Exhausted cooking for picky eaters

[Anonymous]

I’m so tired of our routine. DS (15) and DH are picky in a way that does not match the things I’m picky about. We eat a lot of Indian, Mexican and Thai meals, but those are not quick/throw together at the end of a long work day meals. If I tell you what they will/won’t eat, will you help me brainstorm something new for the rotation?

No: melted cheese, runny eggs, meat with visible fat (chicken thighs are out😩), limited dairy

Yes: spice, beans/lentils, seafood, rice, soup

[Anonymous]

They are old enough to manage their own food.

[Anonymous]

Order in.

[Anonymous]

I would make a huge grilled cheese with pork belly topped with an oozing fried egg and toss a bag of dry lentils at them. Bon appetit, boys!

[Anonymous]

First, boneless skinless chicken thighs do not have visible fat. I bet if you started cooking them, they might not even realize they are thighs.

But onto ideas - bowls, bowls, bowls. I’d make a double portion of rice to last a few nights, broil or grill chicken with a spicy southwestern rub or a lemon-oregano-garlic rub or whatever goes with the type of bowl you want to eat, and lots of toppings such as corn/black beans/avocado/salsa or hummus/olives/cucumbers/pita chips.

Another easy dinner is to roast salmon, diced potatoes and asparagus or broccoli on a sheet pan - potatoes go in first, then after 20 min add asparagus, then after 10 min add salmon, which only takes 10 more min or so to cook at 400-425. Many ways to season the salmon but since you all like spice I’d do a sweet and spicy rub (easy to make your own or trader joe’s sells one called something obvious like spicy salmon rub that is good, we coat our salmon in it, then drizzle on evoo and a touch of honey).

[Anonymous]

Egg roll in a bowl using coleslaw mix from grocery store to get presliced cabbage/carrots.

Sheet pan dinners.

The various chicken sausages, served in a bun sometimes, otherwise plain with a roasted vegetable

[Anonymous]

Minestrone with crusty bread
Quiche and a salad
Plenty of different pastas
Chili and cornbread

[Anonymous]

Soups

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are old enough to manage their own food.

Yes. I’m not suggesting that I would make all of the food, but we are a family & rotate through cooking responsibilities. I’m asking for ideas for the meals I will cook.

[Anonymous]

Make deconstructed meals like a taco bar, baked potato bar, main-dish salads with separate ingredients that people can customize (my sister makes salad nicoise like this), and so on.

[Anonymous]

I serve deconstructed meals from time to time - taco bar where you can all pick your own toppings, even pasta dishes where some have plain and some have with sauce etc.

[Anonymous]

I’d try to build things around beans - check out one of the Rancho Gordo cookbooks. Minestrone, pasta e faguioli, lentil soup, etc. Bonus for lots of these is that if you make the beans and have them on hand, it’s easy to add them to salads, soups, or whatever.

[Anonymous]

15 year old needs to start making dinner so he can deal in college and beyond. DH can take two days a week and DS can take two days a week. You take two days and one night is order out. Dinner is what the person makes and sets on the table. They also should menu plan and shop.

[Anonymous]

That list does not strike me as particularly picky.

[Anonymous]

That is the smallest list for picky eaters I have ever seen. You can make anything.

Chicken, beef, or vegetarian Tacos - just do not have cheese.
Stir fry - you could have a few sauces on hand, as well as recipes for some. Stir fry chicken breast, take off heat. Stir fry vegetables, when done, add back in chicken and add sauce.
Grilled chicken breast and grilled vegetables. Buy good quality chicken and do not overcook. You do not need chicken thighs for moist chicken.
Breakfast for dinner - just cook the eggs well.
Turkey, beef, or vegetarian chili. All can be made in crock pot or the night of the meal. Whichever works best for your schedule.