Desperately seeking food ideas

[musicalgrl]

What's on your list for dinners this week? I'm in a serious rut and need to come up with ideas that are kid-friendly. In a perfect world, they'd eat what my husband and I do, but we're just not there yet so I'm looking for ways to mix it up and keep interesting, and of course, healthy. I'd love to see a list of what you're having.

[almostmom]

I feel like that a lot. But chicken teriyaki usually does the trick for all of us! Cube up some chicken breasts and saute, steam some broccoli and or other veggies, put them together, pour soy vey over it, and mix. Put over rice, and we're all happy!

Another winner is baking some chicken tenders, and putting pizza sauce and cheese on top to make it parm.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ideas:
Lettuce wraps
Grilled chicken sandwiches
homemade sloppy joes
homemade chicken nuggets served with mashed potatoes
stuffed shells
mac and cheese
brown rice, broccoli, cheese casserole
chili
breakfast for dinner
ham and cheese crepes with a bechamel sauce
sesame and peanut butter noodles
soup
shepherd's pie (surprisingly popular! i use Alton Brown's recipe)
eta- I love Pioneer Woman's pizza crust! There's no kneading and the dough is ready to use in 2 hours. Though the recipe says it's better out of the fridge, we find it a lot easier to make it and use it right away while still at room temp- it just stretches better. I put out a variety of toppings: pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, sliced onions, maybe sauteed onions, fresh mozzarella sliced thin, basil, grilled chicken, bacon, olive oil and Trader Joe's garlic sauce. My go to combo is olive oil over the crust, garlic salt all over, sliced mozzarella and veggies. It is so good! We assemble 1 at a time on pieces of parchment paper. I use my pizza peel to slide them onto our pizza stone. I always heat the oven/ pizza stone to 450-500 degrees about 20 minutes before use so crusts get nice and crispy. We have a nice system going for make your own pizza night. :)

[TwoBees]

I feel like that a lot. But chicken teriyaki usually does the trick for all of us! Cube up some chicken breasts and saute, steam some broccoli and or other veggies, put them together, pour soy vey over it, and mix. Put over rice, and we're all happy!

Another winner is baking some chicken tenders, and putting pizza sauce and cheese on top to make it parm.

I was just going to suggest chicken teriyaki. I recently made an IP recipe that my extremely picky DH liked! https://lifemadesweeter.com/one-pot-teriyaki-rice-with-chicken-broccoli/

[magnoliaparadise]

Argh, following... we are in great need for new kid friendly meals... resorting more and more to pasta, chicken tenders, chinese food, and tacos. The tacos are becoming their favorite.

[jgenie]

Mon - BBQ chicken, mac and cheese, veggies
Tues - Chicken with rice, beans, fresh guacamole
Wed - Pork chops with apples, roasted veggies
Thur - ravioli, steamed veggies
Fri - out for dinner

[candaceb]

Most of the time I don't have a plan for the week, but I'm trying to get better. This week, I actually have it together.
sunday was costco ravioli with roasted red peppers made in the air fryer
monday was cheeseburgers on the grill
tues - skinnygirl chicken with deconstructed guacamole
wed - spaghetti & meatballs
thurs - dumpling soup

[DietCokeLover]

I’ve got Crockpot Steak Bites going for tonight. Will serve with mashed potatoes.

[123LuckyMom]

I do homemade chicken fingers dredged in flour, then egg, then Panko and pan fried in a little olive oil. (The recipe is in _The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket_) We all love them! Turkey burgers are another win. I use plain turkey meat but season with garlic powder and Lawry’s season salt. Roasted chicken and roasted turkey breast are winners. The kids eat the meat plain, but I can do fun things with the leftovers for DH and me. The following are some dinners my kids will eat that DH and I also like, though there’s usually some adaptation at the plate (like refusing to eat the mushrooms but picking out the meatballs!)

https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-meatball-stroganoff-instant-pot-slow-cooker-or-stove-top/

https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-and-asparagus-teriyaki-stir-fry/


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12833_Chicken_Francese%3famp

https://www.skinnytaste.com/sicilian-rice-ball-casserole/

My problem is my two children like different things. DD likes sweet, so teriyakis and apricot glazes and the like are winners for her. She loves apricot chicken and teriyaki glazed salmon. My son prefers spicy, so he’s a taco guy. I often cook for DH and me and have things like plain chicken or turkey taco meat that they can eat. I just got too tired of having to eat only the things they like!


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[mikala]

I feel like that a lot. But chicken teriyaki usually does the trick for all of us! Cube up some chicken breasts and saute, steam some broccoli and or other veggies, put them together, pour soy vey over it, and mix. Put over rice, and we're all happy!

Another winner is baking some chicken tenders, and putting pizza sauce and cheese on top to make it parm.

My kids love soy vey teriyaki too! I usually cook it in the instant pot. I toss in chicken thighs, add some sauce plus a bit of water to get near the 1 c liquid minimum for pressure.

[BunnyBee]

I’ve got Crockpot Steak Bites going for tonight. Will serve with mashed potatoes.

That sounds good! Do you have a favorite recipe?

