Quickie food for kids???

[chicken.babe]

does anyone know of any quick dishes for kids? i'm sick of thinking what to do my 3 for tea and then thinking what to do for mine and OH tea,most nights my OH is back late from work so i have to feed the sprogs first!
Please help my brains fizzling away with all this thought!!!!!!!!!:brainache:

[Helsbells]

Why don't you make meals for all of you and re-heat yours later?

anything like this should be fine:

lasagne
chilli
spag bol
shepherd's pie
casserole
soup
risotto

You could even make 2 pans/dishes at the same time and put yours into oven later but means only preparing once.

HTH!

[chicken.babe]

the two pan/dishes thing sounds good and a great time-saver.
I said my brain was fizzin out!!

Thanks for the idea xx

[Helsbells]

That's ok - I often make Evie, baby-versions of our meals in a separate pan ready to blend and freeze.

I try not to make too much work for myself so it's easier to get things done in advance. Maybe you could cook a couple of meals at once and then freeze one or put in fridge for next day?

Even better - you could have a cook-off making loads of meals for the week ahead to save even more time later. Then you'll have more time to spend with your kids and/or OH!

[chicken.babe]

I think if I made more than one dish at a time I would get confused!! I would end up with god know what 'chlli casarole' or something stupid!!:doh:

[Helsbells]

Well maybe you could double up on amounts and have one meal to eat and one to freeze (eg make 2 lasagnes at once)?

[katkinn]

I normally make up batches for Hettie (she has far healthier food the majority of the time than we do :oops: ) eg shepherds pie with loads of veg, ditto spag bol, haddock in spinach and cheese sauce with veg etc etc.

OR she'll eat our leftovers :oops: the next day

OR my fave uber quick staples are omelette (normally I blitz frozen spinach with the egg pre cooking and then add ham, mushrooms or peas and cheese whilst cooking), beans on toast, beans with homemade burgers, croquettes, fishcakes, falalel and fishfingers (last two not homemade!) from the freezer!!

Or cheese on toast (sometimes with *pizza* sauce from the freezer that I 've pre made)

Or if the absolute worst comes to the worst she has been known to have once or twice, weetabix :oops:

[chicken.babe]

do you have a recipe for the *pizza* sauce and the haddock in spinach and cheese sauce? I would really like them if you do PLEEEEASE. thanks xx

[katkinn]

Pizza sauce is so simple it's embarrassing really!!

Just finely chop half an onion, a clove of garlic, fry in olive oil, add a tin of toms, mixed dry herbs and simmer for about 5 to 10 mins till reduced slightly and that's it!! You can always add some tomato puree or sundried tomato paste for a more intense flavour but I think it's fine without it.

For the haddock in cheese sauce, I just make up a generic cheese sauce (a la Annabel Karmel - she has loads of cheese sauce recipes in her book - if you need one, just let me know). I either cook fresh spinach in the microwave but normally will just defrost a couple of cubes of frozen spinach (just blitz in the microave for a couple of mins and then squeeze all the liquid out once cooled a bit)

With a hand blender (or other blender) blitz the spinach into the cheese sauce.

I then poach a fillet of haddock or cod in the microave (just put in a bowl, knob of butter, tbsp of milk) for 2 or 3 mins till cooked, and then flake in (with the juices) into the spinach and cheese sauce.

I will also sometimes add some peas or other frozen mix veg and then serve H one portion and freeze the rest in mini portions.

If you need any clarification on anything, ust yell!!!

HTH

katkinn
xxx

[chicken.babe]

they both sound so easy,thanks i'm defo gonna try the fish next week.
A recipe for cheese sauce would be a great help too,thanks xx

[Valentine]

a fave in our house is stir fry... i cook it all up (LOADS of veg) and we have ours later that night!

[chicken.babe]

stir-fry sounds good to me, do you know if you can freeze it?

[*kate*]

Home made chicken nuggets are easy to make and really quick. Just do potato wedges or pasta with them.

Chop some chicken breast into bite size pieces, coat with pesto sauce and then roll in wholemeal breadcrumbs. Cook in the oven for about 20mins. I also do the same with fajita seasoning (the little packets) - coat chicken in a little oil, roll in the seasoning and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

Pilchards on toast is another great quick fave in this house, but I appreciate some kids wouldn't touch pilchards.

And the real quicky (but when you want to pretend you;ve made a real meal) - pasta with "mummy's special sauce" :oops: cook pasta, chuck in some Heinz tomato soup and grated cheese, top with more grated cheese and a crushed packet of ready salted crisps and blitz under the grill. You can add tuna to it and call it "mummy's special tuna pasta bake". My kids love this one!

[RedTiger]

My quick / can't be bothered cooking meal for the kids is cooked meat (gammon, roast beef or similar - served cold) with cucumber, tomatoes and bread & butter :oops: They have some mayonnaise to dip the cucumber & tomato in, wouldn't eat it otherwise :rolleyes:

[chicken.babe]

And the real quicky (but when you want to pretend you;ve made a real meal) - pasta with "mummy's special sauce" :oops: cook pasta, chuck in some Heinz tomato soup and grated cheese, top with more grated cheese and a crushed packet of ready salted crisps and blitz under the grill. You can add tuna to it and call it "mummy's special tuna pasta bake". My kids love this one!

I love the 'mummy's special sauce' idea i'm defo gonna give that a go.

Thanks for the idea

xx:thumb:

[sersha]

I cook Leah this dead easy tuna thing as its the only way she'll eat fish at the moment.

Bung in casserole dish:
I tin tuna
I tin campbells mushroom soup
couple of handfuls of frozen peas
stir - and top with crushed plain crisps and grated cheese.

Put in oven for 25 minutes. (That's probably enough to feed 3 small people actually)