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When my husband and I got married, we had very different styles of eating and really could not agree on meals.  I ended up going online and printing menus from our favorite restaurants and we talked about which we both liked.  This helped us figure out some regular meals to build into our routine.  That might be a way to get ideas.

As for unfussy "fussy" foods, I love chicken enchiladas (use leftover chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken for a meal and use leftovers).  Baked pasta dishes are convenient--ziti, sauce, sour cream and store bought meatballs.  Also, if you have a slow cooker, it is worth experimenting.  My husband loves chicken (put it in the slow cooker frozen), a can of condensed tomato soup, a bag of frozen peppers and a half cup of brown sugar.  Let it cook all day and serve it as is, or over rice or noodles to stretch it a bit.

Happy cooking!

Here are a few quick fix side dishes that might help.   Microwave for 10 min or bake at 375 for 30 min..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

1 lg can sweet potatoes                          2 regular cans sliced apples in syrup

1 tsp vanilla                                          1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg                                      1 cup marshmellow ( optional )

2 tsp butter or margarine                         2 tblsp thickening agent like cornstarch or arrowroot.

Open cans and pour juice into a pan.  Add thickening agent to cold juice and add spices and butter.  Heat on stove top until it coats the spoon when you pull it out.  Place apples and potatoes in a 2 qt baking dish and pour juice over the top.  Mix in marshmellows if using them.  Put in oven and bake for 30 min or if using microwave cook on medium setting for 10 minutes and serve with rest of dinner.

1 potato per person cut into wedges                      Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 tsp of oil per potato

  Parmesan Romono cheese

  Salt and Pepper to taste

Put potato wedges in a large zip lock bag. Salt and pepper. Add oil. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Place on parchment covered cookie sheet using tongs and bake at 375 degrees untill fork enters potato easily and is browned on top or about 30 min depending on your oven.

1/2 young zucchini per person                                        Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1/2 young summer squash per person

   1 roma tomato per person

   3 sliced rounds of onion per person

   1 tsp butter per person

   1 tsp Parmeson Romono cheese per person

1/8 tsp minced garlic in a jar per person

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice squash, tomatoes and onion into rounds.  Cut onion into quarters.  Mix all together and place in a baking dish and bake until vegetables are done to your tastes from tender crisp to well done.

   1 can of whole corn                            Preheat oven to 350 degrees

   3 eggs                                              Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup of milk                                      Bread crumbs mixed with enough butter to make loose clump

     dash of nutmeg (optional )                 Chopped green pepper par cooked ( optional )

Mix corn, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, (green pepper ) and ( nutmeg ) together and place in a low baking dish or custard cups. Place cups or baking dish in a pan of water and bake. Just after it starts to set sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of custard.  Bake until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and water and let set 5 min and serve if in cups. If in baking dish let set 10 min. and serve.

Try cooking pork chops this way as a change of pace.  Take 1 to 2 pork chop per person fresh or frozen and place in a large fry pan. Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of Herbox granulated chicken boullion according to you tastes ( start with the 1/2 tsp and adjust the next time you make them ) to the water for every 2 pork chops and simmer untill the water dries up.  You need to watch it near the end as most of the water evaporates turning the chops over and over to maintain moisture.  Brown and add a bit more water to deglaze continue to let the water to evaporate turning the chops over.  You will find that the chops will be quite tender. The key is to not let them dry out too much toward the end. In cooking this way you are not adding any fat to the pan and much of the fat of the meat is left in the pan.  The flavor is still all there and I would not be suprised if after once trying this that it will become one of the main ways you cook your pork chops in the future.

It seems like even the pickiest eater is happy with a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  This has made my slow cooker my best friend!  Chicken, some sort of beans, tomatoes and chicken stock and some seasoning (maybe even some veggies if they can be snuck by) and we've got a dinner that pleases all.

