This makes it tough on me to plan dinners and use recipes that I find anywhere without adapting them. Any dish that is mexican, chinese, barbecue, or spicy is out. Any onions or veggies in the dish? Forget it...he won't eat it. Picky kids are a lot easier to outsmart and sneak veggies in than picky husbands {or wives} are!
I know I'm not alone out there! There have got to be others who have a picky kid or husband that they have to accommodate :) Hence, the list of my dinner options for picky eaters. If you have other ideas, add them in the comments! I'd love to add them to the list!
A lot of these meals can be made a lot of different ways. The preparation can be from mostly store bought to totally made from scratch. And of course, this affects your grocery costs. The more you buy pre-made, the more expensive it will be, but the quicker your dinner prep is. And the more you make from scratch, the cheaper it will be, but will obviously take longer to make dinner. Do what's right for your family and your budget! Plus, you can make just about all of these gluten-free or allergy friendly if your family needs it.
{CP = Crockpot Dinners}
1 - Traditional Pizza
Variations: Boboli pizza crust, refrigerated or frozen crust, pizza crust mix, made from scratch crust
2 - French Bread Pizza
Variations: With frozen garlic bread, refrigerated bread dough, bakery bread, made from scratch
3 - Pizza Roll
Variations: Make with refrigerated pizza crust or make from scratch
4 - Pizza Muffins
Variation: Make with refrigerated biscuit dough
5 - Crescent Roll Pizzas
6 - Inside Out Pizza
7 - Bagel Pizzas
Recipe: Top bagels with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings. Sprinkle with a little oregano & garlic powder.
Variation: Use mini bagels for a yummy appetizer for get togethers!
8 - Pizza Dip
Recipe: In 9x13 dish, spread a block of cream cheese on bottom, then a layer of sauce, then cheese of your choice! Serve with cut up bagels or full bread sticks for dipping!
9 - Pizzadillas
10 - Chicken Alfredo Pizzas
11 - Deep dish pizza
12 - Calzones
Recipe: Make 6-8 inch circles from pizza dough, stuff with yummy fillings, pinch edges to close and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
13 - Pull Apart Pizza Bread
Chicken is the perfect dinner meat! It's delicious, lean, and can be prepared so many different ways!
We typically serve our chicken entrees with a potato dish and vegetable side. I try to make a variety of potato dishes so that Mr. Picky doesn't get bored, but that's another post for another day!
Budgeting Tip: I buy my chicken breasts in bulk when it's on sale. Then I use as much as I can to make freezer meals and cut up the rest into the necessary portions {breasts, tenders, cubes, etc}.
14 - Chicken Cordon Bleu {Weight Watchers recipe that we've used for 7 years}
15 - Breaded Chicken Parmesan
Recipe: Prepare chicken breasts using this breaded pork chop recipe. Top with marinara sauce and provolone cheese. Serve on top of linguine.
16 - Grilled Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches
Recipe: Grill chicken breasts, top with marinara sauce & provolone, serve on buns. {Add spinach leaves for non-picky eaters}
17 - Chicken Tenders
Recipe: Cut chicken breasts into strips. Bread using the method in this recipe. Bake 15-20 minutes until breading starts to brown a tad.
18 - Chicken Marinara
Recipe: Cook cubed chicken using desired method {boiling, baking, saute}. Add chicken to pasta {penne, rotini, farfalle} and marinara sauce.
19 - Italian Marinated Chicken Breasts
Recipe: Marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing at least 1 hr {overnight is best}. Grill on outdoor grill, on George Foreman grill, or in the oven.
20 - Chicken a la King {CP}
Recipe: Prepare this recipe without veggies. Prepare mixed veggies on the side {carrots, peas, corn}. Separate & mix veggies in half for the rest of the family, reserving the other half for your picky eater :) Serve over country biscuits!
21 - Chicken & Dumplings
22 - Savory Chicken & Noodles
Recipe: Prepare chicken a la king {above} or Chicken & Gravy {below} and serve over egg noodles.
