Teenagers staying for dinner last minute

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly usually I just put on a pot of spaghetti. It’s easy and you can keep it on hand.

This - pasta or frozen pizza. We always have Costco pizzas in the freezer.

[Anonymous]

Pasta is your friend in this situation. Jarred sauce. Garlic bread. Baby carrots and hummus. Literally whatever I can scrounge.

[Anonymous]

Any night there are multiple teens staying for dinner becomes spaghetti and meatballs night.

(Whatever was originally planned gets pushed to the next day.)

[Anonymous]

My DH makes either a Chinese stir fry or carne asada tacos for the kids. My kids’ friends apparently love eating at our house. My DH loves to cook for them and makes a ton of food and is offended if they don’t have second helpings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Top ramen, no flavor packet included, packets of old dark red ketchup only. No salt.

They won't mooch food again off you.

Why would you do that?

You want to be the house that your kids friends want to hang out at.

Absolutely. Happy to provide a safe place for kids and to feed them. It means pivoting a lot. It’s fine. Pasta, or just order pizza, or sometimes I’ve made like ten grilled cheeses when I’m really out of ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep pitas on hand for these times, and let them make dinner for themselves with pita, hummus, cucumber, feta, lettuce, Kalamata, tomatoes, peppers.
It’s horribly rude for them to impose, but I figure they don’t want to go home for whatever reason so our house is their safe place.
I expect them to clean up afterwards.

It's horribly rude for kids that your kid invited to stay, to stay at a place they were invited?

The prior PP was the rude one.

[Anonymous]

My weekend prep includes individually sauteed veggies - onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots - in different containers. I also have the Costco frozen spinach and cheese ravioli packs in the freezer. So, my go to is to cook the ravioli, dunk it in some warmed rao's bottle jar, add the sauteed veggies and dress it up with some cheese, pine nuts and basil.

Another easy meal that is a hit - Costco frozen chicken yakatori. Heat 1-2 packet per kid in a large glass bowl with a spritz of water. Add finely chopped - cucumber, garlic, onion, cilantro, carrots - and some of the sauteed veggies of choice in the heated yakatori. Make sure that the veggies (raw or sauteed) are finely cut. Stir well with some sriracha. Serve topped with fried egg and some crushed toasted and salted peanuts or sesame seeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My weekend prep includes individually sauteed veggies - onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots - in different containers. I also have the Costco frozen spinach and cheese ravioli packs in the freezer. So, my go to is to cook the ravioli, dunk it in some warmed rao's bottle jar sauce, add the sauteed veggies and dress it up with some cheese, pine nuts and basil.

Another easy meal that is a hit - Costco frozen chicken yakatori. Heat 1-2 packet per kid in a large glass bowl with a spritz of water. Add finely chopped - cucumber, garlic, onion, cilantro, carrots - and some of the sauteed veggies of choice in the heated yakatori. Make sure that the veggies (raw or sauteed) are finely cut. Stir well with some sriracha. Serve topped with fried egg and some crushed toasted and salted peanuts or sesame seeds.

[Anonymous]

Costco cauliflower crust pizzas are a hit in our house. We dress it up further with veggies, meats, cheese etc. And I am good with making drizzling sauce with what I have on hand. Better than &pizza. Everything is better with caramelized onions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Costco cauliflower crust pizzas are a hit in our house. We dress it up further with veggies, meats, cheese etc. And I am good with making drizzling sauce with what I have on hand. Better than &pizza. Everything is better with caramelized onions.

Our traditional family motto is "everything is better with butter", but caramelized onions are strong contenders-- so are pickled onions, for that matter.

I'm loving all these ideas! Bittersweet that I'm getting them now that my youngest is set to graduate.

Enjoy these moments with your kids and their friends, y'all! It goes by so fast.

[Anonymous]

Steaks are always good.

[Anonymous]

Was just in this situation tonight. Made a quick alfredo sauce (10 mins) and simple iceberg lettuce salad.

[Anonymous]

We live near a Costco so someone will run out and get some of their prepared meals if we have a crowd staying for dinner. If it’s just one or two extra kids I’ll stretch whatever we’re having or pizza is always a hit. I’m always happy to feed anyone who comes to the table. My grandmother would have died of shame if people left hungry and those lessons have lived on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was just in this situation tonight. Made a quick alfredo sauce (10 mins) and simple iceberg lettuce salad.

That's ... not a meal. Iceberg lettuce has zero nutritional value. Alfredo sauce is fattening. What are you doing over there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was just in this situation tonight. Made a quick alfredo sauce (10 mins) and simple iceberg lettuce salad.

That's ... not a meal. Iceberg lettuce has zero nutritional value. Alfredo sauce is fattening. What are you doing over there?

+1. Didn't you have any almonds?