Quick (cold?) Dinners for kids after school

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Hi,

I've got two young kids and competing work schedules with DH. Our wraparound school care has gone due to covid, so there are a couple of days a week where we pick the kids up, plop them (happily) infront on the tv, and continue working for an hour (me). On these days I need something quick and reasonably nutritious I can pull out for tea. I've been defrosting freezer meals but they have a big lunch at school and aren't as hungry.

I could do with some inspiration beyond a sandwich or hummus and veg.

Any ideas?

Wrap
Couscous

Slow cooker a whole chicken to go with the above (portion up the rest to freeze)

Can you spare a few minutes to make a pitta pizza / cheese on toast/ ham toastie / beans on toast/ tin or soup and crusty bread ? None of these take long !

My love omelettes, in a little frying pan which can go under the grill, so they can have their choice - one like ham and cheese and the other cheese and onion. Only take a few mins. Or croque monseiur, fresh pasta/gnocchi, soup and tiger bread they love too.

Mine have a cooked lunch so after school meals consist of pitta pizza, sandwiches, egg/beans on toast, soup, toasties, pasta salad.
Then fruit /yoghurt /homemade flapjack or similar.

Anything on toast or sandwich
Cucumber sticks
Croissants
Fruit
Yoghurt
Choc biscuit

Following for ideas, my four year old currently has bananas/pears/apples and crackers or ham sandwich and a smoothie

Tortilla can be eaten hot or cold, or pitta and hummus, boiled egg & buttered bread, cold chicken drumsticks, list is endless

Also maybe a little Ploughman's - cheese, ham, bread, grapes, apple, raisins, maybe a little trail mix?

Was also going to say ploughman's or as we call it Picky Bits!

Quiche is good. Beans on toast or a jacket potato (fire it in the oven when they start watching TV and it should be ready for when you are done) with greater cheese. Fried egg and potato bread. All served with some chopped up veg. We have cherry tomatoes peppers and cucumber with practically every cold meal. Although they are fond of a wee pot of still frozen peas or sweet corn as a ‘treat’ 😂

Not cold but scrambled egg with toast is a constant go to quick meal here. I put all sorts in the egg - grated cheese, chopped tomato, grated carrot etc. Literally cooked and served in 3 minutes and relatively balanced.

Cheese on toast with soup is good too

Ooooh these are good, thank you! Don't know why I've had such a blank spot with it all. I think the school dinners have plummeted in quality somewhat so I've tried overcompensating with a full cooked dinner, which neither of them eat.

Particularly like the ploughmans and fried egg with potato bread suggestions. Keep em coming!

Crackers and cheese
A crumpet
Toasted fruitcake
Soup
Noodles
Smoothie

Also potato waffles in the toaster ! Cooked in no time with cold picky bits and garlic bread goes down a treat in our house

Hot dogs with corn on the cob and salad. Omelette with crumpets. Pasta salad: previously cooked pasta, tuna, cherry tomatoes, green beans (cooked with pasta) - or cucumber - with a dressing made of mayonnaise mixed with milk.

Cheese on toast
Beans on toast
Eggs on toast
Toast and jam
Cheese and ham toasties
Tinned spaghetti on toast
(Hope they like toast!)

They like toast

• Pasta salad- mine love with pesto & cheese
• Carrot and cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes with houmous/ dips
• Spanish omelette or frittata
• Quiche or savoury tart
• Tuna or mozzarella and tomato salad
• Sushi
• Rice balls
• Picnic eggs
• Sausage rolls
• Pasties
• Wraps or stuffed pittas
• Falafel
• Samosas
• Sweetcorn fritters
• Feta & spinach parcels
• Olives, roasted peppers etc.
• Crackers, cheese straws, breadsticks
• Milkshakes or smoothies
• Fruit skewers with yoghurt dip