What is your overlooked low effort, high-ish impact weekly meals

[Polir]

Do you have any meals you make that are next to no effort but go down a treat and make it look like you have your shit together with your family.

So for me it’s a roast chicken. I’ll either do it with salad and bread, Nando’s style using frozen wedges, rice (occasionally in a bag when I’m truly lazy) coleslaw, baby potatoes in a bag etc. You name it really. Kids always really happy when I begin to carve up. Maybe involves 10 mins of work, if that. Literally the same level of effort as some beige frozen food meals we have when desperate.

What is your version of this that you think is overlooked?

Yummy to these suggestions. Place marking

Stuffed peppers and garlic bread
Cheddar, tomato & spring onion omelette & chips
Gammon and apples in the slow cooker
Baked trout with herby butter.

This is an absolutely standard meal in my house too 😂

I've recently discovered The Batch Lady in Instagram and bought her Grab and go (or something like that!) meals - I've tried a few so far and they are SO quick and really delicious!! I haven't batch cooked yet but plan to, check her out!

Gnocchi with chorizo
Cook gnocchi and drain
In same pan, fry diced chorizo, garlic purée, chipotle chilli flakes and halved cherry tomatoes
Add a bag of baby spinach
Once spinach has wilted, season and stir in gnocchi
Pour into an oven dish and top with torn mozzarella, oven or grill until cheese has melted and serve on top of salad leaves

Fish with capers, lemon and dill
White fish fillets, topped with capers, sliced lemon and chopped dill in foil parcels and baked. Served with new potatoes with garlic purée stirred through and green beans/asparagus/broccoli

Both really quick but feel like proper meals

Same!

I always use frozen prawns. Both cooked and uncooked. Never had an issue.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roast-chicken-tray-bake
This is my go to traybake, it's so easy and really tasty!

Another one that goes down a treat - grilled chicken burgers.

Literally butterfly and squish a chicken breast so it is flat-ish. Season with salt, pepper, garlic granules and paprika. A hot Louisiana chicken rub is good if you want to really commit. Fry in a pan for 3 minutes each side. I think adding an OBNOXIOUS amount of pepper is what gives this meal the “it factor”.

Whilst the chicken is cooking, bang the following on the table: beef tomato slices, pickles, Nando’s perinaise, red onion slices and lettuce. Toasting brioche buns in a minuscule amount of butter is a nice touch imo but not necessary (use same pan as chicken to save washing up).

Sweet potato fries to serve. Tastes just like a Wendy’s according to my kids.

Lemon Pasta.
Use a jug - equal quantities of lemon juice (fresh squeezed), virgin olive oil and grated Parmesan poured over hot Linguine. Copious quantities of black pepper and serve with garlic bread.

Slow cooker chilli con carne

My kids go crazy for my cheat garlic bread - slice up a baguette and smother in garlic butter (literally room temperature butter with minced garlic from the jar). Bung in oven for 5 mins. Add mozzarella if you have it.

Often do this when I can’t be arsed with rice or potatoes as a side when we are out of the microwaveable stuff

Spag Bol
Chilli
Mince and tatties
Carbonara
Macaroni cheese
Meatballs and pasta

Anything chucked in the slow cooker or air fryer

I have been trying new things with simply cook and had some delicious meals.

Seafood pasta is the quick favourite in our house

Sauté onion in butter and some salt/black peeper
Add a bag of frozen seafood (available many supermarkets) with slosh of white wine and put lid on to steam (pour a glass for yourself)
Once prawns pink
Add cooked pasta (I use fresh)
Double cream- 200mls
Handful of cheese
Stir until sauce slightly thickens

My kids adore this
Take exactly 10mins to cook!

https://www.johnlewis.com/oxo-good-grips-kitchen-chopper/p6435585?s_ppc=2dx_mixed_home_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwgdayBhBQEiwAXhMxtqn8A9INXKXa4XF9PGA7j392QNah9xpRgcuZU6nGc9qcC98VHEOl2hoCKzwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mechanical hand choppers are a God send also. Haven’t cut an onion with a knife in years. Makes recipes with chopped onions, garlic, chillis etc much less daunting. No idea why but I prefer manual choppers to electric versions. They wash well in dishwasher.

