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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

292 replies

spik · 22/05/2019 15:21

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

OP posts:
Orangeballon · 22/05/2019 20:11

Banana on wholemeal bead, you can add peanut butter if you like.

cookiechomper · 22/05/2019 20:39

Microwave fish pie or macaroni cheese, tin of ravioli, pizza, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, sandwiches.

colouringinpro · 22/05/2019 20:42

Baked beans on wholemeal toast with a fried egg on top. Really nutritious. Oh and a glass of OJ or satsuma/Orange After to maximise the Iron in the egg.

64sNewName · 22/05/2019 21:03

Fried egg sandwiches

grumpyyetgorgeous · 22/05/2019 21:20

Tuna pasta, tin of tuna, pasta twirls, Mayo and any veg I can find. Bung it in,cook, eat...... I'm also quite fond of our Emergancy tea sessions, fruit, crackers, cheese, ham, yoghurt pulled out of the fridge when I'm on my knees!
Oh also, fish ginger butties.
Can you tell this happens a lot?

managedmis · 22/05/2019 21:21

Omellet
Grilled Cheese
Porridge

Jenniferturkington · 22/05/2019 21:32

Super noodles
Spaghetti & tomato sauce
Pesto pasta
Fish finger sandwiches
Omelette
Boiled eggs

One of my three dcs doesn’t like eggs- very annoying

Croprotationinthe14thcentury · 22/05/2019 21:36

This evening just couldn't be bothered to cook so I sprinkled some Cajun seasoning on chicken breasts and put them in the oven for 30-40 mins and had it with salad, frozen sweetcorn and coleslaw easy peesy and fairly healthy except for the chocolate bar afterwards

KneelJustKneel · 22/05/2019 21:43

Easy peasy pasta
(How do you do macaroni cheesw in 10mins whoever it was. Its about 40mins here in the oven...)
Scrambled egg/beans on toast.
Jacket potatoes if i can remember to throw jn the oven an hour before

I really want to start making food at weekend that can be reheated. I get v confused aboht freezing times and defrosting and how long to reheat
And how though.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 22/05/2019 21:46

This evening just couldn't be bothered to cook so I sprinkled some Cajun seasoning on chicken breasts and put them in the oven for 30-40 mins and had it with salad, frozen sweetcorn and coleslaw easy peesy and fairly healthy

I would call that cooking, and feel pretty smug if I served that.

Microwave rice stirred into tinned chilli soup with grated cheese on top, however...

Pk37 · 22/05/2019 21:48

Pasta or turkey dinosaurs

SeaOtterFluff · 22/05/2019 21:54

Fish fingers, potato waffles, baked beans and scrambled eggs or sausages with pasta and tinned sweetcorn. Served in laps in front of the TV.

I worked rotating shifts when the DC were little and this was dinner at the end of the last night shift when I was on my knees with exhaustion and couldn't face table manners. They are teenagers now and are capable of cooking so I'm out of the equation!

notso · 22/05/2019 22:08

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 often make my own too but class it as quick as the kids only like my tomato or my leek and potato and they are pretty fast to make.
I use new potatoes with their skins on for my leek one and the tomato one uses tinned tomatoes as the base so even quicker, though not as quick as Baxter's lentil and bacon which is probably my favourite soup in the world.

KneelJustKneel · 22/05/2019 22:15

Oooh notso any chance of idiots guide to soup/your recipes. But pls dont worry if too much faff!!

AutumnCrow · 22/05/2019 22:15

I'd forgotten about tinned tomato soup, white bread and margarine the HORROR Grin

PodgeBod · 22/05/2019 22:15

Microwave lasagna. I don't eat it myself so don't make it from scratch and my kids love it, so they are happy. I serve with whatever veggies are on hand, and tell myself it's not so bad.

Aberforthsgoat · 22/05/2019 22:15

I don’t have children but this thread is making me very hungry!

KneelJustKneel · 22/05/2019 22:16

So plain chicken breasts - and if i buy cajun seasoning thats literally all i put on them and just put in ovdn om a tray? No oil or having to do anything?

That sounds doable.

Jamhandprints · 22/05/2019 22:21

Microwave curry, naan and mango chutney, pizza, nuggys and chips/waffles, sandwich and crisps, hot dogs, "movie snack dinner" (keep loading their snack bowls with veg sticks, sausages, scotch eggs, popcorn, blueberries, sweets)

Femalebornandbreed · 22/05/2019 22:24

Most of these involve cooking of some sort.

We have a picnic tea. Involves eating all the shit out of the fridge. Strawberries, cheese crackers, cocktail sausages, left over chicken, crisps and water melon, red pepper. Kids sit on the floor on the picnic rug and love it Grin

Twillow · 22/05/2019 22:31

Covent Garden soup and garlic bread.
Me on my own - sliced bits of cheese and cut up fruit.

foreverhanging · 22/05/2019 22:57

Chicken dippers, potato croquette and either carrots or sweet corn/peas

ImogenTubbs · 22/05/2019 23:03

"Snack plate" - hugely popular dinner involving whatever we have lying around. Usually some combination of: crackers, cheese, ham, tomatoes, cucumber, nuts, boiled egg, breadsticks, tortilla... anything else easy to prepare & eat. Most of it usually goes in!

notso · 22/05/2019 23:22

KneelJustKneel
Leek and Potato
Chop 4 leeks into rounds,
Wash new potatoes, (1/2 a big bag or a whole smaller bag) chop off any grim bits and half and bigger ones
Melt a knob of butter, add a bit of oil add leeks and soften,
Add potatoes, veg stock melt/cube and water to cover, simmer until potatoes are cooked, sometimes I grate a carrot or two in if I have some that need using,
Remove from the heat, at this point you can add milk or cream if you wish, check the seasoning and blend, my kids like smooth soup but you could reserve some of the softened leeks and cooked potatoes blend the remainder and add the whole ones back in if you like it chunkier.
Return to the heat for a couple of mins, low heat if you've used milk/cream. Add extra water/stock if it's too thick.

Tomato
I either do one with oregano or one with basil.
Fry a couple of onions until soft and lightly golden, add three tins of chopped tomatoes, veg stock melt, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a pinch of sugar, a dash of milk and a little boiling water.
Add a dried or fresh bay leaf and if I'm using dried oregano I add it at this point, heat until almost boiling, take off the hob remove bay leaf, check seasoning and blend. For the basil version add some chopped fresh basil after blending. Return to the heat and add a little more water/stock if needed.
I use this as a pasta sauce too without the extra water, it's nice if you add some mascarpone or Parmesan, I also reduce it more and use as a pizza topping.

Hippychick78 · 22/05/2019 23:28

@Thekitchenwitch do you have a tasty macaroni cheese microwave recipe please 😊

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