7 of My Favourite Family Recipes

Cooking is something I have a love-hate relationship with. I enjoy the process of finding a recipe and getting together the ingredients but that’s pretty much where the fun ends for me. 

It never used to be like this. But once my daughter came along, everything changed. There’s no joy to be had from chopping an onion while your little angels swing from your legs. And it’s pretty soul destroying to spend any length of time lovingly preparing a meal (that you are certain your children will enjoy) only for them to turn their nose up at it the moment it’s placed in front of them. 

But I do have a selection of recipes that never fail to please my little family. My favourite place to source recipes from has got to be the BBC Good Food website. 

Here’s a few recipes that my family love together with some notes from me. 

1. Pitta Pizza https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pitta-pizzas

These are really simple and fun to make. I usually swap the tomato puree for a pot of ‘stir-in’ pasta sauce and I leave off the shallots (because my daughter can spot a sliver of onion a mile away) and swap the chorizo for veg which I get my daughter to choose. Our favourite veggies are peppers, mushrooms and sweetcorn. 

2. Fish Pie https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/family-meals-easy-fish-pie-recipe

I love this recipe because you can make a big dish of it as well as a couple of ramekins full to pop in the freezer for another day. 

Also, if you have the energy (I know it’s pretty lacking in all of us right now!) you could double up the amount of mash potato you make and then use the extra mash for a meal later in the week (who doesn’t love sausage and mash!?). 

3. Creamy Pasta with Asparagus & Peas - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/creamy-pasta-asparagus-peas

This is such a speedy recipe and so easy to make. I usually serve it with some salmon just to get a bit of protein in there. My daughter never used to eat salmon until one day my dad told her it was just pink tuna and then she couldn’t get it in her mouth fast enough! 

4. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pulled-pork

I really should use my slow cooker more - it makes some of the most tasty recipes with minimal effort. For this recipe I skip the fennel and apple and go with store bought coleslaw (Tesco’s finest coleslaw is my fave) and try serving the pulled pork inside a toasted brioche bun - you won’t regret it! 

5. Fragrant Pork & Rice One-Pot - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/fragrant-pork-rice-one-pot

I love a one-pot meal and this one is particularly yummy. You could serve this with some garlic bread so kids can have fun dipping up the soup (which is quite thick) and maybe throw some sweetcorn in to make it a little more balanced. 

6. Ham, cheese & mushroom turnovers - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ham-cheese-mushroom-turnovers

When better to indulge in a little comfort food than during a lockdown!? I usually get my daughter to help me make these and then she gets to play with the leftover pastry (which for some reason she finds fascinating). 

7. Ravioli Lasagne - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ravioli-lasagne

This is a recent find so we’ve only made it once but will definitely try it again. We had it with peas but I think it would be amazing with some roasted mediterranean veg. 

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