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Boring - 2 week meal plan

16 replies

babybluegirl · 25/08/2022 01:23

This is the year I plan on being organised - 2 adults + 3 older teens (girls)
I am thinking mainly of school days - Friday is too hard to manage and is still going to be take out/go out night.
I have time most days between 12-1 to make dinners normally but not normally later as work from home - two evenings work into evening but flexible enough during the day - kids back from school just after 4 - please help with additional easy peasy meals - they are beyond the really picky stage but still not fantastic at trying stuff -want to avoid frozen food if possible and DH could do with losing a few pounds - so could I. Most likely people will not be eating together a lot of these evenings between sports, extra tuition etc. I am a fan of my slow cooker also

I am thinking :
curry
shepherds pie
burritos
chilli and baked potatoes
roast chicken and sides
spaghetti and meatballs
soup and salad
pesto chicken and pasta
pulled pork
stirfry

you would think being a parent for over 20 years I would have a few more easy go to's under my belt but I really dont!
Any ideas gratefully received

Also any lunch ideas for self conscious (but not health conscious) teenage girls would be great - lunches consisted of Lidl pain au chocolats and fruit or pasta last year - leftover just come home again - also not keen on sandwichs - but will eat them - sometimes.
Just feel post covid we still have such bad habits here

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PritiPatelsMaker · 25/08/2022 08:26

The Hairy Dieter's cooked breakfast makes a great lunch and is 300 a dried bonus bit is that it takes around 5 mins to cook for two people.

We try and do a week's plan to include a burger, a curry, a vegetarian dish and a fish dish although sometimes there will be cross over with that like a vegetarian curry.

If you like the slow cooker and DH needs to lose a little weight, have you looked at some of the Pinch of Nom Slow Cooker Recipes?

AtleastitsnotMonday · 25/08/2022 08:31

There's no fish, is that because it's not liked? I only ask because it ticks so many boxes in terms of being quick and healthy.

Shakshuka is really tasty and healthy. You could make the tomato base at lunch time then just crack the eggs in in the evening.
Fritata again prep at lunch, cook in evening, it also has the bonus of being a great cold lunch.
You have curry on your list but there are literally hundreds of variations, could you try a few new ones?
Chicken stuffed with cream cheese and herbs wrapped in bacon, serve with roasted tomatoes and green veg.
Chicken and pineapple skewers with coleslaw and salad
Grilled haloumi and sweet chilli jam wraps.

Whataretheodds · 25/08/2022 08:53

Could your girls plan a meal a week each?

Traybakes are great - meat or no meat, chuck in veg and seasoning, can then mix with couscous, pasta, quinoa, legumes/feta for protein if no meat, and or salad leaves

Lentil /chickpea Dahl

Also curious about no fish

C8H10N4O2 · 25/08/2022 09:52

Are you WFH and using your lunch break to prep the family dinner? If so is there any reason why the rest of the family can't muck in and do their share?

In particular older teens benefit from sharing these tasks before they move out and cater for themselves. Traybakes/frittatas, shatshuka variations and pasta sauces can all be simple meals which they could produce.

Luredbyapomegranate · 25/08/2022 09:53

I would institute kids cook Thursdays (or Fridays) it’s great for their skills and good for taking a day off you. It can be a bit hit and miss food wise so maybe Thursday.

To start with ask them what they’d like to cook eg stir fry / pasta and they can look to the ingredients and add it to the shopping list.

Other than that I would make your life easier by doing some tray baked meals - have a look at the roasting tin cook books.

Teens always like make your own pizza night. Buy the base, lots of veg on top. Salads with.

Meze night is good - humous, babaganoush, couscous, pitta, falafel (you can buy frozen falafel and the rest in the chiller) feta, pitta, peppers etc. and they can take the rest for lunch

Tapas night based around a big tortilla - these are great for packed lunches also, and either of these meals makes good lunch leftovers.

Baked potato night - chilli is great when you have it, but cheese / ham / salad can work equally well when you don’t.

For packed lunches, depending on what they will eat, you can make up ratatouille or a roasted pepper salad, or just some roast veg - that will happily last all week in the fridge, with a rice or pasta salad also, and they can take that with goats cheese / tuna / mixed bean or lentil salad for protein. So they just take it out of the fridge each day. Hugh FS’s vegan books are good for salad recipes and the BBC site is always solid.

Filled bagels, soup in a flask with a roll or sandwich for variation.

