Food I can prepare in advance!

[baileybubs]

Hello all,

Not sure if this is the right section to put this, but I'm just looking for ideas I can prepare in advance for tea on weeknights. I keep ending up giving my kids turkey dinosaurs or fish fingers etc and want to make sure I'm giving them more vegetables etc, however by the time I get home from work it's gone 5pm so little time to cook before its time for bedtime routine!
They do have some food at nursery at 4pm but it tends to be a snack type meal and I find they are hungry when we get home.
Also need to feed myself and have something waiting for bf when he gets home after 7pm.

So, what can I prepare in advance on a Sunday for Monday to Thursday (Friday's I don't work!). Whenever I do make stuff it's the usual lasagne, chilli, corned beef hash but I need new ideas if anyone has them!

TIA

 

[wishingonastar]

For freezer:
- Pasta bake
- Shepherds pie
- Meat pie (get ready rolled pastry and just add cooked mince and veg)
- spag bol
- lasagne
- meat, potatoes and veg (just cook and then freeze)

Quick meals:
- stir fry
- pick n mix dinner of healthy but filling bits (toast, pepper, cucumber cut up, fruit)
- plain pasta mixed with tuna, sweetcorn and mayo

Also a great investment is a slow cooker - loads of recipes on line and means you can bung stuff in ready for dinner later

 

[loeylo]

Shepherds pie
Baked potatoes (done properly in oven then frozen and microwaved!)
Stir fry
Spanish Omlette
One pan rice meals (with the microwaveable bags of rice stirred into some chicken in soy sauce with some herbs and spices)
Curries with the ready made rice bags
Pasta sauce can be frozen well

 

[missk1989]

Do you have a slow cooker? They are pretty cheap to buy if you dont and you can prep and freeze meals in advance, defrost them over night and then cook them all day whilst you are working, ready for when you get home. Some even have a keep warm function you could use for your bf.

I have put a link of meals you can do this with.

https://www.slowcookercentral.com/14-slow-cooked-freezer-meals-instructions-recipes-shopping-lists/

 

[baileybubs]

You know that is something I keep saying I'll buy and never do!! A slow cooker would make my life so much easier! Think I'll have a look for one.

I get so bored of the same old things all the time, I've just written a meal plan for next weeks tea and I'm gonna prep what I can over the weekend and freeze;

Monday - shepherds pie with added veg (hidden so the kids might actually eat some!)
Tuesday - five bean chilli and rice
Wednesday - sausage casserole
Thursday - homemade pizza (using ready to roll pizza base dough)

Then Friday I'll shop again and do a new food plan.

Nice tip on the ready made rice loeylo I always forget about those!

I've also got stuff for soups for my lunches coz I've just bought a soup flask for work.

It's such a pain meal planning but it makes life so much easier!

Thanks for the ideas ladies!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I like to be able to come home and cook a meal so I don't make things in advance but I find buying pre-prepared vegetables a total lifesaver!
I get things like onions, peppers, mushrooms etc already chopped/sliced, I always buy the crushed garlic in a jar and if I'm super pushed for time there's packs of pasta/rice/noodles that are already cooked and just need microwaving. Potatoes you can buy ready peeled (although I just leave skins on whenever I use potatoes).
I mean you could probably just prepare these things yourself a few days ahead but I just wouldn't

 

[missk1989]

A few things I am cooking this week, just to give you extra ideas are campfire stew - Gammon joint with baked beans, tinned tomatoes, peppers and onions, Beef stew, spicy pork tenderloin with rice, beer can chicken - chicken cooked with a beer can up its bum and mongolian beef with rice. We had fish pie tonight which is a new one for us.