Easy meals to suit elderly person and younger people

[Letsskidaddle]

I’m running out of ideas for meals that are suitable for different generations.

At times, I’m cooking for DH and me, adult DCs (late teens/early 20s) and my parent in law.

I like most foods as does DP especially different cuisines/more modern things as well as healthier options

Personally I’m not a fan of things like shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash etc.

DCs also like most things and are even more into international foods and ‘fusion’.

DCs are not around for every meal, maybe only 1 or 2 a week and grateful to be cooked for.

Parent in law is hugely appreciative of the meals but prefers more traditional foods like bangers and mash, meat and veg, casseroles etc. which I’m not over keen on eating or cooking TBH.

To save time I’ve been batch cooking and freezing but things have become a bit samey, and I’m getting a bit bored!

Please can you give me any ideas for what might please everyone and give me something more interesting to cook.

Thanks!

What about stews and casseroles? There are lots of alternatives and done well they're tasty and filling and should tick the basic boxes. Coq au vin, Boeuf Bourgignon, Chicken Cacciatore, Pork and beans, you name it! With some mash or a baked potato, rice or pasta and some veg on the side they should suit everyone. TBH though, you're the cook and if those eating it would prefer something else, well they can bloody well cook for themselves then can't they! Your DC are old enough and you PIL is lucky to have a willing DIL to feed them.

@ladybirdsanchez great suggestions, thank you!

These will be perfect actually. I’d drawn a blank and couldn’t think beyond a 70s meat casserole!

Honestly, everyone is really appreciative and I’m happy to do the cooking but lacked imagination 😁

You said you don’t like casseroles but are happy with the suggestion of casseroles 🫤

I know…. 😂

I meant the more traditional beef, carrot and onion type of casserole. A more exciting type will be perfect, and I can see the cacciatore could be pimped with spices, and served with everything from pasta or bread to mash or wedges.

Somedays I wish we could just have a cup of tea and biscuits for dinner!

Slightly spicy shepherds pie (like keema)
Jamaican style chicken stew
Slow cooked beef curry

Basically just traditional things but with small amounts of spices snuck in over time and served with carrots and potatoes instead of rice or noodles

How about:
Beef stew; shepherds pie; cottage pie, jacket potatoes; omelettes; mince and mash; fish and chips; mid week roast dinners; curry….

Take a look at Stocked frozen meals for ideas for batch cooking

Risottos might work. Not meat heavy, you can make them as healthy as you like but they are properly satisfying. Pasta bakes perhaps with salmon or tuna.

Could you do a twist on the traditional meals? E.g. Vegetarian bangers and sweet potato wedges.

You could freeze a whole lot of single portions of more traditional food and then cook a more adventurous meal for you and your DCs. It's ok to eat different meals once in a while if you have cooked one of them in advance.

I'd batch bake some jacket potatoes and have some different fillings so your elders can have with cheese, tuna, beans and others could have chilli, curry, etc. I've always got a few in the freezer.
Likewise pasta can have different sauces or toppings.