Massive batch cooking can be exhausting and make you feel like a slave, but whenever you are cooking shepherds pie, curry etc, I would have an absolute rule you cook double and freeze half.

In the summer, give yourself a break by having lots of filling salads for dinner, maybe with one hot thing.

babybluegirl · 25/08/2022 14:43

Thanks for those recopies -d definitely some options there

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babybluegirl · 25/08/2022 14:46

Yeah we are not great fish people - I have a mild allergy to salmon - DH hates fish - 2 of the girls like it and older sister who is in college likes it also but I literally cannot get excited about eating it or cooking it - blame 1970's Irish catholic childhood and being made eat soggy fish in boarding school every Friday - or rather not eat it and being hungry every friday

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babybluegirl · 25/08/2022 14:47

Any particular traybakes you might recommend?

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babybluegirl · 25/08/2022 14:52

Should have instituted that years ago re giving them a night to cook- that ship has now sailed - they can cook but its not the year for instituting that - in fact older teen was a junior chef for the summer - I need order and predictability and not having a filthy dirty kitchen after them - and oh yeah edible food! LOL They have clean up nights and that's as much as it will be this year - lame as it is - younger two will be going to late study at school - older teen puts a lot of pressure on herself and everyone around her - trying to eliminate issues by feeding everyone on time - too much snacking happens here and it genuinely contributes to bad form

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Whataretheodds · 25/08/2022 15:19

Why is it too late? They're not too late to cook and clean up after themselves one night per week. It's a basic life skill.

babybluegirl · 25/08/2022 16:08

They have the life skill don't worry about that - just basic family dynamics and pressures of this upcoming year it just is the wrong time to start instituting that- its just in terms of the way this year will go - trying to eliminate as much hassle and stress as possible - I will genuinely have more time that them but at the same time I'm doing my PhD and also work, DH has a newer more pressurised job, older teen looking for very high grades and I have asked younger two to stay at school to do their study there - so some actual study by them might actually get done (they are bright but not that interested and do the bare minimum right now) and allow older teen quieter time at home. Just by way of background we are in Ireland - the leaving cert is similar to A levels except she is doing 8 subjects at higher level - not my choice before any one says anything about that.

Next year the younger teens will have a very non-academic year and older teen will hopefully be gone to university so we will change things around again. This is just about being as efficient as possible whilst also hopefully eliminating the very very bad habits that have crept into our household - and we are all guilty in this house of snacking and ordering take away and that has to stop so I reckon planning ahead and following through with meals that will be eaten is a good firs step

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EmptshelvesUK · 25/08/2022 22:49

Tonight I did what I thought was an odd meal but actually might become a regular one.

id always expected to do pork chops tonight (not my favourite, so needed yumming up).

last night I overdid the amount of potatoes deliberately intending them for todays breakfast but we had something different.

pork chops on a baking tray, with chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon, surrounded by the potatoes, bunged in the oven, accompanied with two foil trays one with mashed swede (frozen from a previous batch cook), another with frozen peas in just enough water to cover. Both foil trays covered in foil and placed on a baking tray on the shelf below the meat etc.

took about half an hour to cook, took about fifteen minutes to prepare. OK so swede and pots was was previously prepped but this was from a previous nights meal. The bonus was I didn’t use extra pans on the hob to cook didn’t need to keep an eye on it. Had a restful half hour on MN.

my Friday night Fakeaway, big chunky frozen fish fingers, chunky frozen chips, and a homemade coleslaw, of white cabbage, carrot, red and spring onions. Finely shredded, grated and chopped, mixed with Mayo of choice. Sometimes swop the fish fingers for a roasted spatchcock chicken on days I have more time.

Rainbowqueeen · 26/08/2022 12:31

Vegetarian nachos using kidney beans
macaroni cheese
beef stroganoff
quiche and salad
homemade burgers

fannyfan · 26/08/2022 12:33

Have a look at your kids primary schools hot meals menu.. it gives you a ready made 2 week menu inspiration

abovedecknotbelow · 26/08/2022 13:12

Have you got a slow cooker? Really useful coming into autumn / winter. It's really good for if you have a lot on / people eating at different times

I've just done mine for next week:

Garlic chicken and salad
Pho with crispy pork mince
Oven chicken and chios
Slow cooker lasagne
Slow cooker gammon and mash
Slow cooker chicken pot pie
Vegetable tagliatelle

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