Ideas for family meals when you have a bit of extra time

[storminabuttercup]

Life is so busy like everyone else, we rarely eat at the same time, but one day a week I’d like to prepare something a bit ‘nicer’ as I have more time, we have a super fussy DS
favourites so far are lasagne, beef bourguignon, shawarma, beef in ale, DC won’t eat curry or anything ‘saucy’ bar the above, roasts go down well but they get boring, i am working on getting DC to try more but he’s getting more stubborn as he gets older but any ideas are super welcome I’m tired of all the thinking
TIA

Meatballs? My kids enjoy helping to make them.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spaghetti-meatballs

This pork stew is delicious:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/normandy-pork-apples-cider

Paprika chicken (it’s not spicy):

https://norecipes.com/chicken-paprikash/

Souvlaki or Gyros are big hits here. Don’t take long to make but you need to marinate the meat for 24 hours to tenderise it and add flavour:

https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/marinated-greek-beef-souvlaki-skewers-kabobs/

https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/souvlaki-with-gyros-wrapped-pita-breads-with-pork-and-tzatziki-sauce/

a few Greek or Lebanese salads with those and some homemade hummus, baba ganoush and tzatziki plus flatbreads makes an amazing feast.

This French recipe for lamb is delicious and easy but needs to be cooked for seven hours:

https://www.food.com/recipe/gigot-de-sept-heures-french-seven-hour-roast-lamb-306392

These lamb shanks are similar and delicious but take a little more prep:

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb/incredible-baked-lamb-shanks/

The BBC Good Food “Next level” recipes are often nice for something a bit more complex if you have time to do them, e.g.:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-fish-pie

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-chilli-con-carne

https://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/next-level-beef-stroganoff/?amp

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-ratatouille

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-chicken-pie

This crab linguine doesn’t take too much time but is really delicious and a bit special:

https://shop.rickstein.com/pages/crab-linguine

Especially with these as a starter!

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/dec/12/how-to-cook-the-perfect-coquilles-st-jacques

Also chicken soup made from slowly boiling the chicken carcass with vegetables after a roast chicken, which is delicious and so good for you. We have this as comfort food when anybody is ill. The longer the stock is cooked for the better (I usually do it for at least 6 hours).

Also if you have time I love to cook several Chinese dishes for a homemade takeaway - spare ribs, crispy chilli beef, sweet and sour chicken, sea spicy aubergines etc, with homemade sauces.

Or similar with Spanish tapas so gambas ajillo, pork cheeks braised in sherry (sounds like kids wouldn’t like it but they do!!), patatas bravas of course, chorizo and potatoes…

@TheClaaaw those are brilliant, we don’t eat lamb sorry didn’t say that but there’s plenty of others to go at there thank you!!

If DS doesn’t like saucy things then souvlaki and gyros he will probably love!

My son thinks pepper is spicy and can detect a sprinkling of it in a whole casserole but loves the paprika chicken so genuinely, it really isn’t spicy because of the sour cream in it.

And the good thing with the Chinese/ tapas options - although it takes a lot longer making several different things! - is that there’s plenty to choose from so if some people are fussy there’s still enough for them to pick from and be happy.

Nigella is also really good for recipes that are delicious and take a bit of time but not ages. This always goes down well here:

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/slow-roast-pork-belly

Also forgot this (although actually really quick!) but my kids LOVE it and ask for it a lot. Also great when vegetarians come to visit, and it reminds us of holidays. ☀️🌊

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/halloumi_saganaki_92664

This might be really good, to avoid much sauce!

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/maple-chicken-n-ribs

Also super delicious and unusual, if wanting to expand DS’s tastes:

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/sea-bass-with-saffron-sherry-and-pinenuts

Would pulled pork be too ‘saucy’? Although you could always drain a portion if so.
Moussaka (made with beef mince instead of lamb) or pastitsio
Home made burgers have always been a massive favourite of ours, don’t take long to make but when I have time I serve with homemade coleslaw which is far superior to shop bought but takes time chopping and grating.
Moro’s chicken fattee is one of my all time favourites

https://www.saltandlavender.com/creamy-herb-chicken-recipe/

This is delicious, especially with mash and greens

This looks delicious! Thank you @coxesorangepippin

This Tuscan chicken orzo is immense, I usually use leftover chicken from a roast rather than cooking breasts as per the recipe, add some crisped chorizo, and leave out the cream as it doesn’t seem to need it for our tastes.