Easy dinner recipes

justine97, Feb 10, 10:53pm
I am seriously bored cooking and eating my own dinners each night, and suspect my kids are too! I cook every night of the working week and also work fulltime. Does anyone have any easy, fast-ish dinner ideas/recipes! Thanks:)

stevee6, Feb 10, 11:00pm
For starters, allocate the kids a cooking night!

justine97, Feb 10, 11:05pm
miss13 has a night in the weekend, not sure I'd want to eat anything the preschooler made:)

ant_sonja, Feb 10, 11:15pm
What do you cook/eat now! So we don't give you the same old ideas :-)

greerg, Feb 10, 11:20pm
Chicken breasts are a very easy mealand half a decent sized one isplenty for one person.Try cutting a pocket in the side and spreading a teaspn of basil pesto inside and wrapping in a slice of streaky bacon.Youcan freeze them ready to go. Bake at 200 deg C for 20-25 minutes until cooked.Other stuffings for these include carnberry jelly and brie or dried apricots (soak first) and cream cheese.Another easy meal in a hurry is cicken breast spread with pasta sauce (I make anordinary quantity and freeze in small lots but it could be a commercial variety), choppedbasiland parsley(or could be blobs of pesto)and sprinkle with mozzarella(haveused grated tasty and it was fine) before baking.

Stir fries are always quick and easy and pasta bakes that use up left-over roast chicken with a range of vegetables often appeal to kids. If you don't feel like making a sauce you can always use a tin of condensed soup.

I also find it useful to make a large casserole/lasagne/bolognese sauce in the weekend and freeze in family sized portions.Great for the nights when you just can't be bothered.

bridget107, Feb 11, 12:57am
I also find making a large lasagna very useful. Even though I am without children, it is still so nice to grab a frozen container out of the freezer a few nights a week and not having to start from scratch - certainly takes the stress out of cooking. What about even cooking a few meals on a Sunday afternoon and freezing them! Get the kids to help you chop up vegetables etc. I find this lasagne recipe really good and make it allll the time. Healthy too! http://aftertasteblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/beef-and-lentil-lasagne/

darlingmole, Feb 11, 3:24am
Frittata - use up all your tired looking vege or left over cook vege, with egg, herbs, cheese and fry then bake and serve with garlic bread or salad n chips.
Pasta bakes with salad or roast veges always good.
Soups . nice summer ones like chilled tomato or cumber/yoghurt based ones.
BBQ meat or bbq meatloaf (have a lovely recipe from TM)
Stuffed baked potatoes - mexican with beans/toms/chilli mince etc, sweetcorn/capscium/cheese, shredded meat/chili sauce/springonions - you get the drift.
Island style chop suey (this will require marinating the meat night b4 or in the morning) then stir fry with vege and vermicili noodles (the type you simpley pour over boiling water, wait about 3 mins, drain and it's cooked!)
Orzo with summer veges and dressing (orzo, found in deli section, very similar to a pasta-come-rice)
Bacon'n'Egg pie (or any leftover meat made into pie)
Smoked fish in white sauce (make into pie, or pour over pasta)

Hope something here helps!

justine97, Feb 11, 5:08am
thank you! there's some yummy ideas here:)

ruby19, Feb 11, 5:44am
My kids love home made kebeabs/wraps use left over chicken or quickly cook some steak etc, slice or shred, add hummus, salad grated carrot, grated cheese, tatziki, for the kids a drizzle of bbq sauce, adults chilli sauce. Roll up in foil and pop into sandwich press.you can serve with salad or a couscous salad or crunchy oven baked potatoes.
Curries can be made ahead, and reheated.

bridget107, May 7, 12:15am