I need ideas for an easy dinner for 8 including 2 kids that won't involve me being stuck in the kitchen half the day.

[mummyinred]

Please can you help I have to cook for 8 including 2 children 4 and 2 but want something quite easy that everyone will like that won't involve me being stuck in the kitchen for too long - any ideas?

spag bol?

i have the perfect reciepe if you want it and it only takes about half hour to cook

deffo spag bol, salad and bread - although mine takes hslf a day of quiet bubbling.

or have garlic bread with it.

Anthing you can do in one big dish and leave in the oven. Shepherd's pie, lasagne, fish pie, mousakka etc. Perhaps with salad, although depending on who's coming I wouldn't always bother as often doesn't get touched.

Some sort of nice stewy / casseroly thing?

With a big pot of mash, and some steamed veg, and a crusty bread. (always crusty with stew in our house!) Slow cooker the stew, pre-prep pots and veggies.

Little ones should like it too.

a big thick soup with nice bread? Cheese and biscuits to follow?

Wildcats good idea I think they'll all like that, pls can you let me have your recipe.

Thanks

400g/14oz mince (not pork mince)

2 onions-chopped

8 big mushrooms-sliced

2x tin of chopped tomatoes

460ml veg stock

4tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

black pepper

put the mince in a big pot with the onions

and mushrooms and poor in enough water to

cover. simmer untill the mince has coooked

through.

strain the mince and onions and mushrooms

then put back in the pot. add the tomatoes,

veg stock, worcestershire sauce, black pepper

and tomato puree. stir well and bring to the

boil. lower the heat and let it simmer for

20mins untill the sauce has thickened up.

alternatley, if you want a quicker way-

instead of doing the mince,onions and

mushrooms in water, fry them. but i prefer

it the other way as its alot healthier.

cook pasta how you usually would.

bloody phone, sorry about that. it was meant to be all across the page

Second lasagne. Green salad and garlic bread. Maybe some baked beans for the kids.

wildcats!? you effectively boil the mince and onions? that is So Wrong.

roast dinner is really simple. Get a large chicken/small turkey and roast in a tin wrapped in foil. (I add a small glass of h2o to stop it drying out and season). Get ready peeled fresh veg as you wish. If you have a steamer just put it all in and cook using timer, if not put in pans and turn on 30 mins before joint due out.Do potatoes for mash 45 mins before joint due out. Aunt Bessies yorkshires take 5 mins.(use hot water in pans to start with, add time for electric rings to ensure they are hot to start cooking with). Bisto granules with reduced salt and chicken/veg stock added for great gravy.

I recommend Gordon Ramseys casserole which is in his book Sunday lunches.. let me know if you want the recipe. its something you can cook the day before then effortlessly put in the oven and serve with mash and greens. Did it recently and most of the guests asked for a copy of the recipe and couldnt believe it was sooo easy!

I make Chicken Cacciatore from the Dairy Book of Home Cooking or something.

Basically, coat chicken in spiced up flour, fry. Put in dish, cover with sliced mush, tins of tomatoes, chopped, anything else you want to chuck in, then put in oven for an hour. serve with rice or noodles or spuds.

Delish.

lewy, please could I have the recipy?

Serves 6

800g braising beef
3 tbsp of plain flour
salt and peper
olive oil for cooking
200g smoked bacon lardons
2 carrots
1 small celeriac ( dont worry if cant find I have used parsnip!)
150g shallots (peeled)
a few tyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
250g mushrooms
1 tsp tomato puree
500ml red wine
330ml beef stock

cut beef up in bit size bits
season the flour with salt and pepper
toss meat in flour.
heat oil in pan
sear beef in batches until browned then remove from pan

add lardons to the pan and fry until golden
cut up carrots and celeriac and then put in the casserole along with the shallots, tyme and bay leaves and stir for about five minutes.
Add mushrooms and tomato puree and cook for another 5 minutes.

Throw in the red wine, scrape bottom on pan (sorry deglaze!!)
Add stock and bring to the boil
Return to the boil.

Put it the oven for about 2 1/2 hours.
DONE!

I find that it seems to taste nicer the next day and takes the stress away if you do it the day before. Whilst it says it serves 6 I always do more!!!

He suggests doing a mustard mash and savy cabbage with it which is simply mash potato and a couple of tbsp of whole grain mustard.
The cabbage you just blanch for a couple of mintues and the fry in butter.

It all goes very well

mmmmmm it is simple honest!

Thank you, lewy. It sounds delish. i must try it next week.

atich it is lovely i can asure you. you must try it. it is so much healthier and not greasy

no no, sorry, onions need to be fried. not in loads of oil necessarily, but they are Bad and Wrong if boiled like school dinners. and meat... oh no, it needs contact directly with the heat source to brown a bit and then simmering for ages. my pal's mum used to make her mince and tatties on half an hour and we were all frightened of it. i sound like i'm being harsh, but really, there's no health difference between your way and mine, but for a teaspoon or so of oil. well, except i put more carrots, mushrooms and celery in and cook them until they're delicious.