What can we replace Jacket Potato Night with??

[FusionChefGeoff]

I love JPN but kids have started moaning! Bonus features were:

no prep, just shove in in between calls
DH with no confidence in kitchen can do it too
10 mins to finish off & serve
we could all have our own version / fave toppings
healthy
cheap
can all take and eat whenever it suits
No thought needed!
always got cheese / tuna / beans and potatoes last for ages so basically a store cupboard meal

What can I start doing on our very busy Wednesdays instead??

Omelette is obvious but the bastards don’t like them.

Wraps?

Tomato soup ( bought from supermarket fridge section). Or any soup
With cheese on toast

Beans on toast night. Spaghetti hoops if they complain.

Pizza night
burger night
taco night

I find pasta really easy . As the very basic meal cook a bag of pasta add passata and cheese . Obviously you can add other things eg tuna , peppers , chicken , bacon , chorizo.

Are the kids old enough to cook for you?

All these things are much more faffy though!

Maybe they can suggest an alternative to JPN ? Or a new topping that is equally as easy?

Or leftovers from another meal?

^ they = the complaining children, BTW.

My children have started moaning about JPN too which is also on a Wednesday due to clubs etc so I’m following for inspiration

just carry on doing JPs unless they care to cook

its only once a week, no?

Pasta pesto? Fresh tortellini with jarred sauce? Fishcakes/breaded fish with peas?

cheese sandwiches with an apple for pudding

Taco night

Rice bowl night? Topped with a quick and simple protein like mackrel or sardines from a tin/chicken fried up with garlic and ginger.

If you've got a rice cooker it's literally the easiest thing in the world to cook the perfect rice. You can stick a handful of frozen veg or some kidney beans in there and jazz things up with a teaspoon of turmeric to make it yellow. Takes about 10 mins, has a keep warm setting too.

"Breakfast for dinner" meals. Fried or poached eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, any combination or all of these. Eggs not necessary if someone won't eat them...but fried bread generally goes down well
Optional extras if you have the wherewithall and time and the family will eat -- bubble and squeak, leftover boiled or mashed potaoes fried wth onions, black or white pudding, small steaks.
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon pieces or flaked smoked haddock.
French bread or naan pizzas with whatver toppings you like (plus tomato and cheese)

Pizza?

Ready made bases, home made or jar of pizza sauce, various toppings and cheeses.

10 minutes in oven.

Sausage casserole in the slow cooker

Oh nooo, I only discovered JPN recently and it's life changing, please don't tell me they are going to get fed up of it! 😭

Toasties might fit the bill, especially if they are old enough to make their own.

Pizza night?

Make their own using naan bread or tortilla wrap as a base. Or making the dough is easy but takes a bit of time. DDs could do this supervised from about 4 years old. Put out different toppings, cheese and passata and people just choose what they want.

Or taco night. Refried beans, stir fry chicken & veg or chilli, grated cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa on the table and everyone dives in.

I find whatever we have if it becomes regular it gets moaned at (by me as well) so you need a few easy teas.
Quesadilla are nice and people can choose their own fillings/ dips
A really easy rice bowl with a salad bag / sweetcorn microwave rice and easy protein (like cooked chargrill chicken)
Soup and cheese toasties
Fishfinger sandwiches with beans

How about if the kids are old enough, and they've opted out of your chosen meal for that night, they cook for the family instead? You could provide a budget for the meal, they can work out what ingredients are needed, you can buy them along with your regular shopping, and let the kids provide what they want to eat. (Maybe have a portion or two of leftovers available to microwave for yourself and anyone else who was happy with JPN, in case the kids don't cook a meal, or create something inedible.)

Pizza night.

mine wouldn’t do a jacket potato night so my Thursday nights (where we have to eat between one child’s music lesson and other child being taken to scouts) end up being either Spag Bol where I made the sauce at the weekend, or pizza.

On a Tues which is our very busy night we cycle through the following:

Toasted sandwiches with soup
Beans on toast
Jacket potatoes
Pizza bases from Lidl with personalised toppings
Dippy eggs with toast soldiers

My dc like these I use ready made salsa for speed.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipesbean_and_rice_burritoo.

Our quick night meals are :
Waffles and chilli (batch cooked),
Beans/egg on toast,
Toastie
Chicken Fajitas,
Hot sandwiches (bacon, sausage, egg, fishfingers),
Salad with crusty bread and left over meats,
Pasta and a batch cooked sauce.

Make double the night before. Portion the extras into microwavable containers and everyone can heat their own when they want it? You could still have your jacket!

Sometimes when I know we have a busy weeknight coming up, the weekend before I make something like a cottage pie or a pasta bake (spinach and ricotta is my current fave) at the weekend for that night.

Or my quickest meal ever. Quiche. Salad. And some pan fried gnocchi. The herby one from lidl is the BEST. I pan fry it with a bit of butter until it's got.some colour on it.