Family’s favorite home cooked meal

[Anonymous]

The rule in our family is that you get a home-cooked meal of your choosing for your birthday.
For ~10 years now, my mother has requested I make shrimp & grits.
DH has asked for Shrimp Diavola 2 years running now.
Apparently I make good shrimp.

The other two that everyone always get excited about are pasta with vodka sauce, and chicken parm meatballs (sometimes I make the vodka sauce and put it on the meatballs).

[Anonymous]

Grilled steaks, loaded baked potatoes, and some kind of roasted vegetable(s).

[Anonymous]

For my family it’s always homemade meatballs and sauce.

Other popular nights are make your own tacos with grilled fish, mango, cheese, black beans, avocado; make your own sandwich with bacon, pesto, arugula, fresh mozarella, and tomato and bakery bread; and grilled salmon with orzo with butter and peas.

There are other dishes that have a nice audience — pasta carbonara, shrimp scampi, mussels in wine with garlic, roasted whole chicken, or lentil enchiladas.

[Anonymous]

Instant pot pot roast w/mashed potatoes and green beans, brownies for dessert

[Anonymous]

Homemade pizza. That's about it. My youngest doesn't like much.

Smitten Kitchen's street cart chicken recipe has components everyone likes, and is one of my husband's favorites.

[Anonymous]

Skillet pork chops and rice is the current favorite for my family:

Brown thick cut, bone-in pork chops in large skillet heated with ~1 Tbsp veg. Oil (bone-in is my preference for taste and juicyness, but boneless would work, too). When browned, remove from pan.
Sauté 1 onion in pan for a few minutes, then add 1 cup dry (uncooked) minute rice (I use brown), 1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes), 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp mustard, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix, then nestle the chops on top. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer 50 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

If you are making this for more than 3 people I would use my largest skillet (like 12 inches) and double the rice/tomato/seasonings. Of course use as many pork chops as you need and/or will fit in the skillet.


Other family favorite is homemade meatballs and sauce, which I make in a large batch, which we eat just in a bowl with crusty bread and salad. I freeze the leftovers and then have another family fav meal, meatball subs.
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[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot dog and baked bean casserole!

I know that’s not what you want to hear, but there you go.

Recipe please

Spoiler alert - don’t read on if you insist every single meal must be healthy! This is an occasional treat.

I just kind of eyeball most of it.

Chop an onion and sauté in butter.

Chop 6-8 hot dogs and add them to the sauté.

Put a slightly drained 28-oz can of baked beans in a big bowl, and add the hot dog/onion mixture.

Add about 1/4 cup ketchup and 1-1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Then, to taste, squeeze, pour, or shake in yellow mustard, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Stir it all up and pour it all into a greased casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Let stand a bit to thicken.

As I noted, we only indulge in this every once in a while. It is inhaled when it is on the table.

[Anonymous]

crawfish etouffee
fried shrimp and fish with homemade fries
baked chicken thighs with yams and corn on the cob
gumbo, chicken is my favorite
homemade pot pies
chili and hotdogs or corn chips
healthy
red beans and rice or white beans or as you all call them navy beans
Add ham or small cut sausage
chicken soup with lots of vegetables ( I use canned mixed) with pasta or rice
crockpot pulled chicken or pork loin
My husband usually cuts two whole chickens in half and smokes them overnight.
Throw on some hotdogs and hamburger patties for during the week.

I make a small dessert three times a week. Fresh blueberry muffins, cookies, cakes with homemade icing.

On weekends Mama gets donuts. YUM YUM.

[Anonymous]

Chicken pilaf

[Anonymous]

Make your own pizza
5 spice + hoisin pork baos
Cast iron smash burgers

[Anonymous]

Spaghetti with homemade meatballs

[Anonymous]

Spaghetti with meatballs - and garlic bread!

[Anonymous]

Chicken/lamb biryani served with a cucumber pomegranate raita.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rule in our family is that you get a home-cooked meal of your choosing for your birthday.
For ~10 years now, my mother has requested I make shrimp & grits.
DH has asked for Shrimp Diavola 2 years running now.
Apparently I make good shrimp.

The other two that everyone always get excited about are pasta with vodka sauce, and chicken parm meatballs (sometimes I make the vodka sauce and put it on the meatballs).

I'm intrigued by your chicken parm meatballs - can you explain what those are/how those come to exist?

[Anonymous]

Mixed mushroom salad,
tom yum soup,
pork satay and peanut sauce,
chicken and veggies panang curry served with rice.
Dessert is home made mango ice cream.

I make it in large enough quantities that is last for at least two meals.