🥩 Steak & Chill Week

Joe, Flo, Hamish & the new baby · Fri 10 – Fri 17 July 2026

← Freezer Burndown 📚 All weeks Next week →
👶
Inspiration — first full week with the new baby. Everything picked for one-hand eating: bowls, pasta, sandwiches, noodle soup. Freezer does most of the heavy lifting (lasagne, satay curry, bolognese, mushroom ragu, prawns). Steak Night Fridays anchor the week — chimichurri steak bowl to kick off, steak sandwich on ciabatta to close. Ordered on Waitrose this week (£75.72 for 8 nights).
Fri 10
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Fri 17
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🥩

Chimichurri Steak Bowl ★ HIT 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Friday 10 July · Steak Night Friday #1 · welcome-baby-home dinner

Method

  1. Defrost 2 steaks in fridge overnight (Thu → Fri). Out of fridge 30 min before cooking.
  2. Chimichurri: bunch flat-leaf parsley + big handful coriander + 2 garlic cloves + 1 frozen chilli chunk (or fresh) — chop fine. Cover with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper. Rest 30 min.
  3. Bowls: cook jasmine rice (pantry). Halve cherry tomatoes, slice red onion thin, dice avocado.
  4. Sear steaks in hot pan with butter, garlic, thyme — 2–3 min a side for medium-rare. Rest 5 min.
  5. Slice steaks against the grain. Build bowls: rice base → tomato/onion salsa → avocado → sliced steak → chimichurri spooned over generously. Lime wedge on the side.
jasmine rice chimichurri avocado cherry tomato salsa lime
👶 One-hand-friendly: everything in a bowl, fork or spoon. No knife once steak is sliced. Rare steak is back on the menu — pregnancy rules gone.
Freezer chip-away: 2 steaks used (was 3 in stock). Chimichurri makes extra — save for Sat lasagne night or eggs.
🍝

Freezer Lasagne + Salad 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Saturday 11 July · zero-effort night

Method

  1. Pull 1 lasagne from freezer in the morning. Fridge-defrost all day.
  2. Bake at 180°C fan for 30–35 min until bubbling and golden. Rest 5 min.
  3. Tip Italian Summer Salad Kit into a bowl, toss with the dressing. Warm garlic bread from freezer if wanted.
  4. Serve lasagne into bowls — easier one-hand than a plate.
Italian summer salad garlic bread (freezer)
👶 One-hand-friendly: lasagne in a bowl with a fork. Chimichurri leftovers make an excellent drizzle if you want to fancy it up.
Freezer chip-away: Lasagne × 4 → 3.
🍛

Batch Lady Satay Chicken Curry 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Sunday 12 July · Thai-leaning bowl night

Method

  1. Pull Batch Lady Satay Chicken Curry from freezer in the morning. Fridge-defrost all day.
  2. Cook jasmine rice (pantry).
  3. Reheat curry gently on hob until piping through — 8–10 min stirring.
  4. Steam sugar snap peas 2 min — bright green, still crunchy.
  5. Serve curry over rice in bowls. Top with coriander, sliced red onion, lime wedge. Sugar snaps on the side.
jasmine rice sugar snap peas coriander red onion lime
👶 One-hand-friendly: curry in a bowl, spoon. Sugar snaps can be picked up.
Freezer chip-away: Satay curry × 2 → 1.
🌱

Baked Feta Tomato Spaghetti 🌱 VEG ✋ ONE-HAND

Monday 13 July · veggie night · TikTok classic

Method

  1. Oven to 200°C fan. Tip cherry tomatoes into a baking dish, block of feta in the middle. Drizzle olive oil, crack pepper, throw in 3 whole garlic cloves. Bake 35 min until feta soft + tomatoes burst.
  2. Cook 1 pack De Cecco spaghetti to al dente. Reserve a mugful of pasta water.
  3. Crush the roasted garlic into the feta-tomato mix, mash together, torn fresh basil, splash pasta water to loosen.
  4. Toss drained spaghetti through the sauce. Season, more basil, parmesan.
  5. Scale up: cook +1 Hamish portion for Tue lunch.
fresh basil parmesan babyleaf side (optional)
👶 One-hand-friendly: pasta in a bowl, fork. Baby will nap through the 35-min bake.
Hamish scale-up: +1 kid portion for Tue lunch — mild, no black pepper on his share.
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Freezer Bolognese Spaghetti 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Tuesday 14 July · the ultimate no-brain night

Method

  1. Pull 1 bolognese from freezer in the morning. Fridge-defrost all day.
  2. Reheat gently in a pan, 10 min. Cook 1 pack De Cecco spaghetti al dente.
  3. Toss pasta through the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Top with parmesan.
parmesan babyleaf side
👶 One-hand-friendly: bowl + fork. Twenty minutes from freezer to table.
Hamish daytime (Tue): Lunch — leftover feta pasta from Mon (Hamish portion set aside). Snack — banana + yoghurt, hummus + breadsticks.
Freezer chip-away: Bolognese × 3 → 2.
🍄

Mushroom Ragu Pappardelle 🌱 VEG 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Wednesday 15 July · veggie night · showstopper freezer meal

Method

  1. Pull mushroom ragu from freezer in the morning. Fridge-defrost all day.
  2. Reheat gently. Optionally sauté the fresh chestnut mushrooms and stir through for extra body — brings the freezer meal to life.
  3. Cook pappardelle to al dente (2 min less than pack).
  4. Toss pasta through ragu with a knob of butter and splash of pasta water. Torn basil, generous parmesan on top.
fresh chestnut mushrooms (optional boost) butter parmesan basil
👶 One-hand-friendly: pappardelle in a bowl, fork.
Freezer chip-away: Mushroom ragu × 3 → 2.
🍜

