Dinner in five

In an ideal world we would have the week's menu planned out in advance, the slow cooker simmering away, and the freezer stocked with homemade ready-meals. But in reality, when 5PM rolls around and the kids are hungry, many of us open the fridge and panic!

Here are some great ideas for quick dinners kids will love - we know, they're our go-to menus for busy days and frantic evenings!

Mini pizzas made on English breakfast muffins.

Wraps, with anything! Kids especially love constructing them themselves so you could set out bowls of grated cheese, carrot, salad, cold chicken or ham etc
and let them go for it.

Salmon and pasta. Keep a piece of smoked salmon in the fridge, boil pasta and crumble salmon through. Simple as that - or add avocado, broccoli or beans
if you have an extra minute.

Rice stirfry. Fry some left-over rice with anything - frozen or fresh veges, a can of tuna
or chicken and add soy sauce for happy kids.

Macaroni cheese. Add bacon or ham and frozen vegetables for extra nutrition.

Mousetraps - a kids classic! Think marmite and cheese, baked beans or spaghetti and cheese, or even just cheese with a tomato sauce smiley face. Hint: toast bread before spreading and grilling to avoid soggy mousetraps.

Fish fingers - keep them in the freezer, enough said!

Toasted sandwiches. Cheese and ham, cheese and onion,
cheese and sweet corn...

Udon noodles, stir fried with whatever is in the fridge and a dash of soy sauce.

French toast, with bacon perhaps. Or bananas, berries and maple syrup.
Breakfast for dinner... no judgement here!

Eggs and soldiers. Thank goodness for eggs...

Handy pantry staples for meals in minutes:
Tortillas, pita breads, English breakfast muffins
Tinned tuna or salmon
Tinned baked beans, spaghetti and sweetcorn
Udon noodles
Eggs
Soy sauce, tomato sauce, sweet thai chilli sauce
Tomato paste
Tinned pineapple

Freezer staples:
Fish cakes or fish fingers
Oven fries or wedges?
Pastry
Bacon
Peas, beans, sweet corn
 

For more quick meal ideas, check out New ideas for baked beans

Published 21 June, 2013