Give me your best toddler recipes please!

[OveranxiousUnderated]

Hi there...

My DD is 17 months old and generally a good eater - big appetite and tummy to match! She loves fruit/veg, and I make all her food myself but I am running out of ideas...only have a few meals left for her in the freezer so would like some fresh ideas.

Our usuals are: Salmon and Brocolli Cheesy Pasta, Cottage/Shepard's Pie, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni, Fish Pie and Roast Chicken/Pork Dinners.

That sounds quite varied, but I think we are both getting bored, so can I please have some of your favourite/popular recipes for inspiration...

Also what sort of snacky meals do you do, as in a light tea? For example my DD occasionally has scrambled egg on toast/omelette, what else can I do that's pretty quick and simple to prepare.

[I have lots of white potatoes to use up too...]

Thanks.

I make my own tomato sauce in bulk (fry dried oregano in olive oil, add a tetrapak of creamed tomatoes, a baby veggie stock cube, 1tsp sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar) then freeze in silicone muffin moulds. Perfect size for toddler portion.

I put it on pasta - add frozen peas/spinach/chopped red pepper to the pasta water, then drain and top with the sauce and some tinned tuna. Or mix with rice, add chicken and veg. Very versatile and DS loves it.

My DD (now 2) loves salmon with rice and broccoli. I put it in foil with a bit of oil and lemon and bake it for 20 mins or so. She also loves chicken in tarragon which is so easy. Boil some new potatoes and peas/grean beans and set aside. Fry some chicken breast chunks in oil, then when they're nearly done, add some creme fraiche and water from the veggies to make a bit of a sauce, then add the potatoes and veggies. She LOVES this, and then I can reheat it and add some honey and mustard for me and DP later!
Sausages and mash - and I add celeriac to the mash potato for extra veggies.

Quick meals - cheese on toast, Beans on toast, dipping things in philadelphia (trying to get her to like hummus too - getting better slowly!) Pancakes.

Oh - obviously add tarragon when cooking the chicken!

Are you allowed to cook toddlers? I couldn't eat a whole one

Risotto is easy, its my standby with whatever meat/veg is going spare and the plate is always cleared.

Is cannelloni easy to make? Never thought about that.

Thanks for the ideas so far, will definitely give some of them a go.

Yeah, I just buy the cannelloni tubes...stuff them with spinach/ricotta then put in an oven-proof dish (with tomato sauce in dish first under tubes) then cover in cheese sauce. It's very tasty and DD loves it too.

How many ingredients do you tend to include in your risotto?

Anymore ideas anybody?

Oh, and no I don't think you're allowed to cook toddlers, but if you were then mine would have a lot of meat on.

julia I was going to say that!

Can she not just eat what you eat? My 2 (3yo and 12mo) have cereal for breakfast, sandwiches or soup for lunch and a family tea in the evening. We all eat together for each meal.

debka nice to know there's at least one other person with good taste (as it were)

Yeah she eats what we eat most of the time, if I make a big cottage pie for example then we will eat as a family and I will freeze any extra portions.
However, I also make up some batches of food separately for her because when I work, my DM looks after her so I leave meals for her so that she doesn't have to cook. Plus DP sometimes works evenings and I will eat later with him, where as DD likes to have her tea at a certain time each day, so I like to have back up meals for her in the freezer as and when needed.

I've never really tried her with soup so might give that a try. Thanks.