Dinner ideas that are quick/low effort but not junk

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We've recently started a business which means we spend a lot of weekends travelling around the country (from either Wednesday or Thursday - Sunday typically) attending trade shows and country fairs etc.

We are both struggling to think of things to have on a Sunday night when we get home - we'll be working on the Sunday daytime, and will get back after the shops have closed at about 6ish or later.

When we get back, there's also lots of work to do (unhitching the trailer/unpacking bags/putting stock away etc) so want something we can just put in the oven or can be ready quickly.

I should add, we only have a small freezer so pre-making a lasagna or something isn't really an option, and we won't have chance in the day to go to a shop as we'll be working. We also don't want to rely on fast food and takeaways as stopping at the services with our trailer etc is a bit of a nightmare!

My current ideas are:

• Chicken burgers
• Ravioli pasta with a sauce
• Pizza and salad

This is maybe a bit fiddlier than you're after, but I do a really easy cheat chicken satay curry which is just a handful of ingredients and very tasty.

Brown chicken - I tend to use breasts and cut them up but pre-cut would be easier - and then add in a chopped onion and garlic. Season - I do salt, pepper and Aromat. Add any other veg you like, I usually do a red pepper and green beans but mushrooms would also work well. Bung in some Thai red curry paste and let it cook down for a couple of minutes, add in a couple of spoons of crunchy peanut butter, stir it all up, then add a tin of coconut milk. I tend to add some chopped fresh coriander before serving.

I'm lazy so we often have it with a microwave rice pouch, sometimes extra veg (tenderstem broccoli mainly) depending what's in it.

I would pre slow cook some nice beef stew then add some pastry/ yorkies/ ready made roasties or pre marinade / cook some pork and have with noodles/ edamame/ spring onion sort of thing. Then not freezing lots just the meat. If you freeze flat should defrost quickly. Or likewise chicken fried rice etc.

Look up The Batch Lady !

or Taming twins.

& others.

these specifically do easy meals. With real food.

the batch lady does nearly all stuff you freeze and cook quickly.

taming twins does some.

also look at the cold water defrost method. Only takes 30-40 minutes to defrost a couple
of meals ready for cooking.

if you prep and freeze in 6 or 7 inch plastic (or compostable!) bags a meal will take up about as much space space in the freezer as a box of malteasers! … & then you could have rice/pasta/potatoes with it!

you could very easily have a full Sunday roast from frozen with a bit of prep & you could probably fit a months worth in a single freezer drawer! … ready within 30-40 minutes of turning the oven on! … even cooking whilst you’re unloading etc.

We do alot of omelet variations, never heard of adding a wrap so definitely going to try thanks 😊

Oven baked salmon parcels, boiled potatoes, green beans. Had this last night, took 20 mins to make and was delicious

Pitta flat breads.
Get a large flat bread any style and warm
Pot of tzatizi spread a heaped tea spoon on top
Add toppings. Like cooked chicken and halloumi
Chuck some hot sauce on top and any salad you like ..tomato cucumber and red onion. If you have any chips going then chuck them on too. There are multiple combinations you can do

I only ever have quick dinners. What you’ve described isn’t a quick dinner in my book.

Stir fry - 6 minutes and great nutritional value
Various steaks with salad - under 10 mins. I include tuna steak etc here
Pan fried chicken with vegetables or pasta
Soup

If you are up for 20 mins or so, anything that you can make in the oven. Salmon with Mediterranean veg. A pasta bake with plenty of protein

Generally though pan-fried high heat recipes are fastest and the easiest way to get your protein and variety of veggies in

Omelette, stir fry, wraps, fried rice, eggs on toast with beans, sausages (chipolatas cook quicker), frozen mash and veg.

Chicken gnocchi. Serves 6 - get a very large deep tray. Add 2 packs of gnocchi and 1 1/2 pints if chicken stock. Cook 3 chopped up large chicken breasts in a dry frying pan. Add to large tray. Add 2 pots of red pesto and chop up 2 mozzarella balls and 3 peppers. I use 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange. Add a sport of tomato puree and garlic puree and splash of cream. A quick mix. Prep time about 17 minutes. Put in oven 180 degrees and cook for 40 minutes. I cook it for 3 teen boys add some garlic bread and they have it warmed up the second day. So 17 mins prep for 2 days meals.

Fajitas, quick curry, chilli you can leave bubbling whilst to unpack, I’d be tempted to put sausages, and carrots in oven, have ready made mash you microwave and put tenderstem broccoli into the oven 8 minutes before the sausages are done. Fry some onions ideally as well and jug of bisto. Very low effort

Mushroom tortelloni with crème fraiche and spinach stirred in at the end. Add garlic mushrooms and parsley if you like, and/or cooked chicken, garlic bread and salad on the side.

Tray bakes of various flavours - mixed Mediterranean veg with or without new potatoes, with skinless chicken thighs on top (for Greek toss in garlic/lemon/oregano, Middle Eastern toss with some harissa paste/olive oil, etc)

Jacket potatoes/batch cooked chilli

Couscous with mixed roast veg topped with air fried chicken or salmon (I do the veg in the air fryer in ten mins)

shakshuka with some crusty bread (you could add chorizo if you wanted non veggie)

Some kind of stew/sausage casserole in the slow cooker, with veg and potato already included.