I've been into sheet pan dinners lately. It seems to be the new "thing" on Pinterest and cooking shows. Easy clean up, and it's usually easy to modify for particular eaters who don't like one thing or another. Skillet dinners tend to get all mixed together in a sauce, which doesn't work for some of my people.

[anonomom]

I cheated last night and made Chicken Marsala using jarred Prego sauce. It was fast and easy and all of my kids actually ate it (a miracle!). Served it with linguine and pan-roasted green beans.

Tonight I'm making beef stew with cheddar biscuits, from a recipe I found in Southern Living. It's basically Shepherd's Pie but with bread.

Welsh rarebit and apple-cheddar fondue are also big fall hits in my house.

Pork chops or chicken breasts baked with a spice rub on them (Penzy's galena and BBQ3000 rubs are both great). They can be paired with roasted potatoes or baked sweet potatoes and a veggie.

The Pioneer Woman's bbq meatballs are great. I serve them with a potato-cauliflower mash.

Stromboli is another quick crowd pleaser. I usually make two -- one with pepperoni and mozzarella, and one with spinach and ricotta.

[MMMommy]

I feel like that a lot. But chicken teriyaki usually does the trick for all of us! Cube up some chicken breasts and saute, steam some broccoli and or other veggies, put them together, pour soy vey over it, and mix. Put over rice, and we're all happy!

Another winner is baking some chicken tenders, and putting pizza sauce and cheese on top to make it parm.

Teriyaki chicken is dinner for us tonight--with side of broccoli! :)

[squimp]

We do Hawaiian chicken in the instant pot a lot. DD loves soy and pineapple so this is always a winner.
https://www.sparklestosprinkles.com/instant-pot-huli-huli-hawaiian-chicken/

[jawilli4]

My kids might be weird, but they have loved this Smashing Pumpkin (curry) Soup since they were little. My modifications are that I add 2 Tbsp of curry powder instead of 1/2 tsp and I add both (boiled in another pot) cheese and meat ravioli at the end of the recipe. It is one of the few meals that my entire family enjoys.

https://savingdinner.com/recipe/pumpkin-time/ (https://savingdinner.com/recipe/pumpkin-time/)

[PunkyBoo]

This week:
Sunday- honey ginger salmon
Monday- dried cherry chili
Tonight- takeout after an appt
Wednesday- yogurt baked chicken
Thursday- instant pot Mongolian beef
Friday- posole
Saturday- veggie stromboli

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[DietCokeLover]

That sounds good! Do you have a favorite recipe?

I've been into sheet pan dinners lately. It seems to be the new "thing" on Pinterest and cooking shows. Easy clean up, and it's usually easy to modify for particular eaters who don't like one thing or another. Skillet dinners tend to get all mixed together in a sauce, which doesn't work for some of my people.

https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/crockpot-steak-bites/

This is the one I use. Make sure to not get a real lean cut of meat or it will get tough.

[bisous]

This week:
Sunday- honey ginger salmon
Monday- dried cherry chili
Tonight- takeout after an appt
Wednesday- yogurt baked chicken
Thursday- instant pot Mongolian beef
Friday- posole
Saturday- veggie stromboli

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I want to eat at your house! I don't know that my kids would eat this way but this is my dream!

OP, sorry, I'm just commenting and reading here. My dinner situation is probably not helpful. My kids like what I cook and the dinners are easy and relatively cheap and healthy and I'm so bored with them I've almost stopped eating dinner! SO this is a good thread for me to read.

[KpbS]

Crockpot chicken, served over rice/cauliflower mash, and broccoli
Pan cooked fish, coleslaw, mashed potato
Turkey black bean chili
Big salads with grilled chicken or taco salads

[DualvansMommy]

most Sundays I tend to cook double batch versions of big meals like roasted chicken (roast 2 at same time & save other chicken), make big pot of meatballs, sausages in red sauce over spaghetti, pot roast, etc which can be turned into following meals for next few days:

chicken noodle soup/chicken tortilla soup
beef stirfry
meatball parm sandwiches
and we usually eat seafood 2 nights that week.
seafood chowder
tacos of whichever protein we have on hand with all the fixings
turkey chili
homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches-usually reserved for Tuesdays nights as its our most busy evening.

[essnce629]

I'm trying to keep our dinners as close to Whole 30 as possible which gets difficult! The only thing I have on the menu so far this week are foil packet sweet potato tacos: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/foil-packet-sweet-potato-tacos/
The kids can add additional non Whole 30 compliant toppings like cheese and sour cream.

Last week I made sloppy joe potatoes that were really good (sloppy joe meat goes into a baked potato instead of a bun).





