family meal plan with minimum time in kitchen

[nonsense0name]

Hi

We are family of 6b and have just had a baby, with the summer hols coming up I need a family meal plan without spending all my time in the kitchen.

I normally cook all meals from scratch but am running out of time (and patience)

Ideas please!! Please share your weekly meal plans with me

Thanks

Watching with interest! I've just sat down to write my meal plan and shopping list and I feel uninspired! My situation is slightly different to yours but we need to have food on table ASAP when we get home from work so I do a lot of prep the night before. So far I've got Monday and Tuesday! Chicken/chorizo/butterbean stew Monday and jacket pots Tuesday, I cook these the night before and mash up with cheese and spring onion then reheat when home from work and serve with big salad!

If I'm in a rush then I tend to make something with egg like an omelette with salad.

Put something in a slow cooker and leave to cook through the day - stews and curries. If no time to cook rice to go with then I'll make couscous as that is really quick and easy to make.

Other option is to cook in large batches and freeze, things like a bolognaise sauce work well and pasta is quick to cook as needed to go with the sauce.

We also have cold meats and salads, you can cook chicken portions in advance and then leave in the fridge to eat cold. Potato salad and coleslaw (if you prefer a vinigarette dressing you can add that as you're ready to serve) can be made in advance and we usually have a can of baked beans and sweetcorn with that. I'll make a green salad just before I'm ready to serve as I like that fresh.

salmon and couscous or noodles with some green beans, very quick and easy.
pasta with pesto either as a main or on the side with some chicken,
stir frys,
we usually have something on toast once a week as well.

I found a blog that is excellent and has lots of meal ideas that hardly take any time at all and are delicious. I don't know how to do links but if you google - crumbs feed your family - then I should come up as the first entry.

All my quick meals have come from there or have been inspired by ones on there.

Hope it helps!

Thanks Cheapstowmonkey - the crumbs blog has some really good recipes which will make it feel like I am still cooking but with the minimum of time

I've tried Jamie's 20 minute meal but the ingredient list is sometimes vast - Jool's Pasta is the only one I can manage to remember.

I like the shake and bake chicken recipe from crumbs

crumbsfeedyourfamily.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/shake-and-bake-chicken-and-sausage-one.html

Thanks

link here

batch cooking is my friend, often in the slow cooker.

really speedy meal - stir fry with ready to wok noodles. I use precooked chicken (remains of a roast usually) and it can be on the table in 20 mins start to finish

PS great blog, will definitely try some of their recipies, thanks!

I also have started to be slightly less fussy about cooking from scratch, so will sometimes buy a quiche, and have that with jackets and salad, or buy pizza to have with salad.

I just need to clarify that there was a typo in my last post and I should have said that "IT should come up as the first entry".

I just noticed that the typo made it look like I was responsible for the blog. I am not. I just found it reviewed on the channel 4 website and I have found it really helpful!

Phew....I had a sudden panic when I looked back over my post as I could never take credit for something that good!

Just marking my place .