Discover quick, easy, and delicious back to school dinners for a stress-free September. From one-pot wonders and traybakes to air fryer meals and kid-friendly recipes, find inspiration for hearty, comforting dinners that the whole family will love. Perfect for busy weeknights as you settle back into your routine!
September is a strange month for us. On the one hand, I absolutely love the summer holidays with the kids. I’m very privileged in that I work from home, for myself, and can take time out. I still work, but much more flexibly, so there’s plenty of room for fun.
I’m always a little sad when it’s over and the kids head back to school.
But on the other hand, it’s nice to have more time and to get back to a routine. I always go into September with a bit of a New Year feeling, eager to get stuck into work and filled with ideas to try.
That said, getting back into the swing of things is tough. School runs, after-school clubs, play dates and groups all mean that suddenly dinner takes a little more thinking about than it did in the summer.
The things that we fancy eating are different too. During summer we have lots of picnics, and often have late lunches, or bigger meals during the day, which can mean that dinner is late, out, or “picky bits”. This suits a summer lifestyle.
Suddenly, in September, autumn hits, we’re busier, and while we might have less time in the afternoon to cook, we start to crave more warming and comforting dinners, and we certainly need bigger, more filling meals to fuel our busier (and colder!) days.
Finding the time to cook healthy dinners, while keeping everyone happy, and satisfying those autumnal cravings can be challenging.
But, finding the right back-to-school dinner ideas can help us to get back into our routines, filled with energy, and ready to tackle the challenges of the new school year. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy family meals perfect for busy weeknights. Let’s take a look at some quick healthy dinner ideas and some that aren’t as healthy.
One-Pot Wonders: Quick and Easy Meals
One-pot dinners are perfect for September. Not only are they easy, and often comforting, but they also massively reduce washing up!
When I think of a one-pot dinner, I typically think about big comforting stews and casseroles (which also have the advantage that you can make them ahead of time) but technically, anything that can be made in one pot or pan counts.
Things like sausage fried rice, for example, are one-pan dinners.
Recipe One: Pork and Cider Casserole
Pork and Cider Casserole is tangy, warming and absoleuly delicious and a great quick family dinner.
We often make it with diced pork chops or a big pack of diced pork, and just a cheap bottle of cider. You can add apple juice instead if you prefer.
It’s super hearty and packed with flavour. Perfect with chunky bread or creamy mashed potatoes.
Key Ingredients
The main ingredients for this dinner are:
- Diced Pork
- Bacon
- Butter
- Shallots
- Carrots
- Dry Cider
- Creme Fraiche
- Tarragon
- Wholegrain Mustard
But you can make lots of swaps and additions.
Recipe Two: Chicken Goulash
Beef goulash is one of my favourite dinners. It’s tasty, satisfying, and just really lovely on a cold day.
But if you are on a budget, which many of us are in the run-up to Christmas, chicken goulash makes a fantastic alternative.
When it comes to easy school night recipes, chicken goulash can be made ahead for one of the best super simple one-pot dinners.
Key Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Portions
- Onions
- Peppers
- Bacon Lardons
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Paprika
- Caraway
- Soured Cream
Easy Traybake Dinners
Benefits of Traybake Meals for Quick Preparation
I love a family traybake dinner. They’re quick, healthy dinner recipes with lots of colour and flavour. There’s not much washing up, and you can easily add different veggies to suit your family!
These are big on our back-to-school meal plans.
Recipe One: Chicken Fajita Traybake
If you love Mexican dinners but are looking for a simple alternative, a chicken fajita traybake is the one. Super simple, and a spice mix that you can use for plenty of different dinners.
This one’s got plenty of nutrition without being complicated.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts
- Peppers
- Courgettes
- Onion
- Fajita Spice Mix
Recipe Two: Sweet Chilli Chicken Traybake
An incredibly tasty traybake with a sticky sweet chilli sauce. I use a store-bought sauce to save even more time, but you can make your own if you prefer.
I use chicken thighs for this one and absolutely love the crispy skin with sweet chilli sauce. It’s a really cheap dinner, perfect for September.
Key Ingredients
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Chicken Thighs
- Baby Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Dinners
Why Air Fryer Dinners are Perfect For School Night Meals
If your air fryer has been pushed to the back of the cupboard over the summer, it’s time to get it back out!
Air fryers are a fantastic way to make quick, easy, healthy family dinners. They’re also ideal for making ahead recipes for meal prep recipes, where you prepare the ingredients in advance and then just throw them in the air fryer when you’re ready to cook.
I’ve got tons of air fryer recipes I recommend you check out.
Recipe 1: Air Fryer Chicken and Chorizo Traybake
Like an oven-baked traybake, an air fryer traybake is colourful, nutritious and delicious.
It’s perhaps a little faster and healthier, and your potatoes will be lovely and crisp.
