Meal planning ideas for fusspots please !

Quenastoise

I am trying to build up a list of meal ideas for our family, as it is not unusual for me to cook 3 different meals and my food budget is out of control (bows head in shame). DS has school meals and has a light evening meal from a very restricted menu (that's another post). In the first instance, just being able to plan for DH's meals would be progress.

The constraints I am faced with are:

- most meals to be cooked in advance because DH comes home before I do, with DH microwaving the meal prepared the night before

- DH doesn't like sauces/gravy (so no slow-cooking)
- DH doesn't like fish much
- DH doesn't eat beef, mince, lamb, pork

The list I have started to draft is:

1) baked potatoes with beans
2) cauliflower cheese with bit of meat on the side
3) courgette and bacon frittata
4) eggs and chips
5) macaroni cheese with broccoli
6) spaghetti carbonara with bacon
7) roast dinner
8) Thai red curry (with the chicken leftovers)
9) Tuna bake
10) veggie lasagna

I am hoping to get to no. 31 to have a monthly list but I am stuck. Any ideas please ? Many thanks

BitterAndTwisted

If your family are that picky I'd have your OH planning and cooking the ruddy meals!

I reckon if you took this question over to the Old Style forum you'd get more helpful suggestions....

Pitlanepiglet

Yup, she who is fussiest cooks the meals in our house!

Your husband is setting a poor example for your son which is from your comments causing you problems?

I understand people being fussy - I've got a whole list of things I don't like, but I don't understand a wholesale "doesn't like sauce/gravy" - how can someone not like all of them? That's like a small child saying "don't like vegetables". Especially as it appears that he'll eat lasagne - surely that's sauce based and carbonara which also has a sauce?

Sounds like you've got another child in your house! If he's that difficult, he needs to cook his own food or, if you're willing to pander to him then get him to come up with a list of 31 meals that he's prepared to eat.

on-the-count-of-three

Haha!
*sits in corner & waits to filch a few ideas.*

My DH would eat 1 4 & 7 from your list..that's it. He doesn't do fish, chicken, lamb, pork, spicy food & more. (Will eat beef & minced beef based dishes though)
To make matters worse, my two sons also have completely different tastes, for example one loves pasta & the other won't touch it. No-one will eat salads apart from me..they tell me they are not rabbits.:D

I could go on, but basically we have been married for 25 years & he has been fending for himself for at least 24 & 3/4 of them.

mummyroysof3

will be reading this with interest as i have a bit of a fussy DH too

does he eat sausages?

haycorns

I would add a couple of slow cooker meals. My lot aren't keen on casseroles, but do like curry in the microwave and also Bostson Baked beans ( which are great with a jacket spud or sausage and mash).

How about Tuna fish pie ( I'm guessing Tuna bake is a pasta dish). Tinned tuna , white sauce and mashed potato/cheese on top. If you have it the day before Cauliflower cheese you can double up witht the sauce making and save some time.

Definitely think you should move away from three different meals a night - unless OH learns to cook his own.

DCFC79

He dont like sauce, i find the sauce is the best bit as i hate dry meat eg chicken, pork loins,

how about stew and dumplings or is that too much sauce

Quenastoise

Thank you all, especially the advice to get DH to cook his own meals :rotfl:,except that he ended up living on microwaveable meals when I did that !

I hadn't thought about DH's influence on DS's eating, but how true !

MummyRoysof3, DH will eat sausages but only in toad in the hole or vegetarian ones. I swear I will never eat a veggie sausage again since the last time I was sick was after eating one of those _pale_

lucinad

pizza? i have quite a few picky eaters in my house but everyone of us love pizza (maybe with a slight difference on toppings) but i make my own bases (about 10p each), passsata (with mixed herbs) and whatever you like on top. they go down fantastic in my house

for 4 big pizza (+1 small one for 1yr old)

700 g strong bread flour (asda is cheapest 50p for 1.5kg)
2 little packets quick yeast (tesco sell box of 8? packets for 68p?)
about 480 mls warm water
splash oil
teaspoon sugar

knead for 5 mins till all mixed and soft
leave in a warm place to rise for 30-45 mins
cut into 4 knead alittle more (only 1 min)
roll into circles and put your toppings on

my daughter tweaks her slightly and does a stuffed crust by adding cheese to the dough and folding over

hth

lucinad

also how about fajitas? another favourite in my house

fried chicken strips i add a bit of chilli powder and tex mex flavouring
salad
cheese
wraps
we also have chillies, spicy sauces and sour cream but if he isnt keen on sauces maybe not

lucinad

my son (will be 18 on 26th jan) also doesnt like sauce or gravy so when i make a stew i use a slotted spoon to pull out the contents without the sauce and serve it with some potatoes and extra veg

sorry for taking over the thread