“My kids and I love these 4 ultra-basic dinners and they all have 5 ingredients or less.”

The trouble with being a parent is that the kids need to be fed every. Single. Night.

You can try and ignore it but before too long the ‘what’s for dinner’ chorus starts ringing out (around the same time that Go Jetters finishes on ABC Kids).

Remember, these five things should not be microwaved. Post continues below.

With this in mind, I have a handful of super easy recipes (I’m not sure I can even call them recipes, they are that basic) that my kids actually love.

I keep all of the ingredients for these meals in the house at all times, so that I know I always have something on hand for us to eat. All of these “recipes” serve four people.

Jacket Potatoes With Cheesy Beans

If your kids are like mine they probably love potatoes, and this recipe is endlessly adaptable.

If your family aren’t into baked beans, you could top them with tuna and mayo, leftover Bolognese, ham and cheese, pesto, coleslaw, or anything else you’ve got knocking around in the fridge.

You will need:

4 large unwashed potatoes

4 tbsp butter

Olive oil

400g baked beans

½ cup grated cheese

How to make Jacket Potatoes With Cheesy Beans:

1. Scrub your potatoes clean and prick all over with a fork.

2. Place in a microwave safe container with a big splash of water, cover, and cook on high for 12 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.

3. Place on a tray in the oven with some olive oil and seasoning, and bake at 200C for around 45 minutes or until crisp on the outside, turning occasionally.

4. Slice the potatoes open on the plate and dollop with butter.

5. Heat your baked beans and cheese and pour this over the cooked potato.

Pesto Ravioli

Sometimes I cook this meal with spaghetti or spirals, but my children’s absolute favourite is a cheap and cheerful spinach and ricotta ravioli. Keep a packet of ravioli in the freezer and you’ve always got a meal at the ready. Got no pesto? Some melted butter with chopped herbs in it is delicious too.

You will need:

600g pack ravioli

4 tbsp pesto

Steamed veggies, to serve

How to make Pesto Ravioli:

1. Cook the ravioli as per the packet directions (I keep mine in the freezer so I need to add an extra minute or two).

2. Drain the ravioli, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

3. Tip ravioli back into the pan, add 4 big tablespoons of pesto (or to taste) and stir well. Add a splash of the cooking water to loosen the sauce.

4. Serve with your favourite veggies, such as cherry tomatoes, snow peas or carrots.

Slow Cooked Sausages with Onion Gravy

There’s nothing better than walking in the door to the smell of this simple home cooked meal. You can always leave the gravy off when serving it if your little ones prefer their snags plain.

You will need:

8 thin sausages

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 ½ cups prepared gravy

1 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

How to make Slow Cooked Sausages with Onion Gravy:

1. Add the sauces to the prepared gravy (I use powdered gravy mix) and stir to combine. Place the chopped onion and sausages in the bottom of your slow cooker and pour the gravy on top.

2. Cook on low for four hours.

3. Serve with your family’s favourite veggies. We love this with mashed potato and broccoli.

Bacon and Eggs (yes, for dinner)

The first time I served this up my children squealed with excitement – ‘Breakfast for dinner! Yesss!'

Add whatever takes your fancy here; some cooked mushrooms, fried haloumi, or some smashed avocado.

You will need:

8 rashers streaky bacon

1 tbsp oil

4 eggs

400g baked beans, to serve

Toasted bread, sourdough or English Muffins to serve

How to make Bacon and Eggs:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

2. Cook the bacon to your liking, then set aside while you cook the eggs.

3. Crack the eggs into the leftover bacon fat and fry to your liking while you make the toast and heat the baked beans.

4. Serve bacon and eggs on the toast with the baked beans on the side.

What’s your family’s favourite easy dinner that always goes down a treat? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image: Getty.