Genuinely 5 min involvement meals and recipes

[Combusting]

Enormous juggle between two FT adults and 2 smalls. Tell me you genuinely truly 5 mins prep/involvement meals - I’m a creative imaginative cook so can work with quick ideas.

Have got : air fryer, instant pot, slow cooker, oven, grill, hob microwave and am after dinners which require NO MORE than 5 mins involvement from me.

I know lots of recipes use words like just “throw/chuck” and yet are long though! What do you serve up which does not need you beyond 5 mins?

No allergies and no fussy eaters, all omnivores!

Gnocci (presumably ready made!) and salads are main meals in our house @Georgyporky !

My contribution…

’satay-ish salad’ Pre-cooked chicken, noodles and lettice (plus any other veg you gave/ can be arsed to chop), with dressing (peanut butter, oil, lime juice from a bottle, sugar)

Microwave rice (in the Joseph and Joseph rice cooker is much better than from a packet, plus ready made tomato sauce, plus precooked prawns.

Coronation chickpeas (yogurt, Garam masala, turmeric, mango chunky in the sauce) + cucumber salad.

Apologies to the cuisines I’ve mangled!

Egg fried rice with veg, soy sauce etc (you'd need to cook rice though)

Cous cous with nuts, veg, feta, herbs thrown in

Bean salad

Five mins is barely enough time to look in the fridge and wash your hands really!

Wow, thanks all of you for such amazing ideas! I need to look at the grocery shop again but we always have most of this in really. I guess it’s also been too hot and the children too bothered by the heat and are still busy with work and feeling overwhelmed in terms of the time to actually cook, although as I said, I do quite like cooking it’s just the time that sauce

wow, thanks all of you for such amazing ideas! I need to look at the grocery shop again but we always have most of this in really. I guess it’s also been too hot and the children too bothered by the heat and are still busy with work and feeling overwhelmed in terms of the time to actually cook, although as I said, I do quite like cooking it’s just the time that’s so scarce !

Saw this too but haven't tried any
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/5-minute-meal-recipes

Ah yes I have! Of course, omelette - quickest meal ever! Chuck in cheese, ham, mushrooms...anything done in 5

The 30 minute traybake recipe book is great for this as v minimal prep, and then you shove it in the oven and leave it to cook while you get on with something else

the gnocchi, crème fraiche, prawns, ham hock, parsley and lemon is genuinely less than five minutes prep

the keralan prawn coconut curry is the same

there are others

Lol my kids would be devastated with a salad for tea

Similar in working full time with lots of small kids. Currently loving microwave coconut rice (2 mins) and those maggi bags for chicken then some microwave veggies. Feels healthy too.

Tomato and beans soup:
Jar of tomato pasta sauce in a pan.
Fill jar with water and add to sauce.
Chuck in a handful of rice or pasta and cook until soft.
Adding a tin of mixed beans and warm through. It is surprisingly good.

I made a 5 min meal this morning.

1 pack of mince, half a pack of frozen chopped onions, half a pack of frozen chopped peppers, one jar of hot and sweet red jalapeños (liquid as well) in the slow cooker and stir.

2 oxo cubes, splash of Worcestershire sauce, squirt of Tom purée, sprinkle of thyme.

Lid on. Low for 6 hours.

Go to work

Stir in can of kidney beans when you get in and a few gravy granules if it needs thickening up.

We had it with grated cheese and tortilla chips tonight and was delicious.

Thing is, omelettes aren't that quick if you're having to produce them for 4 people. And you'll be eating at a slightly staggered pace which may or may not be a problem.
A frittata might be a better idea if the OP has some leftover cooked veg. It might serve 2-3 adults or 2 adults, 2 small children if served with a salad.

