If you look in my freezer apart from a pile of choc ices and ice pops you will also find boxes and bags of frozen pasta meat and vegetarian sauce. I tend to make up a huge vat around once a month and freeze it in portions for our family. Then use it in all sorts of recipes. This was a firm favourite with my kids when I made it the other week and is so simple to do. We got the ravioli off the reduced counter in the supermarket and I made up this in a few minutes. So here we go our easy family meal idea of Ravioli Lasagna a really easy kid-friendly pasta dish that the whole family will love as well.
Easy Mid-Week Lasagna
It's great to get in the habit of batch cooking. A batch of meat sauce for pasta can be used as is, throw in some chilli's and beans and you have a great quick and easy Chilli Con Carne or how about switching out the base for a cottage pie instead of a Shepherd's pie for eash dinner ideas that the family will love.
I was using old take-out containers and soup bags for my batch freezing but as they have detiorated and broken I've been replacing them with a set of lidded pyrex containers. The huge bonus is that they can go straight from the fridge to the oven which is great for cooking quickly when we have made ahead some of our favourite meals.
You can if you wish to switch out homemade meat sauce or tomato sauce for a jar or two of pre-made like Dolmio's or Ragu. They work just as well and if you want something a little meatier then add in a little mincemeat as well.
More Family Pasta Meals That The Kids Will Love
Love pasta like we do then check out these easy pasta dishes that are ideal for families and that even my fussy eaters will love.
Our Beef Cannelloni recipe is easy to make plus you can prepare ahead and cook a batch of the sauce without the cheese, freeze and then defrost to use for a quick family meal.
Most asked for meal in the family is our meat sauce with tomatoes over spaghetti. It's quick and easy and the kids love this as a simple dish for families.
Another quick favourite our Easy Chicken Carbonara with full chicken breasts. Quick and tastes amazing.
Love this Ravioli recipe then you have to try this Crockpot Ravioli from Crystal and Co it's gone down a treat and so easy to make.
Easy Ravioli Lasagna
Ingredients
- 500 g Pre-made Meat Sauce for Pasta
- 600 g Fresh/Frozen Ravioli flavour of your choice
- 225 g Cream Cheese
- 250 g Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Grease an oven proof dish and preheat the oven to 200C.
- Layer the bottom of the dish with the pre-made meat sauce.
- On top arrange half of the ravioli to cover the meat sauce.
- Then add a layer of cream cheese.
- Cover with another layer of meat sauce, ravioli and cream cheese.
- Sprinkle the top with the grated mozzarella.
- Place in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Remove and allow to cool for around 5 minutes before serving.
More Easy Family Meal Ideas that the Kids will eat
Getting kids to eat different food can be a challenge, we've been there at one point our two had 3 meals that they would eat. But, over the years through gentle persuasion and tears (mostly on my side) we've extend what they love and have got into a habit of trying new things. As this has happened we've shared more and more recipes with you that the family will eat as I know if we can get our kids to eat them then it's likely you can too!
A favourite now on a weekend when the weather is cold is our slow cooker beef stew. I'm amazed that the kids like it but they do and it's asked for at least once a month.
However, every week the kids ask for Fajitas. We can make it from scratch there and then but as well as the pots of meat-sauce in the freezer I always have a box or two of Sheet Pan Fajita ingredients ready to spread out and cook in a jiffy.
Cerys Parker
Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, high school teacher and mum. Realising that life doesn't have to be put on hold and you don't just have to survive whilst the kids are young she shares ideas to inspire you to LIVE with the kids, with activities to do together, recipes to cook and enjoy and family travel to make memories to last a lifetime.
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