Planning meals for the week

[StuffEverywhere]

What are the meals that you can cook during the weekend and then keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, without them becoming horrible. Or alternatively what can you cook very quickly (from frozen for example)? Just need some ideas for inspiration, please.

[Nibbl3s]

5 bean chilli
Chickpea and spinach stew
Butternut squash lasagna
Veggie patties
Carrot and lentil cottage pie
Pasta bake dishes

Hope this helps

[TimeOfGlass]

Bolognese sauce and homemade soups freeze well and are quite fast to heat up in a microwave.

[BiddyPop]

Lots of curries - lamb rogan josh is a favourite here and freezes well.
I often also marinade meat eg diced chicken - freeze that, and cook say a chicken tikka masala in the time it takes to cook the rice (fry onion, add thawed chicken, add tin tomatoes, then add yoghurt as about to serve).

I tend to freeze rather than leave in fridge:
Lasagne
Bolognaise sauce
Chilli con carne or vegetarian chilli
Cottage pie
Smoked haddock and broccoli pie (covered in mash)
Leftovers from pasta dishes, either mac'n'cheese (with bacon and lots of veg) or a tomato sauce based dish - frozen and served again as pasta bake

Roasted medditeranean veggies - I'll dice them and toss with herbs, oil and some balsamic vinegar over the weekend and freeze, then roast midweek with a lamb chop/lamb knuckle/chicken thighs etc and some potatoes diced up for midweek quick roasties - I can either set oven on the timer to be ready when we get in or else throw them in oven when we get in and ignore for 40 mins.

I also have a habit of peeling potatoes, peeling and slicing veg, marinading meat etc - whatever needs doing - the night before after dinner, either while sorting washing up and school/work lunches or later when DD is in bed. Leaving all ready to just turn on when I get in.

[StuffEverywhere]

That's some awesome advice. Why did I never consider freezing bolognese sauce?
Nibbl3s - you must be vegeterian? VERY helpful!!! I've not actually ever cooked anything you mention apart from the veg cottage pie and pasta bake, but will give it a go! Sounds yummy.

I'm also getting pretty good with soups, but apart from 'leek and potato' kids won't eat any other ones so not ideal in that sense; for now anyway.

I will try lamb rogan josh and chilli con carne, although generally speaking it's not my type of food. But kids might like it. (Hubby vegeterian). We'll see.

Can do lasagne and cottage pie, that's our favourites, but I'm a bit tired of it.

Smoked haddock and broccoli pie - will give it a go!

Really great idea to prep veg in advance too!

I just feel like I'm constantly cooking all week, and yet get nowhere near to what I would expect in return! No time to bake for example. So wondered if I could optimize our working week meals a bit. Thanks for all the ideas, keep them coming.

[dementedma]

Make meatballs or burgers and open freeze, then bag up.cook from frozen.
I make a lot of soup. My kids will eat leek and potato (and Stilton),roasted pepper and tomato, lentil and veg/ham, carrot and coriander, pea and watercress.
If you get time to bake at the weekend, make double and freeze.