This air fryer chicken and chorizo bake is delicious with a lovely hint of spice that’s perfect for an autumn air fryer dinner.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken mini fillets
- Chorizo
- Med Veg
- Potatoes
- Smoked Paprika
Recipe 2: Air Fryer Corned Beef Hash
Corned beef hash is a fantastic make-ahead dinner. It’s a proper British classic. Cheap, easy and filling, it’s perfect for a back-to-school dinner, especially when it starts to get colder and darker.
Key Ingredients
- Frozen Peas
- Tinned corned beef
- Carrots
- Potatoes
Kid-Friendly Dinner Ideas
Of course, one of your primary concerns when it comes to back-to-school dinners is making sure you are making meals that your kids will enjoy.
There’s no point in meal planning, thinking about nutrition and reading recipes if it’s all going to get left on the plate.
My kids are great eaters, so it doesn’t happen often, but I know that none of us wants a dinner time when we’ve put so much effort into trying to cater for taste preferences, and nutritional needs and add variety to our family’s diet, only to face a battle once the food is on the table.
How to Make Meals Kids Will Enjoy
Honestly, I don’t have many tips. My kids just eat everything. But the few I have are:
- Give them some control. This could be asking what they fancy when you meal plan, or eating foods that give them options, like homemade pizzas or tacos. It might just mean putting small portions of lots of side dishes on the table and letting them pick the bits they like.
- Don’t make a big deal if they don’t like something. Kids, like adults, have preferences. Your child not liking something doesn’t mean they’re fussy. It just means they don’t like it. My son doesn’t like cheese. So I don’t give him cheese.
- Have fun! Tacos are again a great example. Lots of dishes on the table, and everyone gets to build their own, it’s fun family-style eating that everyone enjoys. You could even really make a fuss about theme days with different drinks and even decorations.
Recipe One: Hotdog Spaghetti
Hotdog spaghetti is one of my kids’ favourite dinners. It’s easy, quick, cheap and tasty. It’s something I know that I can put on the table quickly, and they’ll devour it. Everyone is happy.
Key Ingredients
- Precooked hotdog sausages
- Spaghetti
- Tinned tomatoes
Recipe Two: Easy Chicken Satay Curry
My easy satay curry is great for kids. Creamy, but a little different. Mild, filling and incredibly tasty. It’s always a hit, and adding different sides like naan bread, bhajis and poppadoms with dips makes it even more appealing for kids.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs
- Coconut milk
- Peanut butter
- Lime juice
- Curry powder
Quick and Simple Stir-Fries
Stir fries are perfect for after-school dinners. Easy, quick, and fun to eat if you get the chopsticks out!
Benefits of Stir-Fries for Fast and Healthy Meals
Stir fries are super quick and healthy. You can make your own sauce, or use store-bought to save even more time, and you can add tons of veggies to add plenty of colour and nutrition.
Recipe One: Halloumi Stir Fry
If you are looking to add some meat-free dinners to your back-to-school meal plans, you can’t beat halloumi cheese for a meat substitute! Even my cheese-hating son doesn’t mind halloumi.
Key Ingredients
- Halloumi cheese
- Oyster sauce
- Chinese 5 spice
- Ready to Wok Noodles
- Veggies
Recipe Two: Lamb Stir Fry
Tender lamb, crunchy veggies and a smooth sauce, what’s not to love?
Key Ingredients
- Sliced lamb steaks
- Baby corn
- Mangetout
- Noodles
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
Wraps for Dinner
You might think of wraps as an easy lunch option. But wraps for dinner are fabulous!
Why Wraps Make Great Midweek Dinners
Add a hot filling, tasty sauce and some crunchy salad and you’ve got a filling and healthy dinner that’s super easy to make.
Add some fries, veg sticks, or potato waffles for a filling dinner that’s ready in 20 minutes.
Recipe One: Tuna Melts
Gooey tuna melts are great for lunch or dinner, and make a fabulous option if your kids have a big meal at school and don’t fancy as much as dinner time.
I make my tuna wraps in my air fryer, but you can grill or bake them too.
Key Ingredients
- Tuna
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Pickles
- Wraps
Recipe Two: Peri Peri Chicken Wraps
I love peri peri chicken wraps, and using mini chicken breast fillets means that they’re quick, you don’t have to chop the chicken, and they wrap easily.
Key Ingredients
- Wraps
- Mini chicken breast fillets
- Peri peri seasoning. You can make your own if you want to. But I don’t know why you would.
Add some sliced halloumi cheese for a little bit extra!
For the best after-school dinners, you need variety. No one likes to eat the same thing every day. Try adding some of these meals into your meal plans, and stick to your existing easy family favourites!
If you’ve got any go-to after-school dinners, I’d love to hear about them, so leave a comment or send me an email!