Prawn Miso Noodle Soup + Soft Egg 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Thursday 16 July · 10-day noodle-soup cadence · slurp night

Method

  1. Pull king prawns from freezer at lunchtime — thaw in a bowl of cold water.
  2. Soft-boil 2 eggs (Joe's chickens): 6 min 30 sec from cold. Straight into ice water. Peel gently.
  3. Broth: 1L water + 3 tbsp white miso paste (pantry) + splash gochujang (pantry) + rice wine vinegar + soy. Warm, don't boil.
  4. Blanch pak choi and frozen edamame in the broth 2 min. Fish out.
  5. Cook rice noodles per pack. Split into 2 bowls. Ladle broth over. Add pak choi, edamame, prawns (poach in the hot broth 90 sec until pink).
  6. Top with halved soft egg, sliced fresh chilli (or frozen), sliced spring onion (frozen), coriander.
  7. Scale up: cook +1 Hamish portion of noodles for Fri lunch.
rice noodles pak choi edamame soft egg miso broth chilli coriander
👶 One-hand-friendly: classic slurp night — noodles + spoon. Bowl-friendly, prep can be done while baby sleeps.
Hamish scale-up: +1 kid portion of plain noodles + a few edamame for Fri lunch.
Freezer chip-away: King prawns used.
🥪

Steak Sandwich on Ciabatta ★ HIT 🧊 FREEZER ✋ ONE-HAND

Friday 17 July · Steak Night Friday #2 · the definitive one-hand meal

Method

  1. Defrost 2 steaks in fridge overnight. Out of fridge 30 min before cooking.
  2. Slice red onion thin, mix with a splash of red wine vinegar + pinch salt — quick-pickle 15 min.
  3. Warm ciabatta rolls in the oven at 180°C for 5 min while steaks rest.
  4. Sear steaks hard in a hot pan with butter, garlic, thyme — 2 min a side for medium-rare. Rest 5 min. Slice thin against the grain.
  5. Split ciabatta rolls. Mayo on the base, rocket, sliced steak, pickled red onion, extra-mature cheddar shaved on top. Close and press.
ciabatta rolls rocket mayo quick-pickle red onion extra-mature cheddar
👶 One-hand-friendly: the platonic ideal — sandwich, one hand, done. Rare steak fully back on the menu.
Hamish daytime (Fri): Lunch — leftover plain noodles + edamame from Thu. Snack — cheddar cubes, breadsticks + hummus, blueberries.
Freezer chip-away: Steaks × 3 → 1 (or 0). Restock next week.

Waitrose basket (delivered Fri 10 Jul 3pm)

Total: £75.72 (41 items · £4 delivery · £5.99 offer savings)
Ordered on Waitrose this week — Joe logged in on Chrome.

Pantry — assumed present Jasmine rice · white miso · gochujang · rice wine vinegar · soy sauce · olive oil · red wine vinegar · sesame oil · black pepper · salt · thyme
🧊 Freezer pulls
  • Steaks × 4 2 Fri10 + 2 Fri17
  • Lasagne × 1 Sat
  • Batch Lady satay curry × 1 Sun
  • Bolognese × 1 Tue
  • Mushroom ragu × 1 Wed
  • King prawns Thu
🐔 Garden/chickens
  • Eggs Thu
  • Garden basil Mon, Wed
  • Frozen parsley × 2 Fri10
  • Frozen chilli / spring onion Thu, Fri10
🍞 Bakery + carbs
  • De Cecco Spaghetti 500g × 2 £2.70
  • Egg Pappardelle 500g £3.00
  • Ciabatta Rolls 4s £1.80
  • Rice Noodles 275g £1.50
🧀 Dairy
  • Greek Feta 200g £2.43
  • Parmigiano Reggiano 250g £5.95
  • Pilgrims Choice Cheddar 350g £2.96
  • Salted Butter 250g £2.00
  • Whole Milk 4 pints £1.75
  • Biotiful Kefir 1L £4.00
  • Greek Yogurt 500g £2.50
🥬 Fresh veg
  • Cherry Vine Tomatoes 400g £2.76
  • Red Onions 3s £1.00
  • Garlic 3s £0.70
  • Root Ginger £0.64
  • Green Pak Choi 250g £1.80
  • Chestnut Mushrooms 250g £1.10
  • Tenderstem Broccoli £1.80
  • Avocado × 1 £1.90
  • Red Peppers £0.72
  • Aubergine £1.00
  • Courgettes £1.90
  • Italian Summer Salad Kit £2.00
  • Wild Rocket 90g £1.50
  • Sugar Snap Peas 200g £1.75
  • Frozen Edamame 500g £3.00
  • Loose Limes × 2 £0.70
🌿 Fresh herbs
  • Flat Leaf Parsley 25g £0.85
  • Coriander 25g £0.85
  • Coriander 100g £1.70
  • Fresh Basil £0.85
🍓 Fruit + snacks
  • Strawberries 400g £2.70
  • Blueberries 360g £4.60
  • Fairtrade Bananas 5s £1.00
  • Olive Oil Houmous 200g £1.85
  • Mini Breadsticks 100g £1.10
🥫 Store cupboard
  • Essential Mayonnaise 500ml £1.40