Weve got a few reliable dinner options in our house at the moment. Dinner can be a challenge because E loves salad but not red meat, O likes some red meat but no salad (both like white meats and potato, fruit etc). We have a few meals that cater for everyone’s preferences, other meals we just make something different for the kids. Here are our top 5 midweek meals, in no particular order:
Oven baked fish and salad
Aldi frozen Spanakopita
Beef tacos
Honey mustard chicken drumsticks
Hamburgers
1.Oven baked fish and salad- This is the quickest and easiest of mid week meals. For Al and I, we defrost two white fish fillets (basa or similar), mix olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and coat the fillets thoroughly. Put in a hot oven alongside some fish fingers for the kids, and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon and salad for us and E, and with fruit for O. Healthy, tasty, so very quick.
It doesn’t look thrilling but it’s a delicious meal.
2, Aldi frozen spanakopita - not sure if this is just an Australian Aldi thing, or all over the world, but this frozen Spanakopita (spinach and cheese pastry wheel) is a reliable hit in our house. We keep one in the freezer and it’s perfect for those nights when we have zero energy. Bakes in 40 mins, serve with tomato sauce for the kids, spicy Mayo for adults (we mix Mayo and Franks Red Hot together).
The only way we get any spinach into O!
3. Beef tacos - this one is pretty self explanatory. In addition to frying beef mince, we usually do grated cheese, avocado, diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, grated carrot, sour cream. A mix of hard and soft tacos, and some spicy sauce options, and everyone can choose their own adventure. E will make a cheese and salad taco, O sometimes just has taco shells (and fruit), Al and I have everything.
I wish I had a photo of the full spread but could only find a picture of the tacos themselves on my phone.
4. Honey mustard chicken drumsticks. These are so delicious! I do these in the oven at 200 degrees C for 40 minutes and they come out great. I also oven bake some veggies alongside (usually potato, sweet potato, pumpkin and broccoli or zucchini, although eggplant is also great). I parboil the potato for 10-15 mins so that everything can be ready in the 40 mins. It is SUCH a tasty meal, and the drumsticks mean it’s economical too.
This is the website photo but it really does look like this when I make them!
5. Hamburgers. This is a new one for us. I either buy the beef patties pre-made or make them with beef mince, egg and breadcrumbs. I buy burger buns. Then just slice cheese, onion, avo, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, pickles, and put out various condiments, and again it’s a choose your own adventure. O has meat, cheese and sauce in his burger. E had cheese, salad and sauce in hers. Al and I have everything. I don’t have a photo for these unfortunately- I’ll have to snap a pic next time.
So those are my mid week staples. Feel free to share your mid week go tos, I always love to add ideas to my list.
Those are great meals. We have something similar:
broiled salmon with salad
chili (which lasts a few days lol)
*NEW* for us, pork chops Murphy (Murphy is just a topping of potatoes, green bell peppers, and onions, all sautéed)
roasted chicken with rice or vegetable
leftovers lol
Polish sausage and sauerkraut.
Yes, choose your own adventure is the way to go with kids. There's no way everyone is going to want the exact same dinner! Over the summer we were doing tacos once a week- maybe I should stick a taco night in soon so my family doesn't get too sick of bowls, which is my current plan.