Meal planning and last minute visitors

chanie

My meal planning tends to go to pot when I have unexpected visitors. Its by no means regular, but I do sometimes have my niece and nephew over at the last minute, for example, if my sister is running late (I finish work at 4pm), I might pick them up.

If I plan a meal for me, OH and DS (who is 8 months) then it normally won't stretch to an extra 3 mouths (my sister would expect dinner too!!!!) so it normally means preparing something new.

Can anyone suggest any storecupboard type budget meals I can knock up?

Few points
1) Me and OH work fulltime, so the last thing I want to do is spend hours slaving over a stove (plus the children tend to be hungry by about 6pm, so needs to be quick)

2) I often freeze chicken etc into portions for the three of us, so thats why it isn't always possible to stretch for an extra 3 mouths.

3) my niece and nephew don't really like frozen Iceland type food, so nuggets are out.

I love my niece and nephew (9 and 6) and enjoying having them, so that isn't the issue, I would just like some ideas of quick, cheap and healthy meals I can knock up, especially ones that are child friendly.

Fruball

Jacket potatoes freeze well and can microwave from frozen - you could then use say, your 3 portion chicken dish and chop the chicken and use it as a jacket potato filler which would stretch it.

Otherwise, pilaf is easy - I just cook my rice and add in anything I have inc chopped chorizo (i always keep some in the freezer), or chopped sausage, prawns, peas, sweetcorn etc. The chorizo gives it a lovely colour and then let everyone throw a load of cheese over the top, scrummy

I also always keep some chopped bacon in the freezer in bags which I flatten out so the bacon can be cooked from frozen, fried, and made into carbonara, omelette, pilaf, jacket potato filling (scoop out insides, mix with butter, milk, cheese and bacon; refill jackets and pop back in the oven)

Next time you cook sausages, cook a few extra, cool the spare ones, chop into smallish pieces and freeze - can befried from frozen then used in pasta with tomato sauce (tin toms, herbs, pinch sugar and a stock cube).

chanie

Thanks, these ideas are great.

THe pilaf sounds nice, as they both like cheese.

I didn't know you could freeze jacket potato's so thats handy too.

Rebelle

Hello

What about pancakes? Pancake batter can be whipped up in minutes and you could do them savoury with cheese, ham etc as a main, and with sugar and lemon for afters.

Jacket spuds are a cheap, filling meal can be done quickly too if you microwave them for 5-10 mins first until slightly soft, then finish off in the oven for 20 mins to crisp up the skin, then serve with whatever toppings you fancy and maybe a bit of salad on the side.

Or you could do HM potato wedges, healthier than oven chips if you leave the skins on (tastier too!), just brush with them with a bit of oil and bake in the oven on a tray for 20-30 mins, serve with sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, whatever you fancy!

Would pasta go down well? A big pan of pasta with a simple tomato sauce or pesto, some grated cheese and garlic bread would feed a few mouths for not too many pennies.

Hope that helps - what sort of meals do you usually serve?

meritaten

do they like pasta? it stretches out a meal wonderfully! for example, chicken in a sauce which would feed four with just chips or veg, stretches out to feed double if you mix it with loads of pasta.

Mayflower10cat

I also keep some packs of microwave type instant rice for emergencies - as the former poster said, fry up peppers/onions/etc add the rice and heat through, season with soy sauce - add handful of frozen peas for colour, and as we don't eat meat, lovely with prawns or a tin of drained tuna, grated cheese on top! I make a very similar concoction with vac packed noodles. Another tasty standby has to be - eggy bread!

lostinrates

Pasta, soups that can be stretched, sadwiches...they could be toasted. Breakfast for supper: beans on toast or with eggs. Chicken could go further in pasta or risotto...your thre portions would do everyone. or in salad, or stirfrys.

BitterAndTwisted

Oh, I dunno. If these unexpected meals are inconvenient I'd be minded to serve up fried eggs and chips every time it happens. Still, there's nothing wrong with offering kids a toasted cheese sandwich and soup sometimes, then you get have what you've planned for yourself.

PasturesNew

Give your sister your fish and chip shop order, she can pick up your tea on her way over.

MrsCrafty

I would have portions of shepherds pie or lasagne for these moments (easily microwaved) as well as frozen mash patties (don't know why but they seem to freeze better than one big blob of mash) and pies which although the meat is cooked, the pastry is uncooked and you can cook from frozen.

tsstss7

If it was me I'd probably change the dinner to accomodate them eg by adding bread, bacon etc ie anything that is quick and easy to cook/prepare to stetch out the meal.

If this wasn't possible I'd probably get tomorrows dinner out and use that too! Then we'd get take away tomorrow. Preferably chinese (our chinese does a great set meal for one but we wouldn't want to have to buy six of them that would cost a fortune. OH and I usually get two and split with kids.)