Midweek Meals: Five family-friendly after-school dinners ready in under 60 minutes

Tried and tested dishes that are sure to please during dull evenings 

From one-pot chicken casserole to vegetarian enchiladas, there's something for everyone.

One-pot chicken casserole

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

With apricots and green olives, this chicken casserole is sure to be a new midweek staple

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp paprika

• 4 chicken breasts, cubed

• 2 peppers, deseeded and diced

• 10 apricots, halved

• 10 stoned green olives, halved

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

• ½ courgette, chopped

• 300ml chicken stock

• salt

• pepper

• handful of mint leaves, chopped

• brown rice to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole over medium heat.

2. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cumin and paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently and add a splash of water if the pan gets dry. 

3. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in peppers, apricots, olives, lemon, courgette and stock. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. 

4. When you are ready to serve, season to taste. Ladle the stew into warmed serving bowls and sprinkle over the mint. Serve with brown rice.

Joe Swash’s mushroom risotto

recipe by:Joe Swash

A delicious risotto for after-school dinners

Servings

5

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil

• 50g butter

• 1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped

• 1 leek, finely chopped

• 300g mushrooms (white/button/cremini/chestnut), finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

• 1 large sprig of thyme, leaves picked

• 400g risotto rice

• 100ml white wine or Vermouth

• 1.5L chicken or mushroom stock

• 50g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

• Salt and black pepper

• To garnish:

• 15g butter

• 250g mixed mushrooms, sliced if large

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

Method

1. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the onion or shallot and the leek and cook very gently, stirring regularly, until soft and translucent.

2. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Turn up the heat and fry until they have given out their liquid and look dry but glossy. Add the garlic and thyme and stir for a couple more minutes.

3. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until glossy with butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine or Vermouth and let it bubble away until almost completely evaporated.

4. Add a large ladleful of the hot stock. Stir constantly but slowly until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, then continue to add ladlefuls of stock in the same way until the rice has plumped up and is al dente and the sauce around it is creamy. You may have a small amount of the stock left.

5. Add the remaining butter and the Parmesan and beat it into the risotto – this will make the risotto extra creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and keep warm.

6. Place a frying pan over a high heat and add the butter. When it is foaming, add the mixed mushrooms and fry them very quickly until well browned. Add the garlic and stir for a couple of minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

7. Serve the risotto garnished with the mushrooms and more grated Parmesan for people to add at the table.

Buddy’s broccoli and cheesy pasta bake

recipe by:Jamie Oliver

A delicious pasta bake, with added greens, to serve up on school evenings

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 2 heads of broccoli - 375g (13oz) each

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/2 - 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes

• 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) semi-skimmed milk

• 100g (3 1/2oz) baby spinach

• 100g (3 1/2oz) Cheddar cheese

• 500g (18oz) dried pasta shells

• 100g (3 1/2oz) garlic bread

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6.

2. Cut off and discard the tough ends of the broccoli stalks, trim the green florets into 3cm (1 1/4 inch) pieces and put aside, then roughly chop all the remaining stalks and place in a food processor.

3. Peel and add the garlic, then blitz until fine. Place a large shallow casserole pan on a medium heat.

4. Once hot, go in with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the chilli flakes, to taste. As soon as they start to sizzle, tip in the blitzed broccoli stalks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then pour in 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) of milk.

5. Pour the remaining 500ml (18fl oz) of milk into the processor with the spinach and crumble in the cheese. I wanted this to be healthy, but now’s the time to add the extra cheese if you want it more indulgent.

6. Blitz until smooth, pour into the pan, then bring to the boil and season to perfection. Stir the broccoli florets and pasta shells into the sauce and boil for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

7. Tear the garlic bread into the processor (there’s no need to clean it first) and blitz into crumbs. Sprinkle over the pasta bake and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Delicious served with a fresh green salad.

8. Seasonal Swaps: Go festive and swap out the broccoli for Brussels sprouts – blitz half for the sauce and quarter the rest to add with the pasta. Embrace Christmas cheese board cheeses and try a cheeky crumbling of chestnuts in the garlic bread crispy bits.

Chicken Piri Piri tray bake with sweet potato and vegetables

recipe by:Neven Maguire

Portuguese-style Chicken inspired by my Portuguese Food Trails.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Portuguese

Ingredients

• 4 chicken drumsticks, skin on

• 4 chicken thighs, skin on

• 1 large (or 2 medium) sweet potato, peeled & cut into chunks

• 1 red onion, peeled & root left on, cut into wedges

• 1 red pepper, cored, seeds removed and cut into chunks

• 1 yellow pepper, cored, seeds removed and cut into chunks

• 1 green pepper, cored, seeds removed and cut into chunks

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary

• sea salt

• 6-8 pieces sprouting broccoli, blanched in boiling water for 3-4 minutes

• For the Piri Piri dressing: 2-3 Roasted Red Peppers, cleaned

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika

• 2 birds eye chillies (or ½ tsp chilli powder)

• 1 clove garlic

• small bunch coriander leaves

• small bunch fresh basil leaves

• juice of ½ Lemon

• 150ml Olive Oil

• sea salt

Method

1. For The Piri Piri Dressing: In a mini chopper/blender mix all the dressing ingredients together.

2. Transfer to a bowl or Kilner jar if not using immediately.

3. To Marinade The Chicken: Cut small incisions in the flesh of the chicken drumsticks & chicken thighs.

4. Place the chicken in a shallow dish and pour over the prepared Piri Piri dressing, cover in cling film and allow to marinate for 4-5 hours or overnight if time allows.

5.  For The Tray Bake: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4).

6. On a large baking tray place the sweet potato chunks, red onion wedges and peppers. Drizzle over the olive oil and season with salt.

7. Gently place the marinated chicken drumstick & thighs on top of the vegetables and scatter the fresh rosemary around the vegetables. Season the chicken with sea salt.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and place the sprouting broccoli around the vegetables.

10. Return the traybake to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crispy and golden brown.

Vegetarian enchiladas

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Easy, healthy and delicious. I love making this dinner during the week

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

• a handful of mint leaves, chopped

• juice of 1 lime

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• ½ red onion, finely chopped

• 1 courgette, sliced into strips

• 2 red peppers, sliced into strips

• 30g fajita spice mix (homemade or shop-bought)

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 2 tortilla wraps

• 60ml tomato passata

• 50g Cheddar, grated (optional, remove for vegan or use vegan approved option)

• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, to serve (optional, remove for vegan or use vegan approved option)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

2. Use a fork to mash the avocado, mint and lime juice in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened.

4. Add the peppers, courgette, spice mix and garlic and cook for 3–5 minutes, then set aside.

5. Divide the avocado mixture between the two tortillas, spreading it into an even layer. Add a layer of passata, followed by a layer of peppers and courgette mixture.

6. Neatly roll each tortilla, then place them side by side in an ovenproof dish.

7. Sprinkle the Cheddar over and place in the oven.

8. Bake for 15–20 minutes.

9. Divide the enchiladas between warmed serving plates and top each one with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.