23 - Chicken Club Sandwich
Recipe: Grill chicken breasts. Top with colby or cheddar cheese & bacon & serve on buns. {Add lettuce or tomato for non-picky eaters!}
24 - Chicken Bites
Recipe: Cut chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Bread using the method in this recipe. Bake 15-20 minutes until breading starts to brown a tad.
25 - Crispy Chicken Legs
26 - 20 Clove Garlic Chicken {CP}
27 - Chicken & Gravy
Recipe: Pour thin layer of chicken gravy in baking dish. Place chicken breasts on top. Add more gravy and bake for 15-20 minutes or until there chicken is cooked through.
Breakfast for dinner is a treat around here! The hubby and the kids love breakfast foods. I generally serve bacon or sausage {links or patties} on the side with most of these dishes.
28 - Pancakes
I use the recipe from the Better Homes & Garden cookbook 12th edition or this one looks yummy!
29 - French Toast
Recipe: Mix 6 eggs, 3/4 c milk, 1t vanilla, & 1/2 t cinnamon in shallow bowl. Dip bread on both sides and cook on griddle or skillet.
30 - Waffles
I use the recipe from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook 12th edition.
31 - Biscuits & Gravy
Recipe: Brown 1 lb sausage in large skillet, chopping finely as you brown. Lower heat to low. Add enough flour to absorb grease {3-4 Tbs}. Add milk to fill skillet 3/4 way. Mix and heat and gravy will thicken. Let cook on low for 10 minutes. If needed add more flour or milk to reach desired consistency. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over country biscuits.
32 - Cinnamon Rolls
Variations: From canned rolls to Pioneer Woman recipe.
33 - Fluffy Scrambled Eggs & Toast
Recipe: Beat as many eggs as needed for your family. Add some milk {I use about 1/3 c milk for 6 eggs}. Mix well. Add a few pinches of salt and a few shakes of pepper. Pour into a skillet on med-high heat. Keep stirring and scraping with your spatula until most of the "juice" is gone. It will still be nice and moist from the milk and you won't be left with plain dry scrambled eggs!
34 - Fried Eggs & Toast
Recipe: Put 2-3 Tbs oil in a warm skillet. Crack eggs into the skillet and let cook 2-3 minutes or until the whites are getting pretty solid. Flip and allow to cook for a few minutes on the other side. This makes the eggs pretty over easy. If you prefer more solid yolks, add a minute or two to each side.
35 - {BLT - LT} Sandwiches or more simply, Bacon Sandwiches
Recipe: Cook bacon via preferred method. I prefer baking in the oven, but I also use the stove top and the microwave. Serve on bread with mayo/Miracle Whip. {Add LT back in for the non-picky eaters!}
36 - Sausage Biscuits
Recipe: Cook sausage and serve on country biscuits. Optional: Add cheese and/or egg to the biscuits.
37 - Omelets
Recipe: Beat 2 eggs together. Pour into hot skillet {med-high heat} and allow to "firm" up on the bottom. Add mixings {ham, sausage, bacon, cheese for picky eaters. veggies too for non-picky eaters}. Flip over and cook other side for 2-3 minutes. Flip out and serve.
Pork is our other go-to meat. We are mostly a chicken and pork family! As with the chicken, I usually serve a potato dish and veggie with these entrees.
Budget Tip: I buy chops and loins on sale and freeze them. I try to do some of the prep work ahead of time (ie. breading them or marinating them) before freezing. It simplifies dinner time! I also will buy the whole loin and "butcher" it myself. I can usually get 2 dinners of pork chops, a pork loin, and pork roast from one whole loin.
38 - Herb Crusted Pork Loin - I omit ginger, cilantro, and lime :)
Yes, it has onions. Yes, he still eats it. But only after he discovered he liked it before he discovered the onions.
39 - Pork Roast {CP}
Recipe: Place pork in crockpot after rinsing it off. Apply pepper to outside very liberally. Add 1-2 inches of water to the crockpot. Add veggies for the rest of the family {carrots, potatoes, etc.}. Cook 5-6 hrs on low or 2-3 hrs on high.
