Calling all mums working or otherwise - what do you feed your kids ?

[Lulu41]

I work full time and am often stuck for something to cook for my kids when we get in - it has to be something quick and vaguely nutritious!! Can anyone recommend a cook book or some recipes as I am running out of ideas and our diet is suffering!!

Thanks for any suggestions x

I make huge batches of pasta sauces and spag bols, otherwise do omelettes, jacket spuds with fillings, filled pittas, fish fingers and chips...

I freeze a maximum of things. Soups are good too, easy to make, healthy, filling and you can make a batch that will keep 3 days in the fridge.

i have
this book (although this is an updated version, i have the older one, so not quite sure if this has good recipes or not) but the one i have is BRILLIANT

this is the older one that i have would thoroughly recommend it, for adults and children alike (my dd's, 3 and 1, love most of the things in it)

Mince - make a massive batch (with tomatoes & onion) and you've got the base of a few meals.

I generally freeze it like that, and then defrost and add kidney beans and chilli powder for a chilli, use with mash for shepherds pie, as it comes with boiled potatoes, or with spaghetti or pasta for spag bol.

I always make several times the quantity of casseroles and stews so that I've got a few extra meals.

Jacket potatoes freeze quite well, so I often do a trayful and freeze for a side order with casseroles or stews.

macaroni with pork mince & veg.
1.marinade the pork mince with salt, sugar & soysauce. 2. cook macaroni
(take few mins)
3. use veg. soup if have some as a soup
4. add all pork mince to the macaroni & some veggies. to the soup

it'll take only 15 mins. i reckon
you could also add a egg to the soup. very nice

pasta with quick tomato sauce, add in any veggies in fridge
nice sausages with pasta and veg
sausage casserole (made earlier in day/night before)
chicken bang bang (beaten, cut up, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried) with potatoes/rice and veg
leek or carrot soup
macaroni cheese with toamtoes or veg on side
Cauli and brocolli cheese
puff pastry tarts with mozzarella and onions and mushrooms and tomatoes (idea borrowed from Nigel S)
Lasange, meat or veggie, made earlier/night before
I work most days btw

Why can't they eat what you eat? I cook big portions after they've gone to bed, half for our tea (we eat late), and half to be warmed up for the kids the next day. So this week they've had bean lasagne, homemade burgers, roast chicken, honey & mustard chicken, etc. If we have something they won't eat, then it's usually a pizza or something I can just bung in the oven.

I work PT and on my work days I either do something very quick, or have stuff I made at the weekend and have frozen.

Frozen stuff I do include things like:
Casseroles - chicken, pork, beef, veggie
Shepherd's pie
Bolognaise
Lasagne
Fish pie
etc.

Quicker meals I do:
Sausage and mash
Pasta with pesto
Steak and chips
Fish with rice and salad
etc.

Have to say that DD does just eat what we are having though, and at the same time as us - normally about 6:30pm when DH gets home from work. Makes it much easier for us all that way.

have you looked at the campbells soup website..they have loads of recipes to make with their soups....I make lots of things and they are alll very quick and healthy

casseroles in the slow cooker, jacket potatoes (oven on timer), salmon steaks (12 mins under the grill, fish fingers... I always make extra of casseroles and freeze, if I'm making mash I make double and put the rest in the fridge for the next day or day after.

cold meats with new pots
mac cheese
chicken breast and roast pots with few veg and call it roast
toad in the hole
pancakes ( can freeze)
wedges
cottage pie
beans on toast
eggy bread
french bread pizza ( they can make this themselves)

baked apples (ditto)
'party' tea with sausages on sticks and cheese and pineapple, small sandwiches and fruit kebabs

Thanks everyone I am going to try a bit harder this weekend to cook a few batches of stuff so next week isnt such a chore. I am such a unimaginative cook - thanks again x