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Super fast meal ideas to avoid buying a takeaway

143 replies

People1pleaser · 27/01/2017 17:58

We seem to be running out of time to cook at the moment with small hungry children and getting delayed with after school clubs/unexpected traffic etc and have ended up with both McDonald's and chip shop in one week! I need some ideas for nights when this happens to avoid takeaway. The only super fast meal I can think of is Greek salad which is no good as the kids hate it and a frozen pizza which is no good as the kids both have cows milk intolerance. Any ideas anyone?

OP posts:
jazzandh · 27/01/2017 19:46

what time slot are we talking about?

You could maybe have the oven pre-heating for generally when you get in and if it is hot have fish and chips with beans etc on the table within 30mins.

Or frozen chicken breasts with vegetables (I use a frozen pack) and jacket potatoes within 25 minutes ...

Mine take 15 mins to get in and get showered - so 30 minutes to tabel is not unreasonable.

Loads of batch cooked stuff that can be microwaved quickly ( I do spaghetti bolognese) but you could do that with any meat type casserole and soon cook, wedges / rosti/ mash (frozen etc)...

pasta is always speedy.....I do a broccolli sauce that for some reason mine love....but again could be made and frozen and then it's a defrost and the time it takes for pasta (and maybe garlic bread) to cook....

UnicornButtplug · 27/01/2017 19:56

Porridge and fruit is just as good in the evening.
Crumpets
Egg and soldiers
Spaghetti hoops on toast

fallenempires · 27/01/2017 19:57

Dare I say it it's down to organisation to get it done.This can mean cooking ahead,freezing then defrosting then reheating ie chilli or ragu etc.You don't mention how much time you have during the day OP ie are you out at work,working from home etc.
Other than the cows milk intolerance are there any other things that dcs won't eat?Do you have a slow cooker?
Happy to help with a bit more info as I know how difficult all this juggling can be!

officerhinrika · 27/01/2017 20:18

Microwave rice pouches are a good quick shortcut. They take 2 minutes so handy when you've got to get back out to activities etc. We have them sometimes with smoked mackerel, 2 minutes in the microwave & flake, then add peas, sweet corn, red pepper, whatever's in the fridge. You can also heat the rice then add to a pan with chopped spring onion and an egg or two, then add veg for a sort of egg fried rice. I put prawns with this but you could use ham. So basically rice, add bits, food on the table in about 10 minutes.

chosenone · 27/01/2017 20:25

Fresh stuffed pasta... 5 mins and then stir in pesto.
Previously baked jacket spuds warmed in micro with beans/ tuna.
Beans and sausage on toast.
Omlettes.
Pies/pasties/sausage rolls served with oven chips and/or beans. Oven on and leave them to warm through

FoofFighter · 27/01/2017 20:40

Check out Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute meal recipes

roseteapot101 · 27/01/2017 21:11

slow cooker theres dishes for low 8-10hrs pop on before the day

for example 250ml chicken stock,onion,pork shoulder low 8-10hrs serve in bread rolls with favorite sauce and either chips or crisps and any veg you like

i made a few alterations to make mild,1 teaspoon tandoori powder,3 teaspoon mild curry powder,125ml double concentrate tomato paste, knorr curry paste,i used chicken breast not thigh.I also for the cardamom pods tore open a tea bag and sewed inside the pod

www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Slow-Cooker-Butter-Chicken-AllRecipes

get a steamer

preheat oven 200 degrees,pack of chicken thighs,sprinkle lea perins/aromat.Add a tablespoon cooking oil to baking tray and a onion skin on with top/bottom cut off.Add the chicken too cook 45mins

cook in steamer baby potato's then 20 mins before end of chicken add chopped carrots/cabbage or green beans

People1pleaser · 27/01/2017 21:25

fallenempires I work school hours and in the evenings I'm trying to set up my own business so I feel like I don't have much time. Tue-fri we are not getting home until 6 due to various clubs the dc do between them, and they are so hungry the youngest is groaning in hunger as we walk through the door. They do have a snack after school. Ideally I would like the food on the table by 6.15 so that gives me 15 mins start to finish. I have a slow cooker, I could potentially put something in there the night before if it took minimal time say 5 minutes. The dc cannot eat any dairy so things like pre filled pasta etc are out the window, they hate spicy food and they hate stew. If you can think of any solutions that would be great. It has only got this bad as the oldest has moved swimming groups so this is now on a week night too. And one of the dance groups has moved to a later time now she has gone up a level.

