Unusual request - meals that can cook themselves whilst on school run...

[marmadukescarlet]

My DD has odd schooling hours (sometimes finishes at 4.30 (home by 4.55) sometimes 5.30 (home by just before 6)and never comes out on time so my run for her takes around 1 hour including sitting and waiting.

I like to have something I can take out of the oven and feed her (and 3.5 ds) as soon as we get in the house.

Staples are baked spuds, veg layer bake (thin sliced veg with milk and cheese on top) with sausages (protected by foil so don't get burnt) yesterday I mixed dried w/wheat pasta with 2 tins of chopped toms and some water, sweetcorn, tuna and cheese on top and baked in over for 1 hour was very tasty.

Any other ideas of something that can bake in the oven for 1 hour.

NB I have had some serious burnt food when there has been traffic problems and they end up eating sandwhichs whilst wafting the smoke away!

Have you got a slow cooker? If you use one of these, you can make the meal in the morning and then it will be ready whenever you need it, and can quite happily sit for another hour.

Or make meals the day before, then all you have to do is whack a plateful in the microwave.

Bologneses, chilli and similar stuff reheats well. I often make a pan early and then heat it up later. You can make loads and freeze some too.

never underestimate the powers of beans on toast with poched egg

oh god no, poached egg with beans on toast

what you need with beans on toast is cheese and plenty of it

can't you just make stuff then heat it up when you get in?

I lay out a little snack with crackers and a piece of cheese and some salady things for them to eat when they get in while I am heating up food made earlier (lasagne, fish pie etc) or cooking stuff from scratch (fried chicken, pasta etc)

DS is 3.5 and has SN he doesn't 'do' waiting! Also DC bedtime is 7 (realistically 7.30) so it needs to be asap.

I like them to have a freshly cooked hot meal as DD only eats salad everyday at school.

TBH I should just feed him earlier because by 6 he is a bit past it, but there is only so much cooking and clearing up one can do!

Thanks for all the great suggestions, I've tried most approaches - heating up, casseroles etc. Widygales suggestion of poached egg would be popular with dd, it gets wheeled out in a crisis, but as only ever has cheese salad (not carbs) for lunch I'm not sure it is enough for her active lifestyle.