Family friendly suppers

[3HotCrossBuns]

Hi
I'm sure this has been done before (I did have a quick scan through some old threads) but I was just hoping for some inspiration....

Historically DH and I have eaten our evening meal once the DCs were in bed but for various reasons we are trying to eat together much more (DH currently looking for a new job so at home more, kids a bit older so can wait until 5.30/6 etc). Also we have not always eaten every night anyway - especially if DH has had a big lunch at work or he's home late or either of us are out. We have usually eaten together 2 or 3 times over the weekend - everyone loves a roast chicken in this house
So to avoid us having to eat pasta every night I would appreciate any ideas of what you make for your family over the course of a week. I'm a bit uninspired to be honest. DCs are (very nearly!) 7, 5 and nearly 3, no dietary requirements other than occasional fussiness! The 2 older kids have a hot lunch at school so it's not the end of the world if they have a quick and easy supper after swimming/judo/tennis etc some nights - just I don't fancy frankfurters and beans much!!

Thanks v much.

Jacket potato, soup.
Chicken and broccoli baked casserole, basically tin cream of mushroom or chicken soup x2, 1 head broccoli cooked to tender, 3-4 chicken breasts, 1tsp paprika, 2table spoon milk or cream, tin chickpeas, mix in casserole dish, 180 for 50mins.
Tuna pasta bake,
cottage pie,
sausage and mash,
slow cooked chilli, lasagna etc.

Hth

This weeks menu is

Monday: Gammon Potato and salad
Tuesday: Cheese and bacon pasta bake
Wednesday: Chicken burgers, chips and veg (easy to cook as we're all out)
Thursday: Spag Bol
Friday: Chicken Fajita's
Saturday: Beef stew with veg and potatoes
Sunday: Roast Chicken

Sausage and Mash, baked fish, salmon, baked potatoes, pizza, homemade turkey burgers, pork loin chops with rice and veg, stir fry anything. Tend to be ones on the menu. Kids have taken to mince and potatoes.

We're in a similar position - DH works away so might get home one night in the week, plus I have to work around various children's after school things (e.g. 5 y.o DS2 can't wait until 7.30pm to eat when his big sister comes home from ballet).

This week we have the following:

fish, new potatoes, veg (not v.exciting)
homemade pork, chilli & fennel burgers on buns with salad and potato wedges for the very hungry
chicken breasts somehow - haven't yet decided but probably in some sauce or other
steak pie, roast potatoes & veg
what the children call pick'n'mix pasta... basically I cook a pan of pasta and empty the odds and ends of the fridge out onto the counter and people make their own combinations. Only rule is there must be at least one source of protein and at least two veg.

Other weeks there's sausages and mash, lots of homemade curries, Chinese style pork with rice, pizza, chicken pie, egg/beans/chips type meals, roast dinners, fajitas... but I do often make several variants of the same meal to accommodate tastes and when people are coming in.

Thank you both, especially Penguins for the recipe - I know a few people who use condensed soup but I never know what to do with it!
We've had a sausage casserole type thing I threw together with the wrong veg this evening as I had a bag of dried casserole mix in the cupboard. Kids only ate it drowned in ketchup!!

condensed soup makes a great base for a chicken pie too - buy a big chicken, have a roast dinner one day then dice the remaining meat and mix with a can of condensed chicken or mushroom soup, put it in a pie. Probably my DC's favourite dinner.

I don't use condensed soup, just normal ones, Cream of chicken, Cream of Mushroom or the Cream of chicken and mushroom,, lol.

Also I use the Maggi seasoning cook in the bag chicken things,, DH loves that.

I have a whole blog if you are interested? I know I share it a lot, but it really might be of some use. The majority of teh recipes are ones we ate altogether (me, DH, and 3 DC aged 11, 9 and 3)

Ooh, can you link to the blog, BlackAffronted?

Sure :) jensfoodandphotos.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks BlackAffronted! I've had a quick look on your blog and it all looks yummy! I have to say I'm not feeling quite so daunted by trying some food for all of us to eat together - without the grownups having to eat fish fingers and pizza every night. DH is out tonight but will try to eat with us before he goes. I've got some left over roast chicken (not much just a breast) and some chicken drumsticks. so will do those with veggie rice.