What do you cook if you just need a quick meal for one child?

[dameofdilemma]

Mostly I cook meals for all three of us but occasionally, on Fridays especially, I'm just cooking for dd (e.g. If dp and I are going out and we don't need left overs for next day etc).

What's your best 'just for one kid' recipe that doesn't involve meat (we don't eat it) or fish (dd has it for lunch on Fridays at school) or cheese or pasta (dd eats too much of both at school!)?

Normally I cook veggie/pulses curries or chilli or fajitas etc but all don't lend themselves easily to cooking a small amount....

I think if you don’t want the things you said in your op, then you might be best off cooking a bigger meal, portioning it off and freezing it to take out and reheat a solo meal.

Quorn nuggets or veggie sausages?

Scrambled eggs or a small omelette are popular here. Miso soup with udon and steamed veges is also easy to make for one.

Or do veggie sausages, oven chips and peas (yes I’m a lazy mum)

Beans on toast if has already had a meal at school?

Quesildilla....tortilla stuffed with cheese and veggies then topped with another tortilla and fry in hot pan. Cut into triangles and serve with mashed advacado. Yum!

Boiled egg and soldiers with fruit for pudding, vegetable pie, beans on toast?

Instant noodles

Can you cook a large amount of one of chili, curry or something and freeze it in portions? Otherwise I'd do a noodle stir fry or jacket potato or omelette and salad.

Leftovers from the night before, individual portion of curry etc, ‘lunch’ food if she’s had pasta for lunch (toastie or wrap or sandwich plus chopped fruit or salad veg). Things on toast, eggy bread etc.

I was going to say tuna pasta or quesadilla with cheese/ham/chicken/pineapple/pesto but neither of them really work

I haven’t met a child who doesn’t love spaghetti (or any other pasta) swirled with a knob of butter, black pepper and grated Parmesan (or any other cheese) on top. It may not be a completely balanced meal, but add salad, if she eats it, and it is. My Italian mum used to do this for us when we were little on those busy days. It is delicious.

Jacket potato, some filling or other, cucumber/tomatoes/lettuce

Some form of egg with toast and salad veggies on the side.

Yeah I’d either keep a batch of DD-sized portions of things like dal in the freezer, or it would be boiled egg, soldiers, cherry toms and cucumber in our house.

Ramen type noodles - does your DD like tofu?

Both my DCs have busy extra-curricular schedules and it's common to need a 'meal for one at a time'.

Pasta is my go-to (they have packed lunches at school) but I also batch-cook chillis, curries, stews etc and freeze in 1-person portions to be eaten with rice or tortillas or gnocchi or baked potatoes.

As short cooking time is a real requirement here - often in the house for less than 30 minutes to cook, eat and leave for an activity - I do also buy ready-made quiche and ready-made stuffed pasta.

Spanish omelette and garlic bread, if you have a suitable small pan?

I usually try to plan something for the night before that will have leftovers. But failing that, either scrambled egg or veggie omelette.

Forgot stir fry, too.

Omelette
Jacket potato

Oh, and 'backward leftovers' - cook a large batch of what you will have the following evening as a family, and extract 1 portion the night before. Especially good if you can vary it a bit e.g. plain one night, spiced the next.

Jacket potato is the dinner of kings in this house!

Omelets.

Jacket spud with beans. Always a winner!

Oh - also do something with rice the night before and hold a bit back, then knock up a quick egg fried rice the following night