To ask what British people have for dinner usually

[AnxietyLevelMax]

Not british, married to one but he grew up abroad and dont know a lot about own culture besides common things such as roast dinner etc 😊

what do you guys eat and at what time usually? Its so different where i am from - our lunch is hot and usually between 2-3pm (think like soups, pasta, chicken, fish etc etc). In the evening our dinners are cold - sandwiches, salad or whatever.

i am looking for some british meal ideas 😀 kids born in uk and growing up here so we would love to mix all 3 cultures.

Oh wow so many replies! I cant reply to each one of you but thank you all 😀 i have planned a proper british weekend food wise😆
yes i know there are many dishes which are not really stricte british (like curry) but i guess to me its kinda a british tradition now since it has been on your tables for, feels like, forever.
really appreciate everyone’s input😀

We eat 7 ish. Depending on what else is on.

Recent meals:
Butter chicken
Chickpea & kale curry
Tofu vegetable stir fry
Steak, sweet potato, salad
Lentil & kale soup with garlic bread.

Dinner / supper is at 7ish and

stir fry
shepherds pie
veggie curry
casserole
pasta and sauce

You will have to update us on what you made! 😁

I don’t know anyone that eats their main meal at lunchtime, even my elderly mother and her friends eat their hot meal in the evening. Exception being weekends and meals out.

Sundays we might have a bigger breakfast at 10-11ish and main meal at 4pm ish and then that’s it.

Our eating habits vary wildly now the kids are at uni. When they are home the usual meals are:

Fajitas
Traybakes eg chicken/salmon/sausages and veg inc potatoes/sweet potatoes
Tacos - beef or salmon w guac/mango salsa, slaw
Roast (some winter Sundays)
Chicken gyros/souvlaki w tzatziki & flatbreads
Curry/Thai curry
Burritos

When they are away we mainly eat omelettes, roasted fish, jacket potatoes. No meat in general and much simpler as CBA!

We eat supper at about 7ish whether they are home or not.

I usually have 'cold' things for lunch ie sandwich, wraps, salad etc

'Hot' things for dinner usually around 5-7pm

For example this week we had

Indian Takeaway on Saturday night
Roast dinner on Sunday (typical Brit there!)
Monday I made beef in black bean sauce with noodles
Tuesday I made red Thai curry
Wednesday I made bbq ribs and fries
Thursday was spaghetti bolognese and we'll probably have the left overs of that tonight too!

I don’t know anyone that eats their main meal at lunchtime

Who even has time to cook at lunchtime?

Unless you have a staff canteen at work, are retired or eat out it wouldn't be practical.

I don't think there is a typical British stereotypical menu anymore for dinner. This week so far we've had Enchiladas, Fish pie (DP and kids anyway), Ramen bowls with soup dumplings and bao buns and Thai red curry. Tonight we're having home made spicy pumpkin and sweet potato soup. I tend to try new things I see online a lot and if they go down well, they go on the list.

The kids sometimes see Tik Toks or YTs of food and ask to try them.

A lot of traditional British/English food takes more time to prepare: roast, cottage pie, fish pie, stews etc. I'm more likely to do it at the weekend or when there's less on.

This week we've had:
Sausages with greek veg tray bake: roast veg, lentils, feta and sweet potato
Prawn stir fry, rice, chicken gyozas
Indian takeaway: mixture of tandoori, korma, tikka masala, veg curry
Beef stew with lots of veg, herbs and garlic

A lot of traditional food was made to make the most of what there was, so roast dinner and the next day cottage pie or bubble and squeak from the leftovers etc.

Brits eat quite globally I'd say.
Mexican- tacos etc
Italian- pizza pasta
Thai - curry
Indian - tikka masala
Chinese - sweet & sour

Then roast/meat & 2 veg meals like fish & chips, chips, steaks, chicken.

Potatoes feature greatly.

Also beans on toast, marmite & lots of eggs & dairy.

Chicken pie today, i am proud of myself😆😆 worst food critic….my 4yr old DS accepted and ate some so it was pretty good 😊

That looks amazing OP. A very rare treat here! Hairy Bikers do the best pie recipes.

well done on your chicken pie- one of my husband's favourites and an excellent way to use up leftover roast chicken

Looks great! Love a chicken pie!

Looks amazing OP

Tonight we will have chilli con carne with jacket potatoes and cheese.

Other regulars:
Stir Fry veg with noodles and black bean sauce
Curry with aubergine mushroom and spinach
Pasta with peppers and sausages in a butternenut squash sauce
Pieminister (ready made) pies with brocoli and carrots
Pizza
Stuff with chips (each member of the family has a different favourite thing to have with chips)
Ratatouille with galic bread & goats cheese

We usually eat at 6:30ish having had a light lunch (sandwich/soup/salad) at 12ish

Me but I batch cook

So I might have lasagne or cottage pie for lunch but because I live alone I've made it and frozen 6 portions into "ready meals"
If I'm hungrier at lunch I'll have it then have something lighter for tea

Nice in winter to have beef stew for lunch

We just had chip butties.

They're easily the best British dish.

I had to google it. Is it a sandwich with chips? Do you put anything else in it? Never heard of it.

And just to add regarding having a main meal at lunch. When I was at school you never finished later than 2pm, it was a normal thing to have you grandparents/grandmom at least taking care of you after school, so you just had main meal after school. Many office jobs dont finish at 5.30 or 6 (my brother finish at 4 even nowadays), main meal was usually ready and needed to be put in a microwave if you are home before your parents, no one waited till 5-6pm to eat😀
but i understand how it doesnt work now, it doesnt really work for me either on most of the days so we are trying to adjust

Yes. A chip butty is a breadcake full of chips. Pure carbohydrate, and about 1,000 calories.

I don't understand the love for chip butties TBH. They are too stodgy for me.

Dinner (evening meal).

Always not unless it’s a very warm summer’s day (haha).

Lasagne (often veggie), chilli (usually veggie with rice, sour cream, cheese and avocado), casseroles such as coq au vin, boeuf bourginon, braised lamb shanks, Irish stew, Scouse (thick Liverpudlian stew), beef stew, lamb hot pot, DH sometimes makes cawl, cassoulet, sausages and lentils, roast dinner (though actually have this usually on Sunday lunch), curry (often veggie) and rice, kedgeree with smoked haddock, spaghetti (carbonara, tomato or bolognaise), baked gnocchi, fish with potatoes and vegetables, fishcakes and peas, sausages with mash and veg, fish and chips, toad in the hole, pizza and garlic bread, baked potatoes with beans or tuna mayo or cheese or chilli. Cottage pie, fish pie, shepherds pie. I used to make proper double crust pies such as chicken and ham or beef steak, but since a coeliac diagnosis I have to use GF pastry which isn’t as good so I make pies a lot less than I used to, same for steak and kidney pudding and dishes with dumplings, which I miss, as well as things like homemade quiches and savoury tarts. Occasionally do a fry up with toast for an evening meal. Steak and chips occasionally and baked ham or poached ham hocks. Salads with poached fish and new potatoes I do a lot in summer. Despite this list we do eat vegetarian food about 2/3 times a week.

*hot, sigh

if you want really old school Brit food.....bread & dripping.
A slightly less sophisticated alternative to ciabatta & olive oil.😂

I forgot risotto, paella and sweet and sour pork with rice (the latter from a jar, it reminds DH and me of family meals growing up 😂)