Feeding Friends Made Easy

If your kids are embracing International Day of Friendship on July 30 by filling the house with friends, don’t panic. We’ve got your back with these quick and easy meal ideas to feed the hoards and to please even the fussiest of eaters. So, if you’d like to turn the feeding-frenzy into a feeding-friends-easy, read on.

Grilling up a feast means there’s something for everyone no matter what the preference. Sausages, burgers, kebabs and veggie treats can all sizzle away happily on the roomy OptiGrill XL while you whip up some dips for dunking. Check out these homemade sauce recipes, the quick barbecue dipping sauce is so easy and an absolute winner.

Serve up with a choice of sides – think chips, cheese and simple salads – and stand back as the kids pile in for platefuls.

Pizzas always go down a treat but if you’re stuck on which topping to choose to please everyone, the answer is DIY. This easy dough recipe can be doubled if your little darlings are being extra hospitable.

As well as a quick tomato sauce and some chunks of mozzarella, have a variety of toppings on hand from peppers to pepperoni and get the kids to build their own custom creations.

It’s a rare thing to meet a child that doesn’t drool over chicken, especially the all-time favourite chicken nugget. So have this super simple recipe for healthy chicken nuggets on hand.

Feeding veggies? No problem. My Fussy Eater comes to the rescue again with these quick and easy lentil veggie nuggets. Add potato waffles and baked beans and you’ve got yourself a table full of happy punters.

Pasta is always a safe bet, perfect for feeding a crowd of hungry mouths. Again, a bit of choice should see off any issues with picky eaters. Make up a quick tomato-based veg sauce and blitz it till it’s silky smooth. Serve with pasta shapes, a mound of grated cheese and garlic bread. A jar of pesto sauce is a solid second option to have as a backup.

Another build-it-yourself failsafe when it comes to feeding kids is the humble wrap. Set out a selection of fillings like ham, chicken, cheese, egg mayo, shredded lettuce and a wildcard option like jam (there’s no accounting for taste) and let them fill their wraps with as much or as little as they like. Include hummus and other dips with some crunchy veggies and live in hope that they’ll be tempted to balance their plates.

Prepping in advance? Keep chopped, sliced and grated fillings fresh in the fridge in food containers, ready to pop on the table at lunchtime.

No sooner has lunch been cleared and kids are asking what’s for dinner. Beat them at their own game by having a good supply of snacks on standby. This is when our super versatile Snack Collection comes into its own. It’s so simple and fun to use you could even let the kids take over (with a little supervision) – that’s afternoon food AND entertainment sorted!