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thread: Cheats meals for kids...

  1. #1
    Administrator
    Add Rouge on Facebook

    Jun 2003
    Ubiquity
    9,922

    Question Cheats meals for kids...

    Tonight DH is working late, and on those nights I normally give the kids leftovers or something else quick and easy as I'll make our dinner together later (tonight we're having garlic prawns and cauli rice).

    I'm just wondering what cheats meals you give your kids? What things do you keep on hand for those days when either you're eating later or can't be bothered?

    Things I tend to keep on hand:

    Cream cheese (great for a quick pasta dish with tinned tuna, corn, baby spinach and onion)
    Tinned Tuna
    Frozen Veg
    Baby spinach (or other leaves)
    Frozen Mash (it is quite good believe it or not and because I'm not a big potato fan these days means I don't have to peel spuds for 2 wee ones)
    Tempura Chicken/Chicken Crackles etc
    Honey Soy Marinade
    Eggs
    2 minute rice (in the sachets)
    Stir through pasta sauces
    Dry Pasta
    Tortillas
    Frozen Onion

    Things I make for the kids:

    Frittata
    Tuna Pasta
    Chicken Crackles, Potato Mash, Steamed Veg and a nice drizzle of Honey Soy Marinade (they love sauces/gravies and this seems to keep them happy as a "treat")
    Left over cold meat & veggie omlette and steamed rice (makes like a fried rice when mixed together)
    Stir through Pasta with ham and grated zucchini & carrot
    Chicken Crackles with Avocado, Tomato, Mayo, cheese (in a flour tortilla)
    Tortilla Pizza

    Soooo gimme some other ideas. I like to always have foods in the freezer/cupboard for emergencies!

  2. #2
    smiles4u Guest

    Question

    Um oh my i'm gonna ask you a dumb question here Niliac ... BUT What is Chicken Crackles ?? ... Would so luv to know

    ... I will be back later with my ... as i call it * Lazy Meals *, LOL !!

  3. #3
    Administrator
    Add Rouge on Facebook

    Jun 2003
    Ubiquity
    9,922

    Basically Tempura Chicken Nuggets LOL just round

    I forgot to add I also buy the Heinz Spinach cubes so I can add spinach to meals too (like pasta and frittata) if I don't have fresh spinach.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jan 2004
    3,903

    My DD loves Chicken Crackles too! She also loves anything that is spaghetti with sauce and HEAPS of parmesan grated over the top.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Oct 2003
    Forestville NSW
    8,944

    ahhhh tonight was our lazy night & it was left over sausages & mashed potatoes with carrot sticks. Boring I know.

    Other quick meals:

    *fried rice
    *bowl of hummous dip with carrot sticks, chicken strips, and pita bread
    *left overs!!!
    *fritatta
    *bean burritos (layer of beans, grated carrots & zucchini rolled up in a tortilla)
    *2 minute noodles (plain) with grated vegetables with chicken stock

    Whenever I have a roast chook, I pull off extra meat & freeze it in zip lock bags. I also always make double portions of bolognaise so it is always in the freezer if I need it.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Feb 2004
    Melbourne
    11,171

    Chicken Goujons are a big favourite here, same brand as crackles They are crumbed chicken fingers.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    DD loves tuna morney; or tuna, cheese sauce, and frozen veggies with pasta.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Melbourne
    3,715

    Any sort of pasta, DS loves it! It can just be spaghetti with passata and parmesan, or pasta with butter and cheese, whatever. I try to add vegies though I also have individual serves (DS size) of bolognaise sauce in the freezer.

    Baked beans with grated cheese and multigrain toast. VERY lazy, I know!

    Another fave here is buttered bread cut into little pieces, with a soft boiled egg broken up over the top and sprinkled with a little salt. Yum!

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Add fionas on Facebook

    Apr 2007
    Recently treechanged to Woodend, VIC
    3,473

    DP is not here for dinner (but DSD, myself and DD are!) for one week out of every two so I try to Imake sure I've done a stew or something that I can just reheat and DP will cook spaghetti sauce or a risotto before he goes to work so that's a few nights sorted and I just need to reheat when I get home from work.

    One of my favourite lazy meals is jacket potatoes with pretty much any filling - baked beans + cheese, tuna + sweetcorn etc. etc.

    I also try to make chicken stock from every pre-roasted chicken we buy and turn that into a chicken, lentil & sweetcorn soup.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Feb 2008
    Country Victoria
    5,945

    My sister used to make mini pizza's. get them muffins that u toast and put tomatoe paste (or whateever), ham, she used to sneak in a veg like grated something and cheese and put them in the oven. they take no more than 10 mins to prepare and cook. and really, u can add whatever u like to them.

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Sydney NSW
    4,837

    I do that with bread rolls too Holly, if we have had them for lunch or the day before and I have leftovers.
    I also make quiche or fritata with any vegies and meat I have around.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    3,562

    We do a lot of the same things - tuna pasta (on a really lazy night I use the side dish pasta packs and add tuna and frozen vegies - my kids love it!), fritatta/omlette/scrambled eggs/baked beans with multigrain toast, chicken breast nuggets with steamed vegies. I also buy frozen chicken & vegie pies and serve these with steamed vegies and mashed potato.

    I used to make a sort of 'cheats risotto' - aborio or jasmine rice cooked in the mircowave with flavoured tuna (usually tomato & onion) and grated cheese stirred through - it's surprisingly good! I actually have it for lunch sometimes. DS loves it but DD won't eat rice anymore

  13. #13
    DoubleK Guest

    gee.. most of these meals are our regular dinners! lol

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    hiding under my desk!
    1,432

    chicken noodle soup is our biggest cheats meal.
    dh usually makes a big pot and then we freeze a heap so i just have to defrost it.

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    NSW Central Coast
    5,301

    Omlette with veggies like grated zuccini, carrot, peas corn...bacon, ham, chicken, cheese
    Sliced ham with a boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, avocado
    Dippy eggs with toast soldiers
    Scrambled eggs with chopped ham and tomato
    sausages with frozen chips, peas and corn
    Tinned chicken and corn soup with added veggies
    Frozen left overs like spag bol, shepards pie etc...
    Toasties with tinned sausages and veggies
    Potato salad with peas, corn, grated carrot, shallots and tuna (sounds gross but is actually really yum!) you have to use REAL whole egg mayo on it though!
    Last edited by MrsFabuloso; March 1st, 2009 at 01:00 PM.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Brissy
    2,208

    I also keep Raffertys pouches in my cupboard JIC theyre great!

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    5,235

    What about baked potatoes with leftovers on top - savoury mince with cheese, baked beans and cheese, quick and easy.

    I like to do fritters with left over roast meats and frozen vegies tossed into the mix too.

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    Our house, in the middle of our street
    1,996

    One of my favourite quickie meals , and one that my girls absolutley love, is Plum Jam Lamb (that's what they have named it anyway.)

    It's actually a weight watchers meal:

    500g of lamb - (i buy the lamb schnitzel and dice it up fine)
    1 tablespoon of Soy Sauce
    1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
    1 teaspoon of minced garlic
    1/4 cup plum jam

    I fry the ingredients, and then take off the heat and stir through the plum jam.
    Serve with rice.
    yummy

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