Early in the new year Mcain launched their #BackToNormal campaign aimed at helping Mums and Dads lighten up the everyday school routine. We all know that feeling when the kid’s come out of school and immediately ask ‘What’s for tea’ so to have it sussed with somethign from the freezer is just the ticket.

I like to be really organised (I say ‘like’ because that doesn’t necessarily mean I always am) and have things pre-made in the freezer ready to come out and create a quick but tasty meal! Adding a McCain accompaniment is perfect because we all like them, they’re easy to cook and most importantly they’re blooming good quality. I love the Rustic Chips which have only 3% fat and they still have their skins on for extra goodness!

McCain challenged me to get involved with the #BackToNormal campain and create a recipe, something which is easy and speedy to cook and which would help Mum’s get back to normal for their mid-week meals. I can’t wait to try those Sweet Potato Fries but for this one I decided to use the McCain’s Lightly Spiced Wedges. To make things even easier I created a recipe which can be batch made in advance and frozen too. You obviously need a bit of greenery with a little one’s tea so instead of boiling veggies I’ve used watercress salad leaves which you simply take out of the bag and voila! My children like salad but if yours aren’t much of a fan yet then do try them with watercress as it’s so mild and juicy I find that most little people will eat it, especially when served in a burger and so that’s what I made, albeit a burger of the fish variety!

Fish burger Ingredients:

Mashed potato, milk, garlic, any flaky fish (cod or salmon work well), salt and pepper, egg, flour, bread crumbs (bought or home-made) or crushed cornflakes.

Method:

Poach the fish in the milk with a smashed garlic clove until cooked (a few minutes usually works) and then add it to the pre-made mashed potato (I find one fillet to two potatoes is a good ratio). Season with the salt and pepper and shape using your hands into burgers. Pop in the freezer for half an hour to gain stability to the mixture. Meanwhile fill three separate bowls with flour, egg (to be beaten) and breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes then once the burgers are chilled dip each one first in the flour then the egg and finishing with the crumbs.

I always make a big batch and then at this point freeze most of them in individual freezer bags ready to come out and make another day’s supper even speedier!

When ready to cook, place on a baking sheet with the wedges and bake in the oven on 200 for 20 minutes turning half way through.

Love these Lightly Spiced Wedges!

To serve:

I served mine with the McCain Lightly Spiced Wedges which I put inside newspaper fish and chip cones with wooden forks for a bit of fun. The kid’s always eat more if there’s a slight novelty to their food and these are so inexpensive it’s easy to have a pack in the cupboard. I got them from Amazon for Florence’s birthday party but had loads left over and when they’re gone I’m definitely buying more! For the burgers I slid them inside the totally yummy brioche burger buns from Aldi (the cheapest ones I found) with some watercress and ketchup!

The supper was a major success, looked fun and treat like but was relatively healthy, inexpensive and super quick to make, especially if you’ve pre-made and frozen the burgers first!

Enjoying their supper!

Like I said, McCain offer us Mum’s a bit of a short cut sometimes but it doesn’t mean we lose out on quality or taste. Lots of their ranges are low in fat and there are so many products to choose from that there’s definitely something for everyone. Some of our faves are the Smiles and Curly Fries (novelty food remember) and we LOVE the ready baked jackets. There’s a bit of an outdated myth that frozen foods are bad foods but I really don’t think it’s always the case. It’s about being sensible, having everything in moderation and making sure we pack goodness into our little tummies even if that means batch baking and freezing.

I can’t wait to try those Sweet Potato Fries as soon as I can get my hands on a pack and think they’d go exceptionally well with steak which is another quick and easy meal to make. If you can’t get hold of the Sweet Potaot Fries yet either then steak also goes rather well with other McCain products as my children can testify! Steak might be a bit decadent but Asda have some absolutely gorgeous prices on theirs and one piece of sirloin does both of my children. When I was at the Asda Spring/Summer press preview last week the chefs told me the best way to cook it is at room temperature with the oil rubbed directly onto the steak with a bit of seasoning. They said to heat a griddle pan up really high and griddle on each side for two minutes then let the meat rest before repeating the cooking. This leaves the steak a little pink which is delicious for me but I did an extra 30 seconds on each side, each time for the kiddos then sliced it and served it with rocket and those delicious skin on McCain Rustic Chips!

Quick, easy and tasty! Enjoy!

This post is in collaboration with McCain.