What to cook for dinner when your child has late afternoon sport

I have two children that play one sport each, and that is already 3 nights of the week where there is practice or a game on at dinner time. PLUS an early morning Saturday game, but that is a whinge for another time. I sit with the other mums and chat, and some of those mums have children who do a lot more sport than this! One mum has 3 hour long training sessions on the same night, another drops one kid off, takes another to swimming, races back...all after a busy day at work. Crazy huh? What do you cook for dinner if you have three kids doing sport at dinner time? Or even one kid? I asked around, and sometimes there is something waiting for them at home but most of the time it is takeaway. I don't at all mind the occasional take away myself, and neither do my kids, but 3 nights a week is not great.

Here are some dinner ideas for when your kids sport is eating up your time and you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry.



SLOW COOKER
Oh, you knew I'd go here first, don't lie! I won't rabbit on too much about the slow cooker, as I've already done so here, here and here. It's hard to beat for ease and convenience, and a bit of prep will make your dinner time a lot easier. If your mornings are as chaotic as mine, make it the night before and put it in the fridge, so all you need to do is pop it on before you leave for work.

• Spaghetti Bolognaise is a lovely warming carb fest to come home to when you are tired and need something to fill you up. I'd normally cook the sauce on the stove-top but at least with the slow cooker I can leave the house and know it won't be burnt down on my return. 15 mins to cook the pasta while you have a much needed glass of wine and the children have a shower. 
• Spanish Chicken. I'm cooking this tonight actually! Saute some onions, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and thyme in a fry pan, deglaze with a cup of red wine, add some chopped tinned tomatoes, then pour over some chicken legs and a few chopped red capsicums and maybe a scoop of olives if you don't mind picking them out of your children's dinner. I'll be having mine with cauliflower mash, the boys will have mashed potato, both of which can be prepped, sitting on the stove ready to go. 
• Taco Night! Put your favourite taco mince recipe in the slow cooker (Barack Obama Chili is a favourite round here), have all other ingredients prepped and ready to go in the fridge (lettuce, grated cheese, sliced tomato, sour cream, what ever you like) and then when you get home, all you need to do is put everything on the table and stand back. 

Assembly
This is not quite take away, and not quite home made; it can be a healthy alternative though. Go to the supermarket and buy things to assemble on your dinner plate. Try to stay away from the frozen section *note to myself*

• BBQ chicken, a bag of salad, some nice crusty bread. Just like Grandma makes!
• Creamy pasta sauce and pasta from the chilled section, fancied up with some cooked prawns and baby spinach leaves.
• Fresh pizza from the chilled section, which is nicer than the ones in the freezer that look like they've been run over by a truck. Add some extra toppings from the deli section - olives, feta, salami, marinated seafood, cooked prawns, proper cheese....what ever you like. Goes great with a glass of wine.