Easy And Inexpensive Dinner Meals For Kids

In many families there is a problem where the kids never enjoy the same meal the parents want to prepare. It then makes it very difficult and expensive to prepare two meals, one for the parents and one for the kids. Here are a few recipes I have used, which my nieces seem to enjoy and they don’t cost you an arm or a leg to make.

Cottage Pie, easy dinner for kid's

This meal is always a hit with the kids and is easy to prepare with very little cost.

Main Ingredients:

• 1 Small onion finely chopped.
• ½ Cup of frozen peas or sweet corn
• 300 – 500 g of beef mince
• 1 block of beef stock
• Worcestershire sauce to taste
• Tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Corn Flour for thickening
• Cheese for topping

Potato Mash:

• Potatoes cooked to suit the number of people
• 1 tbsp of butter
• ½ Cup of milk

Method:

You can start by heating the butter or oil in a frying pan and then adding the chopped onions. This should cook for a few minutes until the onions are soft. Then you can add the mince and allow it to cook until it is browned over. If you see the mince is starting to burn you can add a little water. Once the mince is cooked properly you can add the peas, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, beef stock, the salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, and then use the corn flour mixture to thicken the mince mixture. Boil the potatoes until soft, and mash them using the butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Remove the mince mixture from the stove and spoon into a deep saucepan. Spoon the mashed potatoes onto the mince and grate some cheese on top of the mash. Your meal is now ready to go into a pre-heated oven about 180˚ for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted. This meal is a family favourite.  Another favourite meat recipe for our family is spaghetti Bolognese    

Macaroni and Cheese

If you are having difficulty in getting the kids to eat meat or vegetables then this dish is perfect for the whole family. This is always a quick and easy dish to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of macaroni (you can use elbow, spiral or any other form of macaroni)
• 60 g of butter
• 30 g of flour
• 2 Cups of cheese
• Salt and pepper taste
• 2 cups of milk

Method:

Boil the macaroni in water adding salt and pepper to taste. While the macaroni is boiling melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat. Then add flour until you get a thick mixture. Add the milk I usually use a whisk to mix until you get a smooth texture. You can then add salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook until your mixture is smooth and starts to bubble, make sure you don’t burn the mixture. If you want you can now add some cheese, cook till the cheese has properly melted stirring the mixture frequently. Remove the macaroni from the stove and drain the water. Spoon the macaroni into the cheese mixture and stir until the macaroni is properly mixed into the cheese mixture. Pour this mixture into a casserole dish, you can grate some more cheese on top and bake in the oven at 180˚ for 25 minutes.

Naughty add in: Instead of adding cheese to the white sauce mixture, try adding a packet of cheese curls into the mixture.

Fish Sticks

If you find yourself pressed for time, late for an appointment, or visitors are about to arrive, but the kids must be fed. What is easier and quicker than opening a box of fish sticks and pop them into the oven! While they are cooking quickly put a salad together and “voila” your meal is done. For many of us, this meal and all the ingredients are readily available in your fridge and cupboard. You can also add in some baked oven chips and a few peas on the side.

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