Easy back-to-school ideas

Keep the whole gang fuelled and make mornings slightly less chaotic with these preppable overnight oats. They’re the perfect balance of carbohydrates, protein and fresh fruit. The best bit? This recipe can be tailored to everyone’s tastes with minimal effort by switching up the fruit or swapping peanut butter for cashew butter or honey.

This spicy twist on a classic breakfast muffin pairs our Piri Chicken Dogs with baked omelette and oozy mozzarella. This recipe can easily be doubled up, so you can get ahead for the working week. Simply wrap each muffin in kitchen foil and refrigerate or freeze. For little ones, leave out the piri chicken dogs or swap for a regular pork or chicken sausages without the spice.

These tasty savoury muffins are quick to rustle up and make a great lunchbox or after school snack. They freeze well, so it’s worth doubling up on the recipe to keep some on standby for busy weekdays. Serve with smoky chipotle butter to take them to the next level.

These seed and oat-packed bars, sweetened with dates, apple, pear and banana, are great for lunchboxes or to keep on standby when you need an energy-packed snack. They’ll keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

Want to switch up family dinners? Try our Italian-inspired spinach and ricotta ravioli bake. With a rich tomato sauce and an oozy mozzarella and breadcrumb topping, this comforting pasta dish –ready in just 30 minutes – is guaranteed to become your new weeknight favourite.

Craving a takeaway come Friday evening? Try rustling up this super simple, yet flavour-packed chicken keema using lean chicken mince and clever shortcut ingredients like fragrant ginger and tikka pastes. Pair with fluffy rice, your favourite curry night sides, like samosas and naan breads, and extra yogurt for those who can’t quite handle the heat yet!

This brilliant batch-cooked tomato sauce is a clever way to pack in loads of veggies – it contains a whopping eight different varieties. Serve half with pasta and crunchy garlic breadcrumbs for a tasty family dinner, then freeze the other half, ready to be transformed into spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne or chilli con carne another day.