Hi nkymom1971!  It's great to see you posting right after you'ved joined our community, so welcome!  Maybe you could try purchasing what you two agree to have for your meals, all at the grocery store.  Buy all of the ingredients you'll need for each recipe, then try doing all of the prep-work ahead of time.  That way you can ask him what he wants for dinner in the morning, and you already prepped everything. All you have to do besides pulling the meat out in the morning, is put the meal together and cook it later on.  It should cut down on your cooking time by half.  Especially if it's a new recipe, it'll give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the recipe and you won't be so nervous when it's time to prepare the meal.  You know, like slicing your veggies, especially if it's for a stir-fry.  Also BC has a great search engine with some great recipes, most of which don't take more than 1 hour prepping and cooking.  Just find a recipe that sounds good, look at the very bottom of the recipe and it'll usually tell you how long it takes to cook.  Who knows, if he likes it, then you can have leftovers and you won't have to cook the next day!  Good luck and make sure you show him the recipe and get his approval first.  He'll be more apt to like it if he helped to decide what you were going to cook for him.  Take care and let me know if that helps!

chicagosinger

Here are some quick and easy recipes that are real tasty and something that is different.

Hamburg Suprise                                                      Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 1/2 lb of lean hamburg cooked and drained                1/2 cup of bite size green pepper ( optional )

1 1/2 cup of bite size onion                                          2 tblsp canola or olive oil

1 1/2 cup of bite size celery                                            milk

     2 cans of cream corn                                             2 tblsp butter or margarine

     1 cup Bisquick

Salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

Saute vegetables in oil briefly to speed up final cooking time.  If trying to minimize fats drain on papertowel and wipe pan.  Place vegetables and cooked hamburg in 2 qt casserole baking dish and add 1 1/2 can cream corn and mix. Mix Bisquick with milk to a consistancy a bit looser than for biscuits to make it easier to spread and add last 1/2 can cream corn.  Spread Bisquick and corn mix on top of mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Add garlic to taste to melted butter and drizzel it over finished casserole when the biscuit has turned golden brown.  Let stand for 10 min and serve.  Should feed 4 or 5 people.

Shepherds Pie

1 1/2 lbs of lean Hamburg cooked and drained                 4 or 5 white potatoes cut bite size

     1 can of cream of mushroom soup                                  1 small onion chopped

       pie crust ( optional )                                                    milk or water

Use a 2 qt baking dish                                                 Salt, pepper and garlic to taste

If using a bottom crust prebake it and brush it with cooking oil ( this will keep the crust from getting soggy) Fry the potatoes till golden brown adding the chopped onion when the potatoes are about 3/4 done.  Add the cooked hamburg and cream of mushroom soup using enough milk or water to make a gravy. Salt and pepper to taste, the garlic is optional.  

You are finished at this point unless you wish to cover with a crust.  Place crust on top and bake at 375 degrees untill golden brown.  Butter the crust top as soon as it comes out of the oven.

This is a comfort food and doesn't look like much on its' own without the crust.  It is delicous and can stand on it's own when served with salad and crunchy bread lightly buttered but doesn't make a pretty presentation on the plate.  French style green beans, corn, peas or carrots can be added to this mixture for a taste variations using frozen mixed vegetables or the little half can of just one vegetable depending on your tastes. Doing this also perks up the visual appearance of the food.  I usually serve a light jello parfait for desert with this meal.

Here are some veggies to try:               Microwave for 10 min or until veggies are done to you likes

                                                       Bake in oven at 375 degrees until done to your liking or 30 min

   1 young zucchini squash cut in rounds                   1 small onion cut in rounds

   1 young summer squash cut in rounds                    2 roma tomatoes cut in rounds

1/2 stick of butter or margarine                            1/4 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup of parmesan romono cheese                      1/2 cup bread crumbs

Mix all of the vegetables together after seperating the onion into rings.  Melt half stick of butter and pour half of it into bread crumbs and mix to crumble state. Mix garlic into remaining butter and pour over vegetables. Sprinkle bread crumbs over all and then bake.  If microwaving do not use bread crumbs. Use all of the butter mixed with garlic over vegetables.  Let rest 5 min and then serve. Should feed 4 or 5.

