To ask - what do you make your children for tea if you can't be bothered cooking?

[spik]

What's your go-to on the nights where you don't have the energy to do a big meal?

Omelettes with baked beans

Get Idahoan instant mash, it is magical. No idea idea how they do it but it honestly tastes like homemade perfect mash. Better than frozen even because all you have to do is boil the kettle. I love it.

Get Idahoan instant mash
it looks odd, but I'll try it - already added to my online basket

Beans on toast, packet lasagne or packet pizza, fish fingers and chips and beans... Or a takeaway pizza/fish and chips from chippie.

Tinned spaghetti (which they loved) with grated cheese and a pouch of microwaveable veg then banana custard for pudding. Carbs, protein and 2 of their five a day. Not so bad.

Or baked beans on wholemeal toast with a homemade banana milkshake

"It depends what you are used to, all our meals have some kind of starter or salad, so grated carrots or carrot sticks, tomato salad, cucumber and so on, so there's always a bit of peeling and cutting involved, and same goes with the fruits"

So, when you can't be bothered to prep salad.. what do you make? (Isn't that what this thread is about?)

If I can't be bothered to do proper mash, I use instant.

Well, slightly off topic as I haven't got any children as such now, but for partner if I can't be bothered to cook, and taking his likings into account, it would be a salad with some junk snacks he likes with it, cheesy beans on toast, or sandwiches with either side salad or more junk food he likes or ready cooked chicken. For a child it would be different things.

Potato waffles in the toaster, baked beans in the microwave. Done.

If I really can't be bothered I go for something very simple and usually unhealthy, I know it's bad but it's only occasionally. So something quick and easy like kiln-smoked scallops served with provincial sweetbread and a side of braised baby turnips and ionised watercress.

So, when you can't be bothered to prep salad.. what do you make?

I cut a few bits of cucumber, and some apples..

If I make a real salad, there's loads in them - the things I said are what we do when we can't be bothered. I don't like being in the kitchen, at all, but I have to feed my kids. I did write what my lazy options are!

Pre-kids, my lazy option would have been a pack of biscuits or a bar of chocolate

Mine are having a frozen pizza this evening. Luckily for them, I was kind enough to bung it in the oven for 20 minutes before serving. To add to the culinary delights, they're having some oven chips with it. I'd suggest following 'rate my plate' on Facebook for ideas. absolutely hilarious.

I see you are trying to be sarcastic NunoGoncalves, but why do you need to mock people who give their "lazy/ take less than 5mn prep" ideas?

I hate this reverse snobbery, and I have seen it on so many threads where you are accused to be a liar or pretentious because you make an omelette served with a few cherry tomatoes to your kids. I know you can buy ready-made frozen omelettes, but is it so shocking that some of us have never bought one?

Tomato soup and cheese sandwiches for dipping.

@MrsElizabethShelby I do that! I'm partial to a cheese toastie and a bowl of tomato soup myself 👌

Also spaghetti hoops on toast or baked beans with sausages on toast.

French toast with raw carrots, cucumbers and peppers chopped up to dip in humus. They love it!

Cheese and crackers with cucumber and carrot sticks
Pasta with pesto from a jar and sweetcorn stirred through
Omelette
Beans on toast
Mini pancakes (got the idea from someone on here - 3 tablespoons of flour, 3 of milk, an egg, chuck in some cheese, veg and/or cooked meat. My dd loves them.)

Jacket potato with cheese and beans or cod, chips and peas from freezer.

Wednesday dinner is not much effort and one of their favourites, I make pizzas but using wraps as a base.

Tuna, rice, peas and sweetcorn. Fried with soy sauce,

Pesto and pasta,

Soup and bread,

Potato skins

Something on toast

Baked Camembert

Bacon or sausage sandwich

All day breakfast

Soup and bread
nothing wrong with that at all! It's just that when you say soup, I am thinking that i make my own, and that's not a "quick" option with the millions of veg that need to be prepd. I probably should freeze some more often.

Beans/ spaghetti/ egg on toast.
Noodles.
Pasta and cheese (fussy DC won't eat sauce unless ketchup or Mayo!)
Sausage/ bacon/ tuna sandwich.

I cook from scratch nearly all the time but most of my meals require very little effort, often taking less than half an hour and/or using fewer than five ingredients.

Home made pea soup and tomato soup are almost as quick as opening a tin and heating it up.

BummyKnocker how do you do potato waffles in the toaster?? I thought they take about 15 mins in the oven, I'm impressed!

Omelette
Jacket pots with beans and cheese
Sausages and Aunt Bessie's yorkshires
Cheesy pasta
Pizza Express brand pizza from Morrison's

Any of the above with cucumber sticks/ sweetcorn/carrots/baked beans!

I cba cooking most nights tbh.

They get beans on toast, pasta & sauce, jacket spuds & cheese, fish pie with sweetcorn, fish fingers, crispy potatoes & veg, spag bol from a can or something from the slow cooker.

We've just had a 'carpet picnic' of hummus, tomatoes, ham, cheese and oven chips. DS (3) loves it. Especially the novelty of eating on the lounge rug.