OP posts:
fallenempires · 28/01/2017 00:04

Ok,I understand that.The slow cooker depending on what time you leave at could be plugged into one of those timer plugs.I often bake jackets overnight they take approx 7 hrs on slow,instant hot food with a filling of choice & bulk out with salad.I'm ruling out spicy suggestions or stew but maybe try a piece of pork or gammon in there?Pulled pork & salad rolls with some wedges?Gammon,egg & chips,oven or fryer.Don't forget the auto timer on your oven and make use of it,you can have some dishes prepped ready to eat whilst you're out with dcs.A whole chicken could be cooked like this,maybe use one of those cooking bags.The meat could provide a few meals.Chicken with salad/veg etc,fajitas or chicken,veg & egg fried rice.Fish finger pie is another quick filler,well a hefty one tbf.I no longer have this juggling act as such as mine are now teenagers but I've had to juggle meals and lifts in the past.

People1pleaser · 28/01/2017 09:04

Thank you that's really helpful x

OP posts:
nocutsnobuttsnococonuts · 29/01/2017 15:48

Quick currys/stir fry quorn pieces cook very quickly. Literally just defrosting and warming up.

Quick slow cooker dishes I do chicken casserole - sachet, veg and frozen chicken thrown in. Chilli - quorn mince, various beans and sachet. But more ideas on 'slow cooked wonders group on Facebook. Another good Facebook group feed you family £20 a week.

Wraps - mine like warmed up Bolognese or chilli inside.

Another idea - thread chopped hot dogs on dry spaghetti then cook as normal. They stay threaded on, serve with tomato sauce/passata. Quick easy dinner :)

gerbo · 29/01/2017 16:13

I think perhaps for the busy evenings you could have 'soup night' and 'eggs night' - bear with me- and in the morning take out enough portions of frozen homemade soup to defrost in pan through the day. Heat, serve with granary bread and perhaps hummus and chopped veg too. On 'egg night' (!) where they could have fried, scrambled, or omelette (with ham, spinach, etc inside), with toast, and veg (baked beans or peas if nothing else). Two evenings done. Not exciting food but healthy ish and wholesome. Batch cook soup on the weekend and freeze. Give the kids choices of soup - minestrone's good as has pasta and beans in it.

gerbo · 29/01/2017 16:24

Slow cooker is also a godsend and I never brown meat. It's not gourmet but tasty. Preschool veg in the evening, stick in large plastic freezer bag in the fridge. Throw in cooker in the morning, add meat and bit of "sauce" stuff and voila! Ones I use if the evening is v busy.....

Casserole beef chunks, bag of veg with chopped onion, carrot, leek. Add large potato chunks in morning so no carbs to cook. Throw over mixture of tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, beef stock. Not too much liquid or too runny.

Pork chunks (shoulder, pre chopped by sainsburys), bag of veg - green, yello, red peppers, onion, carrot. Sauce of tomato purée and large slug of white wine. Mushrooms yummy too. Makes gorgeous casserole.

Beef chunks, onion, loads of red pepper chopped, sauce of beef stock, worcs sauce, paprika, mustard. Yummy goulash.

Sausage stew - brown sausages night before - ie stick in oven on tray for 40 mins, no great effort. Chopped veg bag with garlic, pepper, onion, carrot, celery maybe, leek - whatever's in! Then add potatoes in morning and red lentils, sauce of red wine and stock, to at purée, and lovely sausage hash.

Just takes fifteen mins chopping and stick your veg bag in fridge night before, get slow cooker set up, then five mins to chuck it all in.

Seriously, when you're groaning with hunger and there's a tasty beef stew making the house smell good at 6pm, you are so glad you bothered!!

gerbo · 29/01/2017 16:25

Preschool veg?! Pre CHOP.

ProfYaffle · 29/01/2017 16:31

Have a look on Pinterest for slow cooker freezer meals. You basically spend some time at a weekend portioning up veg/meat etc and freezing it in meal sized portions. Then the night before you take a bag out of the freezer to defrost, bung it in the slow cooker in the morning and by the evening you have a meal.

