Last- Minute Dinner Ideas

[Smowball]

What are your fallback meal ideas when you've not defrosted anything/ got anything prepared at all and you need to get something on the table within an hour? I've had one of those days and I haven't got anything sorted for dinner tonight. Minds gone blank!

[sherrardk]

Baked beans, chopped up corned beef, frozen mash on top - chuck in the oven for 20 minutes, sprinkle with cheese (optional) and put back in until brown.

[Jackdaw33]

Chinese, chippy, kebab shop. Not rocket science.

[Smowball]

I should have said not takeaway.

[Mamyalynne]

Egg,chips and beans or tinned toms.

[elliemay1]

Obviously depends on what you have in the fridge. Ham/chicken salad with potatoes, pasta etc

[Smowball]

Frozen mash? I've don't know anyone who's tried that? Doesn't it come in frozen balls or something like that?
Not a lot in fridge ( I need to do the shopping!) but I do have loads of eggs and pasta.

[Butterbun]

Tuna and pasta bake, macaroni cheese or a good fry-up with chips.

[MargoTester]

Cheese omelette and saute potatoes (if you have spuds)

[Smowball]

Yep I've got potatoes. They all sound yummy actually!

[sherrardk]

The mash comes in little cyclinder shapes (& it's v cheap).

[ummmm]

And it's actually quite tasty.

[Mamyalynne]

Very useful standby.

[Islay]

Easy peasy carbonara! Phillidelphia cheese and and milk put in a jug and heat whisking occasionally until combined and thick. Add chopped ham sweet corn and spring onions, combine with fresh cooked pasta add black pepper to taste

[Islay]

Oh and if a veggie in the house leave the ham out of their portion

[Jackdaw33]

I agree about the spuds. Never mind French or Italian cuisine, dine à la Martian!

[anneasquith]

Defrost meat in microwave ?

[EcclesCake]

Omelette or frittata.
A cobbled together soup.
Quesadillas.
Pasta with whatever can be cobbled together.
Stir fry with what is lurking in the veg box with noodles.
Welsh rarebit, with or without cobbled together soup.


There's usually something that can be resuscitated in the fridge or quickly defrosted from the freezer. I don't have many tins in the house but could on most occasions knock up a pasta dish of some kind with the aid of olives and capers from the fridge.

[Smowball]

I'm spoiled for choice now! Some lovely ideas for the rest of the week too. Bit random but I seem to have a tin of new potatoes in the cupboard - don't even remember buying them- wonder if they would work fried/ sauted ??

[Jackdaw33]

No. Heat only. I speak from experience.

[MargoTester]

Yes they would be ok Smow. Give them a quick rinse though and drain well.