Need ideas for bung-in-the-oven-and-leave-it-so-the-kids-are-fed meals

[BattyBarbara]

I've just started working full time after years of part time, and the trouble is we're all used to eating about 6pm (yes I'm ooop north ). DH and I could probably last a bit longer but the kids are eating their own arms by the time it's ready, and they're sick of jacket potatoes. I did try a slow cooker but everything that came out, regardless of what went in, tasted like stew.

To complicate the issue, Dd1 can't have tomato based dishes, and Dd2 doesn't like cheese sauce or gravy based dishes.

I am working from home, so I can run downstairs and put stuff in the oven/stir as appropriate but any serious preparation would have to be done the night before.

Help!

Thanks

Roast veg and sausages. Peel carrots/ parsnips/ any root veg/ red onion. Add olive oil and whatever herbs/ spices. Leave in oven for an hour or so. Add sausages

Ooh yes good idea

We do enchiladas which I prep the night before and bake when needed and everyone loves them.
Meatballs reheat well and tend to soak up the sauce if left overnight and so taste better IMO.
Thick homemade soup with doorstop bread.
Chicken and veg kebabs (marinade meat and chop veg night before) - grill and cook rice when needed.
Chicken cacciatore
Chicken tikka
Steak pie
Cottage/shepherds pie

I prep most of my meals the night before and do the last minute things before serving.

I like this one - Chicken with roasted vegetables

Bung it in. Then eat. Easy. It suggests serving it with rice but I find all the veg and chickpeas filling enough.

This recipe for salmon with Thai red curry rice is now - only takes 20 mins too!

Or something like Delia's chicken basque. Is lovely too - there is a bit of prep. We make variations of it using whatever we have so it always turn out a bit different!

Could you make a batch of lasagnes that you can keep in the freezer and cook as necessary?

how about spicy chicken drumsticks with potato wedges?

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/spicy-chicken-drumsticks.html

quick to prep then just stick in the oven : )

Bbc Good Food baked Spanish risotto is great. Has tomatoes in but you could omit/substitute with red pepper maybe. Afraid you'll need to google because my phone is an arse and refuses to post links.

MIL makes a chicken thing that I think is from Nigella. Chicken thighs/breasts in a roasting tin with halved, peeled onions, chunks of chorizo and potatoes. Splash a bit of olive oil over, plus a bit of orange zest if you can be bothered, otherwise a splash of orange juice. Can all be prepped the night before if necessary, but takes less than 5 minutes.

Roast with foil on top, then uncover for 15min if you want crispy skin (I don't bother). Even MIL hasn't buggered it up yet!

Roasted veg with chicken pieces/breasts in. Tuck them down well so they get soaked in veg juices and don't dry out of you forget about them/get the timings wrong as I do!

get the slow cooker out again, buy a chicken, put it in the slow cooker WITH NO WATER and leave on high.

When you come home open a packet of salad and some crusty bread and let people make hot chicken sandwiches.

recipe 2 - not using the slow cooker - you can prep this the day before but if you do leave the stuffing to cool before adding to the pork.

pork loin steaks
1 potato per person
1 packet of stuffing mix made up with boiling water
1 jar of apple sauce
salt and pepper (you can add chilli / paprika / spices to taste)

1 lightly oiled baking tin/pyrex dish

Thinly slice the potatoes and put them in the tin and season
put pork on top
put the apple sauce on top of the pork
put the stuffing on top of that
put in the oven for 30 mins on about 200 deg C

recipe 3 - this can be done in the slow cooker or in the oven.

chicken breasts
1 jar/tub of creme fresh or soured cream
sliced mushrooms
1 can of cambels condensed soup - either chicken or mushroom
salt and pepper

Mix the creme fresh with the tinned soup
Add it to a baking dish/slow cooker and then add everything else and cook.

Serve with jacket potatoes or rice, trust me it sounds terrible, it looks terrible but is actually really tasty.

Mmmm thank you, making me hungry