For another side with the pork chops, you could add sautéed apple slices with cinnamon and sugar, or creamed spinach.

With the chicken cutlets, you could do buttered egg noodles or spaghetti instead of having mashed potatoes again.

Four day 4, I like the ribs idea. Maybe with mashed sweet potatoes, or sweet potato fries? Collard greens are also a good side with ribs.

For older palettes have you asked what they can('t) eat? My dad would love this, but can not eat mashed potatoes because they make his reflux bad. I wouldn't have known unless my mom told me!

Salad doesn’t agree with MIL, but I think she likes asparagus. Will add that. Maybe I’ll pick up a veggie tray or something so others can get more vegetables in without me having to cook anything extra.

Dessert is a good suggestion. I think TJ has a great key lime pie unless it was seasonal… Maybe an ice cream sundae bar would be nice?

I think at least one meal with be takeout and another will be frozen pot pie or shepherds pie. The house is a mess with a work crew and they just told me it won’t be done until the evening before in-laws arrive ugh! I’ll be doing all my prep on Saturday AM. I think store bought will have to do this time. In-laws are generally lovely and I’m sure they will be appreciative whatever is served. I just want them to get plenty of things to eat that they like.

I think your meals sound good but would agree with the suggestion to add a salad. And I'd definitely do takeout the last night to give myself a break.

Have you thought about dessert? In my experience, older adults with traditional meat and potatoes palates like something sweet after dinner. Can be simple like ice cream.

I like carrots as your other side/veggie with the pork. You could do a pork tenderloin instead of chops? I find those to be very easy.

I’d do the chicken cutlets parmesan style, even if you leave the sauce on the side (my kids prefer it that way IDK why).

Or, swap chicken cutlets for rotisserie chicken and do a pasta meal one night (lasagna, meatballs, etc) with salad.

Picking up pizza, or another carryout of any kind amenable to all, is also a nice way to end a visit.

Soup and salad and baguette .

Chicken cesear salad with baked potatoes as a side

Grill some burgers

Dare I say....leftovers

You could keep the mashed potatoes on Monday and move the green beans to Sunday. Saturday do the pot roast with carrots and baby potatoes in the pot with it or even in the slow cooker. Complete meal in one roasting pan rather than assembling the side dishes separately.

Not that it's health food, but spaghetti and meatballs might be less heavy than lasagna since it doesn't have all the cheese. If your guests really have old-school palates, use a jarred sauce rather than making your own. Serve this with a side salad.

Do they eat salmon or shrimp? Easy to prepare and familiar, but lighter than another meat meal.

Agree with adding salad or another easy veg to all your meals. Sliced carrots, celery, raw broccoli, cucumber are all easy.

Lasagna with a yummy salad and garlic bread

For Sunday, how about spinach (simple sauté in olive oil with garlic) or roasted Brussel sprouts?

For Monday, instead of mashed again, maybe another potato dish, as PP mentioned? I love oven "smashed potatoes" but you could also try orzo or risotto instead? If your relatives don't like "moist chicken" I'd stick with the cutlets. My kids are that way and have never met a rotisserie they liked.

Agree that a side salad would be lovely, but YMMV.

On Tuesday, what about lasagna or baked Italian something?

For Sunday I'd do asparagus or roasted broccoli and carrots.
Monday I'd do roasted potatoes or rice pilaf.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would add a salad to each of your meals.

Alternative to 2x mashed potatoes would be a scalloped potato one day. Or a “hot potato salad” - really it’s like a cheesy potato casserole.

You could do a roast chicken on the 4th day if you want something different and a different protein. Make dressing with it and you’ve got your carb. Add a salad and perhaps a roasted cauliflower with some sauce or seasoning and you’re good.

But all good if you want to pick up pizza too, that’s a lot of entertaining you’re doing and effort you’re putting forth. If you get pizza just add a Caesar salad and that’s your meal.

Quoting myself to say, I missed that you already had chicken when I suggested a roasted one. My bad! If you prefer to go the cutlet route, I’d offer some kind of sauce/preparation for them (eg tomato sauce & mozzarella cheese to make chicken parmesan, mushroom gravy if you’re going the more traditional “schnitzel” route.)

Picking up a roast chicken sounds really appealing. I thought about doing this instead of the cutlets, but they don’t like moist chicken. Do you think I could put some kind of sweet bbq sauce on store bought rotisserie chicken and broil it whole?

Also thought of pot pie or cottage pie instead of doing roast or pork. Seems easier to serve.

Anonymous wrote:I would add a salad to each of your meals.

Alternative to 2x mashed potatoes would be a scalloped potato one day. Or a “hot potato salad” - really it’s like a cheesy potato casserole.

You could do a roast chicken on the 4th day if you want something different and a different protein. Make dressing with it and you’ve got your carb. Add a salad and perhaps a roasted cauliflower with some sauce or seasoning and you’re good.

But all good if you want to pick up pizza too, that’s a lot of entertaining you’re doing and effort you’re putting forth. If you get pizza just add a Caesar salad and that’s your meal.

Quoting myself to say, I missed that you already had chicken when I suggested a roasted one. My bad! If you prefer to go the cutlet route, I’d offer some kind of sauce/preparation for them (eg tomato sauce & mozzarella cheese to make chicken parmesan, mushroom gravy if you’re going the more traditional “schnitzel” route.)

I would add a salad to each of your meals.

Alternative to 2x mashed potatoes would be a scalloped potato one day. Or a “hot potato salad” - really it’s like a cheesy potato casserole.

You could do a roast chicken on the 4th day if you want something different and a different protein. Make dressing with it and you’ve got your carb. Add a salad and perhaps a roasted cauliflower with some sauce or seasoning and you’re good.

But all good if you want to pick up pizza too, that’s a lot of entertaining you’re doing and effort you’re putting forth. If you get pizza just add a Caesar salad and that’s your meal.

I realize it is heavy and meat based, but it is for older, more traditional palates.

Sat:
-Pot roast
-mashed potatoes
-green beans

Sun:
-apple cider pork chops
-creamed corn cornbread pudding
-another side?

Mon:
-chicken cutlets pounded thin breaded and fried
-mashed potatoes again?
-steamed broccoli

Tue:
Ribs, or maybe pick up pizza?