Go to dinners - busy after school day

[worrier66556]

One day in the week we seem to have very little time between clubs to get dinner sorted so I need some ideas of maybe things I could cook in advance, I feel like I’ve overdone tuna pasta! Any ideas if you have similar afternoons?

3.30 finish school so home about 3.40
4.00 leave for club
5.30 arrive home from club
5.45 be changed ready to leave for sports club
7.10 arrive home

between clubs we have maximum 20 mins where he will have a snack. By 7pm he’s starving but also tired as bedtime is 7.30/8 so I don’t want to be cooking something at that time. Plus two little ones need to be eating 5.30/6 otherwise they get overtired and don’t want to eat. Any suggestions? His dad takes him to the clubs so I am at home to get dinner sorted but would rather not have to cook twice; once for little ones and then again at 7pm

I would do a good snack plate after school

• breadsticks (or a sandwich)
• cucumber

-tomatoes

• fruit
• yogurt
• pepperami

The for the main meal just after 7 I would keep it simple with pasta and pesto or a simple sauce.

Something in the slow cooker?
Picnic tea?
Big hot meal at lunch time and then sandwiches for tea?
Beans on toast?
Scrambled egg on toast?
Omelette
Gnocchi?

If you undercooked pasta slightly and mix it with sauce of choice you could stick it jn a food thermos flask for dinner on the go.

Air fryer has been fab for this for us. The thing that takes longest to cook is often the rice/potatoes/pasta.

Something like meatballs (air fried until nearly cooked the popped into prepared tomato sauce). Or sausages with rice and veg. All ready in about 12 minutes.

Pesto pasta

Jacket potato and beans, tuna

Salmon and rice

Beans on toast

Omelette

Than any mail you cook for the younger ones can you not reheat so like a shepherd pie fish pie sausage casserole chicken casserole risotto anything like that? That can just be reheated once he comes home

I’d do a snack plate in advance, sandwiches, home made sausage rolls (frozen and defrosted as needed), crackers and cheese, some veggies (cucumber, pepper, carrot slices) a piece of fruit, some Greek yogurt

Greek yog with muesli (you can make and freeze your own really easily if you’re worried about sugar) with lots of fruit and nuts, I know it’s not traditional dinner but it’s got all your key food groups and it’s quick

I think the slow cooker is ideal for this sort of thing too

I have a similar situation OP with my DS.....
I have started making his dinners for the nights when it's rushed.
Some meals I tend to have on rotate for him include....

• Shepherds Pie
• Chicken and Broccoli pasta bake
• Jacket potato

Or I will make a snack plate as other posters have reccommended..... I find boiled eggs, berries, toms, cucumbers, a wrap or sandwich and greek yoghurt to be his favourite.

Then he will have supper when he is home which is usually either toast and a glass of milk or if he has only had a snack plate then I will make him some scrambled eggs and toast.

There's many times he takes it with him to eat in the car on the way :( I don't like this but needs must at times I'd rather he was fed, I know alot of his team mates tend to get mcdonalds or kfc on the way to training but I don't like the idea of him having something so lacking in nutrients before he trains although I must admit I have occasionally nipped in on the way back if he was hungry and tired.

You need a slow cooker/Instant pot

That would be my pizza day once a week. Or roasted chicken in a bag with jacket potatoes easy.

Another vote for a slow cooker, it doesn't need to be stew type food.

A whole chicken or a joint of meat works well, you can serve with salad and soft bread rolls or tortillas if you don't want to do veg.

Baked potatoes.

For quick meals 'things on toast', it could be beans, cheese, a mixture of both, sardines, banana, scrambled egg, fried egg, jam/marmalade - OK the last two are not that healthy but at a push will do for a quick meal.

Toastie sandwiches.

Soup for when the eldest gets back, you can make it in the day and then either reheat or let it keep warm in the sc.

Things that you normally think of as breakfast would work eg bacon or sausage butties.

I also have a steamer, you can prep veg and put in the steamer. If you want you can add fish or chicken wrapped in foil (a bit of butter and herbs if you like) and it just sits there until 15-20 mins before you want to eat, just switch it on. Obviously keep the fish / chicken in the fridge.

Thanks all!! Of course, a slow cooker makes complete sense in this situation! I must invest in one!

I actually have two slow cookers, they are different sizes so the large one will take a leg of lamb (when I could afford to buy it) the smaller one is ideal to feed two people so you could cook different food for the younger children.

The other thing the SC can do is just keep things warm for later.

I tend to cook using passatta in a SC, so throw some meat in, season, add passatta and top up with boiling water. You can throw in fresh or canned veg.