This competition is now closed

Best ever family friendly recipes

Our 25 best ever family friendly recipes will keep both you and the kids happy. Check out our recipes for spaghetti, roast chicken, cottage pie and more

May 31, 2016 at 10:40 am

Best-ever spaghetti bolognese

With our best-ever spaghetti bolognese we’ve perfected a family favourite including tips on how to make it in a slow cooker.

Toad in the hole

Toad in the hole: what a classic. Here we show you how to make a really simple, ready-on-the-table-in-minutes recipe. Remember to serve with mustard!

A good lasagne should be a nice balance of pasta, meat and creamy béchamel. Whether you like yours on the dry side, so it is easy to cut and serve in squares, or slightly sloppier with plenty of sauce, is a matter of personal taste. The beauty of a recipe like this is that you can make it your own by tweaking things; it tastes just as good for example without any cheese on top, or with the cheese layered up within it.

Classic cottage pie

This is our take on a classic cottage pie. With rich beef and creamy mash, it’s a long-standing family favourite and a good one to have in the freezer for emergencies!

Crisp topped macaroni cheese

Comfort food at its best. Mac ‘n’ cheese is always a winner and this one, with shredded ham and a crispy top is top of our list. Fresh salad is good as a side. We have plenty of macaroni cheese recipes if you want to try another one.

Roast chicken with garlic and thyme croutons

Everyone loves a Sunday roast, and this roast chicken with garlic and thyme croutons makes it even better. Big chunky pieces of sourdough make a trivet for roast chicken and soak up all the delicious juices while it cooks.

Tuna pasta bake

An absolute classic family recipe, made even more wonderful with the addition of dried chilli flakes and rosemary. It’s a real crowd-pleaser and will be on the table in 50 minutes.

Aubergine parmigiana

Easy recipe for aubergine parmigiana. This Italian classic of layers of tomato sauce, aubergine and parmesan, is simple to make and is good for entertaining or for family meals.

Creamy tomato and basil rigatoni bake

Check out our veggie pasta bake with juicy chopped tomatoes, nutty parmesan and creamy mozzarella. This super simple one-pot recipe is ready in less than an hour, an easy midweek filler for all the family.

Vegetable Pasta Bake Recipe with Tomato and Basil

Chicken fajitas

Check out this flavour packed recipe for these next-level chicken fajitas. Our cookery writer Adam Bush shares his tips and tricks to getting this classic family meal right, every time.

One-pot Spanish rice with chicken and chorizo

Chicken and chorizo is a classic combination, and this recipe for one-pot Spanish rice with chicken and chorizo, with plenty of hot smoked paprika is a great way to use these flavours. It’s super easy and ready in under an hour, perfect for weeknight meals with the family.

French onion and beef pie with gruyère crust

Make our meaty pie for a warming family meal. Rich onion soup-style gravy meets melt-in-the-mouth beef and a cheesy mash topping for the ultimate winter comfort food.

Tuscan bean and barley stew

This recipe for Tuscan bean and barley stew is a perfect one to have on hand for a quick midweek meal. It’s ready in 30 minutes, serves 4 and is under 200 calories. You can use any leafy greens for this, just whatever you have around.

Overnight pizza

This recipe for overnight pizza takes a little bit of time and leap of faith, but once you’ve tried it you won’t look back. There’s no kneading required, so its super-easy. We’ve topped our pizza with prosciutto and rocket, but try this base with your favourite toppings. Check out our other pizza recipes here.

Spinach, chorizo and cheese empanadas

Impress your guests with these simple but impressive spinach, chorizo and cheese empanadas for a hearty snack or starter to share.

Quick pork and bean tacos

These quick pork and bean tacos are the perfect speedy meal to make midweek and they’re under 500 calories. Put everything on the table and let people help themselves.

Coconut and peanut aubergine curry

This creamy coconut and peanut aubergine curry is vegetarian, under 300 calories and ready in just 30 minutes, making it the perfect comforting meal to make midweek.

Burgers and slaw

Victoria Moore’s recipe for burgers and slaw is super-simple and ready in under 30 minutes. The focus is on the quality of the beef, using a 20% fat mince to create a meltingly soft burger so good you can keep the rest simple.

Meatball and mozzarella pan bake

This easy meatball and mozzarella pan bake is a one-pot that will please everyone. You can’t plate this up politely, so just put it in the middle of the table.

Chicken, red pepper & olive cacciatore

This summery Italian one-pot is easy to make and freezes brilliantly, plus, it’s low cal and gluten free. The recipe is easily halved if you only want to serve 3-4 people.

Oven baked frittata

This recipe for oven baked fritata serves 4 in 35 minutes – perfect for a midweek meal.

Tomato soup with quick spring onion cornbread

Need warming up? Our velvety tomato soup, pepped up with a little horseradish, is just the ticket. And it’s so worth making homemade cornbread to go with it.

Diner-style chilli

This recipe is based on a simple US chilli served in bars and diners in small bowls or cups. This is also a great chilli to serve in burgers, hot dogs, or over nachos.

Spicy sausage calzones

It’s easier to make this family favourite than you think with our recipe for spicy sausage calzones, plus they’re freezer-friendly.

Linguine with peas and mint pesto

This fresh-flavoured pasta dish is super quick and easy – perfect to throw together for the family after work. Pine nuts add a bit of welcome crunch to the dish.

BBQ pulled pork

Pulled pork is a great recipe to feed a crowd, served up in soft buns with crunchy coleslaw. Plus instructions on how to make the this recipe in a slow cooker.