When it comes to dinners and busy family life, convenience is key.
With school runs, activities and playdates, the afternoons can be busy, some days even too busy to cook dinner easily. Here are the best one-pot family meals you can fit into your busy schedule.
When you add different pick-up and drop off times and different children all eating different times, it can all get a little overwhelming. But we all have the odd day like that and what is the point in worrying about things we cannot control?
Always focus on the things you can control and for a busy, overwhelming day, making a one-pot dinner is essential - ready when you need it while also being tasty and nutritious.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Nothing says comfort quite like a bowl of hearty soup. You can take pretty much any spin on the classic chicken soup recipe. You can make it super easy and add chicken from a pre-cooked roast chicken and some pasta.
Add some carrots too for that extra veg hit and you have a warm healthy and filling dinner ready whenever you and your family need it.
Paella
Another easy one-pan dinner (that is a firm favourite in our house) is paella. Peppers, chicken, prawns and all the spices you need and you have another nutritious and seriously delicious dinner ready for you all day.
Irish stew
Irish stew is another one-pot heartfelt dinner to keep you toasty, especially on a cold day. This one is also open to interpretation and is pretty much different for each family.
Add beef, potatoes, carrots and even some pasta. For an extra little kick, I like to add Worchester Sauce. Make enough and it could even last you for two days! Winning!
Curry
So technically this is two pots (but the rice doesn’t count!). Again, there are so many varieties to this dish. But whatever type of curry your family love, from an array of veg to plain chicken or even a mixture of both, this is perfect for a busy day to grab and go as needed.
Shepard’s pie
This is easy enough for anyone to make. Mincemeat, peas and onions, gravy and topped with some potatoes. So simple and so tasty. Change it up with some sweet potatoes on top and some roasted veg on the side.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
This is such a delicious dinner - my mouth is watering as I type! It is a one-pot dinner (which means one pot to clean) and it can be ready in the morning in the oven for when you need it. There is plenty of different takes of this simple recipe online, so find your favourite and you can thank us later!