with a fried egg and sriracha if you like spice. Took under 10m.

Spaghetti carbonara or pasta with mushrooms, leeks, courgette, pesto and crème fraiche. I have a few pasta dishes that take as long as it takes the pasta to cook.

I also make lo mein noodles with vegetables that is a quick slurpy meal.

OooohBabyBaby · 08/02/2022 21:01

Fresh filled pasta, a jar of sauce spinach mixed in, cooked for ten mins then add a sprinkling of cheese for the final 10/15mins
Not the healthiest but quick, easy and always eaten

Topbird29 · 08/02/2022 21:08

Filled pasta with some veg, tonight was with tinned sweetcorn (cold) and tomatoes.
Pesto pasta and peas. Cook peas in with the pasta.
Egg fried rice with cooked prawns or chicken. Need to boil and cool the rice earlier in the day though.
Mussels (the pre packed ones in white wine etc) and crusty bead

pastabest · 08/02/2022 21:23

Fresh pasta and sauce every time, with some frozen peas chucked in.

less than 8 mins on the hob and you are done.

Or do what I do and order them a hot dinner at school and have sandwiches for supper on busy days.

you can always toast it and serve it with baked beans and some carrot sticks if it makes you feel better.

Etsylicious · 08/02/2022 21:26

Packet cous cous with fried halloumi and a Greek salad on side - takes about 15 mins

Abelard40 · 08/02/2022 21:29

Pile in the oven dish in a one off tray bake thing

InFiveMins · 08/02/2022 21:39

Oven baked risotto is a staple in this house. If you Google it there is a fab recipe on the bbc website, just make sure it's the oven baked one. We have it at least once a week and it's so easy and quick to make and so tasty.

Spaghetti with loads of olive oil and Parmesan cheese, served with garlic bread.

Also tuna pasta bake.

pumpkinpie01 · 08/02/2022 21:48

Cheese toasties with beans , chicken nugget wraps , cheesy pasta with peas and broccoli.

Teaforme123 · 08/02/2022 21:53

Potato waffles cooked in the toaster with beans or spaghetti hoops, crumpet bagel or tortilla wrap pizza with frozen peppers and cheese, pasta (I make a great hidden veg tomato sauce and use it for all sorts) sometimes if in a massive rush just give Weetabix or porridge.

FusionChefGeoff · 08/02/2022 22:28

Fajitas are super speedy

RosiePosieDozy · 08/02/2022 22:32

Stir fry
Pasta and a sauce that I have made and batch cooked
Jacket potatoes, cheese and beans
Noodles, some kind of chicken/veggie option and sweetcorn
A freezer meal like nuggets, wedges and beans

Fedupsotired · 08/02/2022 22:33

@FusionChefGeoff we love fajitas but I always find they take ages to prep and cook!

IAmSantaOhYesIAm · 08/02/2022 22:40

All of the above suggestions are fab and are staple go to meals when you have little time but honestly, prep is your friend here.
Marinate diced chicken and freeze. Get out on the morning you want it and then you can add to stir fry’s, or mix with peppers and bung in the oven- serve with wraps or pitta.
Make ahead bolognaise, freezes really well as do most mince dishes - lasagne, chilli, shepherds pie.
Pasta is probably the quickest easiest carb to cook so learn a few homemade sauces to add to it - again a homemade pasta sauce will freeze really well. Or add sausage/bacon/ mushrooms and a tub of cream cheese!
Halloumi salad is nice served with crusty bread.
Soups and a sandwich - I’m banging on the homemade drum again but soup is super simple to make and freezes really well. My fave is butternut squash and red pepper - you can buy frozen squash chunks to save time and chopping!

PinkTonic · 09/02/2022 07:28

Spaghetti carbonara, fried rice with veg and prawns or griddled lamb chops with tzatziki, salad and pitta.

Original poster
Mummyof279 · 09/02/2022 12:21

Thank you for all the ideas. I think the above poster is right and I need to prep and freeze because in all honesty no way could I cook, cool and eat some of the food within 30 minutes e.g jacket potatoes would take a lot longer than 30 mins. Also kids won't eat pasta with tomato sauce only white sauce. Pasta, cream cheese and steamed packet of veg would be good.

OP posts:
Comedycook · 09/02/2022 12:23

Chicken goujons or nuggets
Frozen mash
Peas

Rainbows89 · 09/02/2022 12:43

A good quick one for us is naan bread pizzas. The naan breads live in the freezer. I whack the oven on. Stick naan breads in for a few minutes, then take them out and add red sauce, grated cheese, ham, mushrooms, sweetcorn or whatever.

Pop them back in for 10 minutes and they are done. The kids love them!

emmathedilemma · 09/02/2022 12:48

jacket potatoes would take a lot longer than 30 mins. my point was that if you've got a timer on your oven then jacket potatoes can be ready when you walk in the front door! They're fine to leave in the oven from cold in a morning. Likewise, things like pizza - time the oven to come on before you're due to arrive home so it's hot and you can bung it straight in.