Cooking tips to make life easier for parents when children go back to school

After the freedom of summer holidays, heading back to school is never easy – for kids or parents.

Busy parents might struggle to fit everything in, and getting a nutritious dinner on the table with minimal fuss can feel like an uphill battle.

But there are plenty of ways to make cooking a bit easier this September.

“My favourite hack to make mealtimes quick and easy is by cooking in bulk, but this doesn’t mean you have to have the same meal over and over again,” says Sophie Nahmad, lead recipe developer at recipe box service Gousto.

“Many different dishes from a variety of cuisines start with the same base of onions, garlic, and tomatoes and this is often the most time-consuming part. Make this in one go and make enough for several meals.

“This can be stored in separate containers in the fridge and you can then add additional flavourings ingredients throughout the week to easily make a range of nutritious meals such as a chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognese, or a tomato chicken curry.”

When you are prepping your ingredients, there are simple tricks to speed things up. Nahmad advises cutting “your meat or fish into smaller chunks so that they cook faster.

I’d also always make sure to cover your pots with a lid to retain heat; both these tips will help to speed up the cooking process, saving valuable time.

Plus, it might initially take a bit of time, but Nahmad adds: “Planning out your meals is a huge time-saver. Take some time at the start of the week to plan what you’ll be having for dinner each night, and this will save time trying to decide.”

Another simple way to cut down on faff – and dishes – is by making one-pot meals, with Nahmad explaining: “You don’t have to compromise on flavour but can halve your washing up time.”

These are three of Nahmad’s favourite one-pot recipes – you can easily multiply the portions depending on however many people you’re cooking for…

All-in-one honey-baked Greek cheese and crispy gnocchi

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

125g cherry tomatoes

Gem lettuce

Courgette

350g gnocchi

100g Greek salad cheese

½tsp dried chilli flakes

1tsp dried oregano

15ml red wine vinegar

25g honey

Red onion

You’ll also need: olive oil, pepper, salt

Method:

One-pot peri-peri chicken and rice with buttered corn

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

150g canned sweetcorn

11g chicken stock mix

80g natural yoghurt

1tbsp peri-peri spice mix

32g tomato paste

130g white long grain rice

250g British chicken breast strips

Garlic clove

Red pepper

You’ll also need: vegetable oil, pepper, salt, butter, water

Method:

One-pan pork and beef taco spiced pasta

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

250g pork and beef mince

11g beef stock mix

40g Cheddar cheese

2 tomatoes

32g tomato paste

50g soft cheese

1tsp ground coriander

2tsp ground smoked paprika

Green chilli

15ml white wine vinegar

200g conchiglie pasta

2 garlic cloves

Red onion

You’ll also need: water, sugar, pepper, salt, olive oil

Method:

• 1. Peel and finely dice half your red onion, then slice the remaining onion and green chilli finely.
• 2. Heat a pot (with a lid) with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat. Once hot, add the diced onion with your pork & beef mince (remove the paper if required!) Cook for four to five minutes or until beginning to brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go.
• 3. Boil a kettle, then peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic.
• 4. Once the mince is beginning to brown, reduce the heat to medium high, then add your ground smoked paprika, ground coriander and chopped garlic. Add your tomato paste and half the sliced chilli (can’t handle the heat? Go easy!) Give everything a good mix up and cook for one to two minutes or until fragrant.
• 5. Once fragrant, add your conchiglie with your beef stock mix and 500 millilitres boiled water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 11 to 14 minutes, or until the mince is cooked through (no pink meat!) and the pasta is cooked with a slight bite – this is your taco-spiced pasta. Tip: Stir occasionally to stop it from sticking!
• 6. Meanwhile, grate your Cheddar cheese finely. Chop your tomato finely. Combine your white wine vinegar with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of sugar in a bowl. Add the sliced onion, chopped tomato and remaining sliced chilli (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!) and give it a good mix up – this is your green chilli salsa.
• 7. Once the pasta is ready, add your soft cheese with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and give it a good mix up.
• Top with the grated cheese (don’t mix!) and set aside, covered, for one to two minutes or until the cheese has melted – this is your one pan pork and beef taco spiced pasta. Top the pasta with the green chilli salsa to finish.