Batch cooking and minimum effort meals

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Firstly, apologies, I know this has probably been done to death on here, but the search function is dire so...

I'm starting a new job next week with a longer commute and am likely to actually have to be in the office a lot more than in the job I've just left.

My DH gets home first and does the cooking midweek but he has the kids and the youngest is always in the absolute WORST mood after barely napping at nursery. So sticking something in the oven, or putting on a pan of rice/pasta is about the limit really, anything requiring more than a minute or two of attention or two hands is out.

So, I'm looking for batch cooking ideas or things that can maybe be prepared on a baking tray the night before and just stuck in the oven or, at a push, things that are very quick and easy to make. No particular dietary requirements, but I don't like fish.

I've already got the basics like bolognese, curry, chilli.

Thanks!

It sounds like you need to get a slow cooker so you can bung everything in at breakfast time and come home to a nice hot meal.

Chicken pie www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/chicken-potato-pie/
Tagine www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/butternut-squash-chickpea-tagine
Pasta bake www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_and_chorizo_51929
Quiche (leftovers make a great lunch the next day) realfood.tesco.com/recipes/chicken-courgette-and-feta-quiche.html
Smokey Spanish one pot www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes/smoky-spanish-summer-one-pot
Burgers www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pork_and_apple_burger_94249
Enchiladas www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chicken-and-bean-enchiladas

This oven baked risotto recipe is useful www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/oven-baked-leek-bacon-risotto Use pancetta to make it even quicker as you don’t have to chop up the bacon.

-Slow cooker chicken, chorizo and bean stew
-Slow cooker chilli made with steak
-Frittata and salad Cold
-Kale & broccoli Mac n cheese (put the veg in raw)
-Tray bake with squash, red onions, sausages, chuck tomatoes and kale in at the end
-Variation on the tic toc pasta - roast a tray of cherry Toms, olive oil and Boursin type stuff whilst boiling gnocchi, stir into the gnocchi with basil.

You could marinate Nadiya Hussain's shawarma in the fridge and then throw in the oven. With naan or pitta or rice & salad (or oven chips!). That's a lovely recipe.

Or chicken & veg & new potato tray bake with oregano, olive oil & lemon. That could be in a tub marinating ready to tumble into a baking dish, Nigella style!

The roasting tin cookbooks can be god for meals you just whack on a tray - check out the #tinlads tag on Twitter for examples

The Roasting Tin series would be good - very simple. Nadiya Hussain's Time to Eat is very approachable too. As a PP said, quiche is very good for batch cooking and there are so many difference flavours you can do to ring the changes. I would also prep salads that keep for a few days - Morrocan cous cous, potato salad, tomato and basil salad, roasted Mediterranean veggies (peppers, onions, courgettes with rosemary, oil and garlic), diced beetroot and pickled cucumbers. These can all be kept in the fridge and served alongside the quiche to bulk out meals. Things like tortellini / ravioli and gnocchi are all super quick (literally take minutes) - stir through batch-cooked tomato sauce / pesto / cheese sauce (or shop bought) and add your veggies (peas / spinach / broccoli) and a meat/ fish if wishes (ham, chicken, prawns). Top with cheese.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply! DS will hopefully be asleep soon so I'll have a look through all the recipe links then :)

We do actually have a slow cooker. DH always says we should use it more but I hate washing it 😂 it does get a fair bit of use in winter but is a bit neglected once it warms up for some reason. Obviously very handy when things are rushed in the evening though so I'll definitely consider what things we could make in there, means the kids can have theirs as soon as they come in if need be as well (as if they ever actually eat anything...).

Having some salads prepared is a great idea. I'm wanting, in general, to add more salads to our meals as well.

Funnily enough, I asked DH what ideas he had and nadiyas shawarma was top of his list. I've tried making loads extra so we could freeze some a few times but we just eat it all...but having it ready to go in the oven would definitely work! Btw, would thoroughly recommend having it with Asda kebab breads.

I have a couple of the roasting tin books but I think all the recipes I've tried have required adding things at various stages. Will have a flock through though and see if there's anything more suitable :)

www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/spanish-style-chicken-bake

I use slow-cooker liners from Amazon