Simple Midweek Meals for Working DH, DD & DS x2

[daisycat01]

I have recently started a new job which means I am away from home 2 nights a week. My husband has his own company and so by the time he gets home is tired and has no enthusiasm to cook anything for the him and the kids. As a result they have been eating a lot of freezer "beige" food, basic pasta and take aways. I am starting to meal plan and just wondered if you had any top tips or meals that are easy/simple to cook DH hates recipes and i am worrying about the kids 9, 12 & 15 living on a diet of crap!!
Before you suggest he wont do Hello Fresh... tried that and he resented the cost ...

you can pack and freeze chilli ready to eat.either done or in big bags your literally stack the ingredient.together so thye just get poured into pan and cooked.this can be done with currys too.
jar of dolmio pasta sauce,pack of sausages.pasta.done
when cooking pasta put veg in the pan with it.
all in one rice one pot dishes.
tray bakes.so you literally lay your potatos,onions,garlic and veg into thepan.put meat on top and cook.can be done with chicken thighs pork,lamp and fish.
salmon,spring onion,mange tout noodles oil all in a foil packet.oven cook.easy peasy
risotto.
puff pastry read roll sheets.top with all sorts.cheese and tomato.chicken pesto.eggs and becon.
chicken thighs and a pour over mustard sauce jar.pour over I nthe morning with a few leeks and carrots.cover with foil.cook when home with some jackets.or set your oven to go.
macaroni cheese.
when your cooking your evening meal.cook a whole chicken at the same time.so then the next day you can either have it as a roast chicken or you can have it cold with potatos salad or veg or wrip it up to cook a meal with
frittata
hash

Firstly I'd be telling Dh to pull his socks up and take responsibility!

But aside from that- have you thought about batch cooking? Lasagne/ courage pie/ chilli/ curry/ tagines/ soups and stews/ chicken or fish pie etc - when making one, double up and freeze the other.

Tray bakes also sound like they might work as there's no "recipe" as such- chicken thighs and veg in a tray with some thyme, oil and seasoning. Sausages, onions, peppers and new potatoes the same.

Another thought is slow cooker? If he's tired after work- could he chuck something in BEFORE he goes to work?

Also google dump meals- where you fill a freezer bag with the ingredients then when you want it just chuck it into pan?

Finally- if the two of you spent an hour on a Sunday chopping the weeks veg- onions/ mushrooms/peppers/carrots/ celery then perhaps him making a quick spaghetti Bol, or curry, or something- then it would be easier as the cooking is hardly the work so much as the prep?

And easy meals like omelettes/ beans and jacket spuds / miso noodle veg are surely achievable no natter how tired you are? It's as easy to put four jacket potatoes in the oven as it is a tray of frozen chips.

Have you got the recipe for courage pie I like the sound of that

Chicken pot pie
Chicken pesto pasta
We also do Nando’s night leave chicken marinating in oven tray in the fridge in Nando’s marinades and put in oven when get home eat by making sandwiches in pita with salad and Nando’s sauces.
Curry’s with rice
Chilli
Home made pizzas everyone makes their own toppings I make home made sauce which I freeze and use when are going to have pizzas.

Oh also we do stir fry’s a lot as well.

Make double batches of things like pasta dishes, stews, soups, etc, on evenings when you have more time, and freeze/refrigerate the leftovers so they can be used later in the week. Nothing wrong with the same meal twice in one week. Nice and simple :)

Why dont you suggest the older children cook. Teach them easy things like stirfry or sausages and veg. Steam veg is easy if you buy it in a ready to cook packet.

I think a night of 'beige' is fine, and then a night of easy pasta is OK. It's 2 meals out of 7. I'd want the takeaways not to happen, but planning to have a freezer meal and a pasta meal is fine.

Eggs are quick - omelette, scrambled, fried etc.

But your DH needs to tell you what he will cook on those nights, and you put it on the meal plan. Don't decide for him!