When only takeaway will do?

[Deleted User]

odds and ends ommelette,I find anything in the fridge that I can bung in the frying pan, chopped bit of bacon, mushrooms,chopped onion or pepperI have even chucked in a sprig or two of brocolli once sauteed then whipped up a couple of eggs and poured over the top.Takes all of around ten minutes from start to finish

Spendless

One pot cooking, shepherds pie, curry, chilli, stew, pasta bakes, lasagna, or have your 'main' meal at lunchtime on these days if poss and go for soup or something on toast.

Sambucus_Nigra

If it's curry you have as a takeout - then why not cook a chicken curry the night before, and teach your OH to cook rice so that you can eat when you get home and not have to start cooking there and then? All this OH waiting til you get home nonsense; men can cook too you know - some decent chefs are even men these days .

We menu plan round the evenings one of us is getting in late, or going out early; and usually jacket spuds are cooked the night before or double portions are made so that they can be reheated [we don't have a microwave but do heat stuff up in the oven or in pans]. It just takes a little extra planning.

I also taught OH how to make some decent basic dishes; chillis, pasta bake; and recently I taught him to make curry. Because we menu plan, he knows when he has to make dinner so he prepares for it. And there's always sausages and mash if things don't go according to plan.

I know I can cook a basic curry and rice from scratch in the time it takes for him to find the menu, decide on what he wants, order, drive over, pick it up and bring it back as we've timed it. So we have very few takeouts - usually only on days that we've done extreme DIY and I just haven't got an ounce of energy left [I'm the DIY-er round here].

lizzywig

When I was little and I used to do swimming my mum used to make a big batch of homemade leek and potato soup the night before, leave it in the fridge and then reheat when we got home. She always used to serve it with a french stick and oh my goodness it's one of my fondest memories.

richj

anything in the slow cooker, this can be ready when you get home. there is a thread on here about them..

liney

We have swimming on a Thursday, and I either nip home first and stick some jackets in the oven so they are ready when we get back with beans/cheese etc, or it's a choice of soup/something on toast.

Of course there is the obvious slow cooker dinner, but having a 'proper dinner' ever night of the week won't kill anyone.

Perhaps the children could have a cooked lunch that day at school if they don't already, and then they won't be quite so famished? Just a thought.

DizzyDizzy

cooking-mama wrote: »

Must admit Dizzy,im wondering the same as some others,if OH is home before you why hasnt he started cooking?

Aha yes!! He really doesn't cook at all, plus he has just picked up a tired grouchy baby from nursery and gets in about 5 mins before us.

Must admit the takeaways were a habit we fell into, then became our "takeaway night" if you know what I mean. But with prices rising etc, and soon both kids may want kids meal + toy etc, I'm not sure I can afford to keep this going every week.

Thank you for the ideas, certainly given me some thinking to do. Might even get OH to learn a signature dish that he can start cooking before we get home lol !:rotfl:

cutestkids

I have the same problem with two children who swim at different times on the same night so I am out of the house from about 4.15pm till about 6.00pm.

Our standby dinners for these nights are

Homemade soup with bread made earlier in the day or night before only takes 5 mins to heat up, I usually have a pudding on soup nights something like sponge cake and custard is easy.

Jacket potatoes I put these in the oven just as I am leaving the house, use a slightly lower temperature than normal if you will be out for more than about and hour and a quarter, these will be ready when you come home and can be served with a salad.

My kids favourite is our hotdogs and nachos night.
The nachos are really quick I use the supermarket value doritos sprinkle with grated cheese and melt the cheese either under the grill or in microwave, hot dogs take a few mins in a pan of water or the microwave, I serve this with little dipping pots of salsa, ketchup, etc.
Not the healthiest option I know but the kids love it, it takes 10 mins from start to finnish and it is a treat for them.

olliesmummy06

Do you like lamb koftas? I make a large batch of the mix-usually at least a kg (from the Takeaway secrect cookbook) and freeze into family sized portions. Then just pull out the morning i want it, when we are ready for it-shape into koftas and griddle....i serve it withsalad, cajun roasted pots and pittas. If you didnt have the pots with it or bought some of the microwave new pots it would literally take 10 mins to cook and serve up. hth.xx

euronorris

pinkteapot wrote: »

Stir fry? Quickest dinner there is. If you have rice with it, the rice is the thing that takes the longest!

I second that. Quick, easy, and tasty