Easy meals for an au pair to feed the kids

[Ilovecrumpets]

Hello everyone

Looking for some inspiration. I have a lovely au pair who is looking after my kids (4 and 6). I’m looming for some meal ideas for her that either she can do very easily or I can prep the day before and leave for her to heat up.

One difficulty is my eldest doesn’t really like things that are that saucy ( so no stews etc). Other than things like jacket potatoes, pasta and pesto ( obviously!), lasagne and cottage pie that I can pre prep and sausages I’m weirdly out of inspiration.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Fajitas are popular with my kids. The meal kits are super easy to follow.

Scrambled eggs on toast

Chicken fingers/nuggets cooked into the oven then popped in a wrap with lettuce, tomato, and some grated cheese.

Tuna burgers you can prep in advance...mix a can of tuna with a generous tablespoon of natural yoghurt and a tablespoon of oats, then some finely chopped peppers or onions or spinach or a teaspoon of sweetcorn (basically whatever you have) then season with black pepper, a few chilli flakes, or chilli powder (according to the kids' tastes) then shape into two burgers and coat in a few more oats. You can leave those in the fridge until you want to cook them.

Warm a little oil in an oven proof dish then cook the burgers at around 180° for ten minutes, flipping them halfway through.

Serve however the kids like - with veg, with salad, with baked beans, in buns, with cheese or sauce. (I like them with a side of mushrooms).

Salmon pasta - a salmon fillet simply in oven for 20 mins, then flaked into cooked pasta with philidephia style cream cheese and peas all mixed in.

pre bought falafels in pitta bread (warm in oven 10 mins). with houmous, and whatever salady bits they will eat inside.

various omlettes

otherwise maybe get a simple cook book if shes unsure, the type aimed at students leaving home for example. and get her to choose to try one new dish a week

Thanks everyone - some great ideas.

Homemade burgers
Pitta pizzas
Gammon steak with pineapple and wedges

Yes, fish cakes are good to make in advance.

Buy some pizza bases and get her to make them up into pizzas with the kids. Always a hit for playdates.

M&S and Waitrose (and probably other supermarkets!) do a mini chicken joint you can roast in the foil tray with some easy veg and mash.

Otherwise assuming she's living with you get her to help meal prep with you one evening so she can see how you do things?

Where's she from - she might have recipes of her own?

Sausage rolls
Fish / chicken goujons (go well with crunchy salad - cucumber & pepper sticks?)
Egg & chips
Meatballs, jar sauce, rice

jacket and a salmon fillet.
chicken thighs with pour over chicken tonight sauces.our eldest can not take a lot of sauce with his when dishing out
chicken in a bag.then either she can cook it(very simple) and have it with veg and potatos.or you could cook it the night before in in the day then they can either rheat it or have it cold with salad and jacket.or she can easily wrip it apart to make another chicken dish.
thos ready made filled tortilini with some pesto on top.
meatballs.then all she needs to do is the pasta.again your son could have little of the sauce.
we do a really simple pasta with a jar of dolmio or similar in others brand sauce and frankfurter sauasges.the kids love it.and it can be made so its not too saucy.
with the mince you would put in lasagne us instead to make little pasties or one large slice.
enchiladas
quesadillas
cheese and beans pastie with ready to roll pastry
ready rolled pastry with anything the kids want topping.
one pot rice dishes.
mince or rice or couscous stuff peppers.
cheesie bacon and pasta bake
get them to help her.and to choose things to.its a perfect and great age for them to be getting more involved.and it also help them start to explore and try new foods.

Thanks everyone for some great ideas.

I’m hoping long term she will start to do more cooking but at first thought I’d make it easy for her and also give her more time with the kids.
She is Finnish - has already suggested making cinnamon buns with them so I’m sure that will be a hit ( although not as a main meal!)

I should add it’s funny but my eldest seems to be narrowing his food choices a lot at the moment, having previously eaten most things. Am hoping it’s a phase