Omelettes and salad

Air fryer salmon and salad and microwave rice

Egg fried rice using packet rice with frozen mixed veg and chopped ham

Soup, roll, crudités

Quesadillas

Chilled filled pasta with peas and a splash of cream

Nachos in the air fryer with refried beans, served with chopped tomatoes and avocado

Breakfast for dinner - toast, scrambled egg, bacon in the air fryer

Bag of stir fry veg cooked with pre cooked chicken and served with microwave rice

And I make a big omelette mix, with everything in one bowl including the cheese, then divide between 2 fry pans going at the same time

Air-fryer
Frozen Mediterranean veg + salmon, with couscous made with boiling water from the kettle.
Cheats fish & chips - White fish, spread with cream cheese and topped with frozen breadcrumbs (blitz ends of loaves & freeze) + oven chips.
Chicken thighs spread with a mix of whole grain mustard & honey. + potato wedges & a bag of salad.

hob
Pea & chorizo pasta. Add peas 3-4 mins before the pasta is ready, then stir in thin slices of chorizo - the type you would use on pizza - when cooked. The chorizo will release oil when you stir it into the hot pasta.

A recent find from a waitrose magazine was a Spanish tortilla omelette made using potato salad. Needs cheese too imo but really tasty. www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/creamy-smoked-bacon-potato-and-salad-onion-frittata

A recent find from a waitrose magazine was a Spanish tortilla omelette made using potato salad

That's a clever idea!

Instant pot:

All in one Pasta Bolognese
Saute some mince, chuck in frozen onion, frozen mushrooms, stock pot, herbs, pasta shapes, garlic purée, tin of tomatoes, carton of pasatta and top up with water. Put on manual for 7 minutes.

Chicken Curry
Saute skinless and boneless chicken thighs, chuck in garlic and ginger purée, cardamom pods, cumin, ground coriander, paprika, turmeric, tin of tomatoes, tin of coconut milk. Cook on the manual stew option.
Serve with micro rice.

Beauty about both of these is you can put on to cook and walk away to sort the kids out/shower/do chores/whatever

Thought of another instant pot one we have a lot:

Quick Chicken Casserole

Saute skinless boneless chicken thighs, chuck in frozen casserole veg mix, stockpot, garlic purée, dried herbs, a couple of tablespoons of flour and a couple of cupfuls of water. Cook on manual stew.
Serve with micro mash or jackets done in air fryer.

Beauty about this is you can turn the dregs of the strew into soup too- pour whatever’s left into the soup maker with a chopped potato, herbs and a stockpot

Tomato chorizo and mozzarella gnocchi
Fry pre cut frozen onion and diced chorizo
Dice red pepper Chuck in pan with lazy garlic teaspoon. Add carton of Passata. Chop mozzarella ball add to pan. Stir.
At same time boil pre made gnocchi until cooked.
Add gnocchi to tomato sauce and serve.

Garlic bread frozen slices cooked in airfryer 4 mins

A few months ago on the “husband made too many chips” thread I found out you can use leftover chips as the base of a Spanish omelette. I tried it and the results were no worse than any of my previous attempts!
That would be a 5-minute hearty meal.

Packet of super noodles, chuck in frozen peas and sweetcorn and cooked chicken, either from a packet or chicken you roasted at the weekend. Dinner in 5 minutes.

Left over rice, left over chicken frozen peas and sweetcorn/ random frozen veg. Stir fry and add an egg so it scrambles.

This is a massive hit in our house.

Instant pot macaroni cheese. Not at all healthy, mind. But probably 5 mins actually hands on (less if you use ready grated cheese).
I use this recipe. https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/
I add frozen peas when I take the lid off, so they're cooked by the time I'm done stirring cheese in. If I've got more time, I fry bacon and onions first then follow the recipe.

There are quite a few instant pot pasta dishes, it's like magic, no straining the pasta!
DH does a chicken biriani, which could be pretty quick too.

Realistically you can’t prep anything decent in 5 mins unless you live off ready meals and pasta.

You need to rethink your food prep.

Following for inspiration!