Menu Ideas needed for traditionalist

boo81

Sorry ive not read the other ideas so hope im not repeating.

How about bbq ribs or chicken drums, you could serve with spicy rice and a salad

Bean or chicken casserole with rice

Potato wedges (healthier than chips as you can leave the skins on)
Roasted veg or stuffed veg (rice mixed with mince and finely chopped veg, top with cheese-yumyumyum)
Stuffed mushrooms - huge ones stuffed with bacon, peppers or even stuffing mix and served with salad
Fritata
Bacon wrapped chicken
Chicken stuffed with sliced ham and cheese and rolled in breadcrumbs
Pie's or pasties
Mashed other veg an option, sweet potatoes make great chips or roasties.

OK im all out of ideas, hope that helps

boo81

No, just had a brainwave-do you ever cook with tortillas?

I do 3 things:
fajitas with chicken
enchiladas - fry chicken and bacon and onion, wrap inside a tortilla and line them in a oven dish, top with a tomato sauce and cheese and bake in the oven til brown - serve with salad
Fried tortillas, not for everyday but everyone loves them. Make a nice juicy filling, I usually do bbq chicken and roll in a tortilla in a complete parcel and secure with a cocktail stick. Drop into about 1/2 inch layer of oil in a frying pan and cook until golden brown, drain on a kitchen towel and serve with a big salad.

LollopyBear

What about omelettes? You can have different fillings depending on what needs to be used up and fussy tastes. You could have it with a side salad to make a change from peas.

Also, what does your family think of soup? There are almost endless possibilities with homemade soup and you could get lots of veggies into them.

Homemade pizza? That's always tasty! Again you could hide veggies in the tomato sauce and everyone can have the topping they like.

crystalsinger

I did toad in the hole last night with baked beans. I used cocktail sausages, and baked for 10 to release the fat, didnt need to add any, just poured batter on top and cooked for 20, perfect crispy batter. I have a 6yr old and a 12 yr old and they loved the wee sausages.
The best thing about it was cost. Batter 18p, cocktail sausages £1.05, and Heinz beans 23p (morrisons offer the other week) meant my meal cost me 36p a head

What about Corned Beef Hash?

Fen1

Ditto couscous, bulgur wheat and noodles. My Dad doesn't like pasta but quite happily eats noodles!

Furthering the home-made pizza: you don't have to use tomato sauce on the base, try pesto instead.

Alternatively, try something totally different on pizza like chinese chicken : http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_19839,00.html

or thai chicken pizza: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33368,00.html

I find that these American websites often have different ideas from what we are used to e.g their staples like meat-loaf are easy to make but are uncommon over here.
If you hunt on foodnetwork.com you'll also come across 'Barefoot Contessa' recipes - straightforward and delicious.

Natlou_2

Wow - thanks everyone

One thing I sometimes do is make the base for a spag bol (mince, onion, mushroom) then separate it into two - one half gets mixed with gravy for OH and the other half is spag bol for me, 10yr old and 2yr old - only trouble is 8 year old doesn't like either version so invariably i end up making him something else.

Toad in the hole is a really good one - We all like sausages and yorks puds so I will give that a go next week.

Im going to try cous cous as well, but OH has an aversion to anything he thinks is 'rabbit food' (I know don't ask :rolleyes: ) So if he thinks its supposed to be good for him, he always says he is starving half an hour after tea (im sure its psychological as he says pasta isn't filling!)

Keep the ideas coming, I'm bowled over by all the replies so far - thanks all

Natlou x

vanoonoo

Let us all know how you get on - I know my husband doesnt like cous cous but he will eat noodles

cheeks

My family love 'Chicken with mango chutney & apricot.
mix together 1tbsp apricot jam, 1tbsp mango chutney, 3tbsp mayo, 1tbsp worcester sauce and 1tbsp lemon juice (looks a bit odd at this point). put chic drumsticks and thighs in casserole dish, pour mixture over and oven til chic cooked through. can be served with mash, rice or pasta x