preheat oven to 375 and bake at 350

      1 can whole corn or 1 1/4 cup frozen                     1 tblsp minced onion ( optional )

1 1/2 cup milk or cream                                             1 tblsp pea size green pepper ( optional )

      4 eggs slightly beaten                                      1/4 stick of butter or margarine

   1/2 cup bread crumbs                                               Salt and pepper to taste

Mix butter and bread crumbs together till crumbly.  Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into a low baking dish or custard cups.  Place baking dish or custard cups in a pan of water and bake bake until custard is mostly set then sprinkle bread crumbs on top and finish baking until a knife inserted into center comes out clean about one hour depending on your oven. Bake at 350.

This works faster if done in microwave. This is best done in custard cups. You need to heat the milk, corn, or green pepper first until hot (not boiling) 2 to 4 min. Onion can be put in raw. Stir salt, pepper and eggs into heated milk making sure that it is not cooking the egg so only pour a bit at a time.  Cook in bake mode about 50% to 60% mode depending on your microwave. Cook for 6 to 10 min. Start checking at the end of 6 min and  keep adding minutes untill knife comes out clean removing any of the cups that are done. Microwave ovens vary in power and cooking speed but once you find out what works best in your oven you will have it made. Brown bread crumbs in toaster oven and sprinkle on top and let set for 5 min.

first get the tyson precooked chicken and precooked beef strips and a bag of stirfry frozen veggies.  You'll also need soy sauce sesame oil and teriyaki sauce. start by cooking the precooked meat in a little bit of sesame oil just enough oil so it doesnt stick and when the meat is heated toss in the frozen veggies with more sesame oil just enough oil tocoat the bottom of the pan and cook until veggies are desired tenderness then throw in a couple tablespoons of soy sauce.  then you can pour the teriyaki sauce in the pan with the stirfry mixture on a lower heat setting just to get the sauce warm.  You will also need to have a box of thin spagetti noodles cook and drain.  then put the rest of the bottle of sesame oil in the noodles and add soy sauce in to your desired taste (everyone is different). Believe it or not it really only takes the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta because all you have to do is heat the rest up in a pan.  My husband thought it took forever for me to make it and says its better than ordering take out.  Hope you enjoy it. 

get some ideas for easy dinners for picky eaters here: www.didueatyet.com

Hi nkymom1971, This may not be your answer,:-), but the first thing that I would do is tell him," You ought to be glad that I even cook, most women don't do that  today!!!" and when I say that, most of the women I know "don't". Now ,how far are you willing to go to patronize this over grown-spoiled kid?,hahaha! You might ask him what foods and how did his Mother fix them. Or you might ask his Mother, which will really make Her happy to think that her daughter-in-law wants her recipes or help, makeing two people happy, :-)!   O'  yes I am marreid, 41 yrs. :-). When we got married my husbamd said he never heard of cooking roast & vegs. together, mow it's one of his favorite dishes. Yes, we did go throu that. Sometimes I learned to cook foods that he grew up on ,He's from the south--I'am from the North,:-), other times I just told him to go back home and get them to cook it for him,hashahah. His Aunt raised him and she "loved it" when I told him that,:-). Godd luck, Granna2

Hi everyone!

I just found this thread and thought I'd ask for a little help on almost the same topic.  My husband is a nightmare to cook for and have been told by coworkers that they wouldn't know what to do with him.

He does not like cooked vegetables, potatoes, doesn't care for steak, won't eat pork, doesn't like soups, and then tells me he's a simple guy.
I thought I was picky growing up because I didn't eat onions or cabbage!

My son will eat anything I put in front of him but I'm worried about him picking up dad's bad eating habits.  I could make steak, potatoes, and a veggie and I would be happy - my spouse wouldn't touch it.
Chicken is the base meat for many of my dishes.

If anyone has a suggestion, it would be massively appreciated. 

P.S.  His mom never cooked and I've tried telling him to make his own food (which amounts to snacks or grilled cheese)