What's your favourite "fast food" mid week meal?

[Scarlet]

I'm looking for a few new ideas/recipes for mid-week evening meals for when the kids are on the run, between clubs, or after sport and can't wait! I have two starving boys, they play sport most days and are at the age where they can empty the fridge in seconds. Both of them have very different tastes but are happy to try other foods.
The school run takes me an hour and twenty mins...so it's handy to have stuff that is quick to cook, can leave cooking when I'm out (slow cooker is fab!) or that can be pre cooked and warmed up when we get in? Not too heavy on the carbs is also preferred....

What do you serve up when you're busy?

[Patchninja]

I like to have stuff ready to eat when i'm busy so I'll make couscous salad so I've only got to cook some chops to go with it or I'll have pasta with a raw sauce - tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies etc. Or I'll grill aubergine and courgette slices in advance. Another quicky is a great salad - slice courgettes with a potato peeler and blanche one minute. Open a big tin of beans (not in sauce!!!) mix with courgettes and add vinaigrette. Fry some thin slices of pork fillet or chicken or fish. Rice salad made in advance, pasta salad, potato salad..... we eat a lot of salads when i'm busy! Make savoury cake in advance, e.g. tuna or feta and herbs. Great as a snack or with a salad. Have cold chicken in the fridge. Macaroni cheese made the easy way - boil pasta, in a small pan heat lo fat creme fraiche, add grated cheese and voila! pour over pasta.

[dim]

toasted chicken mayonaise

left over roast chicken shredded, add extra black ground pepper, dice some sweetand sour gerkins, add to bread and make a toastie

a popular fast food in south africa ...



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A bunny chow....

left over curry (or buy a take away .... hollow out half a loaf of bread, add the curry to the bread, place a piece of bread over the top (to cap it) ..... eat with a pint of milk (a student favourite in south africa) ..

[Alison]

Our freezer is full of home cooked ready meals, loads of lasagna, bakes, casseroles, pies etc. spend Sunday every couple of months replenishing. If I don't fancy that I do pasta, stir fry or salad.

[Thelma Sanders]

I tend to cook more than I need, of curries, casseroles, chillis etc so that I can freeze the extra portions.
That way there are always meals that can be ready in a few minutes from the microwave, when I am short on time or simply can't be arrised to cook from scratch

[Scarlet]

I tend to make huge batches of chilli, curry, bol,casseroles, lasagne etc but they are getting fed up!
Patchninja, that's my kind of food...but if I give the boys salad after rugby they will eat a ton of junk to fill the hole later.
It was trout, salad and spuds last night and they were in the cupboard by 8.00!

[Noosner]

One of our faves, Scarlet, is sausages (any kind) and bell peppers (lots, all different colours) cut up and fried in oil with some garlic and a generous handful of basil. It is VERY quick and absolutely delicious, and is flexible carbs wise as you can add a portion of whatever carbs you fancy as a side. I usually do Mr Noosner a big portion of pasta, and have a little bit of it myself but it's equally nice with bread, rice or a baked potato, as there's a nice bit of oily sauce to it.

[Scarlet]

Got the sausages out of the freezer and I'm off out to the GH. I'll give that a go tonight. They are big sausage fans!

That will be a change from sausage and bean casserole!

[Noosner]

Got the sausages out of the freezer and I'm off out to the GH. I'll give that a go tonight. They are big sausage fans!

That will be a change from sausage and bean casserole!

Yes, funny how lots of males are big sausage fans!

Good luck with it, and hope it goes down well. It is an absolute staple in our house, came from a low carb cook book years ago but as I say it's useful because you can add in extra carbs at will!

[ancee]

Scarlet there is a freezer shop near us which sells chicken you cook from frozen. But fresh would work too for this. It takes about 20 mins in total (including washing the pots you've used to make it!) and can be reheated.
So, I usually put some chicken in a large pan with a tin of tomatoes, salt and pepper, a dash of cream and whatever veg is in the fridge - usually onions, garlic and celery.
If the sauce stays a bit watery once the chicken has cooked, bung some pasta in with it to cook to absorb the excess sauce. And that's it.
This can be left to cook itself.
If you don't want pasta you can mop it up with a bit of bread, or add some potatoes instead.
We have ours with rice as I am a massive rice fan.
It's easy, quick, filling and wholesome and everyone that's tried it is always amazed that I've made it in the time it takes to make a cup of tea!

[Guest]

Spanish omelette - soften some chopped onion, fry off bacon bits (could use chorizo, sandwich meat, chopped frankfurters or sausages) add whatever chopped veg (usually for me peppers, mushroom, carrot, peas and sweetcorn). In a seperate bowl mix eggs and grated cheese and a smidge of black pepper. Pour over and leave till it solidifies then pop under grill to finish the top. Serve with salad and potatoes of some description.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm looking for a few new ideas/recipes for ... when the kids are on the run,

Anything that's in the freezer, ready to be defrosted. Tonight I'm having allotment tomato soup, and Himself is having allotment chilli

[Patchninja]

Sounds to me like the boys need a few more carbs so they're not in the cupboard later. Lots of protein and carbs for boys!!! Don't forget good old bread and butter for them. Often forgotten these days. When I were a lass........ hahaha people always had bread and butter at the table. Good filler! Oranges, apples and bananas are good fillers too.

[Two_Sheds]

people always had bread and butter at the table. Good filler!

Yeah, and restaurants would give you the bread basket before you ordered your main course, which I could never understand

Yorkshire puddings (bleugh!) are tummy-fillers too

[sparrow100]

Don't know if boys would like this, but wholemeal spaghetti with smoked salmon and dill sauce is ready in 15 mins.

Add spaghetti to boiling water. while it's cooking chop a packet of smoked salmon into bits, heat some creme fraiche in a pan, when it's hot add loads of dill, pepper and the smoked salmon and turn the heat off. The salmon will cook in the sauce's heat. Drain spaghetti, mix with sauce and eat.