family cooking

Serve up this sensational sausage and sweet potato traybake for an easy family meal. To make things even simpler, you can freeze it for busy weeknights

Sausage & sweet potato traybake

red onions,

corn cobs,

mango, stoned and chopped

sweet potatoes,

pork sausages

tsp cumin

tsp ground paprika

fennel seeds

oregano

barbecue sauce

tbsp vegetable, rapeseed or olive oil

coriander

chopped chillies (for the grown-ups)

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Mix together the ingredients for the spiced sauce in a bowl. Tip the onion quarters, corn, mango, sweet potatoes and sausages into a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/test-five-best-roasting-tins">roasting tin</a>, then pour over the sauce and stir to coat. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Bake for 45-50 mins, giving it a toss halfway through, until the sausages are cooked through and the sweet potato is soft. If freezing, leave to cool completely first. Can be frozen for up to one month. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 35-40 mins. Serve sprinkled with the coriander and chilli, if you like.

A simple fish pie recipe that’s quick and easy to prepare. Portion into ramekins and freeze for quick toddler meals or cook in a big dish for the perfect family supper

Family meals: Easy fish pie recipe

1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and halved

plain flour

spring onions, finely sliced

fish

Dijon mustard

½ a 25 grams pack or a small bunch chives, finely snipped

sweetcorn

petits pois

cheddar

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6.

Put 1kg potatoes, peeled and halved, in a saucepan and pour over enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender.

When cooked, drain thoroughly and mash with a splash of milk and a knob of butter. Season with ground black pepper.

Put 25g butter, 25g plain flour and 4 finely sliced spring onions in another pan and heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring regularly. Cook for 1-2 mins.

Gradually whisk in 400ml milk using a balloon whisk if you have one. Bring to the boil, stirring to avoid any lumps and sticking at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3-4 mins until thickened.

Take off the heat and stir in 320g-400g mixed fish, 1 tsp Dijon or English mustard, a small bunch of finely snipped chives, handful of sweetcorn and handful of petits pois. Spoon into an ovenproof dish or 6-8 ramekins.

Spoon the potato on top and sprinkle with a handful of grated cheddar cheese.

Pop in the oven for 20-25 mins or until golden and bubbling at the edges. Alternatively, cover and freeze the pie or mini pies for another time.

These individual sugar-dipped cupcakes are baked not fried but taste just as delicious and are best straight from the oven

Doughnut muffins

golden caster sugar

tsp bicarbonate of soda

milliliters natural yogurt

eggs

tsp vanilla extract

butter

tsp raspberry jam

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin (or use a silicone one). Put 140g sugar, flour and bicarb in a bowl and mix to combine. In a jug, whisk together the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Tip the jug contents and melted butter into the dry ingredients and quickly fold with a metal spoon to combine.

Divide two-thirds of the mixture between the muffin holes. Carefully add 1 tsp jam into the centre of each, then cover with the remaining mixture. Bake for 16-18 mins until risen, golden and springy to touch.

Leave the muffins to cool for 5 mins before lifting out of the tin and rolling in the extra sugar.

Teach children how to make this pasta supper - it's a tasty family meal packed with nutrients

Cooking with kids: Spaghetti & meatballs with hidden veg sauce

pork sausage (about 4 large or 8 chipolatas)

lean beef mince

onion

carrot

parmesan

olive oil

courgette

garlic

tomato purée

caster sugar

splash red wine vinegar

2x tins chopped tomato

spaghetti

Children: Squeeze all the sausage meat out of the sausage skins into a large bowl and add the mince. Tip all the rest of the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, into the bowl and season with black pepper then squish everything together through your hands until completely mixed. Keep an eye on younger children to make sure they don’t taste any of the raw mix.

Children: Roll the meatball mix into walnut-sized balls and place them on a plate – this is a job children as young as 2 can help with and a great job to help teach older children basic division.

Grown ups: While the children are rolling the meatballs make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the courgette and garlic and cook for 5 mins until soft and mushy. Stir in the tomato puree, sugar and vinegar leave for 1 min then tip in the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins. If your children like courgettes then you can leave the sauce chunky. But if, like mine, they hate courgettes then blitz the sauce with a hand blender – either way continue to simmer sauce gently while you cook the meatballs. If your child is confident with heat, from 7+ they can cook the sauce with supervision.

Grown ups: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and, working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides then pop them into the sauce – continue to simmer the sauce for 15 mins, stirring very gently until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with cooked spaghetti, extra grated Parmesan and a few torn basil leaves your child has picked and torn.

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Sausage & sweet potato traybake

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Top 4 family cooking recipes from across the web

The most viewed family cooking recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Sausage & sweet potato traybake

Family meals: Easy fish pie recipe

Doughnut muffins

Cooking with kids: Spaghetti & meat...

The most viewed family cooking recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine