To ask for your fastest toddler-pleasing meals?

[NoSherryForMe]

I try to be organised and make sure my DD(3) doesn't get to the RAAAARRR HANGRY stage, but sometimes life intervenes or I miscalculate. Please, please share your top meals that can be prepared in minutes on the hob and/or microwave (heating the oven takes too long in this situation!) DD is in danger of turning orange from surfeit of beans/scrambled eggs/spaghetti hoops on toast!

I keep frozen mini portions of macaroni cheese when I have made it so I can quickly defrost it for DS with peas.

He loves picnic lunches - oatcakes or bread with sliced cheese, avocado, chopped tomato, cucumber, ham, apple slices.

Porridge

Scrambled egg or omlette

This does work better for 2 plus small ones rather than one due to judging quantities.

If you have left over new potatoes, boiled potatoes, or roast. Slice and use in a spanish style ommelette. Again any quick cooking frozen veg they like thrown in, or fresh veg, cheese, ham, pesto or whatever.

Or chop the potatoes, put in frying pan, chuck in whatever, when hot crack an egg in the midddle.

We still cook too many roasties and do similar for my husband and teens, we just put more garlic and chilli, smoked sausage etc in it these days.

If you've saved that odd portion of mash reheat in microwave with bit of milk and cheese. Again serve with veg nuked from the freezer or raw.

Get that mash, mix with grated cheese to make very basic potato cake in the frying pan.

Stick a microwave rice in for 2 mins, whilst it's cooking assemble some cooked chicken/ham on a plate with tinned sweet corn, cucumbers, tomato et voila! Ready in 2 minutes! My toddler loves this meal more than the ones I spend ages prepping and cooking!

Nosherry, yeah I got lucky with mine because they weren't too bad with veggies and fruit. It does make life much easier when you can balance out a quick kids meal with raw veg and fruit, or use basic frozen veg. Much harder for parents who have to hide them.

I must have made the right sacrifices to the right god one night Dunno what I've done recently because one of my teens can't be arsed to eat veg these days.

Unashamedly placemarking for more ideas. My go to quick meal is porridge oats mixed with youghurt

My DD has very rigid ideas of what constitutes Proper Food. Cooked veg is perfectly acceptable, especially with ketchup for dunking. Bits of cherry tom or cucumber on the side of a cooked meal = also acceptable. Salad = naaaaoooooooh! flings plate across kitchen

Her lower lip starts to quiver if I approach the bread bin, as there is the danger that she'll be fobbed off with - shudder - a sandwich.

Morrisons potato, carrot and swede mash, bung it in the microwave, fry some white fish while the mash is in the microwave. Flake the fish into the mash.

My 13 month old loves it.

Place marking

Puffy eggs - eggs scrambled and cooked in a bowl the microwave. I think the texture is horrid but my two year old likes it. I normally defrost a pellet or 2 of frozen spinach first then beat an egg and splash of milk in, maybe with some cheese and back in the microwave. (Of course not all toddlers will eat spinach. But if they don't know they're not supposed to like it.

Oh and mine won't eat salad on a plate but will steal bits of chopped carrot, sweet pepper etc if I leave it to the side whilst I cook. I just have to give the impression I don't approve...

Was also going to recommend tilda kids rice. 40 secs in the microwave and counts towards their 5 a day. I add some cold meat and sometimes sweet corn

Following! Great thread, thanks OP

Pasta with that curiously strong cheese spread mixed through.

Tinned or smoked mackerel and smoked salmon go down surprisingly well with toddlers, minimal preparation and lots of healthy fish oil too.

Now this is a very useful thread!

My go-to is pasta, but as somebody else said weetabix is good if you can't wait that long.

Loving your recipes

Damnit, this is making me hungry!

DD's favourite quick food is tinned meatballs. They stink and are made of crap but she loves them and they take a few mins in the microwave. They are bought for emergency 'hangry toddler' situations.

Flop! 'I just have to give the impression I don't approve' 😂

Veggie fritters! Grate any veg you have around (or finely chop leftovers) into a bowl - add an egg and beat, then fry dollops in a pan. I have been known to munch on the odd one myself.

Frozen peas and spinach are a godsend.

Macaroni cheese in 10 mins.

Cook macaroni in boiling water for 10 mins.

Chop some cheddar off block (no need to grate it) put in microwavable jug with splash of milk, nuke for a minute, stir, nuke for another min, stir, add a dash of cornflour, nuke again for another min then stir as it thickens.

After 10 mins when done, stir cooked pasta into sauce and serve.

Peasy!

I can't believe I never thought of microwaving the wraps to melt the cheese! I always fry it and panic about burning the wrap before the cheese melts.

I find frozen microwaveable veg bags an absolute godsend, same with rice bags

Bean pie- best made before then frozen. Mix a ton of baked beans with a tin of tuna. Pop in a small ramekin or solar then top with breadcrumbs & grated cheese. Cook for 10-15 mins then it can be frozen & nuked at a later date.

Mini breadsticks and a pot of hummus (known as 'dippy' in our house) with whatever fruit they will eat and some yoghurt/crisps whatever.

Pasta with home made pesto
Mini savoury pancakes (recipe from MN)
Omelette
Basic stir fry with chicken, veg and a bit of low salt soy and sesame oil
Pasta with cheese and tuna
Hummus on toast

How do I save this thread?