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[dhano923]

This week’s meals. I work FT and go to school FT too so I try to plan ahead. My DD makes dinner when I’m busy with classwork or need to study. She’s making tomorrow night’s meal. (She likes to cook)

Sunday: Korean BBQ at restaurant- my DS’s birthday dinner choice with us, my parents and my brother’s family
Monday: Chicken sandwiches and fries
Tuesday: Instant Pot pork chops with portobello and shiitake mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes and corn&carrots
Wednesday: Pioneer Woman Chicken tortilla soup
Thursday: grilled chicken skewers, lamb merguez sausage, naan bread, tzatziki and cucumber salad
Friday: pasta with italian sausage and homemade marinara sauce (from the freezer), garlic bread and salad
Saturday: not sure yet as we have a tentative dinner invite to a friend’s house

[PunkyBoo]

I want to eat at your house! I don't know that my kids would eat this way but this is my dream!
.

I'm really lucky that my kids are good eaters! There are a few things DH or I like that I can't prepare because DS2 has a few preferences. I also try to find things I can make quickly and easily because i work FT and have to cook while trying to help DS2 with homework (which is a mountain of a task) but we all get bored with the same things over and over and we try to eat healthy but fill up my growing skinny boys.

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[Momit]

My Instant Pot is my best friend. Most of these dinners are from IP pages on Pinterest or Facebook. All are kid approved.
PaleOMG spaghetti pie (made with Italian sausage and spaghetti squash)
Sloppy Joes
Egg roll in a bowl
Lasagna
Pulled pork
Ham and cheese sliders
Shepherds pie (I make this whenever I have leftover mashed potatoes)

[dogmom]

We depend on rice+stuff in my house. My oldest doesn’t like pasta. There are several bean dishes I make with white beans or pink beans or chickpeas. Some are basic herbs+olive oil+onion. Some are mild Indian. Some more Mediterranean. I used to do them in slow cooker, now instant pot. I load them and rice cooker with delay timer at 5 am when I leave for my 12 hr shift and my DH or kids just dish them out. You can put hot sauce or other things for adults. Easy to sneak some chopped kale or squash in.

I also make Shepard’s pie with leftovers. I use mash potatoes/sweet potatoes/cornbread/dumplings for top. Do chicken/beef/pork.

I really like Shakshuka a middle eastern eggs in tomatoes dish.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/09/shakshuka-north-african-shirred-eggs-tomato-pepper-recipe.html
Just throw salad in the side for all the above.

[almostmom]

I love those foil packs! Thanks for the reminder to make them again soon.

[lovin2shop]

You've gotten great suggestions so far, and I don't have any meals to add, but I have one idea for you. I started a new "note" on my phone that lists meals that both my DS's will eat. Anytime I find something new, I add it to the list. I was getting very frustrated coming up with dinner ideas, but now that I have this, it is much easier to glance down it and see what will work for each night. I used to think they were too picky, but I'm up to 16 items on the list, so there is now a decent variety. And, it helps us all to have a better attitude about meal times when we can all be at least somewhat happy!

Actually, looking at my list, I do have a few suggestions for you:
Chicken & Avocado Burritos - chicken, avocado, jack cheese toasted on each side in a skillet with a bit of oil
Beef Stroganoff (can be Crock Pot, Instant Pot of stove top)
Sausage stuffed French Bread - Emeril Lagassi recipe, so good! I usually make 2 and freeze one for later
Chicken or beef enchiladas - brown/cook meat with onions, add to tortillas along with jack cheese, roll and put in pan, pour enchilada sauce (either homemade or canned), top with more cheese - also I like black olives so I add to mine only
Lasagna - make a ton of marina on a weekend, use half for lasagna and freeze other half for pasta later
Meatballs - on weekend I make the Pioneer Woman Freezer meatballs with 5 pounds of meat. Save one dozen for dinner and flash freeze the rest. Can be used with pasta, subs, etc.

[lizzywednesday]

I have a general outline that I fill in depending on what I have to re-buy and what I have in the house.

Monday - pasta & broccoli (this could be penne with marinara or box mac & cheese)
Tuesday - tacos (I make these with ground turkey), with rice and corn
Wednesday - wild card (anything I want; two weeks ago, it was chili & cornbread)
Thursday - leftovers (because our trash pickup days are Tuesday/Friday)
Friday - something fun (basically another wild card night ... or DD and I plan on takeout after Brownies)


I haven't been planning meals for the weekends, but I probably ought to be.

ETA: Honestly, I find it exhausting to plan meals for DH because he's so picky and often has digestive issues. And sometimes he just picks things apart and I just get tired of trying new things when he's just going to b!tch about them later on.

[Kestrel]

Sun - chicken pot pie
Mon - meatball sub and side salad
Tues - pork chops and broccoli rice casserole
Wed - baked pasta (we have fresh veg and dip while it's cooking: carrot,celery, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, cucumber)
Thurs - pot stickers or spring rolls with brown rice and stir-fried veggies
Fri - baked mahi mahi (fillet frozen from Costco) rice and steamed veg
Sat - Meatloaf and roasted potato (fingerlings if I can find them, reds if not)
Sun - Chicken and dumplings

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

[musicalgrl]

OP here, thank you to everyone for the amazing suggestions, including links to some of the recipes! I look forward to trying them and hope we'll have a few successes. :)

Since cold weather is here, at least in my neck of the woods, I thought I would share an Instant Pot stew recipe that I think is amazing. I've made it for company and received rave reviews: https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-beef-stew