One pot meals for friend

[Britchic]

Hi, my friend is having chemo, and I've said I'll cook a couple of meals each time.

It will be for the family, including a 2 year old and 6 year old. They don't want anything too heavy in dairy, and I want it to be easy (ie able to just put into the oven).

Apart from lasagne, shepherds pie, fish pie etc, do you have any ideas, as I don't want to be too repetitive!

Many thanks

Nothing wrong with being repetitive if they're happy with that

Roast chicken.

Hear me out!

Roasting a chicken gives them options. You can deliver it on a bed of roasted veg so they can reheat and eat (provide ore made mash or new potatoes), or its a base meal they can have with boiled frozen veg and rice or turned into something else. Or used for.sandwiches and salads.

I have done this for people over the years and it always goes down surprisingly well.

Curries would be good, can make as mild as you like. Thicken with alpro no sugar yogurt so it isn’t too dairy heavy.

Slow cooker stews are good too - reheat well quickly on the hob, can be versatile with the meat & veg that you use and always freeze well if portions are too big.

Irish stew, chicken and ham pie with puff pastry lid, steak and mushroom pie, chicken casserole, sausage casserole, cassoulet, tuna pasta bake

Chicken casserole
Sausage and bean stew
Tuna pasta bake

I like this and it’s lovely reheated in the oven

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lemon-oregano-chicken-traybake

I keep the liquids, potatoes, chicken and lemon, but sometimes mixup the other ingredients, e.g. basil at the end instead of the thyme, garlic instead of onion etc, it’s a good formula

Chunky soup (with crusty bread)
Aubergine parmigiana
Moussaka
veggie chilli (with wraps)
curry (with nan breads)
slow roast lamb (with a separate Tupperware of the veg)
cannelloni
tajine (with flat breads)

hopefully one of those will be helpful- what a lovely thing you’re doing x

Salmon fillets are an easy one to prep in a roasting tray. Spread with pesto or butter and put in oven for 20mins.

Roast veggies with it - diethood.com/easy-oven-roasted-vegetables/

Cubed sweet potato roasts in 20 mins - don’t use normal potato as takes longer. Or serve with packet rice.

Put foil in the trays for easy washing up after.

Minestrone soup is lovely and lasts for quick snack, lunch or dinner with bread and cheese. Great option for kids as it's got pasta and usually goes down well!

Savoury crumbles are your friend. Any saucy meal base (chicken in white sauce, fish pie mix, meat in gravy) topped with half fat to flour rubbed in with a bit of grated parmesan or just salt and herbs. Bake until toasty brown

My 6 and 2 year old like this greatcurryrecipes.net/2021/03/02/keema-recipe/

And this realfood.tesco.com/recipes/coconut-dhal.html

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

www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/beef-goulash

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chilli-con-carne-recipe

Oh wow thank you so much for all the replies! That's amazingly helpful, I'd got very much stuck in a lasagne mindset! Really appreciate all your help x

I’d roast a gammon and have veg prepped for them to turn it into a roast dinner.

Use some of the other gammon to make a big macaroni cheese.

Rest could be a carbonara or sandwiches.

I would definitely start with some of the non-beef options. I remember when someone turned up with a chicken casserole for us after Ds was born - we fell on it. We had millions of sausage and mince based dishes in the freezer and were desperate for something different!

Jamie Oliver's green mac and cheese

like these www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/chicken-traybake-recipes/amp

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/chicken-traybake-recipes/amp

Spag bol!

Thank you so much for those. Already taken her a bolognaise for the freezer! So many recipes, and I'm loving the idea of an all-in-one roast gammon or chicken.... plus the tray bake ideas are fab. Thank you!! x

Would something like a pilau work? Meera Sodha has them themed around seasonal vegetables in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. They’re filling and satisfying without being too heavy and the spices add vibrancy. I’ve reheated the summer one from the freezer to the microwave and it reheated really well. Might be a good option if they enjoy meat free meals too.

Risotto
Enchiladas
Chicken thigh stew with leeks,celery,carrots,onions,bit of pearl barley herbs and stock.most comforting dish ever born.mince beef pie
Chicken or mince enchiladas
Hot pot.
Really good jackets.taken all wrapped in foil like on bonfire nights.then heat up beans,tuna mayo cheese
Meatballs and pasta bake
Tuna sweet corn pasta bake
Mac and cheese
Soup
Stew and dumpling.
Chicken and chorizo cassoulet