How do you mange meal times with 2 dc and a new baby?

[ilovesummer]

Just wondering how people manage evening meals? Until recently we all ate together when dh came in from work at 5.45. We have ds2 now who is 3 weeks old and he takes ages to get down for the evening, like most newborns. So I'm thinking that i might feed the dc at 5 and then eat with my dh when the children are in bed.

So what do I cook, I really don't want to cook 2 different meals. I'd love some suggestions as to meals that are easy to do that can be reheated/ sit in the oven etc.

The slow cooker is a great help, I think. When I had three children under six I devised a cooking schedule that helped a lot too. I can't remember all of it but it involved every Tuesday being a pasta day and every Thursday being soup, sandwich, salad day. Left over night was Friday, we went out on Saturday and Dad cooked on Sunday-most important. Anyway, it helped having a routine as I didn't have to think as much about what to make-I needed the framework I guess with the three under my feet!

Thank you. I do have a slowcooker which never sees the light of day. I think I'll look up some recipes an give it a go, would be a good way to avoid cooking with all 3 under foot.

I do this more or less every day: lots of casseroles, shepherd's pie (make enough for the family but make 2 small ones instead of one big one), fish pie, make a pasta sauce that can do 2 sittings.

Only problem is that it gets really really boring.