Easy prepare ahead meal for very plain eaters

[Polkadotjarmies]

Not shepherds pie or lasagne or chilli please. Cooking ahead for weekend away with my in laws who are very fussy / traditional in their tastes. Don't do smoked fish, prawns, got teeth issues so nothing to chewy or crunchy. I've done bolognese, lasagne and shep pie of late and the pie went down ok but I need something new i I can reheat easily. Wondering about a pie with pastry applied on the day actually ? Make ahead then assemble. I'm veggie so I'll have it make myself something too. Thankfully eating out day 2. Oh and coeliac in my immediate family to cater for too. I'm a bit meh about cooking tbh right now but can and do cook so not easily fazed. Thank you!

Stew?

Shakshuka? Just add the eggs after you've re-heated

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/healthy-shakshuka

Chicken casserole, sausage and mash (sausages in some onion gravy so easy to reheat like a casserole plus makes them a bit softer if they have trouble chewing) Macaroni cheese with some nice topping to make it a bit fancier, if they are old fashioned a proper pie rather than a "pot pie" cook it fully, then reheat carefully it should be fine.

Goulash, stew.

My in laws are like this and we rotate between:

• a very basic roast (meat, potatoes and steamed veg, no fancy additions)
• cod/salmon, new potatoes and steamed veg
• shepards pie or cottage pie
• sausage and mash or toad in the hole

It’s dull but they eat it.

Sausage casserole (could make veggie sausage or root veg casserole for you)

Chicken in honey and mustard sauce
Chicken, leek and bacon bake
Butternut squash and sage rissoto

My in laws are fussy too.

Fish pie?
Ham, egg/pineapple and potatoes/chips?
Mince and dumplings?

Obviously don’t season anything and do remember to overcook the veg to the point that all colour and nutrition is lost (that might just be my in laws).

Some good ideas here thanks
Gammon is a bingo but I could maybe wrap chicken in bacon to take and cook there. Teeth are an issue for FIL. I've never heard birthday cake cause a clattering noise until this week but can't unhear it.
Sausage casserole would be loved by them but my kids hate it. I made it a lot when they were younger and they used to moan "why can't we have pizza like normal children " 🤣

I'd love this but they'd fall over in shock if I presented it. Eggs? And tomatoes ? At tea time?! I love it though Yum 😋

Gammon is a no go - not bingo.

Buy a readymeal shepherd's pie for them and make something nice for yourselves?

A posh margarita pizza using puff pastry, tomato, mozzarella and some fresh basil?
A traditional pie - steak and ale or chicken and leek?
Beef stroganoff with rice?

It's not really prepare ahead although you could if you want to but why not do a tray bake.

Put sausages in a big roasting tin with chopped up potatoes, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, chunks of carrot (add or remove to suit tastes) and whatever seasoning you like.

Then just put it in the oven for 45mins - 1hr (can be a bit lax about this, whenever it looks brown enough) on gas 5. Give it a shake about half way through to make sure all sides gets some colour.

You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks if your family don't like sausages.

I'm now starving reading these. A read pie might be easiest I think. And then veg on the side for the veg dodging FIL
I might buy myself a Higgidy pie.

Think I'm going steak and ale pie. If that works with gluten-free pale ale? What do we think?!

I'd cook a roast chicken, new potatoes and a salad.ice cream for pudding.
Plain, simple and easy to prep.

Can you ask them what they normally eat day to day to get some ideas? If you are all going away together, can't they cook 1 night and you another?

• Those cook in the bag, frozen, fish pieces which come with a cheese/parsley type sauce. Served with mash and fresh veg.
• GF crumbed fish and chips cooked in the oven, with mushy peas on the side
• Can you just buy a pre-made GF family pie rather than making it from scratch?
• Bangers/mash and veg with GF sausages for those than need them
• Rissoles/meat balls with mash, veg and gravy Beef rissoles recipe | BBC Good Food

@SM4713 they have a lot of Marks and Spencer stuff like crisp bake or salmon with new potatoes (peeled ) and peas Or those posh ready meals. They don't eat tonnes so a serve yourself one pot is ideal. I might change my mind and do a chicken in a bag and take my air fryer for chips! I want to show effort but not do loads as I'm working all week and little toe to prepare

We've recently got very into liver. ( Very retro but good for vitamin a!) We have it with mash and greens, maybe with fried onions? Was liver and bacon also popular in the past? I guess everything could be prepared in advance ( potatoes, greens prepped, bacon/ onions cooked if using) with just the liver to fry at the end ( coat it in flour beforehand, leave in fridge and stick in a pan before you eat. We use chicken livers and they take maybe 15 minutes.)
Higgidy pie for you sounds amazing ( and the spinach and feta one is absolutely divine).

Plain eaters in our family love chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in a few slices of Parma ham or prosciutto. Very easy to make and can be prepared ahead. We serve with mash or roasted new potatoes and veg - asparagus, broccoli, spring greens.