Midweek Meals: five stress-free dinners perfect for busy families

Tacos, traybakes and Sloppy Joes - family dinners should be quick, easy and always delicious 

Five easy-to-make dinners that will guarantee clean plates all round.

Chicken parmigiana

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

How to make chicken parmigiana worthy of The Sopranos

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, sliced through the middle and flattened

• 150g panko breadcrumbs

• 100g Parmesan, finely grated

• 3 eggs beaten

• 200g flour

• 100ml olive oil

• For the sauce: 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 600ml passata

• 1 onion

• 1 tsp butter

• Salt, pepper, sugar, to taste

• For the parmiagana:

• 2 balls of mozzarella, sliced

• Basil or parsley, chopped (optional)

•  

•  

Method

1. First, make the sauce.

2. Add the olive oil and garlic to a cold saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium and as soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, pour in the passata.

3. Cut your onion in half and add to the sauce along with the butter. Cover, turn to low and simmer for twenty minutes.

4. Taste, check for seasoning and add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Remove the onion.

5. While your sauce is cooking, set up a breading station by pouring your breadcrumbs and cheese onto a plate, your flour onto another plate and your beaten eggs onto a third plate. 

6. Dip your chicken first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Place onto a wire rack and place into the fridge for ten minutes. 

7. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and heat to medium. Fry the chicken for seven to eight minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Leave to rest on the wire rack.

8. Preheat your grill

9. In an oven-proof dish place the chicken in a single layer. Spoon over the tomato sauce and top with the cheese. Grill for around eight minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad. 

Midweek noodles

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

With the distinct flavours of garlic, ginger and soy, this versatile noodle dish combines a vegetable medley with a delicate crunch of sesame seeds

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 packet of stir-fry vegetable mix (carrots, peppers, courgettes, and spring onion)

• 2 tsp garlic

• 2 tsp crushed ginger

• 3 tbsp dark soy

• 1 packet of straight-to-wok rice noodles

• juice of 1 lime

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tsp sesame seeds, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the walnut oil in the pan; add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, and continue to cook until the vegetables are slightly softened.

3. Add in the noodles and cook until heated through, roughly 2-3 minutes.

4. Squeeze the lime juice over them and drizzle with sesame oil, toss well to combine.

5. Serve sprinkled with some lightly-toasted sesame seeds and enjoy.