Weekday dinners

[1stmonkey]

AIBU to ask what you usually eat Monday-Friday?

I've googled til my eyes have gone square but am struggling to find anything quick, easy (ideally freezable) and family friendly that isn't a stew, curry, bolognese or chilli?!

I feel like i rotate the same meals (or very similar variations) over and over and quite frankly i'm so bored!

Aiming to cook more (to eat more healthy food, and save some pennies) so would love any inspiration you care to share.

I make a lot of things based round roasted veg cos it’s forgiving. Roasted veg with curry spices, chickpeas and rice added = biriyani. Roasted veg with cubed halloumi roasted in with it and served over spinach. Roasted veg with a tin of tomatoes, cooked pasta and cheese, a pasta bake you can leave to do its own thing. We don’t eat meat but roasted veg or stir fry are the basis of most of our meals!

Tonight I made 6yr old turkey drummers and chips and peas. My teenager made herself a breaded cambebert, an apple and some chicken. I had a scotch egg and a babybel. My not so DH can get himself something or starve

Usually I do make dinner but today not so much.

Hellofresh

Try one of the subscription boxes, most of the recipes are easy and quick, and gives you some different ideas to try. I have a referral code for 50% off a first Gousto box if anyone wants it.

Dahl and rice
Fajitas
Quesadillas
Macaroni bake
Veggie sausages and mash
Lentil bolognaise
Salad
Soup / chowder
Veggie shepherds pie
Jacket potatoes
Veggie hot dogs / burgers, wedges, coleslaw
Katsu curry
Shakshuka and bread
Risotto (mushroom/butternut squash/courgette and pea)
Spicy rice
Tofu aubergine tray bake
Moussaka
Aubergine wraps
Stuffed peppers
Cauliflower cheese

We've also rekindled the baked potato love!
And an "on-toast" night too.

Other than that it's pasta (amatriciana is the easiest) or a casserole with rice or occasionally my DH treats us to his paella.

I would first recommend The Roasting Tin books... Mainly one pot, tray bakes, many of which I prep at the same time, cover in cling film and bung in the oven on chosen night.

My rule is I will do anything that requires effort no more than three times per week put of the 5 weekdays. Meaning twice they get something simple, be it jacket pots and some pre bought toppings, egg and sweet potato wedges, fresh soup. Means not cooking properly two nights in a row and I just chop spinach into anything and everything to assuage any guilt!

Once a week, without fail we have beans on toast. Usually on a Monday or a Tuesday. Sometimes posh bean stew made from scratch or more often than not, I chuck a few frozen onions, spices, chopped spinach and a tin of bean salad in with some bog standard baked beans. Cheese (or an egg on top if they want it) but a one pot, under 5 minute tea.

If you do a roast, cook extra veg, that you can add to Cous Cous or bulgar wheat and serve with some baked fish. Takes 10 minutes.

@PaquitaVariation I would love it please. Really struggling for ideas going into the new year

Some great ideas here but most are high in calories. Any suggestions for quick and easy meals which can work on a calorie-controlled diet?

Half the portion and lots of veg or salad!

Thinking of giving the meal boxes a go in the new year - if anyone has any codes that will give them money off share them !

Meal planning is the bane of my life with my own dietary needs, one dc who will eat anything and one incredibly fussy dc. So I now do a rotation of:

Something with sausages (casserole or mash)
Freezer meal - chicken dippers etc with pasta
Pizza
Baked risotto (easiest meal ever - look on bbcgoodfood)
Wraps/quesadillas
Hunters chicken - a newly discovered favourite
Something with mince - bolognese or cottage pie mostly

I've given up trying to broaden their horizons for now

This is what I use SimplyCook for - recipe kits with 4 recipes, always super simple 4 step things. They give you the spices/marinades/dressing/garlic sauce or whatever that makes it delicious and you buy the fresh ingredients- often it’s just ordinary stuff like chicken and rice. They sit in the cupboard until I’m lacking inspiration and then - perfect.

Code for free box: simplycook.com/invite/Q0GKXN?via=app

[quote teddiesmum16]@PaquitaVariation I would love it please. Really struggling for ideas going into the new year[/quote]
Have sent you a PM

Happy to share with anyone else too.

Our favourite dish is roasted veg and meat. Finely chopped veg with olive oil roasted until soft then top with Chicken thighs / pork steak / beef with some flavouring sprinkled on top, BBq or salt and chilli.

Thank you

Varies really.

Hunters chicken
Fajitas
Tacos
Shepherds Pie
Sausage Casserole
Spag Bol
Lasagne
Katsu Curry or just Curry.
Spaghetti Carbonara etc.
On a Friday DC get a 'treat meal' it's really not a treat but it's from the freezer like nuggets etc so a treat for me but they love it!

Pasta bake (either roasted veg or chicken and leek, I put Parmesan breadcrumbs on top) not really freezable but I make my tomato sauce and freeze that.
Veggie Enchiladas (I chop loads of veg in food processor so doesn't have to take ages)
Cottage pie (I batch cook the meat bit and freeze it)
Lamb meatball tagine (freezable)
Chicken and chickpea tagine (bbc food recipe) this is freezable and good with cous cous

How about traybakes? Bung a load of halved new potatoes and chunky veg on a baking tray with some salmon fillets or chicken thighs on top with some garlic/olive oil/lemon juice (or look up some proper recipes)

Just me and DP, we tend to do a lot of stuff that can do either two nights, or a portion for the freezer. I am a one-pot cook, DP is more sophisticated, but typical midweek meals for us are:

Chilli - rice one day, then baked potato and salad the next
Chicken fajitas
Pasta baked - chicken, chorizo, or just veg
Chickpea curry
Spaghetti bolognese
Sausages and mash (either meat or veggie) with green veg
Sausage and butterbean casserole
Spaghetti carbonara
Frittata and salad
Quiche (shop bought) baked potato and salad
Stuffed pasta, sauce, garlic bread
Veggie burgers, chips, salad
Macaroni cheese with peas
Risotto - vegetable, pea and, or chicken and red pepper after a roast
Chicken Parmesan (chicken breasts bashed down and coated with garlic purée and grated Parmesan) with mashed potatoes or chips, green veg or sweet corn - bake in the oven for 25 minutes, really easy and tasty
Chorizo and red pepper pasta
Cottage pie and veg
Chicken satay curry

We have a lot of stews and curries! But most weekends I will make a large amount of babaganoush, hummus, coleslaw or tabbouleh. I’ll then make or defrost some veggie burgers or falafel and have them with some of the above and pittas/tortillas and salad. Bloody delicious.

Tonight- eggs, baked beans and bacon
Tomorrow- stir fry
Next day - savoury rice skinned sausages
New Year’s- ready prepped Mexican brisket with rice and salad/veg.

After that I have no clue.

Same issue here OP. I have a toddler so keep it fairly family friendly. We have:

Chops, veg, potatoes and gravy
Mild curry and rice
Mild chilli and rice
Cottage pie
Fish pie
Kedgeree
Shepherds pie
Pizza (rare treat)
Pasta bolognese
Lasagne
Sausage, mash, peas and onion gravy
Stews
Casseroles
Poached fish, mash and broccoli or spinach

Roast on weekends

Also forgot risotto and macaroni cheese

Bookmark, these sound super