Genuinely easy family meals you have on rotation?

[cupwithyellowflowers]

I'm a single mum to two teens, don't love cooking but can do it and love food! I am making the same meals week in week out and getting very bored.

What meals do you make for your family that are really truly easy (like 30 mins prep easy, no special equipment?) and not too pricey? Things that take ages in an oven are fine but not loads of chopping and multiple steps etc as I have a busy WFH job. The teens are not fussy and have good appetites.

Also be great to hear of any meals your teens make, so I can hopefully outsource some of the cooking :)

Yes we shop and cook from old recipes cards we have, makes meal planning easy. Favourites are a lamb meatball biryani, gnocchi recipes and a couple of noodle recipes. 10-20 min cooks.

Chicken fajitas, chicken pasta bake, meatballs, carbonara, bolognaise, sticky Chinese chicken tray bake. I also do an easy fish pie with shop bought mash which is really tasty but unfortunately the kids don’t like it, so I do that sometimes on a Saturday night when the kids are having pizza or something.

These are in my weeknight rotation, all within 30 minutes and/or minimal prep and just on an oven tray. Frozen prechopped veg is great, easier and often cheaper than fresh and minimally processed - can even be more nutritious than “fresh” that’s actually be sitting around for weeks. I also use prechoppped jarred garlic and ginger.

Tinned fish pasta (one per week)

• Tinned Mackerel in tomato sauce, tomato purée, frozen peppers, frozen veg base mix, Puy lentil pouch, pasta, lemon
• Tinned salmon with frozen broccoli, frozen peas, frozen spinach, frozen onions, garlic, parsley, Crème fraiche, lemon

Chickpeas, feta, med veg and gnocchi - oven bake

• Bold bean giant chickpeas, frozen Mediterranean veg medley, gnocchi, paprika, lemon, frozen spinach, feta, cherry tomatoes

Tofu noodle stirfry

• Tofu, udon noodles, frozen peppers, frozen onions, frozen edamame beans, fresh carrots, frozen sweetcorn, soy sauce, ketsap manis, rice vinegar, ginger

Chorizo and lentil tomato with rice

• Chorizo, tomatoey lentil pouch, tinned tomatoes, frozen veg base mix, garlic, frozen sweetcorn, long grain rice, turmeric, paprika

Chicken, mushroom and spinach naanizza

• Naan breads, tomato purée, frozen mozzarella, frozen cooked chicken, mushroom, frozen spinach, Creme Fraiche, oregano

There’s also nothing wrong with classics like fishfingers / chicken nuggets and chips / mash with frozen veg mix like peas/carrots/sweetcorn.

Obviously I’m also a fan of pesto pasta (with peas, spinach, tomatoes and cheese)!

I think you do need to be a subscriber to see the recipes. You can see the basic description but not ingredients and how to cook.

@Puppylucky strange as I'm not subscribed and can see all ingredients and the step by step instructions.

Pizza
burgers (beef and chicken) with peri potatoes
carbonara
lobscouse
fish and chips
egg and chips
jackets with cheese or chilli
salmon with broccoli and rice
roast dinner
fake nandos
curry

Salmon pasta. Poach salmon in white wine. Sweat some mushrooms in butter. Remove salmon skin and flake it in with mushrooms. Add a few prawns if you like. Stir in cooked pasta - any sort. Stir in plain yoghurt, crème fraiche or cream. Quick and easy.

Lurking for ideas

Jacket potatoes in the oven on a timer.
Make one night of the week jacket potato night. Rotate round various fillings.

Teens should be able to cook most meals with a bit of practice.

The bbc I can cook book could be a good start for them as it builds the basic skills. Will seem too young but it’s got great foundations.

Frozen diced onions are a game changer. Even better if your supermarket does the frozen soup base / soffretto mix. Then the supposedly ‘easy’ spag bol etc become quick and low chopping too.