To ask for your top midweek meal ideas

[Isntshelovely2024]

We aren’t particularly fussy but I’m stuck in a rut. Ideally meals need to be quick, fairly healthy and cheap. We seem to be eating the same meals over and over - my top requirement is that they can be pre prepped or cooked in 20 minutes after work.

Veg, carb and protein mix and match - some examples
Chicken, potato and veg traybake
Beef stew with veg over rice
Prawn or tofu noodle stir fry
Jacket potatoes with toppings
Chicken soup
Tuna pasta with salad
Pan fried white fish with rice and broccoli/beans with butter (so simple but kids eat it happily)

Chicken in bacon, green beans, new or sauteed potatoes.

Chicken Kiev, or chicken goujons, with chips and peas/sweetcorn.
Chicken or beef fajitas with mixed peppers and a tin of refried beans, with guacamole or salsa dip.

Homemade vegetable soup with French bread.
Omelettes with various fillings (eg cheese, mushrooms , ham, mixed peppers, onion etc), salad and baked potato.
Sausage and mash.
Gammon, chips and sweetcorn.

Mary Berry’s ten minute tomato soup is really nice. Soup and a sandwich always goes down well here.

spaghetti carbonara.

linguine with salmon and samphire - the salmon can cook in the oven (or buy it ready cooked) whilst you’re doing the sauce on the hob.

i would 100% recommend the quick roasting tin recipe book by Rukmini Iyer. I’ve cooked lots of things from it and the beauty of it is that whilst it is cooking in the oven you can leave it and have a quick shower, put a load of washing on or sit down.

Pasta with bacon mushrooms and cherry tomatoes
Cod wrapped in pancetta, drizzled with red pesto, serve with green beans and tenderstem broccoli.
Pasta with garlic, courgettes and lemon.
Tandoori chicken mini fillets with rice and onion salad
Prawns with chilli and lime with peppers and onions and rice.
Shakshuka

Have you got a slow cooker? Lots of meals you can cook in them

I'm doing a lot of roasted vegetable pasta with pesto and pine nuts mid week lately. Its in Nicky Corbishley's Dinner recipe book and also will be on her Kitchen Sanctuary webpage. Everything in it is gorgeous

Cheeseburger salad. = Salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, gherkins (chopped finely) topped with grated cheese, cooked mince and burger sauce. It is so delicious, like a big mac but without the guilt.

Jacket potato. Left over bolognaise or chilli or tuna mayo.

Chilli and gnocchi

Soup or stew with crusty baguette

Pizzadilla is a big winner in this house. = tortilla with tomato puree, grated cheese, toppings, black pepper and oregano, sandwiched with another tortilla and puree. Dry fry for a few minutes on either side until slightly crispy.

Chicken and mushroom "noodles" . = Part fry Chicken breast, mushrooms. Add sweetcorn, chicken stock, salt & pepper, garlic & ginger (I use squeezy tubes), soy sauce and dried spaghetti. Simmer until spaghetti cooked.

Have you tried simply cook? They have amazing recipe kits, my favourites are
Louisianna linguine
Bang bang chicken
Going curry
Chicken makhani

We have
Something with mince, meatballs, bolognaise, mince and dumplings, cottage pie, etc

Something with chicken, fajitas, chicken cacciatore, one pot chilli chicken, cajun chicken, tray bake (usually chicken twice a week)

Something with pork, paprika pork, pork and apple casserole, Vietnamese sticky pork, caramelised pork steaks

One night either fish or sausages or bacon/ham

All with suitable carbs and veg or salad

Roast dinner

Friday takeaway

I chop onions, mushrooms, garlic, peppers etc and store in a container then I make

Pasta bake
Curry
Stew
Dahl
Tray bake
Stir fry
Omelette
Bolognaise
Chilli

Literally add tomatoes or stock, a carb and herbs/spices