Dinner ideas. Picky DH, DD is coming with future SIL (!?!)

amother

OP ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:32 am

B”H! DD is coming in to town with her intended so that we can meet him (and grandparents can meet him) before they get engaged. We are very excited and looking forward.
He will be staying 2 weeks as it is a shlep to come and we eat to get to know him and DD wants him to really see where she grew up.
I need nice dinner ideas for every night but things that don’t look like YT meals.
Picky eaters are my challenge. (DH is the worst, and no he can’t just be a grown up foe 2 weeks 🤷‍♀️)
DD (Kallah to be-Y”IH) doesn’t eat red meat.
DH doesn’t do light food (ie. dairy- I can get away with salmon 1x)
DH doesn’t care for cutlets unless they are fried. Other kids are wiggly in regard to chicken on the bone.(will eat under duress but will make faces and not eat well). DH also doesn’t do spicy (think tacos or anything with ginger or any other spice they didn’t use in the Alterheim). We can do takeout Chinese once.

Please give me your ideas. I want to be excited and enjoy the visit and not overwhelmed because of dinner.

amother

Daphne

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:42 am

I find that planning a basic structure and working around that works best for me

So mine would look something like this

Soup/salad/some kind of app

Main and 1-2 sides

Dessert

Then I make a list of foods I know most people I’m serving will like

And mix n match from there

amother

Whitewash

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:51 am

Given all your limitations, I would BBQ at least once or twice over the two weeks. You can have both red meat and chicken, grilled vegetables as a side and salads.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:59 am

amother Daphne wrote:

It’s main ideas that I need.
No need for appetizers during the week.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:00 am

amother Whitewash wrote:

Given all your limitations, I would BBQ at least once or twice over the two weeks. You can have both red meat and chicken, grilled vegetables as a side and salads.

Definitely

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:02 am

mom! wrote:

Pepper steak and rice
Grilled cutlets
Stir fry
Falafel?
Chicken salad bar style
Pulled beef

Thank you for responding. DD doesn’t do red meat and if I substitute chicken or turkey for the steak in pepper steak, DH doesn’t eat cooked peppers! Argghhh!
Falafel isn’t heavy enough and neither is salad or any sort. Maybe I should send DH to his mother for dinner!!!

↑ BH Yom Yom ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:07 am

amother OP wrote:

This actually is not a crazy idea. If she’s nearby and up to cooking, and the grandparents anyways want to meet your daughter’s intended, maybe she can have everyone over for dinner at one point, or you can ask her to make a DH-friendly main and you can do the stuff that the rest of your family will eat.

↑ BH Yom Yom

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:10 am

If you do oven-fried cutlets with your DH know the difference? Will the rest of your family eat “regular fried” cutlets (I know it’s time consuming and a pain).

What about shwarma?

scintilla ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:10 am

Would dh do a chicken stew (with chicken cutlets cut small), or chicken cutlets in sauce? A few recipes come to mind - overtime cook (miriam pascal) has a great chicken pea stew, and in the peas love and carrots cookbook there's a cutlets with tricolor peppers & I think white wine sauce that's very good. Both quite easy.

When you say dd doesn't eat red meat, does that include ground meat?

Another idea: polish sausage or similar, sliced, along with pepper strips and sliced onions, mix with I think barbeque sauce and garlic - if you think your family would go for it, I'll find the recipe. It's very good and different. You can do with hot dogs for younger kids but the sausage makes it fancier & very delicious.

If ground chicken is ok, you can do ground chicken patties (in a bun like a burger or with any other sides) - they can be really delicious with the right add ins - or chicken "meatballs" in sauce.

amother

Clear

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:11 am

Make chicken. But instead of chicken on the bone, dark and light, have dark chicken on the bone and the light chicken be cutlets. Each person takes what they like but it is/looks like one meal.

Do turkey meatballs and rice or spaghetti. Can also do a sloppy joe type thing on the spaghetti or buns for the kids, also ground turkey. Can also have a taco/wraps night with the sloppy joe stuff where dh can just eat his meat regular, and others can build something with condiments and the like.

Can serve side vegetables dh may not eat.

amother

Vanilla

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:16 am

Cutlets dipped in mayo/ketchup mixture with garlic powder then into crumbs baked is very good. Spray it for even better .
Meatballs and spaghetti, make some chicken balls to add in for the non meat eater.
Stuffed baked potatoes, eggplant parmesan, ravioli(buy ready made frozen)
Chicken marsala with dark cutlets
Chicken pastrami roll ups.

amother

PlumPink

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:18 am

Wow OP! That sounds like a lot of pressure to have for 2 weeks especially when they’re not engaged yet. Is there a possibility of them eating dinner together out (not sure where you live and the restaurant situation) on some of those nights? Maybe they can come after dinner for dessert/to chill. Or some days (if it’s not a work day?) they can eat lunch with you instead of dinner so it can be more casual like bagels? Just a thought

amother

Darkblue ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:18 am

So nice that you will get to know your future SIL before they get engaged! I have the same challenges every night and here is what goes over well on my house:

1. Shnitzel - can make some fried for DH and some baked for the healthier eaters.
2. Soup and deli wraps (the kids that don't like deli will eat only soup, but that would never be enough for DH)
3. Agree with the poster above about grilling - easy to do diff proteins in the same meal, to satisfy everyone
4. Does your DD who does not eat meat like ground chicken or turkey? Maybe make 2 types of meatballs (one made with beef to satisfy DH, and possibly future SIL since ground chicken/turkey may not be to his taste) and serve with spaghetti or rice?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:32 am

I love the suggestions thank you!!!

Added to the list, DD does not eat any “processed or ground meat” (or ground chicken/turkey or hot dogs/sausage of any type - turkey/chicken whatever. She might eat soy/impossible (but probably not) but DH definitely won’t.

DH does not eat things cooked with peppers or with wine or vinegar, if they are cooked in my house. (He will eat it chicken Marsala in a restaurant, or general Tao’s with peppers if we are getting take out. Those he can pick out, mine contaminate the food🤷‍♀️) if I make it it is not good and if I trick him I get told that a marriage is based on trust and he would never deceive me (ok he is not wrong, just difficult).

amother

Burntblack

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:37 am

amother PlumPink wrote:

I like this suggestion best op. Also the one above about your mil making one dinner. If you’re comfortable asking her, it would be nice for her to host the couple one night without all the rest of your family. She’ll enjoy the chance to get to know her future grandson and you’ll get a much needed break. Two weeks is a long time. The couple going out alone once or twice, besides giving you an evening off, will be nice for them too.