This is tricky because of having fresh food available that’ll last Wednesday- Sunday while you’re away.

Halloumi tray bake with new potatoes or sweet potatoes, frozen corn on the cob (if you can fit it) and root veg like carrots, beetroot etc. Add all the ingredients apart from the halloumi in the tray, roast with a good dollop of chipotle paste stirred through it. Add halloumi in chunks for last 5 mins.

Halloumi would work for a whole range of things. We love halloumi fajitas (although you’d need some veg).

Toad in the hole could work but is a bit more faff. The tray bake also works with sausages really well and they have a longer shelf life than lots of meats do. The same goes for smoked fish.

someone already said carbonara which is a great shout.

Chickpea curry could work- use a paste and a tin of coconut milk. If you had any leftover veg you could throw it in.

In the same vein, a Bean chilli using tinned mixed beans, tinned tomatoes and then any leftover veg.

I know you said not freezing a whole lasagne but would you have space to freeze the bolognaise mix?

Out of necessity (getting home late and freezing after children's football training) I recently freestyled this, which turned out great and sort of like instant risotto. Jar of butter beans (the brand is 'Bold beans') with all its liquid too - into a pan with a packet of ready rice, half a tub of light Philly, some frozen veggies and some seasoning (I did paprika, oregano, garlic powder) - 5 mins to warm through, grating of parmesan over the top. Delicious and filling.

We had quesadillas last night, a firm favourite in our house! Wraps, topped with refried beans, cooked chicken (we usually buy precooked but you can do your own if preferred) some baby spinach, jalapeños and lots of grated cheese, then another wrap on top. We have a Crepe maker which makes these really easy to cook but they can be done in a frying pan (a few minutes on each side) or even in the oven. Delicious!

These sound particularly delicious. Silly question maybe, but in your second suggestion, do you heat the chickpeas/beans and fry the onions and peppers first?!

I think I got this recipe from MN years ago but it’s been a winner in my house ever since and is so quick and easy with no chopping!

Brown a pack of chipolatas in a big pan or wok, add a tin of tomatoes and two tins of beans in spicy sauce, add some oregano/basil, salt and pepper if wanted and simmer for 15-20 mins. Serve with rice (or pasta) and any veg - broccoli and green beans are v quick to steam, or use frozen veg.

Another quick and equally delicious one is rub salmon fillets with pesto, cook in oven/air fryer for 10-15 mins and while you do that cook pasta. When pasta is ready stir through crème fraiche and pesto. Serve with salmon on the top with steamed broccoli or green beans.

You can buy quick cook pasta in Sainsbury’s that cooks in 5 mins - I use it all the time.

Chicken with tagliatelle for two in our case:

Put the tagliatelle on - I use 3 balls per person, while it’s cooking:
Fry two chopped up chicken breasts in pat of butter in a frying pan
Add a chopped pepper to the chicken (I have also used antipasti peppers in a jar)
Add a small tin of chopped tomatoes
Add some baby spinach leaves (I have also used frozen spinach)
Season to taste (I add a pinch of chilli flakes, as we like things with a bit of warmth, but not too hot)

It takes the time, it takes to cook the pasta

Fresh pasta with smoked salmon (tends to have a relatively long use by day so can be bought before you go), some cream cheese, peas and tenderstem broccoli
Chicken or salmon stir fry. You’d have to carefully select the meat depending on the date and then also chop your own veg as those pre-chopped bags wouldn’t last that long.
To be honest, I’d eat bolognase or something if it had been cooked on the Wednesday and left in the fridge until the Sunday but others might think that that is too long.

You can either fry the veg for a couple of mins first then add the beans and cook for a couple of mins together with the spices in one pan, or you could just lightly fry the spices and beans then add raw veg to your wrap. I personally prefer the first option so the veg get caramelised with the spices.

Another flatbread/wrap themed meal is this tikka tofu wrap recipe using a jar of curry paste to marinade the tofu (use a brand like Tofoo that you don't have to press first) but you can be doing that and the onions whilst you are unpacking. Swap the boiled rice for a microwave rice for extra speed:
realfood.tesco.com/recipes/tofu-tikka-wraps.html

Some of these sound lovely but more like my idea of ‘proper cooking’ than quick and easy!

Quick and easy (and in my view not pure crap):
beans on toast
mushrooms on toast
filled pasta (keeps for ages in fridge)
feta crumbled over salad (feta also keeps forever… not so much salad!)
marmite pasta
pasta pesto
gnocchi with pack of mini mozzas/sundried toms
cheese on toast
ready made soup
dal plus naan bread
couscous plus halloumi, black olives, mint, broccoli, courgette
Very quick salmon en croute - put salmon on some oiled baking paper, place pastry on top, cook 20mins (if you have time to bung cream cheese, mint, dill and peas in a blender and spread over the salmon first even nicer)
jacket potatoes

Chicken rice....
Boil rice and part way through add frozen veg. Add soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger, chicken if you want and fry off with an egg. It's super yummy but my quickest and easiest meal

Some of our family quick meals-

Sausages, merchant tomato packet lentils and broccoli/peas

pre prepped med veg packet, halloumi, chickpeas grilled with pesto on top

Ramen packs with pre grilled chicken breast

pre pack ratatouille with rice and grilled chicken/fish