40 - Grilled Pork Chops
Recipe: Marinate in Italian dressing for at least one hour {overnight ideal...or freeze with marinate}. Grill and serve!
41 - Breaded Pork Chops
42 - Baked Cavatelli
We love pasta dishes at our house, too. They are filling and yummy! Plus, it's very budget friendly! A box of pasta is very cheap and can feed most families with one box. Add in some jar or homemade sauce and you are set!
If your picky eater likes broccoli or spinach, add some to any of these dishes.
We usually serve our pasta dishes with a salad and either garlic bread or french loaf.
43 - Spaghetti
44 - Baked Penne
Recipe: Mix cooked pasta, plenty of sauce, and cheese together and place in a casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
45 - Fettuccine Alfredo
Easy Alfredo Sauce Recipe or packet mixes
46 - Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Recipe for Creamy Garlic Sauce or packet mixes
47 - Cheese Tortellini
Recipe: I cheat on these :) I buy the big bags of frozen tortellini, boil, and serve with marinara sauce.
48 - Cheese Ravioli
Recipe: I cheat on these too. I buy the big bags of frozen ravioli, boil, and serve with marinara sauce.
There is something so comforting about soup. I love soup. My picky eater...not so much. There are a few {as in 2 - #49 and #50} that I can get him to eat. I included a few others that may be successful with other picky eaters.
These soups are perfect paired with a big yummy salad, sandwich, or french baguettes!
49 - Cheesy Potato Soup
50 - Chicken and Noodle Soup
My recipe for this changes all the time! I never really follow one :) I've attempted to capture what I do here.
Recipe: Boil 3-4 chicken breasts in a large pot until cooked through. Strain and shred or chop chicken while retaining the broth from the pot. Add 16 oz chicken stock or broth to retained broth. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of chicken soup base. Chop 3 stalks of celery and 3-4 large peeled carrots and add to the broth. Optional: add 1 c fresh chopped spinach. Bring to a boil and add large egg noodles. Cook until pasta is al dente. Reduce heat to low and add chicken back in. Season with plenty of salt & pepper.
51 - Ham and Cheese Soup
Recipe: Use this recipe with or without potatoes and add 2 c diced ham.
52 - Italian Wedding Soup
I don't tend to use a lot of deli meat in my dinners because Mr. Picky takes a lunchmeat sandwich for lunch every day. As if he doesn't get tired of lunchmeat anyways, I don't want to overwhelm him with deli meat for dinner too. When I do use it, I try to be creative...and make it warm!
53 - Lunchmeat Calzones
Recipe: Make 6-8 inch circles from pizza dough, stuff with yummy fillings, pinch edges to close and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Ideas: Ham & Cheese, Club {turkey, ham, bacon}, Italian {Ham, pepperoni, salami}
54 - Ham & Cheese Croissants
55 - French Dip Croissants
56 - Hawaiian Baked Ham & Swiss - you guessed it...without the onion.
57 - Mini Monte Cristos
58 - Toasty Subs
Recipe: Slice sub buns in half and spread with butter. Toast on a skillet or griddle. Pile high with meats and cheeses of your choice and bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 350F to warm. Top with any veggies that your picky eater will eat!
When compiling this list, I realized how little beef is in our diet! One reason is because its so dang expensive. The other is because of my picky husband!! I'm listing a few ideas for ground beef for picky eaters, but in reality, hamburgers is the only beef meal that we currently eat, unless we splurge on steak.
58 - Hamburgers
Recipe - Apply salt & pepper very liberally to both sides and grill or broil. Seriously, lots of salt & pepper is the secret!
59 - Fab Flank Steak
60 - Baked Mostaccioli - a family fave {no mushrooms}...just not Mr. Picky!
61 - Spaghetti & Meatsauce
Recipe: Brown 1/2 lb to 1 lb ground beef and add to sauce. Put on top of spaghetti!
62 - Spaghetti & Meatballs
So, let's hear it! What are your other dinner ideas for picky eaters? I'd love to do a 2nd post with even more ideas. And I'm always open to new things to mix it up!
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