Friday, January 11, 2008

The One Where I Need Your Help...

I love to cook, LOVE it! However, Rob and MonkeyBoy are picky eaters and I am getting burnt out fixing the same old stuff day in and day out. So what I need from you are recipes for picky eaters. I would give you a list of things they won't eat but I don't have that kind of time, so here are the things that they will eat:

green beans
corn
potatoes
pork
chicken
beef
pasta
cheese

****I can get MonkeyBoy to eat broccoli and carrots but Rob is bigger than me and it is too hard to hold him down...****


They like onion flavor but hate the actual onion. The smell of cooking green peppers (0ne of my faves) makes Rob ill.

They like spaghetti, lasagna and pizza...but if I want them the way I like them (loaded with stuff) I have to make two different pots/pans/pies. There is no telling them to just pick it out.

I go to a lot of trouble to have family dinner every night... clean table cloth, matching serving dishes with the proper serving utensils (I want them to be able to identify a sugar shell, butter knife, etc..) and it is just getting to be tedious when the food is so boring to me.

They are willing to try new things...as long as it does not have stuff in it they don't like.

So I would LOVE for all of you to leave me ANY recipe you think might work for us. Don't sweat it if it is all long and complicated...I am all about a challenge...

So I am begging ya...help a Momma out....

14 comments:

Sandy said...

I just posted a recipe over at my place. My daughter is one of the world's pickiest eaters and I made this last week. She loved it and wants the recipe. She will tell you that although the recipe sounds odd and the sauce sounds weird, it is super!

It also adapts incredibly well to whatever you have on hand.

Anonymous said...

Wish I could but I don't know any good recipes. I never have time to cook.

Anonymous said...

What about stuffed bell peppers? If they don't want to eat the pepper, they don't have to, but it's there for everyone else. I've had really good SBP with a ground meat filling w/ rice and cheese added in. And topped with pasta sauce or a sweet corn relish. Yum!

Cheryltx said...

Almost every one loves this and you can take out or put in what your family likes. Hope it helps

Take 8 med. potatoes, peeled and cut in large pieces.
Boil in salted water ‘‘til tender.
Dip potatoes from water (save water) into buttered casserole/baking dish;
while potatoes are hot, add
½ stick of butter (chopped in pieces);
4 oz. Cream cheese (chopped in pieces);
8 oz. sour cream;
salt and pepper to taste.
Use potato masher or large fork and mix ingredients well.
If mixture is too dry, add a little of the water you saved--couple tbs. at a time.
Do not overly cream potatoes; they should be a little lumpy.
Smooth out and sprinkle chedder cheese over the top. (I use a lot!)
Dot with butter.
Bake in 375 degree oven ‘‘til heated through and cheese is all melted.
Take piping hot casserole dish and spoon to closet, squat there saying NOM NOM NOM until it
is all gone.

PS: Last time I made this I bought the already cut up bacon pieces (by the salad dressing) and
sprinkled the whole bag in the potatoes before I put the cheese on yumyum.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Sure to get the seal of approval...

Mexican Chicken

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes
1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
1 (11 1/2-ounce) package flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by-9-inch pan with the cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the 3 kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken.
Layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture in the pan, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Also, look under recipes on my blog. I have several. My kids love husbands delight and they hate most everything. (I hide the green onion in the cream cheese, but you could use onion powder).

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Green Beans with New Potatoes southern style

3 pounds fresh green beans
1/4 pound salt pork, sliced
1/4 cup bacon grease
2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
2 to 3 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
12 small red potatoes
1 onion, cut into slivers
1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced
Ground black pepper

Remove the ends from the beans. Snap the beans in 2 pieces, place into a colander, wash, and set aside to drain.
Meanwhile, in a large cast iron Dutch oven, lightly brown the salt pork in the bacon grease over medium heat, turning often, for approximately 10 minutes. Toss the green beans into the pot, stirring them with a wooden spoon to coat well with the pork fat. Add the broth and House Seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat, covered tightly, for approximately 30 minutes, or until the beans are half done.

While the beans are cooking, peel a center strip from each new potato with a potato peeler. At the end of 30 minutes, add the potatoes and onion to the beans; add 1/4 cup more broth, if needed. Cook, covered tightly, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, periodically checking the pot to make sure a small amount of liquid remains. When the potatoes are tender, tilt the lid slightly, off to the side of the pot, and continue to cook until the green beans are wilted, approximately 15 minutes. While cooking, add the butter and season with pepper.


House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Whole grain dijon mustard adds depth to creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese, the ultimate comfort food. MAKES: 4 to 6 servings, PREP: 15 minutes, COOK: 40 minutes.

1 (8-ounce) package dried elbow macaroni or favorite pasta (about 2 ¼ cups,uncooked)
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
1 (8-ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Toppings (optional):
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium; gradually whisk in milk, and cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in pasta, mustard, and next 4 ingredients, stirring just until cheese begins to melt.

Pour pasta mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano or more Cheddar. If desired, top with fresh breadcrumbs, and drizzle evenly with melted butter.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Unbelievable Chicken
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 9 Hours
Yields: 6 servings


INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared coarse
-ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, peeled and
minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken
breast halves

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large glass bowl, mix the cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover, and marinate 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the prepared grill, and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Discard marinade.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup


This recipe is for the large size crock pot.

Need 2 packs of boneless chicken breast
1 pack of 6 regular size chicken legs.
1 & 1/2 box of the wal-mart value brand Fettuccine noodles
3 tblsp of Seasoning salt.
2 can of regular chicken broth
Regular salt season to taste preference.

Place chicken In a large 2 quart boiler and cover chicken with water. Use about 3 tablespoons of seasoning salt an Boil chicken all together for about 30 min. on the stove top. When done try to skimp of any fat residue that floats to the top. After boiled remove chicken from pot a de-skin the cooked chicken legs. De-bone chicken legs and slice up remaining breast and place the all chicken into the crock pot. Pour the remaining water from the boiler the chicken was cooked in into the crock pot and add water if need be. Season generously with regular salt and simmer over night. About 1& 1/2 hours before you serve prepare the Fettuccine noodles on the stove according the directions on the box. Drain noodles and add to the crook pot and your done. Check occasionally for taste and add salt and water to preference. Enjoy

Trixie Twatwaffle said...

Do you make shepherd's pie?

Also, I have a great tip for onions. I will try and email you stuff this weekend. Try. Its gonna be a hard weekend. Lots of work brought home.

How about chicken and rice casserole?

Have you been to Krafts website? You can pick what you have/they like and they will find you recipes? Take this from me, a picky eater... :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry, no help from me. My daughter is super picky and I have yet to figure out how to get her to eat something that isn't one of her five preferred foods.

Thanks for popping by my place last week. :)

-andi

Aimee said...

The only thing that came to mind is meatloaf made with lipton onion soup mix mashed in it. I rock, I know. I hate onion pieces but like the taste, so this is my fix.

My whole family (growing up) were picky eaters. WE did lots of canned green beans, random meat, and either mac and cheese or sometimes hash browns. :) and cranberry sauce. for some reason we loved that. :)