58NotBothered · 29/01/2017 18:06

Omlettes with cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers or ham and salad.

Mominatrix · 29/01/2017 19:43

Things to have ready for quick meals:

Fresh pasta freezes well and is ready in minutes after water boils
pasta sauces also freeze well and pop into microwave to defrost in minutes
Usual batch cooking frozen things like chilli,

Quick fresh meals:
Grilled salmon fillets with steamed veg and rice noodles
Stir fries
quesadillas with guacamole and salsa - up the protein by adding in black beans or a meat inside the quesadilla
salads with poached egg to make more substantial
steak, oven chips, steamed veg
Fried rice using those microwavable rice packets
pasta with asparagus sauce: sauce made by blitzing lightly steamed asparagus, lemon zest, olive oil, parmesan cheese, S&P in a blender). substitute broccoli, spinach, kale for the asparagus
White fish grilled with watercress/sorrel sauce (blitz in blender), boiled new potato and a veg

finova · 29/01/2017 20:01

Breakfast on toast (beans and poached egg, could add bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes)

Things in rolls- pulled pork or sloppy joes in slow cooker, fish gingers or chicken goujons. Serve with salad bowl or microwave veg.

Corned beef hash?

Noodles with veg/egg or chicken noodle soup (add cooked chicken pieces and canned corn).

Newmanwannabe · 30/01/2017 12:39

Tacos
Boiled rice with veges and chicken honey/soy/garlic/ginger
Sausage egg and chips

namechangedtoday15 · 02/02/2017 09:51

We don't have anything at all in the week that cannot be on the table within 15 mins. I do spend time at the weekend, on a Saturday morning, or Sunday evening, doing a bit of prep. My top tip when you're short of time in the week is to never make just one meal when you're cooking at weekend. So if I'm prepping for a roast on Sunday, I'll shove some chicken breasts / extra roast potatoes in the oven and that can be heated up for Monday's dinner. If I'm making something for lunch on Saturday (and I'm in the kitchen anyway), I'll make a pan of soup. I also shove things in the oven during the week - so will bake a bag of sweet potatoes for 40 mins or so (I'll be working or putting the children to bed) then leave to cool, peel them, put in fridge. Next day, put in a splash of milk, mash a little and microwave for a few minutes so easy peasy sweet potato mash (maybe loosen with a tiny bit of water soya milk if your children can't have dairy).

And the other thing is to plan your meals - so if you know as you walk in the door that its omelette night, you don't waste precious minutes dithering about what to have or whether you've got the right ingredients.

Ruhrpott · 02/02/2017 10:07

One of my quick go to meals is boil pasta, drain, chop in some hot dog sausages and chuck in a couple of tins of soup (or home made soup) into the pan (I use tomato soup) and heat it all through. All done in 20mins. Can even add some veg if you wanted.

HandsomeDevil · 02/02/2017 10:12

on the night we're late home due to activities we reheat something I've made at the weekend - chilli, curry, soups and stews. Loads quicker than cooking pretty much anything apart from eggs, and minimal washing up as well.

NanFlanders · 02/02/2017 11:27

Sardines on toast
Omelettes
Soup
If you have a slow cooker, wrap potatoes in tin foil and put them in before you go to work, then have them with beans and cheese, or tuna mayo with sweetcorn when you get in.
Boiled eggs and soldiers
Hummus and with peppers, cucumber, carrots and breadsticks to dip.
Mac cheese, with cauliflower and broccoli thrown in with the pasta

MakeJam · 02/02/2017 12:16

Tin of refried beans, fried egg, wilted spinach (if they'll eat it) in a wrap with yogurt and cheese.

Falafel, hummus, salad in a pitta.

prawns, rocket, sundried tomatoes and linguine.

tuna and pasta with cream cheese

meatballs (ready made), tomato sauce (shop bought) and pasta. Tescos finest are really nice.

user1484578224 · 02/02/2017 13:01

OP slow cooker is virtually impossible to get wrong. Total basic could be some protein and a can of sauce or soup.

You can go from there to more complicated and adventurous.

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