What are your core family meals that you rely on every month?

[cadifflur]

I menu plan every week, but with a fussy 2yo and 4yo, it's getting harder and harder. They refuse a lot of the things DH and I used to eat pre children, and more and more we're relying on the usual suspects, - shepherd's pie, sausage and mash/casserole, bolognese, chicken casserole, beef stew, fish pie, roast dinner, pasta with tomato sauce with different veg blended in... I get so fed up of cooking the same stuff over and over, but whenever I go to the effort of cooking something new, it's so disheartening to have to throw their portions away. On top of this, I'm trying to lose weight, but despite buying lean mince, adding extra veg etc. it's still hard.

Just wondering what other good basic recipes there are that I'm missing that work well with children. DH and I love fish and chicken, but we don't eat so much of it anymore - and don't particularly want to eat it as fish fingers / chick goujons, even if they are home made! any suggestions most welcome.

things we have regularly include:
risotto (with whatever veg is lying around)

homemade pizza

gnocchi or pasta with pesto (sometimes add sunblush toms and mozarella)

tofu stir fry

veg pie/crumble

spaghetti with tomato and mushroom sauce

Chilli and rice with home made guacamole
spaghetti carbonara home made garlic bread
pesto pasta with sping onions and feta
grilled chicken with cous cous (with parsley, lemon juice, tomatoes, red onion) and grilled halloumi
roasted suasages with red onions, tomatoes and finished with balsamic vinegar
Fish cakes
stir fry noodles with pan fried salmon on top
Chicken curry with home made chipatis
Chicken satay

pasta with endless sauces and parmesan
quesadillas with cheese and pesto
dippy eggs and soldiers
basmati rice with soy and sugar snaps
baked salmon with noodles, soy and broccoli
jacket potatoes with endless filling
egg on toast/sradines on toast/beans on toast
chicken stir fry with noodles or rice
macaroni cheese with tomatoes, spinach and bacon

thanks, I keep forgetting about risotto. we used to have it regularly day after a chicken dinner with the leftovers, but again, it's one the DCs have turned their noses up at. I must keep doing it and hope they'll eventually realise it's eat it or be hungry .

Also stir fry is a good way to get them used to different veg, as they do both love noodles, so I really should add that one back in too! I never think of making pizza at home, so that's another good one, thanks!!!

ooh, extra suggestions as I posted my reply, thanks! lots of stuff to think about trying again. also just found the menu planning thread further down, so I'll trawl through that later for ideas when DCs in bed. thanks very much, am inspired already!

I have a 2 and 4 as well, nightmare watching the food go in the bin... The most reliable thing we have is jacket potatoes - I can hide anything in them as long as I've mashed it up with butter and cheese too.

Our staples include:

Thai vege curry
Chickpea curry
Paneer curry (we like curry!)
Veggie chilli
Veggie sausage casserole
Veggie fajitas
Veggie risotto
Macaroni cheese (on nights when dd1 isn't eating with us!)
Jacket potatoes with cheese, coleslaw, salad
Homemade wedges with something or other (eg egg and peas / omelettes and salad)
Qaesadillas and mango salsa
Stuffed peppers with new potatoes and salad.

But, like you, I'm getting pretty bored of all of them.

thanks lemon and remus. a few more suggestions to try!

what about quiche and beans? my ds loves it warm from the oven?
or a nice beef steak pie with mash and peas.
or fish with mash and homemade cheese sauce (or fish pie)
macaroni cheese is a good one
fishcakes with oven chips and beans?

i cook and freeze
stovies
curry
spag bol
chilli
daal
mushroom stroganoff
fish pie
sausage and mash
soups
paneer and rice
tofu stir fry
chicken wraps

tuna steaks, rice and veg

veg pasta bake

grilled chicken with rice, chips, jacket potatoes or potato gratin

chicken & veg pasta bake

chicken kiev, peas and chips or rice

spaghetti bolognese

steak and chips

home made pizza and baked beans

chilli con carne

quorn curry and rice

theres not many more, will come back when i have thought of some more!

cheese ham and onion omelette with peas, rice or chips

fajitas

flat grilled mushrooms with cheese and pesto

pizzas made with tortillas

Definitely the rice dishes that posters are mentioning. You could make paella - so you can add chicken, fish, veg and its easy to pick out the bits that might not go down well with the children when dishing it out.

thanks for the extra suggestions. hopefully my menu for next week will be a bit more interesting