Another super-quick and totally easy dinner that your kids might eat: Oodles of Noodles with Ham and Cheese.

A couple of years ago when I told my truly excellent mother in law that I had taken a job cooking for a hundred children at a big preschool in Brisbane, she sent me this book, available from here.

It's a fabulous resource designed for childcare cooks with recipes formulated to feed 40. 

One of my staples of my time in that job was Oodles of Noodles. I put it on the three-week rotating menu almost straight away, and the room leaders were always in the kitchen asking for more. The kids loved it.

Mine too. 

This recipe is an adaptation of Carolyn Bunney and Lauren Williams 'Oodles of Noodles' recipe from "Caring For Children: Food, Nutrition and Fun Activities". 

oodles of noodles with ham and cheese

1 x 250g packet dry egg noodles

4-5 slices of ham, chopped finely

1 cup grated cheese

1 cup whole milk

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 onion, finely diced

salt & pepper and a dash of nutmeg

1. Cook your noodles in boiling water.

2. In a bowl, mix your beaten eggs, milk, ham, cheese, onion and seasoning. (See I told you it was dead easy.) Toss cooked noodles into baking dish and pour egg mix over. Bake for about 20 mins, or until set, in a moderate oven, about 180°.

It'll look kinda like this: 

I blogged a similar dinner last year (gosh, look at that wee Matilda!!) as you can make this dish on any kind of noodles you find at the back of the pantry.

You can also grate some carrot and zucchini in (yum), omit the ham for vegetarian families, and replace the brown onion with chives or shallots. 

If your kids are herb-friendly a handful of fresh herbs lifts this; right now mine are very suspicious of herbs. 

Strange children. 

(Although the noodles went down with zero argument so that's something, right?)

xxx