Had to chop an onion in front of my MIL the other day and I thoroughly embarrassed myself.

^without chopper that should say.

Salmon fillet (fresh or frozen) topped with breadcrumbs mixed either with pesto or soft cheese and herbs.Cook in oven.
Serve with boiled frozen beans from a packet ( they take about four or five minutes) with butter, and a jacket potato (cook in microwave while salmon is cooking- maybe start it a few minutes beforehand if you prefer it crisped up in the oven after cooking for a few minutes). Probably with a bit more butter...

Greek chicken.

First, make the marinade. Blend olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, oregano and paprika with a cup of water to make a loose sauce. Season with salt and pepper. This bit takes five minutes and it's all you need to do.

(I do have measurements but just follow your heart!).

Put a little of the sauce in an oven-proof dish or pan, place bone-in chicken of choice in the pan, skin side up. Pour the rest of the sauce over and add some fresh thyme and rosemary if you have it. You can crowd the chicken, you don't have to leave any space between the pieces.

Cover and put in the oven at 160.

Bake covered for 90 minutes and uncovered for 30 to brown the chicken (leave in a bit longer if you need to, it won't ruin the chicken). You can make it as complicated as you like - in the summer I do love to make a foccacia and serve them together - but it's just as nice with a simple Greek salad and some supermarket flatbreads, or green beans, or rice, or whatever you like. The chicken is juicy and falls off the bone and the sauce is spectacular for mopping up with the bread!

It's also great for crowds as you're slow cooking.

thanks everyone these are great ideas! @HippyChickMama I'm going to make your chorizo gnocchi tonight I love the sound of that. @CutthroatDruTheViolent also love your greek chicken - if you get two mins I'd love the exact measurements for the sauce but don't worry if not I too am happy to go with my heart 😄thanks all! great idea for a thread @Polir

Mexican chicken, chicken pieces marinated in fajita spice mix, oil & lime juice with chopped veg (onions, peppers, chillies) in an ovenproof dish, cook in oven approx 25 mins serve with wraps, dips (Guacamole, sour cream, salsa) and microwave mexican rice.

Chicken Shawarma, chicken pieces marinated in shawarma spices, olive oil & lemon juice. Cooked in ovenproof dish with mediterranean veg, oven approx 25 mins, serve with flatbread, tzatziki, rice or couscous (or chips, Gyros style)

Both v easy and v tasty

I agree with the PP upthread who said most of these don't count as easy, low effort, quick meals in my book! For me that's something that will be done in less than 30 minutes and that includes prep so anything needing loads of chopping etc is out for me!

Today we had a meal made within about 15 mins -

• Chilled gnocchi, pan fried for 5 mins with sunflower oil, take out pan.
• Meanwhile, washed and chopped 5 tomatoes (into small-ish but still chunky and unequal shaped blobs), mixed with 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon dried paprika. Then chuck in the pan for 5 minutes.
• Heated tin of sweetcorn in microwave for 1 minute 30.
• Mixed everything into a large bowl, served up and then people added their own grated medium cheddar to top.

Easy peasy lemon squeezey, and the kids both actually ate it all too.

Aw, my DM used to make this for us a lot when we were kids. She used to buy buns and so do mini ones on those, I remember loving them!

agree with op I like the one pot or tray make types. Checking out the Nigella one pp posted.

I suppose it’s what your used to. I can prep a curry in 15 mins and just let it simmer. But I find English food hard to get flavours right.

Stir fry is always quick but again I dint understand the glamours so use ready made sauces in jars or sachets.

So am I! Some of these sound amazing 🤩