Help- Busy house, but can't cook- need ideas!

[lotsofthingstolearn]

So, we're a 4 person house (2 adults 2 children - 7/11). Both working full time and out from 7.30- 6pm

After we get in often need to then get ready again for various evening clubs

This year I am determined to try to do better than Jacket spuds and beans, chilli, spag Bol, slow cooker chicken curry and Salmon and Veg

Please tell me your super quick, super easy cooking/ menu ideas!

I find cooking stressful, messy and a faff! I know some enjoy it but I really don't. I suspect because I can't do the basics!

So what have you been doing for dinner to date?

It’s literally in the OP.

I would do more cold, just assemble it type meals.

Chicken or tofu wraps with veg and whatever sauce
Ploughman’s
Spanish omelette (store bought), ham, hummus, olives, salad on baguette
Bagels, smoked salmon, cream cheese with fruit salad
Pasta salads of various sorts, plus salad veg

All the above is also very portable to activities.

For colder months, soups and stews. Parsnip and horseradish, broccoli and cheddar, veg, ham and pea. Pre make them on the weekend, freeze in family size portions and reheat with baguette and butter.

Deleted

Wait the list you give is cooking!!

and is varied and healthy and substantial

what’s the problem?

I thought you were saying you wanted to start doing that sort of thing!

Do you still need enlightening?

Yeah exactly - I’m aiming to match OPs current list!

Just for the fun of it… go on then 😜

I know it’s strange… that list is varied, healthy and satisfying!

Clams
frais gras
caviar
pie and mash.

If that’s “enlighten’ment, then I’m happy being unenlightened thanks!

Do you cook two portions and freeze one for later as that saves time?
If the children have had a school dinner would they have scrambled eggs or toasted sandwiches for tea? It’s not cooking but it’s quick and not messy for the busy nights.
Home made pizza can be a scone base, bread base or shop bought base. Can make a few at once and freeze for later use

Batch cooking helps us.

If I make lasagne or Cottage Pie, I make one to eat and another for the freezer. I make big pans of pasta sauce, curry, stew and freeze portions for quick dinners.

I sometimes prep dinner for two nights. Tshi week I made two chicken meals.

Night one - chicken in passata and cream cheese sauce, with broccoli and pasta.

Prepped for night two - tray bake chicken, oregano, garlic, seasoning, onions, oil and lemons in one bag, in another washed potatoes cut into wedges with oil. You can do it in one tray, I do two because I like teg wedges to be crispy.

Night one was four portions, three for the freezer. Night two we had two nights running. Not my favourite, definitely very easy to do if you need a quick dinner before going out again.

Cajun salmon tortillas: get Cajun spice mix. Rub on salmon fillets. Roast in oven according to pack instructions. Boil a corn on the cob. Chop up tomatoes, cucumber and avo. Wash some coriander. Cut up half a lime. Warm the tortillas. Put the fillings in separate bowls and people can make their own tortillas. Or mix the coriander, tomatoes, cucumber, avo and corn together in a bowl to make a salsa and squeeze over lime. Put salsa and salmon in tortillas. Roll up and enjoy. Easy and delicious.

That literally is more or less the grand total of what I do

@RickertyRocker and Evenmore- they look super, thank you! Not even thought about soups!

Something on toast is also in the staples!

Defo need to try the batch cooking thing!

I can't do much beyond the basics but for quick and easy, I enjoy:

• Cajun chicken pasta
• Mary Berry's paprika chicken - super simple
• Creamy Tuscan chicken in a similar vein, serve with rice
• Thai Red Curry - get a pre-made mix, add green beans and coconut milk
• Butter chicken - crowd-pleaser
• Cheesy broccoli pasta bake
• Chicken and chorizo paella - one-pan wonder, but takes a while to prep
• Mushroom risotto
• Fajitas - buy a packet mix, you can even use frozen veg
• Pizza - buy bases and then add your your own ingredients
• Chinese 'fakeaway' - add onions and peas to Maykway powder

Scrambled egg on toast is my favourite breakfast
Or creamy mushrooms on toast, even better

I think you've had strange responses on here.

Super quick and easy for us include:

Steak with new potatoes and salad or steak with fried mushrooms, on ciabatta with a slaw on the side.

Fajitas - usually made with halloumi, sometimes with chicken or steak.
I also regularly do chargrilled greens in a wrap with some fried halloumi and a lemon/honey/garlic sauce.

I have been mastering burrito bowls or tacos but it is a bit fiddly so might not be as useful for you.

In winter, quick veggie or chicken curries are quite easy too.

Also, if you're good with your slow cooker, look for some new slow cooker recipes as that already works for you and you can get somethign that you like better? I'm going to try one next week from boredoflunch probably.

Have a look at taming twins

Have a look at taming twins

Taco mince, wraps, cheese, salad and sour cream - on the table in 10 minutes.

batch cook rice and freeze, take out before work - then a super easy meal is chopped veg, whatever meat you have leftover/ham or cooked shellfish straight from frozen, even just frozen peas, fried with the rice, beat two eggs and add to it with soy sauce. Tasty and on the table in under 10 minutes. Sauté onions, garlic and ginger, add chopped chilli, curry powder, water, fish stock cube and a 50g sachet of creamed coconut, once coconut and stock cube is dissolved, add white fish fillets and cook 2-3 minutes until cooked through, add chopped coriander and serve with the previously frozen rice you have reheated in microwave.

I too was going to suggest slow cooker or batch cooking. A pressure cooker is also good for a quick meal. Even if you aren't freezing an entire lasagne or pasta bake, even just freezing cooked pasta sauce saves time and means you just cook the pasta and add in some extra veg or make a salad as a side.

Esp for winter, I love my pea and ham soup. Its more of a thick stew, so very filling but can be thinned out.
2 packs of quick soak green peas- follow instructions to soak www.asda.com/groceries/product/1797698?oldCo=true
1 smoked ham hock/knuckle. I remove the skin and roughly chop, but it does break up on cooking
Any veg I have- potatoes, carrot, celery, onions etc. Add water then add everything to a slow cooker, pressure cooker or just on the stove top and can be frozen.

I've recently discovered that cooked rice freezes very well, so I cook a 1kg bag in 1 big batch, then freeze it into portions. Saves me so much time not cooking rice every time I make a curry!

This is quick and tasty. I often make it veggie or with chicken instead of pork. You can replace the pork with sweet potato, spinach, mushrooms or any veg you like really.
You can reduce the red curry paste if its too hot for the kids https://www.asda.com/groceries/product/1797698?oldCo=true

Lots of pastas are quick to make
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pea-ham-pasta
www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/salmon_broccoli_pasta_39926
www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/one-pot_bacon_spinach_50776

Some of these are great....thank you!

Jamie Oliver has a book of traybakes - there’s his book called One but I think that’s different but equally good one dish suppers. Emphasis on ease and speed.
I also use Nigella’s Express which has some very tasty dishes.